Coastal Maine Trip in late June
 

My husband and I are interested in taking a trip to Coastal Maine in mid to late June for our 2nd anniversary. Our plans are to fly into and out of Portland, rent a car and drive up the coast to Camden, then to Lincolnville (for the winery),on to Bar Harbor and back to Portland. We plan to stay for a week. My questions are...
What are the most scenic drives up the coast to take?
What towns and Bed and Breakfasts would you recommend staying in?
We would love to go Whale watching, where would you recommend doing this?
Any other suggestions or activities would be great.
Thanks for your help!

I can't really answer any of your questions because we drove straight from Portland to Bar Harbor and then spent a week there. BUT while you are in Portland you have to eat at Fore Street. It is the best restaurant we've ever been to. Make reservations no matter what night you plan to go--they are always full. Have fun!

Coastal Maine is one of the most beautiful areas in New England. We have been vacationing in mid-coast Maine for the last three years for a week, and hope to return again this year. We never tire of the area, especially Camden and its harbor. The windjammers are usually in action by then. They are magnificent vessels. There is always something going on downtown and on the harbor. Cappy's Chowder House is a fun spot to dine. Since my birthday is around the time we travel, we usually celebrate at the Lobster Pound Restaurant in Lincolnville. Rockland is the commercial hub of that area with a great downtown that is close to the water. Route 1 is very scenic and follows the ocean in many sections. It will take you to Acadia National Park and to the town of Bar Harbor, although not directly. There will be signs where you turn off. Speaking of Acadia, the other side of the park is less crowded and spectacular--Schoodic Point. Instead of turning off for Bar Harbor, follow Route l and the signs for Schoodic. There are quaint, working fishing villages all over which are well worth the
drive. We liked Port Clyde, and the Harpswell peninsula areas. Still on our llist of "to dos" is the town of Bath, where ships are still being built, where there is a great
museum, and an historical downtown. Boothbay Harbor is another popular destination. I believe the annual Windjammer Festival takes place at the end of June. You might want to check on that.
Many of the more beautiful ships sail into the harbor and dock there for a period of time. There is entertainment and food. If you are a lighthouse fan, this area is loaded with them. Some that we enjoy revisiting are
Marshall Point Light in Port Clyde, Owl's
Head Light in Rockland, and Bass Harbor Light in Acadia National Park. These are just a few. Consult a guidebook for more. We understand Monhegan Island is worth a visit. There are several locations for ferries, including Port Clyde. The town of Stonington is another charming, fishing locale with nice shops and restaurants. It is not huge, but it is a place that has not been too spoiled by commercialism. On the way to Acadia is the Blue Hill peninsula home to several lovely towns. For a place to stay in the Camden area, there are many outstanding bed and breakfasts, but for a more conventional lodging, we have liked the Country Inn on the Camden-Rockport line. There is a small sitting area in addition to the usual sleeping section. A generous continental breakfast is included each day.,
as is tea and pastry in the afternoon. It is clean and comfortable with a health club and indoor swimming pool. Hope this helps a bit.

We loved the winery! Lupines are blooming in mid-June. We attended a small "lupine festival" in the Stonington area. A map was provided for the best places to see lupines. Don't forget to take the scenic drive up the mountain that overlooks Camden Harbor. We carry bag chairs and binoculars in the car. You will want to spend some time watching the activity in the harbor from that vantage. Another place for water watching is Pemaquid Point lighthouse. We found some shade, took some snacks and reading material and simply relaxed for a couple of hours. (Find Damariscotta on the map. One route to Pemaquid takes you past two great places to get fresh steamed lobster - Round Top, I think). Instead of a whale watch (I've never been so I can't compare) you might want to take the boat trip out of Bar Harbor to see seals, birds, etc. We had a fantastic lighthouse cruise out of Bath one year but I think they only do a half day trip now. Ours was a full day. We were told to bring a lunch and had a picnic on a little island. The trip was booked with the Maritime Museum in Bath. Check their website to see what is planned. The lighthouse at Owls Head offers stunning views and it's only a short hike. After that, head to Waterman's Beach for our favorite lobster place. Nothing fancy and plan on eating outdoors. (You might need a hat and sun glasses but they have a covered porch now.) The scenic drive we almost missed was the road that takes you to Bay Path. It's a beautiful little Victorian cottage community on the water. We were staying in Searsport at the time and I think it was south of there. The Maine coast is a perfect place for wandering down roads, never knowing where you will end up. Sometimes you find a great spot on the water, other times you don't. Camden is a good choice. We stayed at a motel/cottage place north of town which served a nice continental breakfast. Our unit had a separate sitting area with a mini kitchen. (Sorry, I can never remember the name but it is Scottish.) That will give you a good home base for a few days. Then spend a few days in Bar Harbor. We camped when we stayed in Searsport.

I wanted to pass along a very helpful website for Maine lodging. It is the Maine Innkeepers website at maineinns.com. Once you decide where you want to stay overnight, consult the site for many lodging choices from B&B's to inns and motels. There are direct links to most of the properties listed there. Listings are statewide. Have a great time. Maine is my home state, altho I live on the West coast now. Have a great trip. I will be back in Maine in June for 3 weeks. Can't wait....

Might one assume that this trip now takes the place of your proposed trip to France? Some follow-up might be nice on your earlier thread - - http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34543678 - - nothing wrong with coming back to say "we did some reading, thought about factors x, y and z - - and decided against (or for) this or that".

Best wishes,

Rex

Take the ferry from Lincolnville to Islesboro (a 20-minute ride) and spend at least 1 night at the Dark Harbor House. Islesboro is beautiful and beatutifully remote - a quintessential Maine island. The Dark Harbor House is lovely and has a wonderful restaurant. They have bikes for guests' use. You will have the trails and beaches all to yourself - quite a contrast to Bar Harbor!

There's a place real close to Boothbay called Ocean Point, which is possibly one of the prettiest spots in Maine. They have an inn -- the Ocean Point Inn, which would be a perfect spot to stay if your trip is synched up with the Windjammer Days festival.

You can catch whale watching trips and the ferry to Monhegan from Boothbay -- shorter ride than from Port Clyde or Owl's Head.

Monhegan is a day trip, unless you spend a night at one of the hotels on the island, which I would HIGHLY recommend since sounds like you're on a romantic trip.

Enjoy. You can't go wrong in Maine.

I grew up in the Mid Coast Maine area, and now we come back every year to take a trip on the J&E Riggin. You get to see the coast of maine from the best side....the water. We love being on the ocean side, but when on land......

Taking route 1 is your best bet. You pass wonderful little towns along the way. Wiscasset has a little take out stand called Red's Eats and I swear they have the best lobster rolls you can get. (although my opinion on second best is Watermans Beach in Owls Head) The Rockland Camden area is a great place to spend time. Camden is more shopping while Rockland has the museums, shopping and the lighthouses - well Rockland Breakwater, Owls Head Light, Marshall Point are our favorites. June is a great time to come with the Windjammers in full swing. The Schooner Gam (a gathering of the fleet is around the 18th of June. There is also the Great Schooner Race is the 7th or 8th of July.

We like the B&B's in Rockland....go to www.historicinnsofrockland.com for a list of them.

We are also quite fond of Stonington and epecially Castine.

We find that if you travel up Route 1 you are sure to find all kinds of things that are going to keep you entertained and taking photos and making memories and then planning your next trip to the coast.

Enjoy you time in Maine!