Help in Planning 1st Visit to Maine Coast

We are planning on visiting ME for the first time at the end of July and would like some input on where to go and stay. I was looking at Boothbay Harbor or Bar Harbor but am open to suggestions. We are looking for a restful couple of days with some sightseeing and great food.

Help in Planning 1st Visit to Maine Coast

If you haven%26#39;t already considered it, you might also want to check out Camden and Rockland -- too other popular coastal communities.

In late July, Bar Harbor, Boothbay Harbor, Camden, Rockland and most of the rest of the Maine coast will be at the height of the summer tourist season -- which means plenty of people around, but also more restaurants, shops, and chances for on-the-water cruises etc.

Are you mostly interested in seeing Maine%26#39;s scenery, or the wildlife, or the history/museums/cultural attractions, or just ';getting away from it all'; for a while. Knowing that might help some of us who know our state fairly well give you better answers...

And if the answer is ';all of the above'; we can work with that as well....

Help in Planning 1st Visit to Maine Coast

The Acadia/Bar Harbor region has the most to offer. That%26#39;s where I would send you. Because of Acadia National Park, much of Mount Desert Island (where Bar Harbor is) is open to the public. Boothbay will have some public areas, but isn%26#39;t nearly as accessible.

July is a busy month, and it will be busiest in downtown Bar Harbor and at the top Acadia attractions (Cadillac Mountain, Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, etc.) However, if you stay in another town on the island (e.g., Northeast Harbor, Southwest Harbor) it will be a bit calmer. And, there is so much of the park that you can choose the quieter places if you wish.

There are good restaurants all over the island, most have been discussed extensively here in the threads and in reviews of the restaurants.

I also like Camden a great deal and if you are coming for more than just a few days and can spit your trip between two destinations, I%26#39;d spend a couple of nights in each place. There is so much to see and many good restuarants there too. And, somehow, even when Camden is packed with folks, it doesn%26#39;t seem as packed as Boothbay which has very real parking problems in the busiest season.

Never having been there, I%26#39;d love to do it all, but realistically we can%26#39;t in 4 or 5 days. We are looking to relax at a resort or nice inn, taking in the beautiful scenery, enjoying the great seafood, maybe a day cruise.

Maine is not a ';resort'; heavy state. If the resort experience (having golf, tennis, a pool, onsite restaurants, spa, etc. all at your beck and call) is high on your list, then picking the resort might be the first step for you.

Resorts that come to mind include The Samoset in Rockport, and Spruce Point Inn in Boothbay. The Harborside in Bar Harbor has pool, tennis courts and restaurants on site, but no golf on site.

Resort may not have been the right word. Just a nice place to stay and relax, with some sightseeing. Not looking for tennis and golf. I%26#39;ve heard from a number of people that Camden is a great place. Also heard that Ogunquit is pretty nice.

Two totally different places, sort of depends what appeals to you.

Camden is about as classic New England as you could hope for. The movie Peyton Place was filmed there, lovely old homes, lots of trees, rolling terrain, gorgeous churches; if Disneyland had to build a New England town, Camden would be it, it%26#39;s just that picture-perfect.

Camden has a rocky shore, the mountains of Camden Hills State Park offer pretty lookouts, nice hiking, or if you don%26#39;t wnt to hike, drive the auto road to the top and look out over the harbor. Camden is on Penobscot Bay, which is absolutely gorgeous, and there are oodles of opportunities for you to get out on the water, either in a windjammer or on a state ferry to one of three islands where folks live year-round. Camden is more of a B%26amp;B place, not many hotels. Quaint.

Ogunquit is a beach town and is basically flat. More big hotels, fewer B%26amp;Bs. Lovely, pristine beach, a long strip of sand open to the public. Much more shopping and sidewalks crowded with folks. Oqunquit will have more big hotels with swimming pools and lawn chairs overlooking the water if that%26#39;s how you want to spend your day.

I like both, but if Camden is my favorite.

How are you getting to Maine from New York? If you%26#39;re driving, since you have only 4-5 days here, you may consider basing yourself in the more southern part of the state to save on driving time.

Kennebunk and Ogunquit are popular.

For the Portland area you might consider the Inn by the Sea in Cape Elizabeth. You%26#39;d be within minutes of Portland Headlight, 2 state parks, some good seafood restaurants, several beaches and all that Portland has to offer (including day cruises and easy visits to the islands in Casco Bay).

Thanks for your help. I%26#39;ve heard a lot of positive things about Camden. We%26#39;ll probably narrow it down to either Camden or Boothbay Harbor. Need to check out accommodations.

I would go with Boothbay Hbr for these reasons 1] It is more in the middle of things .Close to Portland ,Freeport,Bath,Wiscassett.2]Yes it has traffic and parking can be hard to find But it is small enough to get around without the car park it !3]you can use the time it takes to drive to Bar Hbr on a harbor cruise etc instead of sitting in traffic out on rte1 4] There are many fine Inns ,Top of the Hill,Captains Quarters are just two in the middle of town.Close to Pemaquid Pt,Reid State Park Bath maritime Museum 5]Because I said so !

That%26#39;s what I was thinking. Boothbay is more central. I%26#39;ve been checking out accommodations. My husband likes a place with a pool to relax in after a day out. I notice a lot of places don%26#39;t have them.

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