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What are must activities in New Hampshire and Maine

What are must activities in New Hampshire and Maine

Old Jun 7th, 2006, 08:25 AM
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What are must activities in New Hampshire and Maine

My husband, our friends (another couple) and I are arriving June 11th in Portland, ME and are staying in Bartlett, NH (White Mountains) for 6 days. We will probably take a couple days to go to Bar Harbor???. I need suggestions on what are on the MUST DO list.....Sites, whale watching, spas, golf, out of this world dining (not $$$$$), shopping are some of the things we are interested in...oh and are there any casinos in the area Thanks! Donna
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Old Jun 7th, 2006, 07:09 PM
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OK, I am new to this wonderful site...I posted but there has not been a reply???? Help! We are leaving in 4 days for Maine and the White Mountains...can anyone give me some suggestions...please
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Old Jun 7th, 2006, 07:22 PM
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You must go to Bar Harbor! It's absolutely beautiful. Bar Harbor Inn (a little pricey but breakfast is included) is exactly where you want to be! Right smack on the water! I was there over Memorial Day weekend. Sunrise was at around 4:50 am! There's so much to see/do. It's home to Acadia Nat'l Park. You simply must have tea/popovers at the Jordan Pond House. Hike around the pond first-about 1 1/2 hours! Boiled lobster dinners are offered everywhere! You can walk across the sand bar to one of the Porcupine Islands (or drive) at low tide. Make sure to get back in time though! Views from Cadillac Mountain are incredible. You are at the eastern most point of the country. Another thing to do is to go to Holderness and rent a boat for the day on Little Squam which feeds into Squam Lake (On Golden Pond). It's a most pristine lake experience. Waters are crystal clear. Lots of little isalnds & beahes to pull the boat up on & picnic. Lots of loons. Hope this helps. Also, hopefully weather will get better. Right now we are back to flooding with a "Nor Easter"! Maybe Bar Harbor will be better since they have missed the brunt of all the New England flooding being so far north!.
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Old Jun 7th, 2006, 07:36 PM
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Thank you so much! So stay at Bar Harbor Inn for a night? Do they have a day spa that you would recommend as well??? Again, this helps so much
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Old Jun 7th, 2006, 07:46 PM
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No Casinos to my knowledge. Maybe someone knows if there is a race track up there. There is tax-free outlet shopping galore in North Conway, NH. Also, the LL Bean outlet in Freeport, Maine.

The Stonehurst Manor is fun fine-dining in Glen, NH- unique atmosphere, brick oven pizzas, too. You might want to schedule a visit to the Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods; they have several dining options and the facility and landscaping are gorgeous. I think they have golf there, but not a spa. However, the Mountain View Grand in Whitefield does have a spa.

I would definitely hike either The Flume, or Lost River (I prefer the latter).

If you want to travel a bit south to the Lake Winnepesauki area, you can take an evening dinner cruise on the MT. Washington cruise ship. Check their website for menus and entertainment schedules.

Here's a website for the White Mountains in general:
http://www.visitwhitemountains.com/

If you don't want to go all the way up to Bar Harbor, Camden is another lovely Maine town. If you end up in that area you'd probably love the Sail Loft in Rockport for dinner (seafood).

Hope this helps. And hopefully the weather will improve (as expected) by Monday. Have a great trip!
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Old Jun 8th, 2006, 03:05 AM
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Here are some great stops to check out while in the White Mountains:

http://www.franconianotch.org/


FLUME GORGE
Beside Rt. 3 in Franconia Notch, 5 mi. north of Lincoln. Part of Franconia Notch State Park; a fee is charged. Your tour through this 800 foot chasm takes you on boardwalks through covered bridges, past waterfalls and views. Don't miss the free 15 minute movie at the Flume Visitor Center.

AVALANCHE FALLS, LIBERTY GORGE CASCADE & THE POOL
Near the Flume Gorge, Franconia Notch. The Flume Gorge may be better known, but these cascades are well worth a visit. The most dramatic of the three is 45 ft. Expect to make
an easy round trip hike of just over 2 miles, if you plan to
see all three.

THE BASIN, THE CASCADES, KINSMAN FALLS & ROCKY GLEN FALLS
Franconia Notch, north of the Flume. Called "The Old Man's Foot Basin," the Basin may lack size, but makes up for it in geological interest: it's said to have been formed during the past 25,000 years. The Basin is .1 mile from the parking lot. The Cascades (.2 mile along) make for a lovely picnic or sunning spot. Kinsman Falls are .5 mile from the parking lot, while Rocky Glen Falls, which some think is the prettiest of all, is just over a mile from the starting point.

