caribbean_dreamin

Planning to go to ME the first week of Oct. Don't have any reservations yet, but I'm not looking to stay in the swanky places that probably book up early. Just looking for a comfortable clean place to sleep after a long day of hiking or canoeing or whatever. Think I'll still be able to find places to stay?

Now, to the bigger question....I'm just not sure how to organize this trip. We'll be driving up from the Pittsburgh PA area after a friend's wedding and if we take turns driving all night we'll get there Sat am. We definitely want to go to Acadia, go on a whale-watching boat trip, hike Katahdin, hike Gulf Hagas, canoe on Moosehead Lake. I'd also like to fit in Moxie Falls and a stop at the Sunday River covered bridge on the way in or out of the state. We will probably leave the following Sat morning, so we have 7 days. Can we do all this in 7 days without making the trip a forced march? Should we drive up the coastline first and do Acadia and Bar Harbor and then drive North to Katahdin and Gulf Hagas or reverse it and do the North Woods area stuff first and then coast stuff? Don't know if it makes a difference.

Sorry this might seem kind of vague. Just looking for any advice....

Thanks!

tpatricco

Hi carib -

Try the Cadillac Motor Inn for comfortable, clean but inexpensive lodging in Bar Harbor. Great location and there was an excellent little shop across the street with fantastic stick to your ribs breakfasts! Delicious blueberry pancakes. www.cadillacmotorinn.com Trish

joesorce

I think they're saying the fall colors will be early this year...so you might want to head north early on and leave the coastal drive for later. Hit Moosehead at peak colors. Be careful on that canoe, however....it's a H U G E lake and the current can be oceanlike in its terror!

caribbean_dreamin

Thanks for the replies. Trish, I will check into the Cadillac Motor Inn as well as the place across the street for breakfast. My husband is about as excited about blueberry pancakes every morning as he is about any other part of the trip!

Joe - I think you may be right about going North first and doing the coast later. Good idea. You have me scared about canoeing in Moosehead Lake. Neither of us has ever canoed or kayaked before. Can you suggest a better place for a first experience?

Thanks!
Barbara

joesorce

Probably no more beautiful place in the world than Moosehead at that time of year....just stick close to the shore and you'll be fine. The rest of the lake looks very inviting, but don't be fooled...heading out into the middle of the lake can be dangerous on a breezy day.

The Belgrade Lakes area outside of Augusta, and the Rangeley Lakes area in Western Maine are also beautiful.

caribbean_dreamin

Joe (or anyone else with advice)-

What town should I look for accommodations in for the Moosehead part of our trip? Any recommendations on an actual establishment? Would like to spend no more than $150 per night.

Thanks,
Barbara

joesorce

If you get up to the western side of the lake I can recommend www.birches.com

A bit closer to civilization is Greenville...lots of lodging there, check out
www.mooseheadlake.org/lodging.shtml


With only 7 days, if you don't make it up as far north as Moosehead, Rangeley Lakes in the west near Bethel is a good choice.

tbelgian

Sounds like you don't mind driving. We like to stay in Greenville on Moosehead lake. You won't have any problem finding nice, clean lodgeing for less that $150. From there you can do Moxie Falls, Moosehead, Gulf Hegus, Check out Katadin Iorn works, look for moose, hike Mt Kineo on Moosehead, and Katadin. That will probably take you a few days. Acadia's a couple of hours drive from Moosehead area in the other direction from Bangor. Acadia/Bar Harbor is more expensive than the north woods area. Personally, I would head north first to make sure that I got my hiking and that stuff in, or arrange acourding to the weather. You'll see plenty of foliage as long as we don't get a big storm that knocks all the leaves off the trees before hand. Be careful driving at night in Maine. Big animals move around at night and you do not want to run into them. People have bumper stickers that say, "brake for moose, it could save your life." It's true, if you hit them, they could come right in your windsheild.

BrendaM

Passing along a helpful website for booking accommodations in Maine . It is the Maine Innkeepers Association site at maineinns.com. tons of accommodations listed with links to their sites. Most towns and areas of state listed too. Good Luck. Maine is great in the fall, enjoy!!!

mainetoday

Hey there, you are going to be busy. It takes a full day, i mean full to hike up Katahdin. Are you planning on camping there or staying in a hotel in Millinocket??? Also, Gulf Hagas is a great day trip, very beautiful, but is also off the beaten path. The only option here is to camp out. Very rural and not to many places to stay in the nearby area that I know of... My suggestion is to drive the interstate all the way up to Baxter first, then go south to Katahdin Ironworks (where Gulf Hagas is). Then south on 95 to Bangor where you can go over to Brewer and get on 1A to Ellsworth/Bar Harbor. If you want to save a little money, staying in Ellsworth is usually cheaper, or in Trenton (which is on Rte 3, right before Bar Harbor). This is the beginning of the end of their season, but it's also prime foliage season, so there are usually lot's of motor coaches taking up all the reservations in the motels. I've stayed at the Regency before and they have a whale watching boat, I think it's called the Friendship V docked, right there. What a blast. Note: It will take you a good 4-5+ hours to drive from Kittery, ME (border), up to Baxter or Bar Harbor. You might just want to cruise straight up I-95 first and stay in either Portland, Lewiston/Auburn area, Augusta area, or Bangor area on your way up to Baxter. There are lot's of hotels along the way. Then, after you've visited Acadia, drive home south on Route 1. If it's taking too long, you can always cut over to the Interstate and head back home even quicker??? It's up to you.... You can do this either way, but it will be a lot of driving and you need to leave time open for yourself to really take in and enjoy your surroundings. You'll be going to some breathtaking places and you might want to spend more time there. Good luck, any other specific recommendations, just let me know, I've been all these places several times and I know Maine really well.

mainetoday

Oh yeah, you can always find a place to go canoeing on Moosehead, but that's even farther off the beaten path. Beautiful area though and you are almost guaranteed to see a moose. Like they say, north of Bangor be careful driving at night, there are lot's of moose. I mean it!!! Also in Bar Harbor, you could try sea kayaking. It is different, but there are a lot of places that will rent them to you there. Just a thought.

CN467

Blair Hill Inn in Moosehead is the most perfect inn I've ever stayed in. GORGEOUS rooms, GREAT hosts, WONDERFUL setting. It's not on the coast -- it's up in the lake area of Maine, so it's particularly perfect for hunters and fishermen. We do neither of those things, but we do love an elegant inn. It was written up recently in Conde Nast's travel magazine, and I think it deserves all the credit they give it. What a place! I can't even imagine how gorgeous it would be in the fall.