A Little Dream or Hartstone Inn in Camden Maine?

My friend and I have narrowed down our B%26amp;B choices for 2 nights in Camden Maine to A Little Dream or the Hartstone Inn. Can any one aid in the decision making? I have read rave reviews about both and really want yummy breakfasts in the morning an much attention to the little details. We really need knowledgeable innkeepers as neither of us have visited before. Any input would be GREATLY appreciated.

A Little Dream or Hartstone Inn in Camden Maine?

Hi apacab,

I%26#39;ve never stayed in either Inn so I can%26#39;t help you out there. May I suggest borrowing or purchasing a copy of Christina Tree%26#39;s ';Maine: An Explorer%26#39;s Guide';? This is a wonderful guidebook I%26#39;ve used for years and it has never steered me wrong.

The book has honest and accurate reviews of accomodations for all price ranges, restaurants, shops, activities and scenic drives.

Everytime I venture somewhere new, even outside of Maine (the guide is also available for other areas which in turn are written at least partially by natives/locals or people extremely familiar with the area)I turn to these guides. I think they are the best. And nope! I%26#39;m not connected with the books whatsoever, just really like and rely on them alot!

Good luck :).

cozyharbor

A Little Dream or Hartstone Inn in Camden Maine?

Thank you cozyharbor for the suggestion of the book. I think that I will purchase it. Your input has been very helpful.

I stayed at the Hartstone Inn 2 years ago and I did NOT like it there. It is on a very busy street located next to a Rite Aid Pharmacy. The owners of the Inn were VERY unfriendly.

I wished I had statyed at a Little Dream. It is on a quieter street. We stopped by and the Innkeeper was so sweet. I think her name is Joanne.

I would definitely stay at A Little Dream.

Little dream!!!!!! The owners are wonderful as are the rooms and attention to detail. The breakfasts are out of this world. Joanne and Billy are super friendly

Cant say enough good things about a Little Dream!!!

Hartstone - It is on a busy part of town and you hear the church bells every hour of the night. A little Dream is too far from the town. It is a nice Inn but you have to drive to town. With gas prices the way they are, why drive? The Camden Widnward House Bed and Breakfast is a great Inn. Windward House is 1 block from the harbor and far enough away from the church bells. The Inn is a great location and the rooms are nice. The breakfast is a menu and included in the price. It is nice to have a selection in the morning, instead of whatever the Innkeeper feels like making.

MaineHostess, have you stayed there, or do you own the place?

Sure sounds like an owner, doesn%26#39;t it. If so, that is a pretty lousy thing to do to another owner, possibly a colleague. Doesn%26#39;t Trip Adviser have something to say about lack of ethics of this nature? I guess the opportunity for owners to fiddle with the system makes review sites like trip advisor a curse for people who play it straight.

Have you thought of checking out the Lord Camden Inn? Its not a B%26amp;B but is very nice, right on Main St. and well maintained. If you think you might consider it, ask for one of the rooms that overlooks the river as its very scenic, the sound is restful to listen to and you won%26#39;t have the noise of the street. However, if you%26#39;re a people watcher you might like being right on the Main Street. I%26#39;ve stayed at the Lord Camden Inn a couple of times and was very happy there.

Another suggestion, though its about a 5 to 10 minute ride outside of town but is absolutely WONDERFUL is the Youngtown Inn and Restaurant in Camden Hills. Very nice Inn, loads of ambience, pretty setting and a great restaurant. Not far from the Inn is a local winery.

I%26#39;ve also stayed there twice and loved it. Each place has its merits but each our equally nice in their own way. Lord Camden Inn is great if you want to be right in the heart of town and be able to walk out your door and everythings at your fingertips.

The Youngtown Inn has a real country Inn feel to it, a slower pace, old world charm (its run by a French Chef)and feels a million miles away from the hustle and bustle but yet is only a 5 to 10 minute drive to town.

Good luck with wherever you choose to stay, but let us know what you decide!

cozyharbor

Maine Hostess owns the Winward House. Very tacky!!!

