Planning a trip next FALL for about 6 or 7 days to Maine and would like to start in Bar Harbor and work my way down from there. I like to be closer to the action and willing to "splurge" a bit for nice accomodations and atmosphere.
I'm considering staying at the Bar Harbor Inn for 3 nights. Where would it be worth to stay for 2 or 3 nights: Kennebunkport or Portland, Boothbay Harbor? Any suggestions on lodgings and restaurants?
THANKS!!!!

I recommend staying in Portland. There is a wonderful art museum in Portland, interesting shopping and restaurants. The Old Port area is fun to walk around, right on the water. Unfortunately, I don't remember the names of restaurants we ate at. We stayed at the Pomegranate Inn, a lovely B & B, in a nice residential district but close enough to everything. Portland also has pubs and clubs for nightlife. There is an interesting indoor farmers market, which is fun for lunch, sampling different foods & Christmas decorations in December. Portland is also close to lighthouses, and close to Kennebunkport and Freeport.

Kwoo-That sounds like a good suggestion. Will check out a few inns there... Thanks!!

There is lots of good information on this site about Maine, but quickly here are some of our favorites: The Regency Hotel in Portland; Street & Company and Fore Street, both in the Old Port of Portland, same owner, outstanding restaurants; Arrows in Ogunquit; Inn by the Sea in Cape Elizabeth; Hurricane in both Ogunquit and Kennebunport; the Arundel Inn on Ocean Avenue in Kennebunkport (for both food and lodging); The Green Heron in Kennebunkport for breakfast; The Colony, also in Kennebunkport, an old-fashioned big old hotel with huge rooms, no air conditioning (but you don't need it)and they allow pets and are on the ocean; Allyson's in Dock Square for lobster rolls; Cape Porpoise for lobster in the rough on the pier there or at Nunan's; the piano player at the Kennbunkport Inn after dinner. That should get you started.

The Balance Rock Inn in Bar Harbor is worth checking out. Don't know what you're interests are so hard to say where you should spend your three nights. The nice thing is that you can drive from Boothbay to Kennebunkport to Portland very easily. In Boothbay Harbor, we have stayed at a great little B&B called Anchor Watch. You can walk to downtown Boothbay from it. Rather than stay in Portland, I would stay at Black Point Inn and Resort in Prouts Neck; it overlooks the ocean and has ambience. Our favorite spot in Kennebunkport is a corner ocean-view room on the top floor at The Colony Hotel. It's on the road to the George Bush estate. The The White Barn in in Kennebunk is one of the best restaurants in the country; they have an inn there as well. If you want to eat there, make reservations a few months in advance. Another fine restaurant is Arrows in Ogunquit.