1st timer on Maine coast/help please!
 

Hi, all.
First I want to thank you for reading my post...I am in desperate need of some advice re. Maine travel. My little sister and I are planning a trip to Maine in mid-August. Yes, mid-August. I am having my first baby in January and the two of us would like some QT before my husband and I are alone together with a baby for the next who-knows-how long! So, we thought we would run off to Maine for a while. Here's what we are looking for:
- authentic Maine, craggy coast, beautiful scenery, food food food, and small towns
- we have kind of unlimited time, meaning we can arrive on a monday and leave friday, missing the whole weekend mess if we need to
- we could drive there from home (NJ) or fly into bangor/portland/whatever you recommend and then rent a car if it's easier.
- we are looking to spend 4 or 5 nights, price per night not really the biggest issue, maybe something $200-ish/night?
- small inns, hotels, b&b recommendations all welcome

What I am really looking for the is Cabot Cove/Murder She Wrote experience! I know, silly, but I have always imagined Maine to be small fishing towns, warm people, not large cities.

If anyone could help with an itinerary for us, keeping in mind that we still need to make reservations (I know, may be impossible but I'll try)...and please remember that more out-of-the-way is better. We don't need Bar Harbor if it's too bustling...does anyone have any advice? I'd love any help you have...and be very grateful!
thanks

Hey- never been, but some family really enjoyed the midcoast region....

Have you seen this site?

http://www.visitmaine.com/home.php

Good luck!

Bengali----I can't help you with the Murder She Wrote theme since I didn't watch the show......but Boothbay Harbor is a great little town. It's mid-coast.....we husband and I did lots of research on this forum and spent a couple of days there at the Welch House Inn. Great Inn, beautiful view. Not terribly fancy.....but very comfortable. We then made our way up the coast finally ending our trip in Bar Harbor, which yes, was quite bustling. North of Boothbay is Camden, also a nice little town with several great inns. (sorry, can't remember the names....I think maybe the "Main" inn (?) or something like that. Type in "Maine" in the search box.....we got tons of info from this very forum and it was a great trip.

We love the mid-coast area but prefer quieter areas. Camden and Boothbay are beautiful and Camden is definitely has a beautiful harbor but both have a lot of gift shops and very busy shopping area. We find getting thru Boothbay traffic to be a pain although for a day trip it's worth it so you can drive around Southport or the other point of land to the north. I also always recommend taking a picnic lunch to the top of Mt Battie (take the auto road) and enjoying one of the best views in Maine overlooking Camden harbor. You can watch the boats coming along the coast. Earlier this month we did a day trip to Monhegan for the first time. Nice experience but a little too brief.
Earlier this month we spent a wonderful week in Wiscasset. Pretty town and not as busy as Camden except during commuting hours and Friday nights when the traffic backs up because of the bridge. This was a great location for exploring to the north and south. First, if you want to do a lot of driving around, hunting for the best lobster rolls, of course, it's best to be located close to Rt 1. I find this is another demerit for Boothbay since there's an 8 mile trip from Rt 1 to town. However, if you choose to visit there are great easy hiking trails nearby at the new Maine Coastal Gardens on Barter Island (there's a bridge). In comparison to busy Boothbay and Camden, there's very quiet, rural Harpswell (near Bailey's Island). I'm not sure why this area hasn't been built up yet unlike Barter's Island where I read locals can no longer afford to live. A little further south is Brunswick, a college town and naval air base with a terrific farmers market on Friday mornings. I almost wanted to move there when I saw the baked goods and fresh produce (also a lady selling prepared Middle Easter food, another selling goat cheese, plants, etc.). From Wiscasset it's a long day trip north to Ellsworth but some good places to stop along the way including the Cellar Door Winery in Lincolnville just north of Camden. Rockland has the wonderful Farnsworth art museum.
Look at a Maine map. All those wonderful fingers of land contain craggy coastline, probably a lighthouse and most likely an interesting, fun lobster shack. We usually camp but I've also stayed at the Glenmoor-by-the-Sea just north of Camden which has a variety of accomodations. We had a unit with a microwave and fridge. (Fresh blueberries with vanilla yogurt make a great snack.) They provided a nice continental breakfast, too.
Damariscotta looked charming and less busy than Camden, also good proximity to a great ice cream place. It's also much easier to find small towns if you head inland. If you drive, we stay on Rt 95 until we get to Brunswick and then travel Rt 1. To avoid summer traffic, flying into Portland would be a good idea, flying into Manchester NH might be cheaper but will add a couple of hours driving.
Congratulations and hope you have a great time.

I dont think you will find secluded places in mid-August. If possible I would try to go in September(after Labor day). We had a wonderful time in Bar Harbor at the Bar Harbor manor(in a quiet treelined street)and the only National park in N.England :Acadia is a must. Greetings from Belgium Paul

bengali

We just returned from a short week in Winter Harbor, which is just downeast from Bar Harbor, but worlds away. We tend to favor out of the way places, and for us this was a perfect spot.