Do NOT stay at the Winward House. It is so run down and it has a terrible musty smell. The beds are so uncomfortable and the walls are paper thin. You can hear the people in the next room talking. The owners are always in a bad mood and they are NOT helpful. The breakfasts are nothing but a lousy continental breakfast. This is the worst place we have ever stayed in!!!!

Sea Acres Motel and Cottages

Has anyone ever stayed at Sea Acres Motel Cottages in Pemaquid, Maine? Thank you.

Sea Acres Motel and Cottages

I just returned from a week at Sea Acres. My whole family rents as many of the cottages / motel units as we can for one week every year. Beverly and Steve are wonderful hosts, the cottages aren%26#39;t fancy but they are very comfortable. My favorite is unit 10 - an efficiency with a small kitchen and sitting area.

Sea Acres Motel and Cottages

Thank you for responding. I appreciate it!!

Beverly is an absolute gem! She is a wonderful host!

Our group is looking to stay here also. How many cottages are there? Thanks!

Need a stopover location

Hello! Hubby and I are vacationing from 10/10-10/19. We will be leaving Cape Cod area on Tuesday morning the 14th and making our way up the coast of Maine, ending up eventually in Bar Harbor on the evening of the 15th (where we will stay until the 19th.)

I am trying to figure out where to stay the evening of the 14th. I had thought that our 1 nite destination would be Kennebunkport...but it seems to me like there is So much to see after Kport up the coast on the way to Bar Harbor that perhaps we should aim for farther up. Any Ideas?

Also, I also had the idea of meandering up Hwy one up to Kport and than up to Bar harbor...but perhaps that would be REALLY slow and not the best use of our time. We would really like to enjoy (if it still around ofcourse!) the foliage etc..

Personally, I could stop at every antique store and outlet shop all the way up Maine...but Hubby will have limited patience for this and we ARE here for the scenery and the outdoor activity after all.

Any help would be appreciated!

Need a stopover location

You are right that RT1 all the way up the coast of Maine will take quite a while. There are just so many nice towns along the way you will find your self in a constant debate of wanting to stop vs. making sure you have enough time to get where you are going. My personal opinion is I think the mid coast is better than the south coast atleast as far as scenery goes. The few times I have purposely driven RT1 through the southern part, from Portland to Kittery, I have found that it seems to be a slow ride unless you are stopping a shops the whole way. Sure there are nice little shops, restaraunts and inns all along there but the scenery itself is just not as good right along RT1 anyway.

Since you only have the one night stop in between you should decide right from the start what part will be straight driving and what will be the area and time frame for making stops then try to stick to it and avoid second guessing yourself on the way.

This is my suggestion I%26#39;m sure others will disagree.

I would plan to overnight a little more up the coast. At first I was going to say Camden/Rockport but then I thought maybe Freeport would be a good chance for you to get your fix of outlet shopping. There are not as many outlets there as Kittery but there are plenty and the overall setting is much better. Kittery is a typical commercial area of shops whereas Freeport looks like a town main St with the outlets mixed in and its better to walk around to all the outlets. Plus you have LL Bean there to keep your husband busy if that interest him. You could plan to arrive in Freeport late afternoon and then leasurely shop around. The next day you still have a bit of a ride to Bar Harbor but not nearly as much as from K%26#39;port. You would have plenty of time to stop in the Camden/Rockport and a couple side jaunts to one of the seaside towns along the way.

Just a suggestion. Have a great trip.

Need a stopover location

CountyMounty...thank you for the advice. I had thought about Freeport. I will definitely have to look into that... As we are driving up post Columbus day, I am thinking that perhaps we can ';wing'; the accomodation thing...do you think that is wise?? Although there is something comforting about knowing that you have a place to stay secured.

Again, thank you...!

I suspect there will be some folks in the mid-coast area of Maine who will take exception to what I am about to suggest....but it%26#39;s what I%26#39;d do if I were looking for a trip like yours....

The idea of staying in Freeport is a great one...for all the reasons already outlined.

