Looking to spend a week renting a house in Maine by the water. Don't know much about the area. 2 questions.

1. What would be a good area to base ourselves at that's by the water?
2. Should I be worried about flies? Have a 8 month old and am concerned if he'll get bitten.

Thanks!

Camden, Maine is a nice area to spend a weekend or a week. About two hours North of Portland. Plenty to keep you occupied, sailing, hiking, fishing, golf, siteseeing, shopping, and resturants.
It depends when you are planning your vacation. If you go in the Spring,(May)Black flies can be bothersome, I recommend not going during the "black fly season". They are small and can leave a welt, and very unpleasant.

Which area is hard to recommend. We prefer mid-coast Maine which is the large section sort of between Portland and Bar Harbor. Our last vacation was 4th of July week which was great timing if you avoided the crowded areas. No problem with black flies by then but mosquitos at night (we were camping). If you are planning long leisure hours on the porch or on a beach and not doing a lot of driving, any area would be nice. But if you want to make daily trips to the store and restaurants, you should choose a place that's convenient to everything. For example, I loved South Harpswell but it's down a long point, very rural with a couple of restaurants. It might be too quiet for you.
If you're looking for beaches, you need to stay in southern Maine. There are only a couple of sandy beaches when you get north of Portland. York is very popular with families. Cottages are packed in tight but the beaches are great if you're within walking distance. I imagine you'd like some tide pool exploring time with your baby. There's a playground. Ice cream places, etc. Also a lot of traffic. The main road runs along the beach.
August is also a terrific time to visit. Fresh blueberries are sold from trucks along rt 1. Vanilla yogurt and fresh blueberries is a very simple snack!

You do know that the water, even in mid-summer, is frigid? ;-)

It's a long coastline but roughly divides itself between flat beaches (south of Portland) and rocky cliffs and tree-lined shores (north of that). The rocky part is formed by lots and lots of craggy peninsulas (hence all the lighthouses), along which many people have cottages, but it's not a roiling rental scene the way beach-resort areas further south are -- with the except, maybe, of Bar Harbor/Mt. Desert Island. A lot of word-of-mouth, so you're going to have to work a little to identify rental-realtors in specific towns or areas. I like the peninsulas between Bath and Camden (love the town of Camden), but true Maine aficianados tend to go further north.

"You do know that the water, even in mid-summer, is frigid?"

True -- and one of the best things about Maine. I don't have to pretend I'm going swimming.

Second the recommendation for Camden. If you want something a bit more austere try Stonington.

If you want to stay away from the bugs stay away from the salt water areas.Most of the bugs inland have been killed off by the acid rains common to the area.So look for a Lakeside camp.Lots of options all over the state.

www.GreatRentals.com

Hi SuY..
We were just in Maine for September and we fell in love with the place..
We are looking as well for a month or even a couple of weeks in Sept to rent.
We found Kennebunk and Kennebunkport ideal for us..close to 41 and Barb
I have heard about those black flies but hope I never have to deal with them.
Also, south of Portland was a stunning coastal town..Cape Elizabeth has lovely homes and I could see myself hanging there too!