Destination: Maine Coast
May 27th, 1999, 05:39 AM
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
Destination: Maine Coast
My wife and I are planning a vacation this August to visit Coastal Maine. We will have about 6 nights to spend there. Any advise on must stay B&B's, towns, sites and restaurants worth visiting would be much appreciated!!! Thanks!
May 27th, 1999, 06:15 AM
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
I'm very fond of Camden. Although touristy, its really a nice town with good b&b's and restaurants. We like to hike in Mount Battie state park which is not far from there. There's a microbrewery/restaurant, I think the name is the Salty Dog Brewery which was very good.
May 27th, 1999, 06:15 AM
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
We're from Ohio and just returned from Mid Coast Maine-and had a great time, spending a week at a Samoset timeshare condo in Rockland/Rockport area on the Penobscot Bay. It took us about an hour to get down to Freeport (home of L.L. Bean & MANY other stores) and a little over an hour to get to Acadia NP. At Acadia we climbed to the top of Cadillac MT (easy-because you drive most of the way up), and we took the Park Loop road, stopping at overlooks. Lots of places to hike there, if your interested. We did not get to spend much time in Bar Harbor, and I wish we had. Maybe next trip out East.
We drove up US 1 and in and out of darling towns--Camden was a pretty town to visit & shop in. Ate at the Mariner's Cafe and had homemade soup! Thomaston has a "made by prisoners" store on US 1 that has some nice wooden furniture & 'things'. When I was in NH a few years ago, my sister took me to Wells, Kennebunkport, Kittery areas to shop, and Kennebunkport was the prettiest town and had some lovely shops and restaurants.
I got a lot of info from the net thru www.miningco.com & Fodor & Frommer's both have good tour books of the area. Have fun.
We drove up US 1 and in and out of darling towns--Camden was a pretty town to visit & shop in. Ate at the Mariner's Cafe and had homemade soup! Thomaston has a "made by prisoners" store on US 1 that has some nice wooden furniture & 'things'. When I was in NH a few years ago, my sister took me to Wells, Kennebunkport, Kittery areas to shop, and Kennebunkport was the prettiest town and had some lovely shops and restaurants.
I got a lot of info from the net thru www.miningco.com & Fodor & Frommer's both have good tour books of the area. Have fun.
May 27th, 1999, 01:15 PM
#4
Guest
Posts: n/a
A friend and I travelled through Maine and Nova Scotia in August 1997 and had a wonderful time. You are going at the right time of year, too -- when we were there the lobsters were shedding their shells, so if you get a lobster with a new shell, it is really loose and thin and it peels off easily without even using a cracker. The towns in Maine we stayed in, which we liked very much, were Camden, Boothbay Harbor, and Bar Harbor. Bar Harbor was our favorite; Acadia National Park is gorgeous. Go to the top of Mt. Cadillac just before sunset and watch the sun go down -- aaah. The hotel we stayed in there was nothing special but the town is great and has lots of good restaurants, some nice places to hear live music, and a wonderful old historic movie theater if you're into that sort of thing. Let me recommend one lodging elsewhere in Maine that was both reasonably-priced and very special: the Lawnmeer Inn, just outside of Boothbay Harbor. They have a nice dining room overlooking the water, with very good food and service. Their website is www.lawnmeerinn.com and their number is 18006337645. There is not very much to do in Boothbay Harbor compared with Camden or Bar Harbor, but I think it is worth going to just to stay at the Lawnmeer, if you like quiet, relaxing, romantic hotels.
We found the Frommers New England book most helpful in planning our time in Maine. In particular, one of the things that is worth taking Frommers' advice on are the lobster pounds, which are the little local places, often little more than shacks, which are the best places to eat lobster! You can pick out your lobster, and they will cook it for you and sometimes even shell it, and serve it with maybe a little side or two (chips, corn on the cob, it just depends) for almost nothing -- and the lobster is the freshest you can get it. We paid $7 apiece at one place for a whole lobster dinner. Sometimes you have to bring your own beer or wine if you want it. Usually you just sit at a picnic table or something to eat, but some of the settings are gorgeous! Take the book's advice about the best lobster pounds. We tried the lobster in a regular restaurant at one place and it was tough and rubbery compared with what we had at the lobster pounds (plus it was three times the price). Our favorite lobster pound was one that Frommers recommended that was just a little north of Camden. I can't remember the name but I'm sure it's in the book if you look it up. Cheap, fresh, and delicious.
