trip plan for Maine for husband's 50th-need lodging and dining suggestions

When will this trip be?

It's about 1.5 hrs from Boston to Kennebunkport, 2 hrs from Boston to Portland. I'd say that Kennebunkport is much more scenic than Portland, though Portland itself has more things to offer.

Why Sturbridge? To visit Old Sturbridge Village? It's kind of out of the way, IMO. I would suggest you stop at Portsmouth, NH on your last day and visit the Strawberry Banke Museum instead. http://www.strawberybanke.org/

I thought Sturbridge might be a good day trip from Boston once we got there at the end of the trip. I couple of people recommended it....said it was like a WIlliamburg type experience. But I am not married to it at all.

Old Sturbridge is nice but I agree with yk, it's too far out of the way. I would spend that time someplace in Maine. Maybe do Portland on the way back since the Old Port area is fun to wander and you might spend your last afternoon doing a boat cruise on Casco Bay.

Meandering up the coast may be deceiving since Rt 1 does not follow the coast. You should choose a peninsula for a drive, preferably one with a good lobster meal at the end of it. When are you coming? The bare basics kind of places with not much else besides lobster and with picnic tables are usually only open on weekends after Labor Day and close after Columbus Day. In June we started driving south from Portland after a late lunch. We tried to stay as close to the coast as possible and did get some nice views but most was just nice country roads. We enjoyed the drive but got back on Rt 1 to get to Ogunquit at a reasonable time to check into the Dunes and go to dinner.
When heading to the mid-coast area we usually stay on Rt 95 until we get to Brunswick and then get off on Rt 1.

Sorry to report, but good food and good views are pretty much mutually exclusive when it comes to Greater Boston area restaurants.

If you're looking for a very fancy, spare-no-expense celebratory dinner in this area of Maine (both are closed at lunchtime, if memory serves), consider either Arrow's (in Ogunquit) or the White Barn Inn (in Kennebunkport). Have been the former, though not the latter -- and the food I had at Arrow's was memorably terrific. Bring appropriate clothes and a very healthy wallet.

I am not necessarily looking for fancy shmantzy, just memorable and good. I am really hoping for tips on Maine more than Boston.
Thanks!!

I'd suggest staying in less places, since some of these towns are only a few hours apart, I wouldn't change hotels so often.

Most people agree that moseying along route 1 is not as scenic, interesting as one might think.

Finally, you'll probably regret not spending more time in Acadia.

~Liz

Hi turkpatterson,

I live in central Massachusetts. Like many others on this post, I suggest skipping Sturbridge. I would add more time to Acadia / Bar Harbor. I will be there myself for six nights in early September.

This might get you started on lunch on the first day part of your question - we have enjoyed good meals at the Dockside in York Harbor, Maine.
Here is the link (not opened for lunch on Saturdays as they are usually booked for weddings):
http://www.docksidegq.com/dining.htm

The bridge closest to the Dockside is under contruction so if you decide on this restaurant please pay attention to the directions / slight detour on the website.

Please let us know when you are planning this trip. Some of these places are seasonal.

Two more lunch spots for you to think about:

Blue Sky
York Beach
http://www.blueskyonyorkbeach.com/about.php

Pier 77
Cape Porpoise (Kennebunkport)
http://www.pier77restaurant.com/

I am actually surprising him with it on Saturday and we leave Sunday! Working on all reservations today and tomorrow. Thank you for the tip on skipping Sturbridge and spending more time in Bar Harbor and Acadia. Any cozy hotels or inns that you would recommend for that area. I have been to Boston before, but my husband has not.
Does this sound better?
-Kennebunk/or kennebunkport for night 1
-Camden- night 2
-Acadia for nights 3, 4 ,5
-Boston for nights 6 & 7
Thank you!

Nice gift!
For Bar Harbor, you might try the Bass Cottage Inn:
http://www.basscottage.com/
Gets very good reviews on tripadvisor. We always stay at the Bar Harbor Inn. Cannot beat the view from your private balcony in the Lodge Building...but I don't know if it fits your defination of "cozy".
Check out the reviews on tripadvisor and see what you think.

In Camden we stayed at Inn at Blackberry in the "Tree Tops" room. Not on the water, but a very nice inn and a great room and breakfast was very good.
http://www.blackberryinn.com/

Slim pickings for this Sunday in southern Maine, looks like the Kennebunkport Inn has a one-nighter available. I think I would just zoom to Kennebunkport from Logan airport and enjoy the afternoon and evening. If you stop in York or drive up route 1 through Ogunquit on Sunday afternoon you are going to hit the dreaded bumper-to-bumper parking lot and waste most of your afternoon.

Also, after you have a great breakfast in Kennebunkport and enjoy the morning there, you'll have a nice drive to Camden but won't arrive until afternoon and will wish you had 2 nights there. I would book two nights, then leave early on morning 3 and get up to Acadia to spend that afternoon and two nights. I understand that you want more time in Acadia, but I think that starting off your trip with two one-nighters is a little hectic. And one-nighters might be hard to book in Camden at this time of year.

http://www.yachtsmanlodge.com/

We stayed at The Lord Camden Inn in Camden and it was very nice-breakfast was great and you could walk to all the shops and restaurants in Camden.

you could stop in Portsmouth NH for lunch and do Strawberry Banke that afternoon as well, it's an hour from Boston

Lord Camden Inn has the shop & dine package available including dinner at Peter Ott's, and wine & gourmet chocolates in the room on arrival, and their famous breakfast. Check the excellent reviews for this place.

Looks like the Bar Harbor Grand may have availability on Wed and Thurs, or for more modest accomdations the Wonder View Inn.

Wow--you are nicest to check availability for me!!
Thank you!