FALLING WATERS TRAIL
Opposite Lafayette Campground in Franconia Notch. A favorite hike, 1.4 miles one way, that takes you to Walker Cascade, 20 ft. Stairs Falls, 60 ft. Swiftwater Falls and 80 ft. Cloudland Falls.

OLD MAN OF THE MOUNTAIN HISTORIC SITE
Site http://www.franconianotchstatepark.com/oldman.html
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Old Jun 8th, 2006, 05:45 AM
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hi, you will go through bangor to get to bar harbor (expect a 4-5 hr drive from bartlett to bar harbor) so possibly 2 nights there? the bar harbor in is excellent and imho the best place to stay. their restaurant is beautiful. if you can book a whale watching trip, go for it.
in bangor which is 45min to an hour drive from bh, you will find hollywood slots and harness racing.
in acadia you might try to drive around to schoodic point. a part of the park which is on the mainland. gorgeous drive with an area of huge boulders to walk around on and crashing waves for drama.
drive the kancamungus hightway while you're in the white mtns.
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Old Jun 8th, 2006, 08:08 AM
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If the weather is nice, a must do in the White Mountains is the Mt. Washington Auto Road. This is a very scenic drive, high above the tree line, with views to 3 states and Canada. However if it's cloudy, you won't see a thing. Realize it's a good 10 degrees colder at the summit. Another alternative would be to take the Cog Railway up. If you are the outdoorsy type, the White Mountains are blessed with some of the finest hiking and walking trails east of the Mississippi.Many of them are short walks off the Kancamangus highway (look out for moose!) Just be aware that June is peak black fly season in these parts!
The big shopping area in the Whites is North Conway.
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Old Jun 9th, 2006, 12:29 PM
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Sounds like we should have booked at least 10 days in the Maine/New Hampshire area!! I will be checking up till departure to see if there are any other replys but I do have a question for you. One suggestion was to stay at Imho in Bar Harbor....can't find it? Anybody know how i should look it up? Thanks again
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Old Jun 9th, 2006, 01:58 PM
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Imho means "in my humble opinion"
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Old Jun 9th, 2006, 02:46 PM
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We just completed a tour of New England in May 2006. We did not get to Bar Harbor, but as far north as Freeport, where we stayed at the Harraseeket Inn. Excellent accomodations and dining room. Lots of outlet shopping in Freeport, excellent deals in the Coach store.

Also stayed in Ogunquit, ME, a nice town, home to one of the best restaurants in the country, Arrows.
Expect to spend $ 300-500 per couple for dinner with wine.

For inexpensive dining on local fresh seafood, Maine has a number of places called "lobster pounds" near the ocean. I would definitely try one or more of these for a dining option and absolutely fresh seafood.

The Kennebunk area of Maine is also beautiful, with pretty little towns. We took a stroll on the Rachel Carson nature trail just north of there, and that was relaxing and beautiful. Also stopped at another nice small oceanfront town called Biddleford Pool (?) where we did some beachcombing on a beautiful, clear day.

People in Maine were exceptionally friendly and welcoming.

We stayed at the White Mountain Inn near North Conway, NH, as the beginning of our NH loop. Unfortunately, the several days we were in NH, it rained and was overcast. We could not do the Mt. Washington Auto Route, since they closed it due to fog. We did enjoy the scenery at low levels, however. Stayed a second night at the Comfort Inn in Lincoln, NH, which was practically new.

Our last loop went through Vermont. We loved having lunch at the Simon Pearce glass factory in Quechee. Took the Ben& Jerry's tour in Waterbury, side trip to Texas Falls State Park at the suggestion of some Harley riders we met.
Fabulous dinner at Michael's on the Hill, in Waterbury. This was the best restaurant we visited, in my opinion. Owner is European trained and formerly a chef at the now defunct NYC restaurant Lespanisse. Another wonderful dinner at Hemingway's, near Killington. Overnight in Woodstock at the Shire Riverview Motel, wonderful value for the money-huge, spotless rooms, with nice decor and views, for about $ 100.

All in all, a good trip. Maine held a special place in our hearts however. Beautiful state, wonderful hosts.


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