There is also a whale watch from Barnstable Harbor which is mid-cape, if you are not planning on going all the way out to Provincetown. They go out to the same place as the ones from P-town and you get a very scenic boat ride.

Your trip sounds great. I don't think I'd make the Desert of Maine my top destination out of Portland. When I have guests in town, I take them to the following in Portland:
1. Portland Head Light (10 min from Portland in Cape Elizabeth)
(See here: http://thefreelanceadventurer.blogsp...ead-light.html)

2. Walking around downtown cobble stone streets of the "old port" - visit bars, restaurants, and shops.

3. Take the short ferry in Portland to Peaks Island. You can rent bikes and bike the island in less than an hour or walk, go to the beach, get ice cream, etc (http://thefreelanceadventurer.blogsp...aksisland.html)

I also recommend taking a day trip to one of the Southern Coast beaches. Ogunquit and Kennebunkport have a great little shopping areas with fabulous beaches as well. Ogunquit's Marginal Way is a short walk that goes along the shoreline. (see here: http://thefreelanceadventurer.blogsp...uit-maine.html)

Have a great trip! I have other advice about touring Maine and NH here: http://thefreelanceadventurer.blogsp...-vacation.html



-

Concur with Mainergirl--we were not impressed with Bar Harbor and surroundings.

BlackandGold....Thank you, looking into that whale watch.

MainerGirl....We took the desert off the itinerary, having a hard time finding a bed and breakfast we like in Portland,
they all seem ordinary, is there a town to stay in close by to make Portland a day trip?

dwdvagamundo...you are the first person that has not said good things about Bar Harbor..can you tell me why you didn't like it.

Thank you everyone!!!!!

You are going from Portland ME to Bar Harbor without much time to spend in the mid-coast area. The Old Port area of Portland is fun. You could take a foodie tour but I think you would like the mailboat cruise of Casco Bay. But I like the cruises out of Portsmouth NH better (inland rivers might give you better foliage views). Agree with Ackislander to drive thru Newcastle. At one point you can see old Naval Prison in Kittery in one direction, historic and fabulously restore Wentworth by the Sea Hotel in the other. If you take Rt 1A thru Rye you will drive along coast past mansions still privately owned.

Lobster shacks with picnic tables on the dock might be open weekends only after labor day. Check schedules. Agree with visit to Portland lighthouse and beautiful park. Bite Into Maine lobster roll food truck is parked there during the season. Fantastic views of Casco Bay.

It seems like you would like the Harpswells area of mid-coast Maine (less commercial, more rural). I would skip Marginal Way in Ogunquit (popular walk) and do the Giant Steps in Harpswell area. Find good place for lunch, maybe Dolphin Bay Marina.

Rockland Maine offers the Farnsworth Art Museum and nearby Owls Head Transportation Museum. It's pretty interesting if you visit on a weekend when they are flying antique airplanes. We also saw a Lombard Log Hauler there during a special weekend. If you like wineries, the one in Rockland has nice views.

Do NOT miss view from top of Mt Battie in Camden. Home to windjammers.

Cole Transportation Museum in Bangor is very interesting, more about work vehicles and the lumber industry than Owls Head which is classic cars and planes. But Bangor is out of your way. Doable if you get a rainy day though. There are college teams that compete in lumberjack competitions. We saw some at the logging museum near Bangor - Leonard's Mills but unless it's a special weekend of events, I would skip.

Unfortunately Rt 1 thru Maine is not very scenic. You'll have to take some detours for scenery but it does go thru Camden and Wiscasset.

I've enjoyed food tours of Boston's North End (Italian) and Chinatown. Great food samples AND a lot of local history about the neighborhoods.

We are going to be in Boston in May and I would like to know which food tour you took in Boston's North End? Thanks.

Thank you dfrostnh, I just copied and printed your entry and
will be looking into each of these suggestions.
THAT is the fun part, I'm at the hard part of the trip planning right now, ---where, how long and accommodations.
I love detailed itineraries, and print a sheet of every place we want to see and bring them in a outlined notebook.
I so appreciate your help, can't wait to give your ideas the
time they deserve. You are so kind.

Have you checked out the Pomegranete Inn in Portland?http://www.pomegranateinn.com/ I had a friend stay there once on a trip out here and he really liked it.
If you are into good food - I recently went to Le Petite Jacqueline in Portland. Great little bistro not too far from the old port http://bistropj.com/. It was really good. For pub food I like Ri Ras.

I've also stayed in b and b's in Camden Maine. It's a pretty adorable town north of Portland, but less to do then Portland as far as shopping, galleries, and restaurants. dfrostnh mentioned this town - it has a small mountain (mt. battie) that you can hike or drive to see the water views.

I'm wouldn't take bar harbor off the list. Acadia National Park has some of the most beautiful views on the East Coast. Worth the drive I think.

nlg - both tours were by Michelle Topor's company. I think we may have been extra lucky to have Michelle as the tour leader. She has lived in the North End and knows it well.

ehovis--we were there a long time ago, so only have a general impression, and the impression is that it was not all that. Not terrible or anything, just not all that wonderful. Perhaps we had expected more.

dfrostnh, thanks for the help with the food tour.

Let start by saying my husband & I owned a B&B in Falmouth for almost 9 yrs - it is now a private home. We help countless travelers get the most out of their visit to the Cape. Have you selected a town to stay in on Cape Cod? You could easily add another day there. Are you planning a day trip to Martha's Vineyard? Falmouth (ferry to MV leave from here or Wood's Hole 4 miles away) is a great town with a lovely walkable downtown area filled with great shops & restaurants. I highly recommend driving to Provincetown for the whale watch from there - P-town is a kitchy town with cool art galleries, some antique shops & the normal tourist type gift shops. If they are still open for the season Mojo's in Provincetown has a fantastic fried seafood platter. The National Seashore is breathtaking and the many rail trails are flat & scenic bike paths - there are many places to rent bikes. Cape Cod Light is another beautiful stop - you can climb to the top of the light where the view is spectacular. I could go on & on. If you have any questions I will be happy to answer them. In the North End of Boston avoid the over-priced tourist places on Hanover St - try Al Dente on Salem St - they make the best chicken parm topped with eggplant parm - served on a bed of pasta and the whole thing covered with the sauce of your choice - my fav - arrabiata - love the spicy! and skip the touristy Mike's Pastry and go for the local fav Modern Pastry - on Hanover St or the even quieter but wonderful Maria's Pastry around the corner on Cross St.