Then, I%26#39;d get myself on I-95 northbound as far as Augusta....and take Rt 3 to Belfast and pick up US 1 there.... Much of the Maine coast is like the palm of your hand...with the best villages and scenery along and at the tips of your fingers, while US 1 generally follows the line of your knuckles closest to your wrist... In other words, there is some good scenery on Rt 1, but the best requires side trips down the peninsulas.

Rt 1 from Belfast to Ellsworth will give you a peak at some of the coast....some small villages like Searsport (great old homes and some antiques there) and still get you to Bar Harbor in reasonable time.

If you feel like you want to see a bit more of the coastal area, take Rt 17 from Augusta to Rockland (instead of Rt 3 to Belfast) and pick up US 1 there....

Hope you enjoy your visit....

Route 1 between York and Kennebunkport will give you some very nice antique shops, especially in the town of Wells. Route 1 between Kennebunkport and Portland is forgettable. Don%26#39;t waste any time on that. Route 1 between Portland and Freeport is forgettable.

Bath to Camden is the primo part of Route 1, not at all comparable to the Belfast to Bar Harbor stretch. You really should try to go thru Wiscasset (which calls itself the Loveliest Village in Maine) and Damariscotta. Too bad if you don%26#39;t have time to dip down the ';fingers'; but these knuckles are nice, too.

I%26#39;d take 295 to Topsham, then cut across to 1, follow Route 1 to Warren, then take Route 90 to Camden, skipping Thomaston and Rockland. Rockland is nice, but it will eat up time. PIck up Route 1 again in Rockland and take it on to Bar Harbor. That time of year the traffic shouldn%26#39;t be too awful.

Another idea--cut your Bar Harbor visit a day short and spend one night in Kennebunkport, one night in Camden, then the rest at Acadia. That would allow you to take your drive more slowly.

Oops. I meant to type ';PIck up Route 1 again in Rockport.';

You have picked a wonderful time to be on the coast of Maine. Don%26#39;t worry about huge traffic, as most of the tourists are there in Summer and early Fall.

The coast of Maine is not to be missed. Taking a highway to Bar Harbor really defeats the reason you are in Maine. However, time is not on your side for slowly working your way up all the way to Bar Harbor.

Michael S is correct and has planned a beautiful route for you. However, having done this ourselves, I would strongly recommend you leave a day early if possible and stay an overnight in the Camden area.

If not, leave early on your last day in order to work your way slowly south. At least you will be able to quickly see the coast, and choose a favorite area to explore on another trip.

Enjoy and travel safe. Renny

New England in 5 days

Not sure where to post this, so will start here. We are flying up to New York in Sept. to visit our son. Monday-Friday, we would like to rent a car and see some of New England.

We thought we would take a train to somewhere in Conn. and rent a car. I know I want to stop in Newport, RI and do the cliff walk, maybe a mansion. I want to drive through cape cod, salem, and ipswich. I don%26#39;t have to make long stops there. I can skip Boston. I would like to make it into Maine and of course have lobster. It would be nice to drive across New Hampshire and into Vermont. Possibly Ben and Jerry%26#39;s and the Cabot Creamery. Of couse see the scenery. Possibly stop in Woodstock on the way back to New York.

Is this doable?? Any suggestions?

Thanks in Advance.

kma

New England in 5 days

As it gets closer, I am worried that I wont have enough time to do everything.

Here is what I am thinking right now

Monday---Train from NYC to New Haven and pick up car. Drive through Mystic and spend the night in Newport, RI.

Tuesday---Possibly skipping Cape Cod altogether and drive up around Salem, Newburyport, into Maine and spending the night in Old Orchard Beach.

Wednesday---go up to Portland and head over to NH by highway 302. Not sure where to stay that night

Thursday--need to be in Waterbury/Stowe around noon, sightseeing in that area, not sure where to stay that night.

Friday--head back to New Haven to return car.

Please tell me whether I should skip Cape Cod or not. and any other suggestions you can give me.

Thanks again.

