We are going to Maine in August and we need recommendations for camping or hotels in the Old Orchard/Saco/Freeport area. Also, what attractions, restaurants, etc are not to be missed? We are driving down for a week and would like to pay less than $150 per night if possible. Thanks

My husband's family has owned a house in OOB for years, so I've never stayed at a hotel or camped up there. I did find a very extensive web site for you to explore, including LOTS of accomodation listings.
http://www.oldorchardbeachon-line.com

The Pine Point area is a very nice area to stay. The motels near the center of OOB look very seedy, but I could be wrong. I've always known about Bayley's camp grounds (never been in) but was surprized that there were so many other camp sites listed. I think Bayley's runs a shuttle to the center of OOB. There's a huge restaurant in Pine Point called the Clam Bake that's always mobbed. It's a huge place, you order your food at a window, they call out when it's ready, but it's right on the marsh and FRESH!!! The Cascades restaurant on Rt. 1 is a place we enjoy. Very old fashioned, simple menu. I think they also have cabins.

By the way, Freeport is not in the OOB/Saco area. Scarborough is. Freeport is about a 1 hour drive north, but you must go there. It's the home of LL Bean and outlet city. Rainy days are the most congested with all the folks who can't go to the beach.

When we go to Maine we spend lots of time just driving around the countryside and visiting antique shops, small towns, etc. We're not beach folks (pity, the house was right on the water). But OOB is perfect for long walks on the beach.

If you have any specific questions, write me and I'll try to be helpful. Have a nice visit.

in the freeport area there is a great campground if you do not require many ammenities. Recompense Shores, formerly run by University of Maine, now by some kind of a foundation, is situated on a really beautiful spot overlooking the bay. Sites are mostly pretty nice, conditions are not glamorous but the location can't be beat. the property is shared with an organic beef farm. next door is wolf neck st park. very nice for walks. remarkably wild-seeming for so close to the shopping hordes in Freeport.

For indoor accomodations near freeport the Maine Idyll Court is great. Old-time housekeeping cottages in a wooded area. Run by the same family for about 2000 years. Well kept, clean and many have fireplaces. We always stay there. Prices run about $60-$80/night.

For food I never skip the Harraskeet Lobster Pound in South Freeport. Best lobster rolls, good everything else. Mostly outdoor seating. A good idea on a summer weekend is to phone in an order before you go. it can be a long wait.

I could never recommend Old Orchard Beach to any family. It is a not what one would call family friendly. It does have a nice beach.

I saw your posting, Scout, when it had no responses, and I hesitated in responding. I agree with Jeri; Old Orchard Beach is not "Maine" as I know and love it. I was waiting for other postings to see if perhaps I am wrong and that things in Old Orchard Beach have changed. I would do more research if I were you before settling on a destination. You might check the Yankee magazine website (www.newengland.com). Sorry.

Hi, I want to agree with the above posts. Old Orchard is definitely not a place I would recommend for a family. I live in Maine, and live in the Portland area. If you are looking for a beach location, I would recommend the York, Ogunquit, Wells locations much before OOB. As for Freeport, they have a lot of Bed & Breakfasts, as well as a few other hotels: Hampton Inn (brand new), Comfort Inn etc. . . have a great time.

I also agree OOB is not the greatest spot for a family vacation - it's pretty honkey tonk. May be ok for a brief visit, so the kids can do some rides, but I wouldn't want to spend too much time there. A campground that is very popular with a lot of folks I know is Salty Acres, which is just North of Kennebunkport.They will give you a parking permit at Goose Rocks Beach, one of the nicer beaches in Southern Maine. The Kennebunkport area is very pleasant, although the downtown can be a little crowded.

Back when I posted the first reply, I considered very carefully what to say. Scout was interested specifically in Old Orchard Beach, so I tried to give an answer as specific as I could. I also implied that the hotels looked to be seedy and that when I did go there I spent very little time THERE! Pine Point, at the far end of the area, is a very nice area though, and so is Ocean Park in the other direction.

On the other hand, Old Orchard Beach has a long history of inclusiveness. Back in the days before it was easy to travel long distances in the summer, and when certain populations were not welcome in all areas, OOB was full of large, fancy kosher hotels. This was before Jewish people could freely visit other Maine towns, Cape Cod, or may other areas. My husband's family has been going to OOB for three generations as have most of their friends from the Boston area as well as near by Portland (many of their Portland friends have summer homes in OOB). It also used to attract very large numbers of visitors from the Montreal Jewish community. Their children and grandchildren now have homes there.

Today things have changed in the center of town, and OOB is indeed a honky tonk sort of place, not the beautiful craggy rock shoreline that we all think of as Maine. It's fun in its own way, and there are still many folks who consider it the place to be and would be less comfortable in Wells, Kennebunkport, etc. It does meet this need. It also has one of the longest stretches of clear sandy beach in the whole state, and that too is a considerable draw. Walk along the shore, in either direction from the Pier, and you'll see beautiful homes and condos. The further you go from the Pier, the nicer, larger, more expensive they get.

I don't think you have to avoid OOB alltogether. Just be aware of what sort of area it is, and if you're thinking quaint, don't go to OOB. It's not quaint, it's OOB.