Road trip from North Carolina to Maine

Old Feb 12th, 2016, 12:16 PM
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Road trip from North Carolina to Maine

We are taking a vacation in Maine this summer and want to take a week or so to drive there,enjoying sites along the way. Can anyone suggest the best route for this. I know all the obvious cities we would go through on 95,but wondering about other routes. We want to take our time going up and stop at interesting places and then maybe on the way back take 95 for a quicker way home.
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Old Feb 12th, 2016, 12:30 PM
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Your car or a rental? How many people? Coastal or inland route?
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Old Feb 12th, 2016, 12:56 PM
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Where are you starting?
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Old Feb 12th, 2016, 02:07 PM
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If you are leaving from Raleigh or Eastern NC, think about US 17 to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, then up the Delmarva peninsula to Lewes, Delaware. Lots of interesting places and scenery on the way.

You take (reservation) the ferry to Cape May, NJ (amazing Victorian houses) then up the Garden State Parkway (no trucks!) to the Tappan Zee Bridge (stop in Asbury Park if you are a Springsteen fan).

Across the Tappan Zee, take the Taconic Parkway (no trucks again) north to the Berkshires and spend a night or two in Great Barrington or West Stockbridge or nearby. Lots to explore.

When you are ready to go on to Maine, get on the MassPike, bypass Boston and 495 and then and only then get on I-95.

Blast home on 95 or, if you are going to Greensboro or west, consider I-87 (I think) to Harrisburg, I-81, and I-77.
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Old Feb 12th, 2016, 05:32 PM
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Good advice from Ackislander. If you do the Bay Bridge/Tunnel, about an hour north go to Chincoteague/Assateague NP and visit the ponies and spend a day at the beautiful beach.

If you decide on the I-81 route, go a little east and spend some time on the Blue Ridge Pky/Skyline Drive. It is a slow road but nice views and some nice hikes, even a section of the Appalachian Trail.
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Old Feb 13th, 2016, 01:33 AM
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I don't usually disagree with Ackislander but once you get to western MA I would go north on I91. You can stop off at Yankee Candle. This takes you to VT right along the NH border. If it's a Saturday morning you can stop at Brattleboro VT farmers market. Funky little city to explore. Now you can head east to Keene NH, pretty college town. Follow signs for Concord NH. Once you leave I91, it's all two lane country highway about 50 mpg.

You can take a detour in Concord to Canterbury Shaker Village but if you do, plan half a day for the tour. Beautiful area and great tour. Concord has a nice walkable downtown. If you stay on I89 it will end in Concord/Bow. Internet directions will tell you to take Rt 101 east to the seacoast but it's a boring limited access hwy. Instead, drive thru downtown Concord if you want a break to do some walking. Excellent whoopie pies at Crust and Crumb bakery across from the state house on North Main Street. At end of North Main Street turn right (east) onto I393 bypass to Rt 4. This will be country highway to the seacoast. Will go past antique shops in Northwood. Will bypass Durham UNH campus but then you are on a very pretty road. If you need to stretch your legs Wagon Hill Farm is open to the public and has a walking trail down to the shore which you don't realize is over the hill. Keep going and next option for close up with ocean is Hilton Park rest area right on the water. This road crosses Great Bay/Piscataqua River so you'll see some fishing boats etc from the bridge. Rt 4 to Rt 16 and connect with I95.

Major mistake to bypass Portsmouth, a historic town on the water. Boat trips/harbor cruises are available.

Then you can get on I95 depending on where in Maine you want to go. Midcoast is our favorite so we usually stay on until Brunswick but you don't want to miss Portland either. Explore the Old Port Area and visit Fort Williams park where you can sit and watch the boats on Casco Bay.

For quick trip back, ok to follow Ackislander's directions.
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Old Feb 13th, 2016, 10:09 AM
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Wow-thanks for all the great advice! We'll be traveling by car and we can take as long as we want getting there.so definitely wanted to find the best interesting things to see along the way that wouldnt' be on my radar in the usual places. I am so looking forward to this trip. have traveled many places in the US and overseas but going up the East Coast has eluded me so far. I've been to DC, New York Philly and NJ,but not beyond up into the New England Area. Our final destination is Acadia National Park area where we be staying for a week.
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Old Feb 14th, 2016, 01:41 AM
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Even on the way home, through New England I95 is not the fastest way to go. I rarely disagree with Ackislander - but return trip is to find your way to Mass Turnpike (probably I95 to Rte 495 to MassPike near Worcester, MA). Then Rte 84 thru Hartford, Danbury to Tappan Zee Bridge. Garden State Parkway to NJ Turnpike - then you pick up I95.

Or the alternate directions if going to western NC - thru Pennsylvania rather than NJ.

Get a toll transponder.

Be aware that unlike many parts of the west coast, in Maine there are not scenic ocean drives - even if you get off I95 and take more local roads, they don't have pretty coastal views.
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Old Feb 14th, 2016, 02:30 AM
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Google best lobster rolls to get some ideas of back roads to the coast and some nice scenery when you get there. Five Islands is one of the most picturesque. You can easily take half a day to explore Harpswells area east of Brunswick. Keep in mind once you are north of Camden etc, the road to Acadia can be pretty boring.
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Old Feb 15th, 2016, 04:26 AM
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appmom,
when are you traveling to Acadia? we are leaving from raleigh Nc and traveling to Acadia near the end of June. We are flying into portsmouth and renting a car from there. Our first trip to the park
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Old Feb 16th, 2016, 11:06 AM
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shumphrey,
We are leaving sometime around the end of July. Thought since we had the time, it would be fun to drive it and see what whatever we see along the way. I have only done a trip like this once before,where we took a long time and explored places along the way. Trying to figure out when and where we would end up.That time we we were moving from Chicago to Seattle and took 80 through the northern states-that was a great trip.
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Old Feb 19th, 2016, 10:20 PM
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Must stop in Portsmouth, NH and southern Maine; York, Ogunquit (take a stroll along the ocean on Marginal Way), Portland, Kennebunk, and Kennebunkport. We go up every summer, it is so beautiful up there! Hopefully you're staying in Bar Harbor. Such a gorgeous little town! Be sure to do a sunrise on Cadillac Mnt, then hurry down to see the mist over Jordan Pond. So beautiful!!!
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