It's a small, very friendly town, yes Cabot Cove may describe it. There are several shops, but the REAL 5 and 10 is a highlight. There's an excellent restaurant in town, and one with a "true Maine view" and also very good food about 15 minutes away, as well as several smaller places.

Acadia Park has a section on the tip of the pennisula, which offers a great place to sit and watch the surf as it hits the pink granite rocks. Very specatular and uncrowded!

Don't remember the dates, but they do hold a lobster festival sometime in August, which naturally will draw crowds. Millbridge, about 30 minutes further downeast, is known for its blueberries and also has a festival in August. We were too early for blueberries.

We stayed in a very nice, clean cottage overlooking a lobster cove, and I'd recommend it. Owned by 5th generation Mainers who are so nice. I want to go back to the sea glass beach next to their cottages.

http://www.awa-web.com/stayinn/

Hate to let the secreat out about this town, but since you asked......

In reading the description of what you're looking for....Boothbay in September comes to mind. Welch House Inn there would be my choice. But I agree that in August, you're gonna be sharing your little piece of paradise with a boatload of other tourists.

York Village is quaint in September and the York Harbor Inn nearby would be my choice. But again, in August, traffic! One bonus of York Village is that it's close enough to Boston to take a day trip one day.

There are also places like Glenmoor-by-the-Sea which are pretty quiet and secluded...yet close enough to bustling Camden to have plenty of dining choices.

However, "September" keeps ringing in my mind as I read your post!

Call ahead and see if by any chance you
can get lodging on MONHEGAN ISLAND reached by ferry from Thomaston which fits your image of Maine coast. Cabot Cove was actually shot in California so finding the duplicate may be difficult. It's high/peak season so you do need to call ahead for lodging.

I vote for Sept 10-15, fly into Portland, spend a night at the Inn By The Sea in Cape Elizabeth....then a leisurely drive up the coast to Bar Harbor.....4 nights there with your return flight from Bangor.

Check out this inn that was the former estate of mystery writer Mary Roberts Rinehart.

www.wonderviewinn.com

Thank you -- all of you -- so much for your help! all of this information really is appreciated; I am taking copious notes!

A few things - I am a Dean and my sister is a graduate student, so September starts up the academic year for both of us...August it is. I know, if we could have, I definitely would have planned for Sept/Oct even, but there is no chance of that.

Also -- what would be the best 4-5 day itinerary you could think of? Would it be best to fly into Portland and do a trip up to Camden, stopping along the way? Or should we fly into Bangor, and then do a trip to Camden and the environs? And I am also going to prince Manchester, VT, which I hadn't considered...thanks, dfrostnh!

One more question, when you say Downeast, what does that mean? Sorry, I'm a newbie...if Winter Harbor is downeast of Bar Harbor, in which direction should I be looking on the atlas? :)

Thanks again for all the help - please keep little tidbits coming my way as I am eagerly taking in all information available...and I really trust all of you on the posts more than guidebooks, etc.

The Down East magazine FAQ explains the origin of the term: "When ships sailed from Boston to ports in Maine (which were to the east of Boston), the wind was at their backs, so they were sailing downwind, hence the term 'Down East.' And it follows that when they returned to Boston they were sailing upwind; many Mainers still speak of going 'up to Boston,' despite the fact that the city lies approximately 50 miles to the south of Maine’s southern border."

Thanks for the explanation of "downeast," xxx30. I've always heard the term, but now know its meaning.

Bengali
Winter Harbor is on the Schoodic Pennisula, which is just north of Bar Harbor.

I checked the website I sent you for Main Stay Inn. Don't be put off by the looks of the cottage over the water. It looks rather decrepite, but really is quite nice. We stayed in and liked Ledgelawn best.

Hi bengali! Reading your post makes me so jealous! I was just in Maine for the first time in May and loved every moment of it and would move in a heartbeat if I had the resources.

Since my posts on this site are a few months old and 'buried', I figured you might not have seen them, but I posted a little travelogue of my trip after we returned. You can check out what my hubby and I did (with pictures). Here's the site:
http://www.travelpod.com/members/buffy4444

I actually have over 100 photos on a different site, but to share, I'd need your email address so if you would like to look at ALL the photos, email me at [email protected], let me know your email address and I'll forward the site address to you.

Hope you have a GREAT time!

thanks, clousie! i actually had looked at the site and was excited about contacting them to see if they had availability. question -- we only have 4 total nights to work with -- would you recommend one or two in winter harbor? this would mean our other two nights would be in camden, or one in camden and one in boothbay. thoughts? thanks in advance for your help,
bengali

Manchester NH not Manchester VT.

And get cracking...the current airfare sale ends July 27.

