matriarch

Help appreciated from those familiar with southern Maine. Family with 3 married children. son & his wife just had our first grandchild last week - so baby will be 5 months. Dates Aug 6-13 2016. Looking to rent home in Maine as none of us have been there. Flying into Boston and driving - no more than 2 - 2.5 hours to Maine. (Were also open to New England coast elsewhere) Previously without baby we have been very active with outdoor activities and gone several places for excursions. Now with new baby want a home that is in proximity to scenic or town walks for new Mom and Gmom/Dad...with option for others to drive, ferry , kayak etc to other places for day trips...gathering all back together for evening fun. Need 4 BR 2 BA - looking at Portland area or South Portland area. Difficult to please all but trying. We love to sit and visit on porches, to cook, eat seafood, dine out, beach, hike, shop, explore history, wildlfe, coffee shops etc. Any advice for this new grandmom and her family of twenty somethings? Thanks

cw

Have you searched on vrbo and homeaway for your dates? That should give you some potential rentals. South of Portland, should be a good choice for you. Look at York and Ogunquit, and nearby towns.

dfrostnh

York is very popular with families - nice beaches and the traditional walk up the road toward the Nubble for ice cream. Grassy area and playground with benches at the end near town. But lots of traffic.

A friend likes to rent a house in Wells that is usually a block or two back from the beach which means a grassy yard with trees and some quiet streets. The section of beach doesn't get much public traffic so it's a lot quieter.

The York/Ogunquit and nearby towns would be fairly convenient to both Portland and Portsmouth NH nightlife and activities. Shoppers can go outlet shopping in Kittery on a rainy day. Rockland is about 2 hours north of Portland which would make a fun day trip if baby sleeps in the car a lot. Might be a bit too far if you stay in the Wells/York area. Five Islands Lobster is about an hour north of Portland and would be a fun eat on picnic tables experience in a beautiful setting. (I'm not a fan of the lobster place in Kittery - Chauncey Creek.) Cundy's Harbor is even more rural and on the ocean and slightly closer to Portland.

There's a big difference between north and south of Portland. Young adults might find more to do south of Portland but there's also more traffic and busier restaurants. Highly recommend getting take out for dinner so baby can have a quiet evening. Cheapest lobster dinner would be to get lobster steamed for take-out and grab some salad, rolls and buy some fresh corn on the cob. Check ahead, it's pretty common for rental places to have a big pot on hand although also possible to microwave corn on the cob. Don't forget the butter.

emalloy

Maine is a much larger state than the other New England states, so you won't be really "exploring" it from one base. The coast is beautiful, and beaches are lovely south of Portland. There are also areas of rocky coast interspersed between the beaches. You can get to them within your 2 hour drive from Boston. North of Boston there are some nice beaches interspersed between the rocky areas. The water tends to be a bit cool until August and then it is only sort of not cool in the afternoon if the tide has come in over the sand that was warming in the sunshine all day. It is a refreshing cool though.

The suggestions for places to look that dfrostnh gave are a good start, do look at the other towns along the coast from Ogunquit to Portland or Brunswick. Many have homes for rent on the waterfront or easy walks to the beach. Look for names like Moody Beach, Ocean Park, Cape Elizabeth, Old Orchard. Ask about how far the houses are from the beach and if there is parking near the beach. Look for some of the

Do take a drive up along the coast, take the mail boat out of Portland, rent canoes or kayaks and explore some of the marshy areas. Eat lobster outside in the fresh air where you can drip on the ground!

Ackislander

I would only note that water temperatures in Wells Beach peak the first week in August at between 65 and 68 F. You will spend less time in the water here than in most of the places we think of as "beach," though there are great walks and you can surf in a wet suit.

SambaChula

That's one more reason to go to the beach at Ogunquit----when the tide is going out. The river flows into the sea there, and as the tide goes out, shallow pools form that warm in the sun, great for kids, even babies. The tide flows pretty fast and a favorite pastime for older kids and adults is to float the river. Pick up a cheap air mattress/float or two at the drugstore on the way up to avoid the higher prices at the beach. The sand flats that are left at low tide are great for flying kites and all sorts of games, from bocce to baseball. There are also kayaks for rent, and chairs/umbrellas too. Ogunquit also has the Marginal Way walk along the cliffs, lots of shops and restaurants, and miles of beach to walk.
For a tranquil place to get away from the high season crowds, walk through the fields and woods of Laudholm Farm in Wells to the beach there. (Bring insect repellent for the woods part though.) This was a working dairy farm until the 1970s and is just beautiful.
York, in addition to the classic Nubble Light, has a small town green at the beach and there is music at night at the bandstand. Dancing on the grass. Lots of fun. The shops nearby include an old fashioned arcade, salt water taffy to see pulled, and more recently a spirit distillery with sampling, and go carts at the little amusement park (most rides for little kids).
Portsmouth has nice boat rides around the harbor and out to the islands. There are also some great restaurants, brew pubs and lots of unique shops.

Enjoy the area.

matriarch

Thanks all...you have been quite helpful. have looked on VRBO and AirBNB and found a few nice places. Want nice view, but also nice to be able to walk to coffee shops, restaurants etc. Will keep looking. Week is Aug 6-13. Am enjoying the search, but wishing we had a month now. Maybe Camden area would be more central for those in group who really want to see Acadia. Still searching but thanks for replies.

elberko

Since you are now considering staying further north, I stayed here a few years ago, and thought it would be perfect for a family group of various means.
http://www.glenmoorbythesea.com