Coastal Maine
 

We are planning a trip this summer to coastal maine. We've been to Boothbay Harbor, Castine, Bar Harbor, Winter Harbor and Jonesport on previous visits. Would like to visit more of these beautiful coastal areas, and looking for recommendations of other places to see along the coast (from the land, I wish we had a sail boat to cruise the coast with). We did a driving trip up from the Schoodic Peninsula to canada along the coast, and it was beautiful. I can recommend the trip to the Roosevelt Campobello International park where Theodore Roosevelt had a summer house. Beautiful Island and good hiking.

Have you considered points south?

Camden, Rockport, Rockland, Freeport, Cape Elizabeth, Kennebunkport, Ogunquit, the Yorks?

The Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, which is featured on the Maine state quarter, is in an attractive setting and has a little museum. When we were there we were able to climb to the top of the lighthouse. It is south of Damariscotta, at the end of Route 130 (which branches off from Route 129).

We also had a nice meal at the Muscongus Bay Lobster Company, a lobster pound on Round Pond. Take Route 32 where it branches off from 130 to get there. They have a large tank with various sea creatures that you can watch while your food is prepared.

Cranachin --

Would you mind not telling people about the Pemaquid area? Well, at least you didn't mention New Harbor . . . oops. ;^)

If you consider areas such as Camden, Rockport, Rockland, Freeport, as djkbooks suggested, I would include side trips to some of the lesser talked about peninsulas and islands that lie between Rockland and Freeport.

For instance Georgetown Island...

...home to the popular Reid State Park, with forest land, sandy beaches and spectacular vistas of nearby islands and lighthouses. And at the very tip of Georgetown is what has been referred to as the "prettiest harbor in Maine", the tiny fishing village of Five Islands.

On Bailey Island...

...time comes to a standstill at Land's End, where you will find a pebble beach, the Land's End Gift Shop and awesome views of the islands that dot Casco Bay. On your way to or from Land's End, the Giant Steps, an interesting rock formation, is a popular stop for many visitors. You can see more on Bailey Island at: http://www.great-maine-vacations.com...and-maine.html

As you probably know from previous trips to Maine, sometimes the biggest surprises and best vacation days come as a result of unplanned explorations. And the coast of Maine offers plenty of opportunities for that!

All great suggestions. We like to camp in Wiscasset which is central to some of the suggested locations. The view from the top of Mt Battie in Camden (take the auto road) is incredible. It's one of our favorite picnic places (don't forget the binoculars. The previous poster is correct, the whole idea is to wander around. On a recent visit we were at the Dolphin Bay Marina restaurant in S Harpswell and saw a nature preserve marked on a tourist map. We asked the waitress about it. She said "there's nothing there". Exactly! It was a bit hard to find and the road was bumpy but there was hardly anyone else there. Pretty much a private beach.
Check out the light house cruises from the Maritime Museum in Bath. We had a fantastic all day cruise one year. And, maybe, make a day trip to Monhegan Island.