Please help with Camden +/- Bar Harbor trip
 

Hi, This is our families (dh, 2 teenboys) first trip to Maine. WE are planning either 3-6 days in camden and/or 3-6 days in bar harbor (we haven't decided if we should stay the entire time in one place or split the week; Please weigh in!).
WE are looking at the Samoset and Harborside Hotel and Marina as well as Eggemogin Lodge (different area)and the Spruce point inn.Please give me any and all opinions on these lodgings (as soon as you can please, as we need to make our reserv. TIA!!

There is so much to see and do along the ME coast, I would not just plop down in one place for the whole 6 days. Camden is nice, but so is Kenn'port, Bar Harbour, Arcadia, and so on.

Be sure to allow enough time for a Windjammer cruise. Even though you can do day trips, why not spend two nights on board instead. There are several based out of Camden. www.sailmainecoast.com

We just returned 2 2wweks ago, from a BH and Camden trip. While I liked Camden, I did not LOVE it like I loved Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Island. I could have spent more than the 5 days we spent in Bar Harbor. To me there is no comparison..I felt our 3 days in Camden was way more than needed. Just my opinion!

A windjammer overnight is a good idea. But maybe instead of Camden consider the Bath area with some beach time at sandy Popham beach and a cruise of the Bath harbor. If you stay in Camden the boys might like a visit to the Owls Head Transportation Museum in Rockland.

Thanks for the quick responses! My "Hold/reservation at barharborside hotel is no longer when I called to confirm so I am back to square one. Has anyone stayed at the Atlantic oakes, Acadia inn, Bayview, atlantic eyrie lodge or Holiday inn sunspree in barharbor. thanks again!!

IMO, I would try to stay IN the town of Bar Harbor. The boys could walk to movies etc. We stayed in a B&B called Holland Inn. But the Harborside hotel is wonderful looking. We walked past it quite often. I think they would like it.

Unless your teenage boys like shopping and sight-seeing, I'd recommend you spend all, or most of your time in Bar Harbor/Acadia. Lots more teen boy-friendly stuff.

~Liz

We liked the Claremont Hotel in Southwest Harbor (15 miles from Bar Harbor) because we had a cottage, and because we didn't want to be in touristy Bar Harbor. With kids you probably want to be closer to the action?
Have stayed at Bay View and while it is perfectly nice and clean and well kept, it is more a senior-citizen type hotel, very quiet, decent view, just a row of maybe 10 motel rooms and 10 more on top of them, with shared balconies. Very upscale motel is what I'd call it, not really an "Inn". The pool is tiny.
Atlantic Oakes was next door and basically just a motel on the waterfront. Looked fine, but nothing special. Acadia Inn is across the highway from the water and probably not where you want to be. Maybe try something upscale like Bar Harbor Inn? Then make up for it by staying at someplace less expensive than the Samoset for the first 2 nights? By the way, my vote would be 2 nights Camden, 4 nights Bar Harbor.

I would suggest Glenmoor By the Sea near Camden, and maybe the Bar Harbor Grand Hotel which has some 2-bedroom units I think (but no pool).
The Samoset would be great if you plan to play golf.

Hi, I'm going to Camden and Bar Harbor also - end of August and beginning of September - 2 nights Camden, 4 nights Bar harbor. What MUST we do, MUST we see? Where MUST we eat that's casual and not expensive? Any and all advice welcomed :)

I feel like a broken record :) -- I recommend a windjammer cruise out of Camden or other nearby port town.

There's no place in Maine like Bar Harbor.You have the only National park in N. England. We loved the whale watching trip. We stayed at the Bar Harbor Manor.Paul

WHEN are you going? Could make a difference for some things.

For example, early to mid-August is blueberry season and, humble though it may be, you might enjoy a picnic and then picking low bush wild Maine blueberries -- NOT in a commercial blueberry field.

I don't know your lifestyle, of course. My wife and I have enjoyed many trips to Maine, usually midcoast area.

By the way, I would NOT stay at the Craignoor Inn. Ever. Been there, done that.

Vermonter

I second Glenmoor by the Sea. Camden is beautiful but it is packed with shoppers and restaurants are more expensive. For really casual I would suggest packing a picnic lunch and driving to the top of Mt Battie. Bring bag chairs and binoculars for the wonderful view overlooking Camden harbor. There's a small natural foods store in Camden but years since we've been there. It was a good place for local bread. Visit Cellar Door Winery in nearby Lincolnville for a wine tasting. Between Camden and Bar Harbor there's Just Barb's right on Rt 1 in Stockton Springs with excellent lobster roll, french fries and fried clams. Didn't have room for pie but looked good. Just a nice family restaurant popular with locals. Stop at the Chicken House to stock up on used books or do a little antiquing. We stayed in Wiscasset recently which is much quieter than Camden although traffic backs up because of the bridge (avoid commuting hours and Friday nights).

I stayed at Samoset two years ago during Aug for a business meeting. It is a lovely site, right on the water but I'm not sure teenage boys would enjoy it so much unless they golf or were able to drive into a town. They did have a nice pool and indoor exercise/activity area. It might be better if you stayed in a town where they could get out on their own a bit or hang around at a pool. If in Bar Harbor you could consider going to Acadia Park or taking the high speed ferry to Nova Scotia.

We are planning a trip to Maine in midSeptember. Someone mentioned whale watching in Bar Harbor. Sounds interesting. Can you expound on this? We planned to stay in Camden. Is Bar Harbor a reasonable day trip from there? Also, anyone have any experience at the Blackberry Inn in Camden?

Are your boys active? If so, I would recommend Bar Harbor over Camden. There is extensive hiking in Acadia, and bike paths. Also, there is a free bus around Mt. Desert Island, so the boys could take that sometimes to have some independence. (It is a very safe place. My daughters began taking the bus alone in their early teens.) Bar Harbor is a fun place for teens to hang out at night. This consists of walking around, eating ice cream, sitting in the town green and checking out the other teen agers doing the same thing. Bar Harbor also has 2 movie theatres. Other daytime activites that would appeal to teenagers are a whale watching trip or windjammer cuise. I think teenagers would find Camdem boring.

Oh man, I don't know anyone could find Camden boring, but I guess it all depends on your taste. Kayakking in itself wears my teenage cousins out--call Ducktrap Kayaks in Lincolnville and have them deliver a couple kayaks to Megunticook lake for you. Kayak to Fernald's Neck in the middle of the lake where you can paddle up to the bank, have a picnic lunch, and spend some time swimming and cliff-diving. There are also schooner trips, ocean kayaking trips, and you can spend several hours hiking up Mt. Battie (that'll wear anybody out). Camden is also an excellent base from which to explore towns like Blue Hill, Castine, Bar Harbor, Port Clyde...it's right in the middle of all these towns.
As for inexpensive places to eat in the Camden area, try the Whale's Tooth (AWESOME English-style fish and chips), the Waterfront's bar food, the Quarterdeck for its hamburgers and pizzas, and the Cedarcrest for seafood, Italian, and pizzas. Hmm...where else? Lobster pounds! Young's and Miller's are the best. Haven't tried Waterman's lobster pound, but I hear it's good. The one in Lincolnville is pretty bad, wouldn't waste my money there.
Hope you all have a wonderful time in the Midcoast area!