Maine
 

We are looking into going to Maine this August with our 2 boys ( 11 & 8) and want to get some advice on some good, clean and comfortable places to stay. We are very interested in hiking, fishing, biking, beaches and being near good food. We are looking to spend no more than approx $1000 for a 3-4 night stay. We are ending our trip in Maine.
Thanks for any input you can provide me with. We have never been to Maine and are so excited to go.

When you say "We are ending our trip in Maine" what do you mean? Is this part of a longer trip? If so, where else are you going?

Or did you mean to say "We are ending our trip in [insert city name here]"?

And are you looking at particular dates? For example, wild blueberries ripen in August, so you might want to time your visit to be there when they are most abundant, to go to a local blueberry festival, etc.

We are hitting all the New England states starting the beginning of August - and at the end of our whirlwind trip staying in Maine for 3-4 nights. We plan on only spending a day in each state except for Mass and Maine. A blueberry festival sounds like a lot of fun - thanks for that tip!

The Camden area has everything that you want....oceanside with lake fishing nearby and good mountain hikes. Great dining as well. August is high season so book by April.
High Tide Inn has a private little deck house that would meet your needs if you don't mind being a mile or two outside of the downtown/center. Glenmoor by the Sea is nice, too.

We've stayed at the Glenmoor and liked it very much. It has a variety of accomodations. For a family, one of the units with a separate sleeping area, kitchenette corner, LR and deck would be ideal. Did not go swimming but the pool looked nice. Although on Rt 1 it seemed quiet enough and it's a big property/lots of room. Beaches north of Portland tend to be rocky. If you want sandy beaches, look at places like York in southern Maine.
Camden is home to windjammers and is probably one of the prettiest towns in ME with a beautiful harbor and wonderful Mt Battie.
You'll find blueberries sold by the side of the road. Great snack mixed with vanilla yogurt.
If you are there on a Saturday, check local papers for a benefit supper. In New England, many churches etc have ham and bean suppers but last year we happened on a lobster supper to benefit the local fire dept. Lobster/your choice of mussels or crabs, several sides for $17. I think there were options for non-lobster eaters.

Thank you both for your great input, I am looking forward to checking your suggestions out. We are really getting excited about taking our boys up North!

I hate to ask but what does the rest of your itinerary look like with only a day in each state?

We have friends that live in NH, and our intent is to do something touristy in each state. For example, Ben and Jerry's in Vermont. We are riding on a cog train through the country side in Connecticut. Not sure about Rhode Island yet? We are going to the White Mountains in NH and then spending 2-3 days in Mass doing the colonial tours in Boston and haven't figured the rest out yet. We know there is so much to see and do, but really wanted to check off all the states this trip with something fun, and then at some point go back and do more. It's going to be a whirlwind trip, but hopefully with good planning we won't feel too crazy.... :)

Depending on which train in CT (do you know which train / city), you could head over to RI for a night and go to Newport for the mansions / hit a beach.

I think you are the 3rd poster this week with a whirlwind tour of New England. All of them have me dizzy as its not easy to get from Pt A to Pt B even with how small the states are. I can see why you want to do this but cringe at the thoughts of time in car vs enjoying the sights. But I agree with good planning, you can do it. Just watch the times that google / mapquest give for travel.

Another area to consider is Acadia National Park. Has everthing you want with the bonus that the carrige trails are traffic free bike ways.

Carriage roads in Acadia are free of MOTORIZED traffic. Not all of them are open to bikes, either. If you ride on a prohibited one or fail to yield to a horse-drawn carriage on one where bikes are allowed, you will get a dressing down (and maybe something stronger).

Thanks for the insight on traveling from pt A to pt B - I will definitely make sure to mapquest everything and really try and plan well.

I have heard great things about Acadia National Park, I am going to try and make that a must for our trip!

Thanks for all the input - it's very much appreciated.

If your time is short,reconsider, as Acadia/Bar Harbor can be a mess of traffic in August, be sure to book by April.