Also to get lots of information on Maine try the website www.visitmaine.com, which has links to all the regions, chambers of commerce, towns, lodging, etc.
Good luck and have a wonderful time!
We found the Frommers New England book most helpful in planning our time in Maine. In particular, one of the things that is worth taking Frommers' advice on are the lobster pounds, which are the little local places, often little more than shacks, which are the best places to eat lobster! You can pick out your lobster, and they will cook it for you and sometimes even shell it, and serve it with maybe a little side or two (chips, corn on the cob, it just depends) for almost nothing -- and the lobster is the freshest you can get it. We paid $7 apiece at one place for a whole lobster dinner. Sometimes you have to bring your own beer or wine if you want it. Usually you just sit at a picnic table or something to eat, but some of the settings are gorgeous! Take the book's advice about the best lobster pounds. We tried the lobster in a regular restaurant at one place and it was tough and rubbery compared with what we had at the lobster pounds (plus it was three times the price). Our favorite lobster pound was one that Frommers recommended that was just a little north of Camden. I can't remember the name but I'm sure it's in the book if you look it up. Cheap, fresh, and delicious.
Also to get lots of information on Maine try the website www.visitmaine.com, which has links to all the regions, chambers of commerce, towns, lodging, etc.
Good luck and have a wonderful time!
May 27th, 1999, 02:11 PM
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
If you get as far as Portland, see if the Pomegranate Inn is still in operation. A gorgeously decorated B&B whose owners gave us their symphony tickets the night we arrived! Great music, hosts and food. There's even a lighthouse near Portland to show your stay at home friends.
May 27th, 1999, 02:22 PM
#6
Guest
Posts: n/a
Dear Gregg,
One of my favorite parts of the world is Kennebunkport, ME. A combination of sandy beaches and rocky coast Line. The historic district is an ideal location to stay. You are able to walk into town to great shops and galleries or to the harbor. Most inns provide parking permits for the beach to their guests. One of my favorite inns is The Maine Stay Inn & Cottages. I believe they have a web site. I really enjoy dining at Grissini(Italian and lots of fun) and Seascapes... at the end of the pier in Cape Porpoise. Mabels or Arundel Wharf are excellent choices for Lobster. Bicycling is an excellent way to get around time. Sailing on the Schooner Edna is great! You can even go Whale Watching and Kayaking!!! Enjoy
One of my favorite parts of the world is Kennebunkport, ME. A combination of sandy beaches and rocky coast Line. The historic district is an ideal location to stay. You are able to walk into town to great shops and galleries or to the harbor. Most inns provide parking permits for the beach to their guests. One of my favorite inns is The Maine Stay Inn & Cottages. I believe they have a web site. I really enjoy dining at Grissini(Italian and lots of fun) and Seascapes... at the end of the pier in Cape Porpoise. Mabels or Arundel Wharf are excellent choices for Lobster. Bicycling is an excellent way to get around time. Sailing on the Schooner Edna is great! You can even go Whale Watching and Kayaking!!! Enjoy
Jul 12th, 1999, 08:11 AM
#9
Guest
Posts: n/a
If you enjoy hiking, art and breathtakingly beautiful scenery, you should take a ferry from Boothbay Harbor to Monhegan Island. It is a mile by 1/2 mile island. You will see people by the cliffs painting the scenery while you hike. There are a few houses with art exhibits also. It takes approx 1 1/2 hrs to get there. We stayed at the Sprucepoint Inn in Boothbay that was right on the water (cliffs, not beaches). Acadia National Park is also beautiful. Have fun!
