What is there to do in southern/coastal Maine that DOESN'T exist in Massachusetts? (Portland: to rent)

[TheTimidBlueBars]

My family's taking a trip to New England at the end of the summer, and I need to convince them not to have us stay the entire time in just Boston and its suburbs, so are there any interesting destinations in Maine that don't have any near analogues in Massachusetts? Historical sites, unique towns, trails, national parks, restaurants, anything will do - ideally along the coast and not much further up than Portland.

[roadrat]

You won't find anything like Acadia National park in Mass.
https://www.nps.gov/acad/index.htm

Of course it is a bit farther north than Portland.

[ladyalicemore]

About an hour east and north of Portland is Pemaquid Point. What couldn't be had in the Eastern MA area is the sense of rural seclusion as the road from Daramascotta (sp?) turns to Pemaquid. There is a site preserving the foundations of a fort from King Phillip's War (1600s, the so-called First Indian War). There is a stark lighthouse that Edward Hopper should have painted, a wild, stony beach, and crashing surf. The surf smells amazing. If you drive up to New Harbor, there is a ferry to Mongehan island, an artist's colony accessible by boat (no cars allowed except for emergency/utility vehicles) and a lovely place for hiking. Incredible light. Three public toilets. No frills. It's nice there. If you are tempted, I suggest Sarah Orne Jewett's "The Country of the Pointed Firs." Late 19th c book of short stories about the people of the area. She grew up in mid-coast Maine, daughter of the local doctor, who did most of his calls by boat to the various peninsulas and islands.

This part of Maine to me creates a feeling of a more pristine, wilderness-y place. The smell of the rough surf along the beach. The amazing rudeness of the waitstaff at the Sea Gull. That area to me has something special.

I can't prove this but think that the lobster in MA is NEVER as fresh or perfect as the Maine lobsta.

I'm not choosing this as a "best place" in Maine, where I have seldom been north of the mid-coast--it's just my favorite touchstone for what makes Maine so unique. Not just a sense of comparative wildness but a deep connection to US history and (as with Boston) revolutionary days.

Coming in again to add something else. . . at Round Pond, there is the best ever penny candy and small gifts shop. The Granite Hall store. It's in a tiny little Victorian cottage blg.

[slyfox2]

If you really don't want to come to Maine, then stay in Massawhatsis. I'm sure that anything you want will be there, after every state is pretty much the same.

[TheKezarWoodsman]

Trie the caribou wilderness, or the white mountains. Its further north than portland but afaik there is not wilderness in MA.

This is from a life-long Mass-hole looking to get away from bostonian influence the most i can. Infact all its instilled in me is the accent to a slight degree, most likely becuase i am closer to NH.

(I have never been to the caribou wilderness, whenever we go further north than out camp we go North East in the direction of Bangor ect).

Try Old Orchard Beach or any number of those. I personally find them to be cleaner than those in MA, or you can do my favorite and walk along an old snow mobile trail (we got one passing ritht behind our cabin on logging company land (might be sold now, either way still not posted). Legally you are free to go assuming there are no posted signs, although if you can find the owner, its always best to ask (what we do when doing anything but walking along the trail, which is only posted with a rather funny sign saying your free to walk in, but watch out for the trees, with the sillouete of a guy on a snowmobile ramming into a tree....)

[western mass and love it]

Plenty of wilderness in Mass. It's way way over by the New York border. Where the dragons live.

[kevin5098]

Originally Posted by slyfox2

If you really don't want to come to Maine, then stay in Massawhatsis. I'm sure that anything you want will be there, after every state is pretty much the same.

Did you even read the OP's post? He's looking for attractions in Maine so that he doesn;t have to stay in MA. Don't worry, he doesn't want to go much farther than Portland, so he won't be encroaching on your precious turf.

OP: There are plenty of interesting things to see in the Boston area, but if you're looking for a relaxing vacation, I encourage you to rent a cottage on one of the ponds or lakes in Southern Maine.

[TheKezarWoodsman]

Originally Posted by western mass and love it

Plenty of wilderness in Mass. It's way way over by the New York border. Where the dragons live.

Nothing compared to whats up in maine, absolutly nothing.

Mass only had the monomy wilderness, at 3250 or so acres

The caribou is almost 12000 or 3x the size. Not to mention that section of maine is hardly settled compared to MA (and its in lower Maine as well, so it is more urban than northern Maine (if you want wilderness, western Aroostooks what you want).


Check the maps below...

https://www.worldofmaps.net/typo3tem...sachusetts.png
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...lation_map.png


Mass is very very urban, where maine is one of (if not the) ruralist state on this side of the mississipi river (it even outdoes a couple west of it i believe).

[TheKezarWoodsman]

http://www2.census.gov/geo/pdfs/maps...nsity_2000.pdf

More dense than maine to the west you got...

Californa

Arizona
Colorado
Washington

And many others are really close to Maines density. They seem rural as most western states have large clustered cities (think billings, boise, cheyenne, denver, ect) where the population is extremely high, whereas portland (maines largest) is only 66k. (And remember 1/2 the states population is within commuting distance of portland). If you willing to push an extra hour or two you can get into the real boones, once you pass the volvo line (is that the terms use NMLM or sub, ive seen it tossed about before). As well, i hear the coast gets better the further north you go.

If your only willing to commute up to portland, i personally would ditch maine and hit the Whites in Nh to go camping, its much more remote than around portland. Its not near the coadt at all, but for a short 2-3 hour hike you can reach many pristine mountain lakes, which imho is better than the ocean, partly becuase it is uncrowded except for the local ranger, who may or may not have a bigfoot story...

If you diehard set on the coast, and dont want it rugged, portland and the old orchard areas the way to go, but it gets hella crowded there.

Hope ya have fun riding yah cah up to new england and dont loose the cah keys, and no i did not say khakis... (A boston accent is much more annoying than a maine one just as a fyi...)

[PAhippo]

how about Lenny, the chocolate moose?

Lenny, the Chocolate Moose, Scarborough, Maine



that'd do it for me!