You could spend two night in Camden and do a day trip to Boothbay. It depends on what you want to do and why you want to go to Boothbay. Boothbay has a lot of shops and restaurants. Unless it was very hot, walking Coastal Maine Garden would be nice but for less crowds you could head to Pemaquid Point which is a little closer to Camden, take a bag chair, binnoculars and books and watch the ocean. Beautiful lighthouse. Haven't visited the historical area. Have a late lunch at one of the lobster places nearby. We were in Maine for the week of 4th of July, there are plenty of places you can go that aren't crowded. If you do go to Boothbay there are some drives outside of the downtown area where you can find a free place to park and sit on the rocks for awhile. There's a little rocky beach near Owls Head Lighthouse. I don't think there were more than 1/2 dozen groups enjoying the tiny beach. There's a small victorian cottage village called Bay Path near Camden and well off Rt 1. I don't know anyone who has stayed there but it looked very quiet. It's off the beaten path and one of those places most people don't know exists.

Just came back from a long wkend in Maine (we drove from NYC). It was a nice, peaceful break from the city. Stayed 2 nights in Camden at the Elms Inn..which was a pleasant surprise. The Elms Inn was adorable, reasonable, very clean and the Inn Keepers extremely helpful and friendly. Great breakfast too. I hadn't heard of this inn much (on this site or TripAdvisor), so am happy to pass along this find. Camden was cute, but 2 days was enough for us (not a very big town).
We spent another 2 nights in Kennebunkport which was more resort like. Stayed at English Meadow..very nice innkeepers, but pricier and older clientele (really old). Breakfast was creative and hearty, but not as tasty as Elms Inn. We found Kennebunkport to have more to do (beach and Ocean Ave drive), but overall, we have to say that Maine lobsters are NOT cheaper than the rest of the east coast. Kinda surprised by this b/c we were seeking out bargain lobsters and tried several picnic table/plastic plate joints right on the water (with lobster boats coming in), yet they still charged $16 for a small 1lb lobster. Apparently there is a lobsterman cartel, and this is really unfortunate. Probably the main reason we won't return, since we can find the same sort of things a little closer to home or in Newport/Cape Cod. Overall, a great relaxing trip though!!

Bengali

We all have different agendas as we can tell from the varied info that comes up on every thread....

Since you're talking about "quiet time" and seeing "authentic Maine,"I would definitely say to stay 2 nights in Winter Harbor.

We stayed 4 nights, and wondered if there'd be enough to do, but still didn't do everything we would have liked to.

A few years ago, we stayed at a B&B on the west coast for 4 nights, and asked the owner if there was enough to see. He replied, "The longer folks stay, the more they find to do. Some people see the rain forest on their way in and the beach on the way out and say they've seen it all." We "almost" saw it all with 4 nights.

So it's really up to you. Some would say to spend all 4 nights in town "X" and there might be lots to do. I'm just giving my opinion based on what you said.

I'm also from NJ, and unless you enjoy traffic, would suggest you fly up. We drove via northern NH to visit my brother, which wasn't quite as bad as the traffic you'd encounter through southern Maine.

Let us know your decision.

You may want to consider Southwest Harbor on Mt. Desert Island. There are many lovely inns, the names of which I'm sure you could find through google. This is on the other side of the island from Bar Harbor so you have access to Acadia (craggy coast, beautiful scenery), but are away from the hustle and bustle. From here, you could explore the coast to the north, as others suggested. Boothbay Harbor and Camden will be overrun with tourists in August. To get to Southwest Harbor, you could fly into Bangor and rent a car. It is about a 1 hr. 15 min drive.

But jaqui72, did you have any pie with that lobster? I focused on rhubarb pie which is getting scarce. (You can get blueberry pie anyplace) If we want cheap lobster we can get it at the local supermarket (they'll cook it for free) but it just doesn't taste the same as sitting at a picnic table at Waterman's Beach.

wow -- Clousie, you are right -- so many different ideas. right now i think my decision is to skip boothbay harbor altogether. we are going to fly in to portland on a monday early and fly out on friday late, so we will really have a nice solid 4 days/4 nights. i think we are going to drive all the way straight to mt desert/bar harbor/winter harbor (various places do have space, i've checked, and now i'll just pick one!) and then on the way back spend a night in camden or the environs. after all, my sister is 26 and probably does want to do a bit of shopping!! :)

so, thank you for all of your help, everyone! any tips on the trip from mt desert to camden? i hear there is great ice cream in belfast...any other tips? would love any/all.

many thanks.

The great thing about going in August is blueberry season! Be sure to eat blueberry pie, blueberry pancakes, muffins - yum. I'm headed to Belfast for a week in August. Can't wait to eat blueberries and lobster! Don't overlook Belfast - great little town that isn't overwhelmed by Rte 1.

There is plenty to enjoy in Maine. I suggest you search the internet for calendars of events and offerings of the various Maine communities.

After forty years of visiting Maine, I now own an oceanfront cottage with my wife. We picked Boothbay Harbor, midcoast, after traveling and leasing cottages in various Maine locations. There is plenty to involve us locally yet we can head to Downeast, Portland, Bar Harbor, Bangor, Moosehead Lake, Quebec, Nova Scotia -- all within a days travel and in some cases perfect for a day trip.

Check out things to do at "www . BoothbayRegion . com" without the spaces.

Most cottages require a one week rental and I encourage you to plan a trip at least that long.

Enjoy!