Please help me plan a Fall Maine Roadtrip. . . (Portland, Bangor: rental car, rental)

[psychofan]

My wife and I are planning on doing a nice, long, and relaxing roadtrip around Maine this Fall. We would love it if the locals could help us plan this trip. Here's our plan right now. . .

Fly into Boston on Saturday 10/10 (arriving in the early afternoon), get a rental car and begin our roadtrip north


Drive into Boston on Friday the 16th
Fly out of Boston on Sunday 10/18


So what we're hoping to do is perhaps drive up along the coast stay at a couple of B&Bs along the way. Any suggestions on which towns to stay in for a night of two? Thus far, I'm thinking of two nights in Old Orchard Beach. Is there a nice little town to stay in prior to Old Orchard Beach? Two nights in Bangor area after Old Orchard? A night elsewhere north of Bangor before heading back to Boston?

Of course, we would love to hit up lighthouses, lobster rolls (roadside, etc.) and fall foliage! Any recommendations and best routes, etc.?

We're going to try to get a couple of books from our local library to help plan this roadtrip out even more!

can't wait to hear from the locals!!!! Thanks very much!

[Casper1212]

If you wanna do a coastal drive to take in the scenery of Maine in the fall, and the Maine coast line, do yourself a favor and take the puddle jumper from Boston to Bangor. I hate planes and I had my nose pressed to the window the whole time, watching the Maine coast below pass by. From there, rent a car and drive over to the coast and come up Route 1. You can visit Quoddy Head near Lubec, which is the easternmost town in the US, and Quoddy Head is the easternmost point of land. Continue on up to Calais and spend the night at The Greystone B&B. The place is a restored Victorian home with wide pine floors, a double parlor, era decor and a hostess that will feed you breakfast that will put most of the restaurants in town to shame.
Or you could start in Bangor, come here first, (It's a two hour drive from Bangor to Calais) then go down Route 1 and take in Acadia National Park and other coastal areas before heading back to Bangor.

[Acadianlion]

Fly into Boston, change planes for Bar Harbor. Rent your car at Bar Harbor (Hancock County Airport), and spend the weekend on Mt Desert Island. You can tour Acadia National Park and the island and have a great weekend.

What you have suggested doing...fly to Boston and then drive, will mean that you will spend most of the weekend on the Interstate and not see much of Maine at all. From your post, it sounds like you have no idea how big Maine really is.

[Maineah]

I think they're planning a five day trip not just a weekend? I think your original plan is sound. I would plan to drive to Portland from Boston and stay somewhere in the Portland area for two days. From that base you can visit light houses, the Old Port area of Portland, take a ferry ride to see the hundreds of islands of Casco Bay, drive up to Orr's and Bailey Islands and Boothbay Harbor. By then you will have a good feel for the coast. Forget Bangor and drive to Greenville. That will take you another day. Spend the night there and the next day exploring Moosehead Lake. Moosehead is beautiful and is the largest freshwater lake in New England. Take a ride up the western part of the lake to Rockwood and see Kineo Mountain which sticks out of the lake itself and you may even see a moose or two! Then drive back to Portland for the last night then back to Boston.

[corgis]

Originally Posted by Casper1212

If you wanna do a coastal drive to take in the scenery of Maine in the fall, and the Maine coast line, do yourself a favor and take the puddle jumper from Boston to Bangor. I hate planes and I had my nose pressed to the window the whole time, watching the Maine coast below pass by. From there, rent a car and drive over to the coast and come up Route 1. You can visit Quoddy Head near Lubec, which is the easternmost town in the US, and Quoddy Head is the easternmost point of land. Continue on up to Calais and spend the night at The Greystone B&B. The place is a restored Victorian home with wide pine floors, a double parlor, era decor and a hostess that will feed you breakfast that will put most of the restaurants in town to shame.
Or you could start in Bangor, come here first, (It's a two hour drive from Bangor to Calais) then go down Route 1 and take in Acadia National Park and other coastal areas before heading back to Bangor.

According to the Bangor Daily News, the "puddle jumper" from Boston to Bangor has been cancelled.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by corgis

According to the Bangor Daily News, the "puddle jumper" from Boston to Bangor has been cancelled.

That's correct though it will run through December.

[Newdaawn]

Why not fly into Portland instead of Boston. That is one ugly drive from Boston to Portland. I would alos skip Old Orchard Beach and drive right to Freeport and stay at the wonderful Harraseeket Inn. Great food and indoor pool. Greenville foliage will be about over by the 11th of October. I agree with the person who said check out Bar Harbor - be sure to do Ocean Drive.

[CalieCat]

I can give you some names/websites of a few B&B's that will do right by you if you are interested. One's in Freeport, one in Mount Desert Island, one in Newcastle and one in Brooklin.

[IRV007]

Fly direct to Bangor. My BIL says nothing south of Augusta is really Maine.

[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