Info. on Boothbay Harbor, Maine
 

We are going to Boothbay Harbor, Maine with friends.. We are staying at friends of our friends house on the water but none of us have ever been there before and the owners of the house will not be there. Does anyone have any information on thise area? Restaurants? Fun things to do? How long will the drive take from NYC? Any help will be appreciated! <BR>Thanks in advance! <BR> <BR>

Every year we travel to the next inlet north of Boothbay near New Harbor Maine from San Diego. While only a few miles away by water it is about 35 miles away by road due to the irregular coast line. Thus we do not spend much time in Boothbay but we can give you some of the info you seek. <BR> <BR>Boothbay is about 350 miles from NYC and it should take you 6.5 to 7 hours to drive there. A portion of the roads are two line and traffic is apt to slow you down. <BR> <BR>Boothbay is one of the more highly developed areas in Maine for vacation activities and it is full of shops and restaurants. From Boothbay you can take several interesting boating trips. There is a lot of tourist information on Boothbay and since it is compact you will get oriented easily. The Rocktree Restaurant, The spruce Point Inn Dinning Room, and The Thistle Inn Restaurant are some of the better places. You most likely need reservations and some places have dress codes so it is best to check. The largest problem with Boothbay in summer is the traffic and finding a place to park. It is a very popular destination. For contrast you might enjoy visiting Damariscotta and then head to New Harbor and Pemaquid Point to the old light house and the Art Gallery. Shaw's in New Harbor where the lobster boats come in is one of the best places to eat lobster. It has a true Maine atmosphere much different than Boothbay which is mainly a vacation and tourist destination. Nonetheless it is very pleasant when it is not overcrowded. <BR>

Hi, While in Boothbay Harbor a few years ago we enjoyed a whale watching trip. We saw a lot of humpback whales and another kind that I can't remember! Also, we had a great time on a day trip to Monhagen Island. What a quaint little artist's island. As a matter of fact one of the Wyeth's has a house there. A very interesting place with hardly any motor vehicles, but plenty of deer. It was lovely. <BR>

Boothbay is wonderful....not too touristy....like the previous message said....as in any vacation resort it's only as touristy as you make it.......definitely see the harbor from the water....for a fun crazy time do the sunday night regae sunset cruise....for more tranquil do the sail on the Appledore from the main harbor area. Definitely eat Lobster at any of the REAL maine places....so cheap and so good....Dougie Carters or Robinsons' Wharf. Go to the Harborview or Harbor front....something like that...right on the harbor...go there for breakfast...awesome cinnamon rolls!! Great little shops....definitely go to Pemaquid for the day and climb the rocks and see the lighthouse.....beautiful. Go on a daytrip to Camden......very quaint little town and scenic....if there are ANY shoppers in the bunch do Freeport.....even the guys will enjoy LLBean.......not strip malls of outlets...it's even quaint there and bargains are great......I've been there 3 times to that part of Maine and love it......enjoy....email with any further questions....... <BR>

Boothbay Harbor is one of my favorite places. My parents have a place there, also on the water -- very beautiful. It'll take you about seven hours to get there. <BR> <BR>There are many boating excursions that go out of the Harbor -- someone already mentioned the reggae cruise on Sunday nights and the whale watching tours. There are many great shops and restaurants in the town. We like to have lunch at McSeagull's or Gray's outside on the deck. As someone already mentioned, definitely eat lobster while you're there. For dinner, we like the Ocean Point Inn, Lobsterman's and the Black Orchid. Definitley drive out to Ocean Point -- it's a beautiful area. There are also several art galleries both in the town and surrounding areas. I wouldn't miss Edgecomb Potters in Edgecomb (you'll pass it as you drive into Boothbay). They have amazing stuff. <BR> <BR> Another suggestions for eating lobster is to buy and bring it home -- then you can be as messy as you want. Wotton's at the end of Signal Point Marina will cook the lobsters for you and they you can bring them home and eat. Have a great time. <BR>