This is our first trip to Maine. We will be there the first 10 days of June. My husband and I are flying into Boston and driving to Ogunquit where we will spend 5 nights. We will day trip out of Ogunquit as far east along the coast as we can each day. How long does it take to reach Bar Harbor and Acadia NP? What points in between Ogunquit and Ellswoth do you reccomend? After leaving Ogunquit we would like to stay at a B&B near Acadia (possibly Bar Harbor) or in the Down East area for 2 or 3 nights. Our objective is to sightsee as far east as Quoddy Head. We will be trying to see as many lighthoues as humanly possible in 8 days. Lighthouses,lobster and whale watching are some of our favorite things. Maybe we should spend one night near Lubec and 2 near Acadia? I understand the Down East coastal area is quite beautiful, but less traveled than the Southern and Mid Coast areas. We are unsure as to driving times to reach these farther east regions. I'm looking for any help with reccomendatons for B&B's, boat excursions offering lighthouse sightseeing and whale watching, and of course the famous lobster pounds! Thanks for any help and advice you can give me.

I would recommend Boothbay Harbor, and possibly Belfast or Searsport.

I prefer Southwest Harbor to Bar Harbor, but first week of june B Harbor shouldn't be too overly-invaded by tourists.

For lobster be sure to stop at Lincolnville Lobster Pound, and Youngs in Belfast.

From Ogunquit, you are about 4 hours drive to Arcadia if you take Route 1, the coastal route. Stop someplace along your route for lobster stew or a lobster roll. Yum! I suggest you check out Camden and Belfast on the way. You really should drive Route 1, as is the most picturesque route to Arcadia and Bar Harbor. Slow going through the many coastal towns, but that is what you go to Maine to see, the small town coastal life. Also, there is a lighthouse in York, Maine which is about 15 minutes south from Ogunquit off Route 1. Called Cape Neddick Lighthouse. Really picturesque. Have fun in Maine. I am a former Mainiac and miss it alot.

Interesting Pam:

I am doing about the same thing you are in July. We (family of five) are flying into Boston, staying there for 3 days, then heading to Freeport Maine for a day to go to LL Bean. After that the itenerary is wide open.

We wanted to stay at the Bar Harbor Inn for a few days but it is booked up. I am now looking for alternate accomodations in Bar Harbor with a view of Frenchmans Bay.

After that I have no clue where to go. I was thinking about wheeling up into Canada. Can't take the "Cat" my wife and I were on it 2 years ago and she got seasick.

You'll love Maine, it is a beautiful state.

Regards,

RHM in Pensacola

We have fallen in love with Camden and the Maine Stay Inn. Great DownEast location. Easy drive to Bar Harbor, Acadia and only an hour and half from LLBean. The Inn is found at www.mainestay.com and the city of Camden at www.camden.k2bh.com.

Great website for accommodations in Maine is the Maine Innkeepers Association website at maineinns.com.

Bar Harbor website is barharbor.com

You'll surely enjoy The Inn at Southwest Harbor, a historic inn where many of the rooms are named after famous lighthouses. Lindenwood Inn is also nice, with some cottages as well as inn-rooms.
Southwest Harbor is a short drive from Bar Harbor and less touristy.
Cafe Dry Dock has great clam chowder and "Lobsta Rolls".

In Acadia Park, try lunch at the Jordan Pond House for the great popovers, and beautiful view.

In Bar Harbor, the Island Chowder House will hit the spot for lunch, and Maggie's Classic is a nice spot for dinner. Lobster of course, is at every corner.

Be sure to check out when high and low tides are for East Quoddy. At low tide you can walk out to the light. Good luck trying to see all the lights. Most are out on islands. Best way is by boat, for close up. Try lighthouse web sites for more info.

Hi Pam,
The drive from Bar Harbor to Lubec is about 3 hours without stopping. You might want to continue on past Quoddy Head to the New Brunswick border. It is about an hour from Quoddy Head to Calais ME. One nice option would be to do the Quoddy Loop. You can take a ferry either from Campobello Island NB (connected with Lubec ME by a bridge) or Eastport ME to Deer Island NB and then you can tour Deer Island and take a ferry from Deer Island to L'Etete NB and then drive back through NB to Calais ME. You could add a stop in St. Andrews NB where you can take whale watching tours. You can find more information on the route at http://www.quoddyloop.com

Pam! May you have bright sunny days and cool nights for your visit! There are lots of lighthouses, to be sure. I never saw so many (and I live here in the Belfast area) as when my husband and I took a windjammer cruise off the coast in Rockland. What a great way to really see the coast of Maine! Couldn't count all the lighthouses! And the Lobster! Had all we could eat on a secluded off shore island stop during the cruise (6 days/nights of heaven on the water). For a great story, check out the June '02 Yankee Magazine. That was the same Windjammer we went on (The American Eagle)and loved it so much we are going back again this summer. Maybe we'll see you there sometime! Enjoy your trip!
P.S. Great B&Bs in the Belfast, Searsport area. Great shops too!

If you love lighthouses & lobster, then try this. We were driving to Bar Harbor and decided to take a plane ride(4 seater -Cessna) /tour of the 6 lighthouses.The small airport is on your left near Trenton before entering Mount Desert Island. Then we had lobster at the Trenton lobster pound. It was a great experience. We had never flown in such a small plane. It was fabulous viewing Acadia National Park in a whole new way. If you're not afraid of flying , it's an unbelievable experience. So beautiful!