Ogunquit/ South Maine Summer 2009 - advice please

I%26#39;m currently planning a holiday for my wife, my baby son and I for late next summer. Really I%26#39;m just after some general advice.

We%26#39;re coming from the UK and plan to spend some time in NYC and Boston and want a getaway place as well - I%26#39;d like by the beach, but am not set one way or another. I%26#39;ve never been to this part of the world before and south Maine seems a nice place and from my guidebook and various accounts Ogunquit seems to be the place to go.

Really we just want to get away from it, not be too far from a major transport hub, have a good array of restaurants and so on, but not be overwhelmed by other tourists. From my guidebook and some research Ogunquit seems to tick those boxes, but my wife is somewhat more sceptical. She once spent a summer waitressing in Cape Cod and reckons Ogunquit will be the same - an overbuilt tourist trap.

Is she right? and if so, could anyone recomend somewhere more secluded?

Ogunquit/ South Maine Summer 2009 - advice please

We own a bit south of Ogunquit and have spent time there the past few summers. It is the busest time of year, especially in August. We are in the York area, and it is just under 1-1/2 hours from Boston. It is great for families with many hotels catering to them. Long Sands Beach is great for them. See - www.gatewaytomaine.org . for more information.

Ogunquit/ South Maine Summer 2009 - advice please

If you%26#39;re going to southern Maine in the summer, it will likely be busy no matter what town you select. Ogunquit is a nice town. It%26#39;s not touristy in the sense that there are any amusement parks, man-made attractions and such. Rather it is touristy in the sense that there are many retail shops, lodgings and restaurants.

One option is to go to Scarborough Beach in Scarborough of Ferry Beach in Saco. These two communities are on either side of Old Orchard Beach. And while Old Orchard is a busy place, these other beaches might be a little less so. Just up the road from Scarborough Beach is Higgins Beach and Crescent Beach State Park. Again these areas are near popular tourist spots, but not really touristy.

Certainly if you want beaches, southern Maine is the best choice. Two other nice beaches in the area known as the Midcoast include Popham Beach State Park and Reid State Park. The communities around these beaches aren%26#39;t quite as touristy.

I would agree with a previous poster, you%26#39;re picking one of the most touristy places you could go in Maine for the middle of the summer. My family likes to go to York Beach the first week in August because of York Days, but it%26#39;s extremely packed with other tourists.

Admitedly I am from the Popham Beach area, and work at a seasonal resort called Sebasco Harbor Resort as a chef. If I was coming from ';away'; though,this place would interest me!! It%26#39;s right on the water, has local ';flavah';, is close to Freeport for shopping, you can learn to sea kayak, there%26#39;s a saltwater pool, dining and all around local aesthetic. There%26#39;s even a lighthouse that%26#39;s been converted to rooms!! Boothbay Harbor is a day trip from this location, or you could go further north to Bar Harbor which is adjacent to Acadia National Park, a wonderful destination. Let me know if you%26#39;d like more information on the area.

Thanks all for the responses. What%26#39;s Kennebunkport like? I%26#39;ve seen a few nice self-catering places there. Will we be assailed by tourist hordes or (worse still) the Bush family and their security detail? (Or has Bush snr moved his holiday home?)

Kennebunkport will be just as touristy, and yes - President Bush Sr. still has his summer home here. Summer is the busiest time here in Maine for coastal communities. What is it that you%26#39;re looking for exactly? Great dining? Try Portland... Great scenery? York Beach, Ogunquit and Kennebunk are all very charming. Great shopping? Freeport and Kittery is outlet central in Maine. But all these places will have their degrees of tourism.

Hi Mainegirl, I think the main criteria is somewhere not too built up; with good access (preferably walking) of a nice beach that won%26#39;t be too busy; good access to nice, child friendly restaurants. Really somewhere that%26#39;s nice, not tatty. We%26#39;ll have a hire car and will visit Portland and exploe a bit inland, but don%26#39;t want to spend hours in traffic jams.

My wife found Cape Cod a bit gauche and ostentatious (but then she was in Hyannis) - is south Maine like that? (It doesn%26#39;t seem like that to me - but what do I know!?)

James -

Our idea of a traffic jam is four people stopped at a stop sign. The further north you go, the less of that you%26#39;ll see. Some parts of Route 1 can get a little backed up, but it%26#39;s a coustal route so you do have to expect some slowness along the way - HEY, it%26#39;s the coast with beautiful views, worthwhile if you%26#39;re only going to visit us for 1-2 days. I still think that if you%26#39;re looking to visit Maine you might want to consider the mid-coast region. Bath Maine is quite an industrious little town, we build destroyers for the Navy and have some fantastic beaches in our area. Definately nothing within walking distance, but you%26#39;ll need to expect this if you want to be in a ';less touristy'; town. Reid State Park and Popham Beach both have thier charm. We%26#39;re also within driving distance from Boothbay Harbor which is a great day trip to get a touch of ';touristy'; Maine should you choose to indulge.

I personally love York Beach Maine. My family has been staying at the Sand %26amp; Surf B%26amp;B for the past 15 years (great breakfast and lovely traditional rooms). They%26#39;re right on Short Sands Beach and within direct walking access of downtown York Beach. Around the corner is Long Sands Beach and the lighthouse. Not far from here is Brown%26#39;s Icecream which has been written up several times for their fabulous homemade ice cream. I would steer you in this direction because I think you%26#39;re over-estimating the crowds. York also has a small zoo/theme park and you can also access some great shopping.

Good Luck with your planning. Email me should you like specific details.

Are you set on Maine? Being that you%26#39;re going to be visiting Boston and NYC, why not try a northern CT town like Mystic/Groton or New London? It will be much less touristy and the water will be at least 15 degrees warmer. Have you considered Rhode Island?

I love Maine and visit every year, but it seems quite a bit out of your way.

living nature