New England in 5 days

All you will be doing is driving and if that is OK with you so be it. But if you want to relax a bit and take in the areas, it is a bit much.

It is doable, but definitely a lot of traveling time and maybe not enough time to really sight-see. I agree with all of your stops, though. We%26#39;ve done the train to New Haven from NYC and it is the easiest way out of the city. Newport is a beautiful town, try to check out the mansions, beautiful beach, too.

I love Salem(went to college there), very historic and wonderful sight-seeing. I agree with skipping the Cape, but I am more of a North-shore person and do not know much about the south and the Cape.

You can%26#39;t go wrong with Old Orchard. Have you posted lodging questions on more specific forums? I wish I could make better suggestions, but I wish you a great trip!

Thanks for the validation and advice. As far as lodging, I have made reservations at Hampton inns, etc along the way. I don%26#39;t plan to spend much time in the hotels, so I wasn%26#39;t too concerned about that. I do like to try local foods, so if you have any suggestions on that, I will gladly take it.

Thanks.

I would stay away from OOB - there are so many other cute places on the Maine beaches to stay. Also, York, Wells etc - are all just a short drive to Portland.

With your limited time, I might even suggest not even trying Portland. The SE beach area of RT 1 has lots of places to see - Portland is just a city. We did the coast of ME from Kittery up to Bar Harbor/Acadia for vacation and we enjoyed all the towns up and down Rt 1 - but Portland was our least favorite. I liked the personality of the Maine coast on it%26#39;s own.

Sounds like a great trip!

best ice fishing adventure?

I am planning an ice fishing trip for my husband and grandson for their Christmas gift this year. Since I know nothing about ice fishing and they don%26#39;t either, I thought I%26#39;d need a package deal for them. Any suggestions? Thanks

best ice fishing adventure?

A quick google on ';ice fishing Maine'; brought up this page: http://www.fatbass.com/ice.htm

best ice fishing adventure?

One of the major ice fishing events is the fishing derby on Sebago Lake:

http://www.icefishingderby.com/

As the Point Sebago Resort makes mention of it on their website, they may do accomodations/packages for the event:

pointsebago.com/resort/mainewinterfest.html

There are also cabins and resorts that cater to ice fishermen in the Moosehead Lake area.

My favorite type of ice fishing is smelting - instead of cutting a hole out on the ice and putting a trap with a flag in it, you sit inside a shack and watch several lines at once. Saltwater smelts are larger than freshwater smelts (the shacks sit on tidal rivers) and are very tasty. There are outfitters in the Dresden area that rent shacks. Hours are dependent on the tides.

Very interesting idea Mickie. Unfortunately I dont really think that coming to Maine to ice fish is really that common of a thing. Let me clarify. Maine is a great place to ice fish and a lot of people, including myself do a lot of it, but I dont really think it is that popular of a thing for a ';tourist'; to come for so therefore are not a whole lot of businesses offering ice fishing packages. Sure a lot of people from away come up here to ice fish (generally also to snowmobile at the same time) but they are people that bring there own gear and are familiar with ice fishing.

Ok all that being said dont give up on the idea. Im sure there has got to be some company offering what you need. There certainly are those that have lodges or cabins for rent on lakes in the winter, its just a matter of finding one with the gear as well, and I assume a guide of some sort to help with the how and where to fish. The Greenville/ Moosehead lake area would be a good bet. You may also consider adding in a day or two of snowmobile rental, that is very popular there and very fun.

My suggestion, especially for a first time experience and with a kid being involved, whoever you speak with to set this up I would let them know that your not looking for a trophy fishing expedition you want to be somewhere where fish will be caught no matter their size and type. There is a big difference between fishing for lake trout and salmon, which can be very slow and ';boring'; to many, or just fishing for things like perch, pickerel, bass etc.

If I come up with any specific places with packages I will respond again. Feel free to message me if you have a specific question.

laptop alarm clock

Columbus Day Weekend

Does anyone know if most places in Ogunquit will be open Columbus Day Weekend.

