My husband and I are visiting ME in Sept. 99 and would like info on places to visit. We are interested in lighthouses, antiques,whale watching, regional foods and arts & crafts. We would like to see some of the interior of ME and some of the coast. What about Calais? What about freshwater fishing and cost for non residents? We will be in ME for about 10 days. Thanks for all the info. We are from the gulf coast so would like a real taste of Maine.

There's a wonderful book called "Maine, An Explorer's Guide". Everything you'd want to know for planning a trip to Maine.

In my oppinion the best part of Maine is Acadia National Park. The scenery is wonderful. You can take whale watches from Bar Harbor, there are lots of good restaurants. I'm not much into antiquing myself, but I believe there are quite a few places in nearby Ellsworth. And there is Bass Harbor with its beautiful lighthouse nearby. Camden and Boothbay are also very nice coastal towns. Last time I was in Camden was in September a couple years ago and they had a great craft fair going on at the time. You might write to the Chamber Of Commerce in a couple of towns to get info on lodging, and a calendar of events.

I agree with the previous post that Acadia National Park is lovely, if you visit Camben be sure to go to the Light house museum which is nearby. I also liked York on the ME-NH border, it has a wonderful light house. I stayed in B&B's and found the Bernice Chesler guide very good, its now on the web at www.obs-us.com/chesler/ne/06 as for food try the lobster pounds at either Boothbay or Linconville Beach (near Camben)

Calais? Sounds like you may be up in the border area. I have spent a good deal of time way down east, or north of Mt.Desert it is beautiful but rough country. We have camped in the area and often do some boating. If you are staying in the area I would recommend Micmac Cabins in Machiasport a nice restaurant is adjacent to the cabins. They are both on the Machias river which is tidal at that point. There is great fishing in the area and the town of Grand Lake Stream is fresh water fishing heaven to many fishing enthusiasts. You can rent a cabin near town and get a guide to take you out on his Grand Laker. The area is covered with lakes many of which are interconnected. If you have a choice go toward the beginning of Sept. it tends to get colder as the month goes on. However, at the end of the month you could get some foliage in the Grand Lake Stream area. If you are more of a tourist and are around Calais go over the border to St. Andrews. The Washington County area is Maine the way it should be from my perspective...enjoy.

One of Maine's finest lighthouses is Owls Head lighthouse near Rockland; awesome view of Penobscot Bay. For food, Cook's Lobster House on Bailey Island, near Brunswick. Interior of Maine around Belgrade Lakes is very pretty, or southwestern Maine near White Mountains if you like hiking. Have fun, it's a great place.

One of Maine's finest lighthouses is Owls Head lighthouse near Rockland; awesome view of Penobscot Bay. For food, Cook's Lobster House on Bailey Island, near Brunswick. Interior of Maine around Belgrade Lakes is very pretty, or southwestern Maine near White Mountains if you like hiking. Have fun, it's a great place.

Calais, huh? The only couple of reasons I could recommend that you go up that far is to say that you hit the Canadian border and that Quoddy State Park (the eastern-most point in the US) is up that way. "West" Quoddy also has a very nice light house. The leaves might be changing up north around that time, but probably not in the central/southern region. Acadia is beautiful and September is a good time to visit. FYI, Acadia is also called MDI by the locals, MDI being short for Mount Desert Island. Do not go in July! Get a Maine Atlas & Gazetteer by DeLorme publishing before you go so you can plan your trip. They're available in the bigger book stores nationwide and contain just about everything you need to know about Maine. Check these sites for more info:
http://www.maineguide.com/

or talk to the locals!

http://www.wlbz.com/chat/index.html

One good town for antiquing is Searsport, which is on Rts 1 & 3 between Belfast and Bucksport. Cherryfield (up the coast from Ellsworth) has pretty good flyfishing and head for an area called the "forks" for good lake fishing.

Good luck....Bo

If you are planning a stay in Camden (which I highly recommend) stay at the Blue Harbor House. It is an inn on the Maine Coast. It is walking distance to the downtown and harbor. Dennis offers a wonderful meal if you choose, but no matter what your plans are, Jody and Dennis will be very helpful. It is a must stay place in the area.
phone :800-248-3196 or www.blueharborhouse.com
You won't be sorry

Hi-
we too are planning a trip to Maine in 99. Why do you say not to go in July? Unfortunately that is when we have to go because we are going to Boston for a wedding. We would like info on great, inexpensive places to stay, and places along the coast with great hiking, outdoor activities. Thanks

If you have the time and resources, look into taking a windjammer cruise out of Rockport or Camden. In the past most of them went out for a full week, but lately they have been offering shorter cruises (three days or so) which would still give you a wonderful coast experience. They run about $100/day pp but when you consider it includes room, three meals/day and no auto expenses, it's really not too bad. They have web sites, so do look them up.

Sara: I think a previous poster said not to go in July only because it's the biggest tourist time in Maine--and one of the best times to be there. But if you have plenty of time to organize a trip and shop around a bit, you'll be just fine. Have a great visit; it's a lovely state.

It's certainly true that July (along with August and fall foliage season) is high tourist season in Maine. It will be challenging to find great, inexpensive, places to stay along the coast of Maine (mostly because those which do exist are booked a year in advance by returning visitors). You'll want to shop for lodging well in advance.

I have a condo in Cape May, NJ that I rent out through web site "www.vrbo.com". These are all vacation rentals by owner. I know they have some in Maine if you'd like to rent directly from an owner. There is also a rental web site just for New England (www.hoop-heaven.com). You can post an ad on this site as well, stating what you're looking for and the owners will contact you through e-mail. Good luck.

Long Sands Beach in York Beach, Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village,
Pemaquid Beach, Pemaquid Point, Pemaquid Lighthouse, Castine, Port Clyde and the Marshall Point Lighthouse, Owls Head Lighthouse, Owls Head Transportation Museum, Rockland Breakwater Park and Lighthouse, Stonington, Rockport Marine Park, Farnsworth Art Museum and Wyeth Center in Rockland, Shore Village Museum (Maine's Lighthouse Museum in Rockland, Mount Battie in Camden, Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport, Fort Knox State Historic Site near Bucksport, General Henry Knox Museum in Montpelier, Acadia National Park to the top of Cadillac Mountain (It was so foggy when we were there we could see about 10 feet). I saw above items in June 1998.

Helo everyone
My future spouse and I would like very much to find some place on New England coast that is either a lighthous building hotel, B&B or a hotel property eith a lighthoue on prperty. She really love lighthouses, any help will apreciated Dave

You might get better responses if you ask a specific question about staying in a lighthouse - and start a new thread - don;t attach it to one 6 years old.