Vacation Ideas (Ellsworth, Camden, Bucksport: motel, island, distance)

[island mermaid]

Originally Posted by American girl

Rent a cabin at The Birches in Rockwood on Moosehead Lake. Heaven on earth.

I agree, but there aren't any lighthouses there!

[lrfox]

How long are you planning on staying? If you're not 100% sure when you're going to come, I'd suggest the last week of September- 2nd week of October (a total of 3 weeks) as a window period.

A sample week-long itinerary could include:

starting in Portland (over the course of 2-3 days):
-spending an afternoon shopping/ eating lunch or dinner in the Old Port. It's a small area, but there are some quaint little restaurants and shops. If you're into Beer, tour the Shipyard Brewery or eat at Casco Bay Brewery or Gritty Mcduff's (I prefer Gritty's, but you can't go wrong either way). In the same day, you could visit the art museum, childrens museum, walk around the West End and look at the old homes, walk along the Eastern Promenade for a great view of Casco Bay and the islands.
-Be sure to head over to Ft. Williams SP in nearby Cape Elizabeth and check out Portland Head Light. I THINK it's the most photographed lighthouse in the nation. There's also a pretty picnic area and vast open area to play ball, tag, or just run around. Kids and adults enjoy exploring the remnants of the old fort and there are some GREAT vistas out toward the ocean.
-Take a ferry to Peaks or Great Diamond Island and spend an afternoon (or evening for dinner). It offers a great way to see Casco Bay in person and you'll enjoy the charm of the islands.
-Other options could include heading down to Kennybunkport for a day and walking around; or even though it's past peak tourist season in late Sept/early Oct, checking out Old Orchard Beach (and Pine Point beach). There is a little amusement park, pier, some restaurants, and a nice little beach. It's been labeled "trashy" before, but it's not terrible. I would avoid it in the summer when there are crowds though.
-You could also check out Prout's Neck in Scarborough for another beautiful view. One of my favorite vistas in Maine is sitting in the Chart Room of the Black Point Inn at Sunset and watching the sun go down over Ferry Beach with Mt. Washington in the Background. There aren't too many places on the East Coast where you can look over the [ocean!] water and see the sunset, but this is one of them. To top it off, you have one of New England's most majestic peaks in the background... absolutely stunning.

For the next trip segment, you could spend some time along the Midcoast which would mean visits to Bath, Brunswick, Freeport (and L.L. Bean which you can't miss as a tourist). This is one part of the state that I'm not too familiar with, so I can't offer many options, but if you're into trying something "outdoorsy" check out what any of the adventure schools at L.L. Bean are offering during your stay. They're good at introducing people with no experience to things like Hiking, Fly-Fishing, Archery, Trap Shooting, etc. Not sure if they're considered midcoast, but try and visit Camden, Belfast, Rockport, Rockland, and maybe Seasport and Bucksport if you can... VERY scenic drive along Coastal Route 1.

A personal favorite stop of mine is Stonington on Deer Isle. It's a bit out of the way, but it's an authentic little fishing village and it's very pretty.

-Like others have suggested, no stay in Maine is complete without a visit to Acadia Nat'll Park and Bar Harbor. You can do hiking, dining, and camping. It's worth considering spending a night here as you could easily make two days out of it.

If you have more time, Visit Baxter State Park and Mt. Katahdan. I personally find Mt. Washington, NH a bit more stunning, but Katahdan is majestic, imposing and a completely wild. You truly feel like you're at one of the ends of the world looking up at Katahdan. It's not coastal, but it is very pretty.

Other attractions could include the Bethel area... a nice little mountain village. Naples, a nice town situated on Long Lake. Greenville and Moosehead Lake, and many others.

It's a large state and there's a lot to see. Have Fun!

[corgis]

And don't forget to visit Eastport.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by American girl

Rent a cabin at The Birches in Rockwood on Moosehead Lake. Heaven on earth.

I like your idea too! We used to ice fish in front of the birches for years! Beautiful spot!

[arzachena]

If you locate yourself in Belfast you can visit many wonderful areas as day trips.

Like:

Knox county has the Rockland Lighthouse museum and the Breakwater Lighthouse.
And not too far from Rockland is the Marshall Point Lighthouse famous for many things like
Forest Gump to name one. In Camden you can go to the top of Mount Battie and enjoy its breathtaking vistas of the Camden area.
Venture a little further to see Pemaquid Point Light in Bristol. It is the lighthouse on the Maine state quarter.

Waldo county has Grindel Point Light on Isleboro. It is a 20 minute ferry ride over from Lincolnville. Belfast Municipal Airport use to offer rides over Belfast. Now that would be cool. I will have to put that on my list too. The Belfast Bay cruise is excellent and inexpensive.
In Stockton Spring they have Fort Pownal and the Fort Point Light. Fort Pownal was originally built in 1759. Unfortunately there is no structure left just foundation.
Prospect has the Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Fort Knox. You can picnic at the fort and enjoy the views from the top of the bridge in the observatory.

And of coarse MDI-Mount Desert Island. Acadia National Park and the Bass Head Light. Climb Cadillac Mountain close to sunset. Beautiful!
Southwest Harbor has a wonderful main street. I like it better than Bar Harbor. Less tourist to deal with. Check out acadiamagic.com for more info.

Then you may want to venture to Lubec to see the West Quoddy Head Lighthouse.

[dramamama6685]

Originally Posted by corgis

And don't forget to visit Eastport.

During early to mid september.. that's when I'm hoping to be there(I hope that's what santa will bring )!

[jkb826]

Thank you all for your many suggestions. Sounds like an awesome place that I will need to take more than a week and a half to visit. I will take time to soak this all up and then get back with more questions.

[seaheather]

Maine has a lot to offer in the way of natural beauty, and only a week and a half won't cover much. To enjoy areas still quite untouched by man, visit the small coastal communities of Camden, Belfast, Bucksport, Blue Hill, Deer Isle, and Stonington (from here to Acadia, only 1.5 hours). Google Maine lighthouses for those in close proximity to these towns.

[retiredtinbender]

One other place to see is the "Million Dollar View" around Danforth on Rt. 1. Not much else up there and no lighthouses of course. West Quoddy Head in Lubec will have a lighthouse and a walk in the woods, along the shoreline and the bog also. There are a lot of fantastic places state wide to go and admire nature and all. Don't forgetthe fairs. http://www.maineagriculturalfairs.com/ I always had fun at them. Blue Hill was a let down but I think the aspiration were too high. Cumberland Fair was fun. And Common grround for the "back to nature" folk (but I enjoyed it a lot).

At any rate, enjoy us. I've been here 53 years and still admire it all. Hope you have fun and relax some.

[yvonnenyc]

can one swim in penobscot river