My sister is flying out from California for all of next week, but alas, it's going to be raining pretty much the entire week. Her ticket is non-refundable/changeable. We were hoping to take a road trip to Maine to do some outdoors-y stuff. Apparently it's going to rain all places to the north, south, east, and west of me (Providence, RI) so we can't do this stuff elsewhere.

My question is, is it worth going to Maine at all? Has anyone had any experience in trying to take an 'outdoors' trip when the weather is proving quite awful? Or is it still possible to go hiking, whale-watching, and kayaking in the rain--thunder-storms, mind you? What other, just as interesting things can we do in Maine to make the trip to see rain-soaked lighthouses worth the somewhat dangerous drive? We're both avid fans of seafood, theater, and, to a lesser degree, shopping. I'm also a bit of a history buff.

Check out www.wmtw.com for Maine weather info-it's the website for one of Portland's TV station. Also check weather.com, click local forcast and type in Portland. A quick look there shows that it's supposed to be sunny all next week, although it is too soon to tell what it's really going to be like. It seem's like tomorrow's forcast for Boston keeps changing by the hour!
Don't let the weather dampen your plans-definately plan on going to Maine. It's beautiful up there. If you decide to stop in Portland, check out the Old Port. Intersting shops, galleries,and great restaraunts. In Kittery there is a town park out on the water-I wish I could remember the name-it's Fort something. It's got a couple beaches and some areas to hike around. You can also hike or climb Mount Agamenticus in York for some spectacular views. Hope this helps!

Oops! I meant to say you can either DRIVE or hike/climb Mount Agamenticus.

This falls into my category of: well, it's not going to be too hot, dusty and crowded! It's not going to be raining all the time so play it by ear. See which summer theatres are offering matinees. Take the kayak trip when it isn't too bad. We went on a great lighthouse viewing cruise with the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath. Call them to see if their boat trips still go out if it rains. The Boston Museum of Science has an adventure film in the IMAX theatre, you could pretend you were really there! I went on a canal boat ride near DC when it was pouring. We still had a great time and it wasn't crowded. Ended up having a song fest. The windjammers will still be sailing. Take some binnoculars. The top of Mt Battie in Camden is a great viewing spot and you can drive to the top. Get the local papers and see what's going on. You might find some great lectures in some of the larger towns. Think positive.

This is not very scientific, but I can tell you that when we were in Maine three weeks ago rain was forecast on a number of days when it never materialized, or else when it would just rain lightly for a short period of time. There seems to be a pattern this summer where the humidity rises until it breaks somehow, but that break doesn't always amount to rain! I'm with the others-- go and enjoy. There maybe some things that don't seem as appealing, but others will probably be nicer!

Your on my home turf now, so I must weigh in. I don't believe the long-range forecase is quite as grim as you have painted it but remember that the rule-of-thumb her in Maine as in all coast areas is "if you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes, it'll change..." Having said that here's what you can do between bouts of heavy weather: Bar Harbour, nice town even in the grey, grim winter...Portland, a sophisticatred, small New England city with lots of great restaurants and much culture on hand and then there's Freeport- a shopping mecca for the bargain conscious-all discount places imaginable plus the one and only LL Bean Big Store. And its still a working port area just outside town. If the weather is good do check out Cape Rosier off the beaten path, route 15 from Bangor but Blue Hill is a great small town(go to Jonathons for a meal),and the Cape itself is still untouched by tourists, down-home Maine

Sorry, Eileen, I cut myself off, While on Cape Rosier check out the Holbrook Island Bird Sanctuary for hiking, kayaking, bird-watching. The Nearing Homestead is nearby, too.

Maine is a relatively large state for NE and the presence of the ocean means that wind directions (hence, the direction of the weather) are inconsistent.

I have been in Augusta when it was pouring and driven into brilliant sunshine in Boothbay -- and vice versa.

Murphy's Law of Long Range Weather prediction: Whatever they say will be the case more than 7 days from now is exactly opposite of what will be happening.

ALSO: I find many of the coastal Maine towns that much more romantic in the mists.

But what do you mean by "outdoors-y stuff?"

One of our best days ever in Acadia National Park was a hike around Jordan Pond in the rain. We stopped in the gift shop briefly afterwards, and had to laugh at all the grumpy people shopping because they thought that was all you could do in the rain! Aradia is beautiful even in the rain.

Make it an ice cream trip. Providence into Maine has some of the BEST ICE CREAM on the planet Earth! On your way up, up past Boston, take the Middleton Exit, 114, drive a few miles west, and enjoy RICHARDSON'S ice creamery. In Maine, a stop at the crazy Flo's Hot Dogs is a must (York), and Paras Pizza in the Wells Plaza is stupendous. In Boothbay Harbor, you'll never have a better Brownie sundae than the one at the Boothbay Creamery (it's behind Ben & Jerry's on the wharf. Shame on Ben & J for trying to hide this place!).
On your way home, take ANY detour that you have to to find West Boxford Massachusetts. On the main road along the reservoir is BENSONS ICE CREAM, and , well, I'll expect an e-mail from you thanking me for telling you about this incredibly delicious ice cream.