foolforfrance

Does this itinerary seem reasonable, not too rushed?

Tuesday, 9/15 Arrive Boston Logan at 10:55p

Based on Fodorite suggestions, I have a reservation at the Nine Zero $485/nt. Also based on Fodorite suggestion, I could found a rate at the CharlesMark for $299/nt. Both are queen rooms ( I really want a King, but no availability). Anyone stayed at both and can make a case to spend $185 more per night at the Nine Zero?

Wed-Fri 9/16-18 Freedom Trail, Duck Tour, Museum of Art. Walking tour suggestions? Restaurant suggestions....seafood or any cuisine Boston is known for.

Pick up a car on Friday morning either near hotel or at Logan airport where we would be returning it at end of our trip. Head to Portland, ME to arrive by 12 p to visit with friends overnight. How long should we allow to Portland from Logan?

Saturday, 9/19 head to Bar Harbour early morn and check into Harbourside Hotel for two nights. We plan to hike, maybe take a whale watching trip.........suggestions?

Monday, 9/21, head down coast. Visit Camden for sure. We presently have reservations in Cape Cod for Monday/Tuesday but I am concerned this will be too rushed and perhaps we should spend Monday night along the coast. Perhaps Portsmouth, NH.

Wednesday, 9/23 We have a 1p flight out of Logan. Think it safe to head out of Cape Cod at 9:30a?

Thanks in advance for thoughts and suggestions.

clarkgriswold

"Anyone can make a case?"

- Nah, not when you probably won't even get into the room til almost 1am. Those evening flights are often late. And sounds like you won't be spending a lot of time in the room on your other two days.

Logan to Portland, not including time it takes to pickup rental car, is just over 2 hours.

What's the cancellation policy at the Harborside? The reason I ask is that if the weather is poor, you might want to just head as far as Camden. Bar harbor is a long haul just for a day and a half anyway. Mt Battie is a great hike near Camden and the shore walk between downtown Camden and Rockport is great, too.

Yes, Bar Harbor to Cape Cod is a long haul, and you'll hit evening traffic around Boston metro since you're stopping along the way and taking your time. As long as you don't mind packing-and-unpacking, spend Monday in Ogunquit at the Dunes, or in York at the York Harbor Inn.

Avis has a location on Clarendon Street less than a mile from the Charlesmark, and another at the Aquarium about a half mile from Nine Zero. They both allow return to Logan as long as you book it that way from the start. www.avis.com/sears has a $25 coupon
Looks like airport-to-airport Avis has the lowest rates right now, but the taxes/fees are higher so it's almost a wash.

dfrostnh

I'm not a big fan of the Cape and agree that part of your trip is too rushed. The Dunes is a nice place to stay. I would vote for Portsmouth, however, and ending your trip with an inland rivers cruise or just sitting on the rear deck of one of the Bow Street restaurants that look out on Portsmouth Harbor. I recently enjoyed eating at the Surf with a friend. You can walk the entire rear deck area from restaurant to restaurant if you want.

Yankee Magazine's current issue is nostalgic New England. There's a nice article about Durgin Park, one of Boston's oldest restaurants. Might not be the best restaurant in Boston but might be the only one that still has Indian pudding on the menu. Good place for a hearty meal in Quincy Market area. I would take one of the food tours of Boston. I have been on both the North End and Chinatown tours with Michelle Topar's tours. Loved them both.

DonTopaz

I took an especially nice short walk last week along the Greenway in Boston, and I recommend it to anyone: Start at Haymarket T station, and just follow the Greenway to South Station. Plenty of little detours along the way, Christopher Columbus Park being the best one. If you're hungry but don't want a sit-down meal, check out either the brand new Boston Public Market across the street from Haymarket station or one of the many food trucks at South Station.

I'd definitely lop off the Cape from OP's itinerary, focusing on the Portsmouth/southern Main area instead. Sounds like the OP would really enjoy some short walks at the Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge (near Kennebunk) and at Odiorne State Park (on the coast south of Portsmouth).

clarkgriswold

Dhfrost have you ever had the Indian Pudding Ice Cream from Lago's in Rye? Oh. Em. Gee.

dfrostnh

Sore subject Clark, just tried togo to Lago's but somehow missed it. I've had Indian Pudding ice cream at a couple of places. The place mear us makes gingersnap which is bery close. I have made indian pudding before but not often. Moght make for Thanksgiving this year.

jubilada

I would leave the cape a little earlier just to be safe, but yes, that basic timing should work.
Just check google maps for tie ups.

