Maine in June
 

Taking the wife and 3 teenagers to Maine in June. Looking for a place to stay in an area that is somewhat central for day trips, but ultimately, coastal. What areas of coastal Maine would you recommend?

Camden and Rockland are centrally located on the coast. They are small towns but probably lively enough for teenagers. Windjammer cruises are a lot of fun, and there is a car museum at Owl's Head, south of Rockland.

If you are driving up from the south or west you might spend a night or two in Portland, a lively small city with a great minor league baseball team, the Sea Dogs. Then half a day in Frreeport, home of LL Bean and outlets, outlets, outlets.

None of this coast is going to be swimmable, by the way, but you can kayak and other boating activities abound.

We had a family reunion at Ogunquit. And we've stayed in various places, including a favorite though modest motel overlooking the coastline near Boothbay Harbor. With 3 teens you will likely enjoy hiking and sailing but also just sightseeing. Ogunquit has a splendid small art museum. Other art museums we've enjoyed: Portland Museum of Art, Farnsworth in Rockport (Wyeth), Bowdoin College Museum. And there is Acadia Nat'l Pk adjacent to touristy Bar Harbour. A personal recommendation: Strawberry Banke Museum (Colonial village) at Portsmouth, NH.

We moved 5 years ago to Boston area and enjoy exploring.

Correction: Farnsworth Museum is Rockland.

Agree with the mid-coast recommendation. If they like to hike, you can explore the conservation properties in the Harpswells which is east of Brunswick. Even for non-hikers, the Giant Steps is a nice walk, a shorter smaller version of the Marginal Way but without all the people.

In addition to the car museum, nice easy hike to Owls Head Light.

For some serious cliff walking, a boat trip over to Monhegan would consume the day. Highly recommend taking picnic lunches. It will be cold out on the water.

If work vehicles and logging are more your interests, you might luck out to see college teams competing at Leonard's Mills Logging Museum. This is near Bangor. I liked the Cole Transportation Museum much better than classic cars at Owls Head.

We've been to Bangor for a good music festival and did see that so called Logging Museum. I say so called 'cause there isn't too much there. But with a college competition, that would liven things up.