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I will be arriving in Boston in September and driving up to Bar harbour.Ii am considering stopping for a few days en route in Portland and Bath. Does anyone know how long it will take me to drive the coastal road from Boston to Bath and are Portland and Bath worth a visit. I enjoy scenery and the outdoors and as I am from the UK I just want to get the real New England experience without going to far off the coastal road as I have no experience of driving in the staes but a car is my only option. i would be grateful for any advice.
New England
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Do you know maps.google.com? It will show you estimated drive time. Here's a thread with good info on the coastal places. http://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/portland-camden-bar-harbor-how-many-days-each.cfm
Portland is well worth a visit, though if your priority is scenery and the outdoors, a city might not be my first choice.
There are several lovely seaside towns that will fit the bill. If away from the coast hiking is more your style, consider someplace further north and further inland, such as Mount Katahdin. The nice thing about Acadia National Park is that you can combine the two with ease, and regardless, this park is a must as far as I'm concerned.
Don't forget to check back to your first thread:
http://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/new-england-road-trip-375427-2.cfm
FYI, the coastal road is not a scenic as people think it will be, and it's slow going. If outdoor stuff is what you are after, I would head directly to Bar Harbor/Acadia, althought we enjoy a day in Portland on our frequent visits to Maine.
~Liz
The first part of Rt 1 from Boston is a nightmare of strip malls and traffic. This road was built many years ago and never widened. I don't like the rotaries either. As you get to the Newburyport area, it becomes a bit nicer but still, you aren't going to see much ocean only an occasionally drive thru marshy area. Going Rt 1 from Boston is just too slow to be worth it. We prefer the mid-coast area of Maine. Portland would be a good city stop with lots of good restaurant options. After Portland, I would get back on Rt 95 until Brunswick. Then Rt 1 is a good choice since it goes thru Wiscasset, Camden, etc.
Remember, north of Portland most of the beaches are rocky. If you want to see some nice expanses of sand, then stop in a place like Hampton NH or York Beach, Maine.
I like Bath but it's home to the Bath Iron Works so it's a small city. Brunswick just to the south is a college town with a prettier, more interesting main street and a great Friday farmers market. Wiscasset to the north of Bath has more charm. Just a few stores. More old houses near the water.
You should pick out some stops along the way for lunch or stretching your legs where you might enjoy some scenery on the long drive. Some really nice places like Owls Head Light near Rockland are not on Rt 1 (nice short hike and great view). We like to carry bag chairs (folding chairs that fit in a bag) in the car so we can spend time enjoying a view or having a picnic. You can buy one for less than $20 on your drive. Sometimes we'll just sit and read in a pretty place and enjoy the view.