Columbus Day Weekend

Hi Steve...we%26#39;re just back from Ogunquit and most of the restaurants and shops were telliing us that their last big weekend of the year is Columbus Day. From what we gathered, almost everywhere is remaining open.

Columbus Day Weekend

Spend Columbus day weekend last year there. Yes,

last big weekend open for some. Great time and great sales !

we go every Colombus weekend as well! Everything is open, then most stay open weekends at least till christmas by the sea. have fun

paper mask

Finding last minute lodging

We(4 adults) are vacationing in Maine and New Brunswick Sep 18 thru Sep 28. Most of our schedule is set but we have left a few days open (without reservations) in case of illness or desire to just relax a bit more.

No lodging has been made for Friday night, Sep 26 and Saturday Sep 27. Will we find this a problem if we wait til then and try to find 2 rooms for those evenings? Our plan is to be in the Boothbay Harbor area, but again, have decided to just ';wing it';.

Any suggestions for things to do during that time frame are welcome. We are so looking forward to returning to Maine as it has been 10 years since we enjoyed your wonderful state.

Finding last minute lodging

Hi LadyFeathers,

You should be okay to %26#39;wing it%26#39; in BBH during the time you plan on visiting. Check www.boothbayharbor.com which is the Chamber%26#39;s site for just about everything you%26#39;d ever want to know about the area and then some, including accomodations.

Once you narrow places down a bit, post again and hopefully I%26#39;ll catch it and give you a local%26#39;s perspective on the place :).

As for things to do in BBH. There%26#39;s plenty and September is the best time of the year as the weather is the best, everythings still open but its not as crowded.

There are the Boothbay Region Land Trust trails to hike (from easy to moderate; none are that long or very difficult) many of which run along rivers, ocean and quiet coves; the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens which also offer wonderful trails winding through gardens and along the water; scenic drives to Ocean Point (not to be missed!), nearby Southport Island (which is accessed via a swing bridge) and offers great views to the Cuckholds and Hendricks Head Lighthouses along with a small beach, and also out to Trevett and Barter%26#39;s Island which offer pretty views of lobster boats and shacks, etc.

Then there is the little marine aquarium at McKnown Pt, the old fasion bowling alley and pool tables downtown, tons of siteseeing/boat tours and fishing trips, and of course shopping.

IN the evening see if anything fun is happening at the old Opera House or look for live entertainment at McSeagulls restaurant and elsewhere.

Definitely pick up the Boothbay Register newspaper for ideas and attractions and also a copy of the Chamber%26#39;s Guide (which you could also order online and have it delivered to your home via snailmail).

Good luck on your trip and don%26#39;t forget to post back and let us know how things went :).

cozyharbor

Finding last minute lodging

Check out the Bayberry House B%26amp;B. It just opened this summer, and my wife and I stayed there for four days in July. The rooms are large, the beds most comfortable. The breakfasts were some of the best we have ever tasted. You will certainly have a more quiet time in September than we had in July, but be sure to try for a sailing excursion on the Eastwind. Our sail was amazing! We recommend the Lobster Wharf, on the other side of Boothbay Harbor, for a lobster pound. Good luck, and enjoy!

We stayed last night in BBH at the Tugboat Inn. Great place right on water. Ask for Room 127 on corner overlooking the harbor. We had lunch at the Lobster Dock...outstanding meal...best lobster. Also the crabcakes were delicious. Love BBH will visit again.

Hi lucykane,

Funny you should mention the corner room on the water at the Tugboat. I stayed in that room a zillion years ago in the winter when the Tugboat used to be open year round. It was AWESOME. We watched the tide come in and go out, the snow fall and the lobster boats coming and going (yep there are some who fish even in the deepest, darkest winters). With it being right on the water, we felt so connected to mother nature and all its beauty and absolutely loved it... Can%26#39;t think of a better room to stay if its available!

As for the good food you had at the Tugboat. My friend%26#39;s son is the Chef and just started cooking there this season, so I%26#39;m glad to hear you thought the food was good. I%26#39;ll have to pass on the good words to the both of them :).

cozyharbor