1965

We're thinking about a trip to Maine next fall. Don't know a thing about Maine except the beautiful pictures we see in travel magazines. We'd like to go to the coast. Maybe see a lighthouse. Eat lobster. Take lots of walks and just relax and enjoy the scenery. Need the best place to fly into. Best type of accomodation on retired teachers' budgets. Any help, advice, input would be greatly appreciated. We'll be flying from Dallas, TX.

IrishDeb

Maine is a beautiful state. Kennebunkport is my favorite place to stay along the coast. It is close to York (Nubble Lighthouse) and Ogunquit. There is a beautiful ocean walk called The Marginal Way in Ogunquit. I believe it is about 2 hours from Boston Logan Airport perhaps and hour and a half from Manchester NH airport. Along the Mid- Coast region you will find Boothbay Harbor and Camden Maine. Camden Maine is known as the place where the mountains meet the sea. All the coastal regions are quite lovely. Beware...the lobster is addicting!! Happy planning!

dfrostnh

Although Portland has an airport, it will probably be cheaper to fly into MHT or Logan as mentioned above. The real lobster shacks might be weekends only in Sept and usually close after Columbus day. These are the unheated weathered buildings on a dock with dining on picnic tables. Our favorite is Waterman's near Owl's Head Light in Rockland. (Can never remember town Waterman's is in.) I would recommend September because the weather is usually great most of the month. Get out on the water, too. The mailboat cruise around Casco Bay in Portland is fun. Read YK's trip report for Portland. She took a different cruise.
South of Portland (Kennebunkport etc) is very built up but that means there are loads of shops and restaurants. It will be busy all thru Sept and probably Oct.
North of Portland the coast gets rockier. Camden is a don't miss place. You can find more independent motels/hotels that will be cheaper. We usually camp but splurged last June on the Dunes in Ogunquit which was very nice. Peace and quiet, lovely adirondack chairs on a beautiful lawn outside our little cottage (which was actually considered a motel unit). September still has warm days when you can enjoy sitting outside. We take bag chairs and find a spot to enjoy the water or a picnic lunch (top of Mt Battie is fabulous). You can probably save money if you do some picnics. There are places were you can buy crabmeat etc or prepared sandwiches. We carry picnic supplies/small insulated bag. We also found a great deal on a lobster dinner with all the fixings that was a benefit for the local volunteer fire department. $17 for lobster, mussels (or crab), chips, etc. Pie was extra. This was in June 2009. Keep your eyes open (we followed signs on a saturday) and read the local newspapers.
Since you're retired you can probably fly on the cheapest day mid-week which would give you a full weekend. It will be the busiest time as far as lodging but I don't think you'll find the mid-coast area busy at that time of year. Boothbay and downtown Camden will be busy but you'll find other towns much quieter.
We did our June 2009 trip around the Camden House and Garden tour and a special event at the Owl's Head Transportation Museum. Check a Maine calendar of events to see if there's something you would like to do.
If you fly into MHT or Logan, you can also include Portsmouth NH as a stop.

1965

Wow!! Thank you both very much for such great information. It all sounds like just what we're longing to do.

joesorce

Southwest Airlines is supposed to be moving into Portland Maine, so watch for good airfares there as they have already been inching downward. Manchester used to be a much cheaper option, but probably not any longer as Southwest, Delta and United/Continental start to fight it out.

Go just after Labor Day after the summer crowds but before the fall leaf-peeping tours. This will get you the best bang for your buck. You know that you'll need to rent a car, right?

Just click on the word "MAINE" above near your topic title, and tons of previous questions and answers about visiting the state will magically appear.

1965

Someone on the Trafalgar message board said we might enjoy going to Nova Scotia even more than going to Maine. Any thoughts on Nova Scotia?

dfrostnh

We haven't been to Nova Scotia recently. If you get the tourist info, each part is a different "trail" and is very different. Lighthouse Trail is probably one of the most popular if you have limited time. North of Halifax can be desolate but beautiful coastal scenery. Cape Breton is similar to Mount Desert Island/ME. Area around the Bay of Fundy makes interesting beach combing but turbulent waters. Farming area in Annapolis Valley is almost southern. Beaches on east coast can be beautiful, more like the Carolinas. Ocean water in one area is quite warm. DH liked it because it was very clean, more rural and less commercial (we prefer mid-coast ME over southern for that reason).

If I had to choose, it would be a hard choice.

1965

Glad we have several months to research and decide. All of that northeast area sounds good. We've done a lot of traveling in the northwest U.S. and across the border into Canada. We've never been further northeast than NYC, but have been talking about going for a year or two. Thanks for giving us some good ideas.

Down_Easter

I would encourage you to come farther up the coast and see Down East Maine. It's far more relaxed and far less crowded than the southern part of the coast. Unspoiled, beautiful ... You can fly into Bangor, but it's almost always more expensive than Portland -- and the drive up from Portland is lovely.
If you're looking for chain restaurants and motels, you won't find them here, but if you're a bit more adventurous, it's definitely worth your time. Prices are usually more reasonable, too. Check out the Machias Bay area and Eastport in particular. Look up West Quoddy Head Light, too -- and Campobello Island.
Have fun planning! Maine is a wonderful place.

ChicagoDallasGirl

This trip report may be helpful to you. My mom and I STILL talk about this trip. It is tops on our list. Unless I retire to the Caribbean, I hope to live out my latter days in Maine. You will love it. FWIW, I found Boothbay Harbor to be less crowded than Kennebunkport and Ogunquit. I would go even farther north next time to check out Bar Harbor.

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...ng-lobster.cfm