Notes from our Maine trip (2017):
Drive to Maine:
- NYC traffic (2 hrs if you're lucky). Consider taking I-87 to Poughkeepsie, then I-84 to Hartford. It's about 30 min longer (without NYC traffic, LOL) but far less stressful. Also it avoids high-intensity CT I-95 and its parallel Rt 15 (which is like the wooded sections of BW Parkway and pleasant except during beach traffic, when it gets snarled for hours).
- Boston traffic (anybody's guess, even on the outer ring bypass).
- Note, our friends in Portland (who grew up here in Philly suburbs) do this as an overnight drive every time, and swear they hit no traffic in NYC or Boston. But then they go straight to bed upon arrival.
- USS Albacore -- self-guided tour thru a retired sub, in Portsmouth NH. This is a must. Need about 1 hr. If time allows, Portsmouth is a nice town to wander around in and get lunch, a lot like Annapolis.
Portland:
- Portland is a cool town. Small city, largely walkable (though very hilly). Hotels are very expensive, but it's a small enough town that you can stay in the outskirts. Great food. We spent a couple days here each way -- but we cheated, stayed with friends in nearby Sebago.
- Odyssey Whale Watch -- a must. 2 boats per day, 4 hrs. Sells out, need advance tickets. Also arrive plenty early, waterfront parking is limited.
- Portland Observatory Museum -- highly recommend the sunset tour. It's a lighthouse on top of a hill, overlooking town and water. Very cool.
- Portland Museum of Art -- decent museum, worth about 2 hrs.
- Victorian Mansion tour -- interesting tour if you like visiting historic houses.
- International Cryptozoology Museum -- oddities museum, can kill an hour here if you don't take it too seriously. In the suburbs.
- Allagash Brewery Tour -- a must, plus the tasting room. In a suburban industrial park. Note, several other breweries in that same industrial park. Pack your backup liver.
- Shipyard Brewery Tasting Room -- because your liver doesn't have enough spots after Allagash. In town.
- Portland FIre Engine Company tour -- we missed this but it looked interesting. 1 hr.
- Maine Narrow Gorge Railroad Museum -- also missed this. Does train rides.
- Food: tons of great restaurants, hard to go wrong. We went to Terlingua (BBQ), Central Provisions (small plates), Duckfat (sandwiches/fries), Corner Room (Italian -- went 2x), Mi Sen Noodle Bar (Thai). I'm probably missing a couple. All were very good.
Portland to Acadia (via Rt. 1):
- Desert of Maine (Freeport) -- a must. Property overrun by sand (including buildings swallowed by sand), tours by 4-wheeler only -- can only walk in designated areas. Need 2 hrs.
- Freeport Outlets. Downtown Freeport is basically one big outlet center. Outlets for the Maine stores (Bass, LL Bean Outlet, Freeport Shoes) are legit. Note, Freeport is a Portland suburb -- Desert + outlets can be done while in town rather than in transit.
- Bath -- not a ton here, just a pleasant waterfront town to get out, stretch legs, and get some lunch. We ate at the Irish pub in town, hard to go wrong with that.
- Coastal Maine Botanical Garden (Boothbay) -- we missed this for time but it looked very cool. Boat tours of the gardens.
- Owl's Head Transportation Museum -- a must. Lots of cars, planes, and the like. Min 2 hrs but you could spend a lot more time here if so inclined.
- Penobscot Marine Museum
- Penobscot Narrows Bridge Observatory & Ft. Knox Tunnels -- highly recommended. Combined admission gets you up the tower overlooking the bridge + tour of the old fort. Need about 90 min.
Acadia National Park:
- Recommend getting a National Parks pass so you can skip the Visitor Center (or only go there 1x). There is a shuttle, though I recommend driving if you can beat the crowds. Shuttle is best if you want to take one-way hikes between shuttle stops.
- Cadillac Mountain -- great overlook with some easy walking around. Get there early. On the spur road.
- Wild Gardens of Acadia -- this is less well known, might be less crowded.
- Sand Beach -- nice beach, if cold. Watch for the entrance or you'll have to do the entire loop again. Parking lot too small, will likely see lots of cars parked along the road. thee is a smaller less known beach (with a lot less sand) further down the loop.
- Thunder Hole -- inlet where you can hear waves crashing into the rocks.
- Otter Cliff Overlook
- Jordan Pond -- beautiful lake. Eat at the Jordan Pond House, then walk around the grounds, pick and eat fresh blueberries as you go. Hikes from there if so inclined.
- Many trails for hiking. Definitely do some.
Outside Acadia:
- Bar Harbor -- seasonal tourist town. Recommend staying at one of the B&Bs on or near Mt. Desert Rd for proximity to the park, also to walk downtown. We were very happy with Anne's White Columns Inn.
- Bar Harbor food -- Havana was awesome. Blaze (pizza) was mediocre but had a great beer list. Mount Desert Ice Cream is a must, every day you're there.
- Chainsaw Ray Murphy (Hancock) -- an absolute must if he's still doing early evening shows ... but you might want to bring goggles. The guy is a real character too.
- Timber Tina's Lumberjack Show (Trenton) -- this was our backup if Chainsaw Ray took the day off.
- Southwest Harbor -- Acadia is the eastern half of Mt Desert Island, this is the western half with its own loop. Worth driving around and exploring for a few hours. There is a good car museum here (though Owl's Head is better if you must choose).
- Winter Harbor -- across the bay from Bar Harbor. We didn't go but an outdoorsy co-worker raved about it. This might be too much for the time you plan to be away.
This trip also has countless roadside attractions -- road trip fun that doesn't take much time, quick pics or stretch the legs for 5 min. Recommend the NH and ME maps on Roadside America.
