Where to stay? Maine Fall foliage weekend - Anniversary - October 6-9
 

We have travelled a lot, but have never been to Maine. Any help is very much appreciated. We are 4 months pregnant so no hiking etc. We just want to have a nice peaceful weekend with beautiful surroundings and enjoy some good food and walking around together, maybe a nice drive or calm boat ride (sail boat i guess due to the pregnancy)




Things that would be nice:


-close to nice downtown area (shops restaurants etc) we love going out to eat and walking around new towns.




-either in the mountains with a great view or on the coastline.


-looking for a very nice place 4 to 5 stars.


- we are not dead set on maine if you have any suggestions in other parts of New England. (within 6-7 drive of NYC)




Thanks!!!

Portland Maine would fit your bill. Portland is quite a foodie city with plenty of great places to eat (and cheap by NYC standard).

We enjoyed the mail boat cruise out of Portland. http://www.cascobaylines.com/cruises...s.htm#mailboat Make sure you are all bundled up in layers as it'll be a bit chilly in Oct, esp out on the water.

Portland is probably as far north in Maine as you'd want to go. Portland is a good 2-hr drive from Boston, which is another 4-5 hrs' drive from NYC.

I second Portland. We just did the foodie tour and it was a lot of fun. Lots of walking and the Old Port district is up hill but you are young, even if you are 4 mos pregnant. We stayed in Wells, however, which is 1) too long a drive and 2) the condo cottage community was dull.

The Stonewall Kitchen in York is fun (lots of food samples) and Pigs Fly Bakery in Kittery (lots of food samples) is also a good stop. The bread is in plastic bags so they can go right in the freezer. Ogunquit's Marginal Way is a lovely walk. You could do all of these on your way back to NYC. Expect a lot of traffic on Sunday so I would start heading back early.

I liked the mail boat cruise but I think the foliage cruise out of Portsmouth NH is prettier. If the ocean is calm, you shouldn't have any problem.

Portsmouth might also be a good choice for the weekend. Our favorite drive starts from the Strawbery Banke area out Rt 1B. The coastal route thru Rye is lovely, too. 1B will take you past Wentworth-by-the-Sea which has had glowing reports and might be your 4-5* choice. Lots of nice country drives in the area, too, Greenfields - Exeter - Durham - Kitter Point, ME.

Portand does not give me a "get out of the city to some peaceul surroundings" kind of vibe. Though you could take some nice day drives from there out through Sebago Lakes and in the other direction to the coast/ Cape Elizabeth/ Two Lights Park.
The 4 star resorts in the foliage areas, such as the Balsams in New Hampshire etc, are surely already full-up for the coming weekend, booked a year in advance.

Four star places on the coast might have openings since the coast isn't "foliage central". But you'll probably see lots of fall color just on your drive from New York.

Consider the Stage Neck Inn at York Harbor, Inn By the Sea in Cape Elizabeth, or The Samoset in Rockport.

While Portland and Portsmouth are good suggestions, they are more urban. You might consider smaller coastal towns like Ogunquit and Kennebunkport, both a bit farther than Portsmouth but closer than Portland with Ogunquit being the closer one. Both nice walking areas with cute shops and restaurant options. Can't offer any accommodation recommendations but tripadvisor.com may be helpful.

Portland is a great city to visit during foliage season. It is urban enough to offer great restaurants and beautiful hotels, and the quiet coastal areas or mountain escapes are only a short drive away.

The tricky part is the combo you are looking for. Nice hotels around 4-5 stars and beautiful downtown areas for dining and shopping screams Portland. Coastal or mountain scenic areas are more Ogunquit, Kennebunkport, Boothbay Harbor, Bar Harbor, or ski areas. If I were, I would go with Portland. If you choose the scenic areas it can be a long trip for that nice downtown area... and if it is for dinner or evening do you want to be traveling that much at night? Going to Portland allows me to have all the scenery and quiet foliage time I would want or need by going just 30 minutes out of town, and then I get to enjoy a beautiful, vibrant, welcoming small city at night.

thanks everyone! with a lot of persistence, we were lucky to land a room at Portland harbor hotel in old port. I love the idea of a nice homebase in Portland with maybe a daytrip and/or the long route there and back. leaving NYC area Thursday lunch time and staying until Sunday afternoon. thinking a Saturday daytrip out of Portland. where would you recommend knowing homebase is Portland? or better to hit somewhere in the way home Sunday and enjoy portland fri/sat?

Portsmouth NH or Cape Ann area of MA (Rockport & Gloucester) would be nice. Since both are south of Portland, you can visit those places on your drive back to NYC on Sunday.