Please help me plan a Fall Maine Roadtrip. . . (Portland, Kennebunk: food, cottage)

[psychofan]

Thanks everyone for your advices and tips thus far!

The main reason we need to fly into Boston is because we have $400 in vouchers from American Airline that are due to expire at the end of October and Boston is the closest city to Maine that AA flies into. We also figure that we could spend the last day of the trip exploring Boston as well before heading back home to Maryland.

With that as the plan (and skipping a stay at Old Orchard), any suggestion for a place to stay a (Saturday) night between Boston and Portland?

Stop off for two nights (Sunday and Monday) in Portland or Freeport. Two nights (Tuesday and Wednesday) in Bar Harbor. Two nights (Thursday and Friday) in Greenville. Head back towards Boston on Saturday (Saturday night) and fly out later on Sunday from Boston back to Maryland.

Does this sound like a good way to go?

[CalieCat]

What about staying 1 night in Salem, Ma when you leave Logan Airport? It's fun to walk around Salem!

If you decide to stay in Freeport I would suggest as a b&b White Cedar Inn, you should stay at Clark Point Inn while in Bar Harbor.

I'm envious! I would love to come up in Fall

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by psychofan

Thanks everyone for your advices and tips thus far!

The main reason we need to fly into Boston is because we have $400 in vouchers from American Airline that are due to expire at the end of October and Boston is the closest city to Maine that AA flies into. We also figure that we could spend the last day of the trip exploring Boston as well before heading back home to Maryland.

With that as the plan (and skipping a stay at Old Orchard), any suggestion for a place to stay a (Saturday) night between Boston and Portland?

Stop off for two nights (Sunday and Monday) in Portland or Freeport. Two nights (Tuesday and Wednesday) in Bar Harbor. Two nights (Thursday and Friday) in Greenville. Head back towards Boston on Saturday (Saturday night) and fly out later on Sunday from Boston back to Maryland.

Does this sound like a good way to go?

That sounds like a good way to go. Boston is only 2 hours from Portland so I would probably just head up this way. You could stay in Kennebunkport or somewhere south of Portland though I'd get to Maine as there is little of interest on the I-95 corridor between Boston and Maine other than the discount Liquor Stores in New Hampshire. Skipping Old Orchard is a good idea. It is a nice long beach but there is little else of interest in the town especially after labor day.
I think you'll enjoy Greenville. It's a haul from Bar Harbor to Greenville but well worth it. Perhaps dmyankee can elaborate on the merits of the Greenville area since he lives there. Sounds like a trip I'd like to take! Good luck and let us know more as your plans develop.

[GarlicGuy]

if it were me.... fly into Boston and hop on the train and stop anywhere from OOB up to Portland and then rent a car to where ever. Arcdia would be first on my list... can never get enough of that area

[Maine Writer]

I'd skip the tourist traps and head for Baxter State Park one of those days.

[psychofan]

OK, we finalized where we're staying and lodgings have been booked PLUS lobster pounds/shacks have been identified and mapped!

Now. . .any suggestions on best routes to take advantage of the beautiful Maine foliage/coastal scenic drive from one town to the next?

1) Fly into Boston on October 3, landing at 11am and staying in Freeport for 2 nights
- Sounds like we should just stick to I-95 (or Rt 1 after passing Portland) and go directly into Freeport

2) Take Rt 1 from Freeport to Bar Harbor (3 nights)?

3) Take Rt 1 from Bar Harbor to Lubec (day trip)?

4) Any suggestions on the best/beautiful scenic route from Bar Harbor to Greenville (2 nights)?

5) What about suggestions on going from Greenville back to Portland (1 night)?
-Take a local road from Greenville to 201 then 201 down to 95? Time isn't too important if it's a nice relaxing beautiful drive through the fall foliage


Any recommended diversions (not sure if Baxter would be doable)? We're getting a couple of Frommers-type books on Maine from the local public library as well to help, but suggestions from locals would be greatly appreciated as well!


