Hello! We are planning a road trip to Maine. We enjoy the scenic route where possible. Can take as much time as we want and have no real interests of where to stop except Newport and Mystic. Any ideas of our best route and fun/historical/can’t miss sites? Thanks!

Welcome to the Fodors Forums. We moved your topic to the United States forum and add a few state tags.

What time of year? Just adults, or are you looking for things to do with kids?

In addition to Mystic, my favorite visit in CT was to the Mashantucket Pequot Museum.
You can do two mansion tours in Newport in the same day. Last one we went on was about the servants quarters. food tours are fun and we enjoyed one in Providence i have been o Waterfire in Providence twice but it is very crowded.
Food tour in Boston's North End was one of our favorites. We are doing a food tour in Salem in September.
Scenic to us includes boat tours. We have been on several in the Portsmouth NH area. The mailboat run in Portland's Casco Bay will allow you to get off on an island but we habe only stayed on the boat. See if there is a loghthouse tour with the Maritime Museum in Bath.
explore the Harpswell area east of Brunswick/Bath. Download the conservation guide to some easy hikes like Giant Steps. We usually head to the midcoast area so we stay on I95 until we get off in Brumswick on Rt 1.
I always recommend the auto road up Mt Battie in Camden.
Explore Owls Head area with easy hike to the lighthouse.
Our son was disillusioned by crowds in Bar Harbor thanks to cruise boats and the need for reservations to drive up Cadillac. We visited last week in May but avoided both. The Acadia National Park on Schoodic peninsula has a dramatic drive and had very little traffic. On another day we visited Charlotte Rhoads butterfly garden. Small but wonderful with ocean view.
get a DeLorme atlas and gazetteer for Maine to help you find scenic areas. Take bag chairs and picnic supplies so you can sit and enjoy the view. Highly recommend Fort Williams Park south of Portland for view of Casco Bay.

clarkgriswold September and no kids. Just 2 adults

September sounds like a great time for your trip.

I'm not sure how much you've already seen toward the beginning of your route Of course the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive are beautiful.
Places not too far off that part of your route would include Jefferson's Poplar Grove and Monticello, Madison's Montpelier, Monroe's Highland and Harper's Ferry. I'd recommend any and all.

You might want to drive through the PA Dutch countryside near Lancaster.

Near Newport you could visit New Bedford MA with its National Historic site and Whaling Museum

There are lots of other places depending on the route you choose. And of course you could go back a different way

Maybe once you've decided on your route you could check back for more suggestions.

Thank you Vttraveler I think our route will depend on what we want to see. Normally we try to travel off the beaten path, and see things historic or odd. We’d rather drive longer and see pretty scenery than drive the freeway.

When you go to Mystic be sure to go to Stonington Burrough too, the old seaport village which still has some commercial fishing boats as well as several well kept homes and a tiny Lighthouse Museum near the end of Water Street. Mystic is a village which is in the towns of Stonington and Groton, split by the Mystic river. There is a bascule bridge over the river which opens every hour in the summer to let boats go through and a little park and boardwalk on the Stonington side. Mystic Seaport is open every day except Christmas and New Year and could take more than a day to explore completely. The replica Susan Constant is there for repairs right now along with other vessels if you are coming soon.

. The Mashantucket Indian museum near Foxwoods Casino is worth a visit of three or four hours but check the hours do operation as it may be closed three or more days a week .

Hello,
Re the New England Part:
After Boston, head to Newburyport, NH. Visit the historic seaside city, and /or visit the Plum Island beaches.
A half hour north and your are in Portsmouth, NH. Visit historic Strawbery Banke.
In 5 minutes you are in Maine.
Kittery...you could visit Fort Foster.
Next is York, visit any of 3 beaches, visit the historic York village, visit the iconic Nubble Lighthouse, , walk the Steedman Woods fisherman's walk all the way to Harbor Beach, About 45 minutes RT.
Hike or drive Mt. Agamenticus in Cape Neddick (which is part of York). About an hour up and back.
Another 10 minutes and you are in Ogunquit. Wonderful beach. Walk the Marginal Way and maybe take in summer theater at the Ogunquit Playhouse.
In Wells, visit Laudhaum Farm, an historic saltwater farm. You can walk one of the paths to the sea.
Portland: Visit the working waterfront, and maybe the Portland Museum of Art.
Further north: if you like shopping you could stop at LL Bean in Freeport.
Next: Bath for maritime history, Boothbay for the Coastal Botanical Gardens, and Camden for Mt. Battie. You can drive up or hike. Also, Rockland is a nice small city. Think Winslow Homer family.
Acadia National Park is fantastic. September is still high season, but well worth it. Allow a few days. There are gardens to visit, hikes to walk, villages to explore, and a lake too. Schoodic is also wonderful, but I haven't been there in several years.
All of the above will still have lots of visitors, but since this is a leisurely trip, take your time and enjoy!

Above poster may have neen referring to Farnsworth Museum in Rockland ME and the Wyeth family, three famous artists.

Yes, indeed I was thinking of the Wyeth family in Rockland, thanks for the clarification.

If you are interested in Winlow Homer, the Portland Art Museum does tours to his studio in Prouts Neck. Go to their web site for information.

Highly recommend the Farnsworth. Also in Rockland there is the Maine Center for Contemporary Art. When we were last in Rockland about two years ago, the house that is the site of the Christina's World painting not far away was closed for renovation, but it should be available for visiting now.