Looking for suggestions for a 8 day itinerary for the coast of Maine in early September. Two areas we know we want to visit are the Ogunquit/Kennebunk (2 nights) and Camden (2 nights) area. Any ideas about a northern area to see on the coast? Considering Bar Harbor, but don't know if we should allow one or two nights there or any other "don't miss" place. Suggested accommodations will be appreciated too, moderately priced with water view. Thanks in advance.

It would help to know how you plan too spend your days. Hiking, kayaking, driving around seeing sights from the car, shopping...

~Liz

Thanks Liz. Some light hiking, driving around, sightseeing and boutique shopping, no outlets ~ we have those here. We want R&R, both of us have intense careers that encroach upon our personal time. So this is a decompress trip.

Bar Harbor is an ideal decompression trip, we've done this as our relaxation/decompress vacation every year for two weeks in September for over 40 years and we always find new things to discover. It hits everything that you mentioned. Wonderful artists and artisan galleries and boutiques,great restaurants, whale watch, lighthouse tours, tours through Acadia National Park.

You can take a lovely carriage ride or rent bikes or even stroll along the miles of closed carriage trails, hike, walk, stroll through some of the most wonderful scenery along the eastern coast.

My suggestion would be 2 nights Camden then on to Bar Harbor for the rest of the trip, there are enough things there to do that you won't be bored for a minute. Ogunquit/Kennebec is a very busy area and Camden is very small, so with only 8 days 4 days between these two places might be too much. You don't want it to be a hectic vacation of packing and unpacking if it's a relaxing vacation that you are looking for.

Celtic, thank you for your suggestion! Exactly what we need.

DH likes to take a pair of binoculars and just watch the water. Sometimes we take a picnic lunch or snacks, some bag chairs and reading material. The top of Mt Battie in Camden is a great spot for a picnic (no waiting line at a restaurant!). Pemaquid Point is nice, too. We love the mid-coast area so generally take I95 to Brunswick and then take Rt 1 from there. Visit some farmers markets. Brunswick on Friday is great. So is Bath on Saturdays. If you google a list of best lobster rolls, you'll get a good list of places to visit since the good lobster shacks are out on points. Check hours before visiting, a favorite, Holbrooks Wharf in Cundy's Harbor is only open through Labor Day. But there are other lobster places in the Harpswells area and you could do a nice walk along Giant Steps. Shorter walk than Marginal Way in Ogunquit but you might be the only ones on the walk. Harpswells are east of Brunswick so something you can do between southern Maine and Camden.

If you do decide to go to Kennebunkport, Goose Rocks Beach is a lovely place to take a long walk as is Fortune's Rock beach in Biddeford.