Thanks everyone.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by psychofan

OK, we finalized where we're staying and lodgings have been booked PLUS lobster pounds/shacks have been identified and mapped!

Now. . .any suggestions on best routes to take advantage of the beautiful Maine foliage/coastal scenic drive from one town to the next?

1) Fly into Boston on October 3, landing at 11am and staying in Freeport for 2 nights
- Sounds like we should just stick to I-95 (or Rt 1 after passing Portland) and go directly into Freeport

2) Take Rt 1 from Freeport to Bar Harbor (3 nights)?

3) Take Rt 1 from Bar Harbor to Lubec (day trip)?

4) Any suggestions on the best/beautiful scenic route from Bar Harbor to Greenville (2 nights)?

5) What about suggestions on going from Greenville back to Portland (1 night)?
-Take a local road from Greenville to 201 then 201 down to 95? Time isn't too important if it's a nice relaxing beautiful drive through the fall foliage


Any recommended diversions (not sure if Baxter would be doable)? We're getting a couple of Frommers-type books on Maine from the local public library as well to help, but suggestions from locals would be greatly appreciated as well!


Thanks everyone.

Looks good! LOTS OF DRIVING! I don't know about the trip to Lubec though I guess if you have time why not. The planned ride down 201 from the Greenville area actually puts you in Jackman from Rockwood. It is a beautiful ride through that area in the fall though again it is a long drive from Greenville to Rockwood to Jackman and down 201 to Waterville to pick up 95. If you decide that it's too much to do in one day you might consider taking route 16 out of Abbot Village to Bingham and then down 201 to I-95 in Waterville. That route will be pretty too and will cut off a couple of hours driving time. If you do have the time though make the Jackman loop as it will be worth the scenery. Then it's another hour and a half or more from Waterville to Portland. Either way it will be a full day that's for sure. As far as getting from Bar Harbor to Greenville you'll have to go to Bangor via route 3 and 1A then you can take route 15 out of Bangor to Dover Foxcroft where 15 and 6 combine to take you to Greenville. I hope it's a typical clear, crisp fall day in Greenville with high puffy white clouds and sunshine when you get to the top of Indian Hill and get your first look at Moosehead Lake. I'd love to see the expressions on your faces. It will be a lot of driving but you picked a lovely route and I'm sure you will have a wonderful road trip!

[recovering yank]

Originally Posted by CalieCat

Also wanted to 2nd the opinion of not staying in Old Orchard...we stopped there on our last trip and didn't stay very long at all, I didn't like the town much at all

+n


I do know some great places and guides in Bar Harbor, as well as up in the county, message me if you're interested at all

[psychofan]

Final Count: 6 lobster rolls and 6 whole lobsters!
(Thanks to all who helped with the planning of a great trip. I'll post more pics of the Fall scenery from our wonderful trip to beautiful Maine later. . .)


Bob's Clam Hut (Kittery)



Linda Bean (Freeport)



Red's Eats (Wisscasett)



Sprague's Lobsters



The Lobster Pound (Lincolnville)




Trenton Lobster Pound



Lobster Ice cream

[psychofan]

Yep. It was an incredible amount of driving. We put about 1350 miles on the rental car for the trip.

Pretty much stuck to the planned trip with slight deviations (i.e. drove up and down the Five Island peninsula and Boothbay Harbor area, did not go to Lubec because the weather was horrible that day, did drive to Baxter State Park from Greenville by taking the logging roads, which I do not recommend in a compact).

The Fall foliage in Maine was out of this world. So vibrant and colorful. The lobstahs were amazingly delicious as well and Bar Harbor was quite nice. Saw no moose at all driving up Lily Bay Road nor along the logging road all the way to Baxter. Even went as far as Spencer Pond and Spencer Bay and notha. Did see two moose in the woods driving north from Greenville on Rt6/15 and along it west towards 201. South on 201 was a gorgeous drive along the various lakes.