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