Regarding stopping on a Sunday for a waterside brunch...this could really slow you down due to Sunday traffic at the beaches. Breakfast/brunch spots tend to have long waits on Sunday, and you're only allocating one day/night for the southern coast of Maine.

Newburyport might be a decent suggestion, because it is close to Boston and you'll be there early just as they open for lunch. Michael's is the type of place you're looking for and it's just off route 1 at the wharf...quick and easy for you to get back onto 95North to Kennebunkport.
www.michaelsharborside.com

Thanks-- good suggestion. I was worried about that.

If you're looking for a good place to stop for a night between Acadia and Boston on your way back, you might consider Boothbay Harbor, it's about halfway, if you take the scenic route (route 1) instead of getting on 95 in Bangor. There is a detour of about 10 miles down route 27 to get there, but the Boothbay area is very scenic, and the wonderful Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is there, if that appeals to you. Here's their web site: www.mainegardens.org. I've stayed at the Five Gables Inn in East Boothbay, which is lovely, and a quiet location with a nice water view : www.fivegablesin.com. I've also stayed at another wonderful place, the Hodgdon Island Inn, just down the road from the botanical gardens, which also has a water view.: http://boothbaybb.com/.

On Mount Desert Island, if you want to stay in a location other than Bar Harbor, you might think about checking this place out: http://www.mooringsinn.com/. We were up there recently, and stopped by to see this inn - it's right on the water, and has a view to die for. I'm definitely thinking of trying to stay there sometime in the future. While you're on Mt. Desert Island, I highly recommend taking a scenic boat trip on the Sea Princess out of Northeast Harbor. I've taken the 2 & a half hour cruise twice, which goes past the Bear Island lighthouse out to the Cranberry Isles, gives you a stopover to walk around the fishing village on Little Cranberry Island, and goes up into Somes Sound - the scenery is spectacular! Here's their web site: http://www.barharborcruises.com. Northeast Harbor is lovely, and much less crowded than Bar Harbor; it has some nice shops and galleries, a picturesque harbor, and the beautiful Thuya Gardens there are worth a visit. Do try to get to the Jordan Pond House in Acadia for their yummy popovers!

Thank you!!

Looking forward to hearing your final plans and report!

Hi There,

I stayed in Kennebunkport 2 years ago, going back this year. Captain Lord Mansion is a very nice B&B in Kennebunkport. Pretty and Large rooms. Good Breakfast. Went to Mable's Seafood which is older/ delicious - but no ocean view. Not sure this is where you want your kick off meal, but if you stay there, you should go.

Boston-- If you want a break from seafood go to the Italian section. Many places to choose from and so fun to just walk through the area.

Have fun!

I am set on all parts of lodging except for the main part in Bar Harbor!! Having a terrible time finding something i like without spending major $$. And I am not thrifty.
What to do?

turkpatterson,
Have you tried the Inn at Southwest Harbor in Southwest Harbor in Acadia NP? We stayed there several years ago and really enjoyed it. Very pretty with delicious breakfasts. I recommend Thurston's Lobster Pound in Bernard at ANP. Southwest Harbor is much quieter than Bar Harbor, less commercialized.

I don't even think that Bar Harbor is exactly what you are looking for, SO crowded and touristy at this time of year.

You're trying to book just a few days in advance near one of our national parks. My advice would be to make a decision because you're lucky that you're seeing any availability AT ALL.

You might just spend two nights in BH and the entire 3rd day, taking a sunset drive for a couple of hours and staying somewhere on the way to Boston at half the price.

You DO have a car booked already, don't you? They are running around $600 a week without advance booking. Glad we booked ours in May at $270.

turkpatterson,
Here is the link to the BH Chamber of Commerce - maybe they will have a hotel / inn listed you haven't thought of yet.

http://www.barharborinfo.com/

It is very late for booking BH for next week, as I'm afraid you are finding out. Perhaps just book a room you can guarantee against a credit card and then cancel w/o penalty if you find something which appeals to you more.

Let us know how you are making out - good luck.

We enjoyed a great view with lunch at the Lobster Shack in Cape Elizabeth at Two Lights. Eat Outside on the ocean cliffs very casual, picnic tables look for their website to see the view.

Thank you all for the tips. Yes, I do have my car and two nights booked of the 7 we are out for. I think that I will book one night in BH or that area just to have something once we get there and maybe wing it after that. I am finding one night here and there--not 3 all together--which may not be a good thing anyway? Not sure if would should have the same base throughout the stay in Acadia anyway--thoughts? BH does sound a little over run. I am not worried about lodging in Boston--only in this area. I really wanted something nice and cozy. So many of the places look tired and run down. Most of these places do require full payment on booking.

Nope, no good reason to stay in more than one place on MDI, it's not that big.

Others report a big gap in lodgings between cheap & cheerful, and expensive, but since we're happy with cheap & cheerful, I can't be of much help!

Good luck!

~Liz

I'm not sure if I would describe BH as a little over run, although I do sense some people have given you that impression. My husband & I are usually not in the downtown area during the day...we are usually out enjoying various aspects of Acadia or perhaps kayaking...things like that. We are intown in the evenings for dinner; many of the daytrippers have gone home and I have never found it terribly busy in the evenings (although if you have your eye on a particular restaurant I would book a table). There are cruise ships which occasionally call to Bar Harbor and that can make the shopping area during the day busy and perhaps a little over run!
One of the reasons we like being at the Bar Harbor Inn is we can park the car at the end of the day and walk to many fine restaurants and not worry about having to drive after having a few drinks - (besides the wonderful property and spectacular views).
Hope everything works out for you!
I don't think Mount Desert Island is large enough to move around to different lodgings....my preference would be to stay put in one place.

what bette said.