Photographer looking for Maine info...
 

Hello, I am planning a trip to Maine in the latter part of Summer 2001--would appreciate any info on inexpensive, clean lodging (I'll be traveling solo), any must-see sites or attractions and a general opinion of the best time to travel to Maine--I am aware that Summer is a busy time, however, I am going there to primarily photograph scenics and will be out and about well before the crowds. <BR> <BR>Thanks, <BR> <BR>Gus <BR> <BR>PS. Anyone know of any Maine message boards?

Gus, <BR> <BR> You can't go wrong with Boothbay Harbor, Maine. Downtown is like something out of "Cabot Cove". Make sure you find your way out to Ocean Point in East Boothbay Harbor also. It's about 6 miles away and the secenery is awesome. That includes shoreline, lighthouse, dwellings and islands.

An addendum to Gus. Check www.cyberrentals.com for both rental properties in the area as well as some good photos of Boothbay Harbor.

Casco Bay, which is where Portland is, can be toured from ferry boats that take local residents to their homes. <BR> <BR>Acadia National Park is well worth a few rolls of film. <BR> <BR>BAK

Boothbay Harbor is a tourist mecca -- much more picturesque than, say, Atlantic City, but less aesthetic than lots of other places in Maine. <BR> <BR>Mt. Desert Island is a must -- Bar Harbor itself is heavily touristed but the rest of the island offers a lot. Look also for Schoodic Point, for a commanding cliff over a pounding ocean. But the thing about Maine's coast is that once you are north of Portland, it's all gorgeous rocky shores with lots of evergreens -- all arranged on point after point, most of which is privately owned. But where there's a lighthouse, there's public access to a great view. The further north you go, the less population. By the time you get north of Mt. Desert Island, you are in seriously uninhabited areas. <BR> <BR>My own favorite place is Pemaquid Pt. light, where the rocks resemble frozen waves. And a favorite photographic memory for me was sundown/moonrise in June. Because most of these points run north-south, you can still get a sunset over water, even though you are on the east coast. And during the very long summer days, you can get the full moon rising right around sunset, which creates some amazing light. Imagine you could do something parallel at sunrise/moonset. <BR> <BR>Also remember that tides in Maine are huge -- low tide can be 10-12-15 feet lower than high tide, so you can get some stunningly different shots of the same place. And remember that tides "move" around the clock, so that if high tide is at noon this Monday, next week sometime, noon will mean low tide. <BR> <BR>Suggest you dig up some almanac info re:tides, moon, etc. if any of this seems relevant to what you do. <BR> <BR>Enjoy. It would be my dream trip to have 2 weeks just to photograph Maine. <BR> <BR>

PS: As base of operations, I would choose Camden or the area around Camden. It's a charming town, probably less expensive than either Boothbay or Mt. Desert Island, and a reasonable distance from either.

Ditto on Mt. Desert and Pemaquid for photos. My parents have a house on Pemaquid Point and we have been going there for 20 years. Camden is lovely but expensive as is Bar Harbour. The most affordable place to stay in Pemaquid is the Hotel Pemaquid. New Harbour is unspoiled fishing village and is about 10 minutes away. Take the boat from New Harbour to Monhegan Island for a beautiful vistas, which is why many artists make the journey for the summer. Wyeth painted his Helga pictures there. However, as there are only 2 Inns there it is not cheap ($180 per night). June is very rainy, foggy and cold. Late August or early Sept. is ideal. However, keep in mine that most tourist stuff closes Labor Day weekend but it doesn't sound like that would affect your trip. Email me if you need more details. <BR> <BR>

Gus - What a great thing to do! My husband and I go to Bar Harbor the last ful weekend in June, just before Fourth of July weekend. The weather has been typically outstanding (80-90 degrees and NO humidity)with spectacular views. The May flies are usually way gone by then. as far as lodging, we stay at the Graycote Inn, which is wonderful and they wait on you hand and foot - at least for breakfast. Roger & Pat also knoweverything about the island there is to know. If you want CHEAP and generally comfortable, there is a campground on Rte 3 (?) on the Island that is dolars a day and has shower facilities. If you want a little mroe privacy, stay in Ellsworth, just about 5 miles from Bar Harbor. There are lots of dirt cheap cabins there (we've seen them advertised for 28$ a night in the summer) and it's easy to get around. Enjoy!

Thanks to all for the info! Happy New Year!