I like the outer cape tremendously and find it much more interesting than , say, Ogunquit, but I think the trip is too short for both.

cw

I'd stay at the Charlesmark. It's in Copley Square and convenient to public transportation. You can take the Logan Express bus from the airport to Copley for $5. The bus stops at every terminal.

Bar Harbor is a long drive from everywhere, especially the Cape. That's a long day driving.

I'd keep the Cape and not go as far as Bar Harbor. Stay around Camden. Agree with Jubilada, leave the Cape earlier than 9:30, and the timing depends on where you're staying there.

foolforfrance

Thanks to all!

Is there a hotel/B&B in Camden, Portsmouth, Rockport, etc that anyone recommends? Our friends in Portland are joining us for the drive to Bar Harbor, so no changing that. However, I do think I will drop one night off the Bar Harbor stay and stay in a town along the beautiful coast drive. That way the drive to Cape Cod is shorter. I am still open to dropping a night of staying at Chatham Bars Inn on Cape Cod. My husband really wants to lay eyes on Cape Cod, so got to go at least one night. It is our 31st wedding anniversary on the 22nd, so CBI sounds like a very special place to celebrate.

clarkgriswold

"beautiful coast drive"

As we always note, the coastal drive in Maine is not beautiful. If you look carefully at a map you'll see that in order to "hug the coast" you would have to continually be detouring down and then up each peninsula. Though a pleasant drive, it is not a "coastal view drive" like say route 1 in California, not by any means.

If you want a beautiful spot on the coast for one night, between Bar Harbor and Cape Cod, look at Inn by the Sea in Cape Elizabeth, Black Point Inn in Scarborough, Cliff House between Ogunquit and Cape Neddick, or Stage Neck Inn in York. So I guess I'm suggesting a long day drive between Bar Harbor and Scarborough or York, with an extended lunch break in Camden. But the southern Maine stop over will put you in nice position for the drive to the Cape and you should be able to avoid traffic around Boston if you time it right.

Chatham Bars Inn is a great choice.

Ackislander

Hartstone Inn, very convenient.

On a Main Street but not noisy. They have several auxiliary properties, but we stayed in the main house. I don't imagine the other rooms would be less pleasant and might have fewer stairs.

Good breakfast, which they adapted to my dietary needs readily. Pleasant innkeepers. Would return in a minute.

jubilada

Most of the rooms at the Stage Neck Inn have meh views.

foolforfrance

Thanks to all for your input. We had an amazing trip. This was the first time in 3 years we did not go to France for our big annual trip. New England did not disappoint!

We stayed at the Marriott Long Wharf thanks to a friends and family discounted rate becoming available. It gave us the King size bed we were unable to get at either the CharlesMark or Nine Zero. The rate was comparable to the CharlesMark. The service at the Long Wharf was excellent. There was a Starbucks in the lobby. It was quiet. On Friday I walked a block to pick up our rental car.

Our location worked well for this trip as we did a Duck Tour originating right outside our hotel, touring Quincy Market, Fanuiel Hall and eating in the North End/Little Italy. We caught a subway not to far from our hotel for our tour of Harvard. We took one cab to dinner on Newbury Street and back as it was dark. Next trip though, I want to stay in the Copley Square or Back BAy area.

The advice to pick either Acadia/BAr Harbor or Cape Cod was correct. WE had a very long day of driving on Monday from 7:30a arriving in Chatham at 5p. But my husband could not be talked out of a short stop in Camden and a stop in Wiscansett for a lobster roll and whoopie pie at Red's. Both were excellent. The woman taking orders at Red's was really lovely and very proud of what they served. These two stops took about 2 hours.

I give top marks to the Harborside Inn in Bar Harbor and the Chatham Bars Inn in Cape Cod. Acadia National Park is breathtaking.

The tip to leave the Cape earlier than 9:30a was a good one. We headed out at 8:30 and got to Logan at 10:45.

All meals were good, but nothing as memorable as our meals in France. I can say I have had my fill of lobster for awhile!

cw

Thanks for reporting back. I'm glad you enjoyed yourselves.

DonTopaz

Nice report -- thanks.