Relocating to Maine (Kennebunk: live, move to, things to do)

[Newdaawn]

I find most of the negative posts - of why you should perhaps, not move to Maine - are from people that don't live here now. Black flys are usually not a problem for most unless you live in a very wooded area. They only seem to be around for 2 or 3 weeks anyway. If you have never spent any time here at all, it is a good idea to do that before you actually move.

If I had my choice right now- and was moving to central or southern coastal area I would pick Brunswick, Bath, Freeport. Check it out - Google some pictures of that area. Good luck - I am with you in preferring the under 75 degree temps. Today was perfect here, about 65, sunny and dry.

[Newdaawn]

I forgot to mention in a previous post that while you are exploring Bath/Brunswick that "Joshuas" in Brunswick is a nice spot for dinner. I believe it is named in honor of Joshua Chamberlin and there is a statue of him over by Bowdoin College.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by Newdaawn

I find most of the negative posts - of why you should perhaps, not move to Maine - are from people that don't live here now. Black flys are usually not a problem for most unless you live in a very wooded area. They only seem to be around for 2 or 3 weeks anyway. If you have never spent any time here at all, it is a good idea to do that before you actually move.

If I had my choice right now- and was moving to central or southern coastal area I would pick Brunswick, Bath, Freeport. Check it out - Google some pictures of that area. Good luck - I am with you in preferring the under 75 degree temps. Today was perfect here, about 65, sunny and dry.

Don't forget about the persistant sea breeze when choosing to move to the Maine coast. Every day until late August when the ocean finally warms up a little the difference between the warm air rising over the land and the cool air over the water creates an onshore flow of cool air. While refreshing in July and August it can be annoying this time of year. While it may be 65-70 inland it will struggle to get out of the 50's along the coast. I was in Sanford today and it was 74 degrees and nice. On the way home I took Route 88 in Falmouth and actually had to turn the heat on in the truck as it was only about 50 with the sea breeze. Oh yes and the three weeks of fog in July as the sea temp and land temps become the same as the dew point. Not being negative. Just stating facts. You find things to do in the fog. It's a good time to figure out how to use your GPS.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by Newdaawn

I forgot to mention in a previous post that while you are exploring Bath/Brunswick that "Joshuas" in Brunswick is a nice spot for dinner. I believe it is named in honor of Joshua Chamberlin and there is a statue of him over by Bowdoin College.

Mermaid you take this one!!!

[mainegrl2011]

Hi Acadianlion
I like your practical approach to moving to Maine.

[mmwm]

Originally Posted by JMahoney

Am I correct in assuming that the further south and closer to the coast you are in Maine the "easier" the black fly season is? That is to say that they are not as bad in that part of Maine as they might be in the Middle or Upper parts of Maine?

I don't notice the black flies living in Bath, which is set along the Kennebec river. I did notice them when we lived in interior York county, though. They're not a big deal either way. I'll put in a plug for the midcoast -- Brunswick, Bath, and the peninsulas of Harpswell, Phippsburg, Arrowsic, Georgetown. Bath in particular is a friendly, vibrant town with a decent downtown, a good library, banking, restaurants (though Brunswick has more, and of course Portland is chockablock with eateries), on the river and close to the ocean. You can take the Concord Trailways bus to Boston right from Bath (and also from B'wick). Brunswick has Bowdoin College, a nice town green, and a little ways outside of town in two directions, lots of big box stores. Also near Freeport.

The biggest negative for us in this area is that the two major veterinary clinics in the area don't offer emergency (nights and weekend) services -- you have to drive an hour to either Lewiston or Portland for those. It's awful to delay treatment so long when your pet is suffering. But there are other smaller vets in the area who even make emergency house calls. Obviously, this is only of concern if you have pets, but I mention it because it's not the kind of thing you can easily learn on the net!

Good luck, wherever you end up!

[mmwm]

Originally Posted by JMahoney

Maineah,
Thanks for the advice so far, it is a great help. We will add in the Brunswick area to our trip. We have been looking at B&B's or a place to stay for 2 to 4 days while we are up there and there are a whole lot of them, too many to go through. Does anyone have any suggestions on places to stay (the wife prefers a B&B). I figured that someone who lives in the area might have a heads up on some of the nicer/cleaner places to stay. We are looking to stay somewhere around Bath and then drive around to the towns we are making a list of from there.

The Inn at Bath is good, and if you like a little over the top fun, so is the Galen Moses (aka 'Raspberry') House.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by mmwm

... The biggest negative for us in this area is that the two major veterinary clinics in the area don't offer emergency (nights and weekend) services -- you have to drive an hour to either Lewiston or Portland for those. It's awful to delay treatment so long when your pet is suffering. But there are other smaller vets in the area who even make emergency house calls. Obviously, this is only of concern if you have pets, but I mention it because it's not the kind of thing you can easily learn on the net!

Good luck, wherever you end up!

Emergency Vet care:
I find it easier to do most vet care myself.

About 2 weeks ago we did a dozen stitches in the belly of a sheep [our shearer is learning how to shear and she accidentally opened this guy's belly like a zip-lock baggie].

Around the first of the year we had to deal with a sow prolapsing. She prolapsed twice on me; once and she popped out my cat-gut stitches, the second time I used kevlar thread and she has not managed to snap those stitches yet.

[gigglesjs]

Originally Posted by PChase

Gigglesls you sound so excited. Congratulations on moving forward in the persuit of your dream. Maine is a great place!

Thanks,
everyone here has been great, havent been around in a few days...our home for now is a boat and we are hauled out, getting her ready for the trip North ...but we will be up in August for three weeks. The realator we are working with is an aunt of a friend of ours and has lived in Maine for over 40 years.
We will be looking in the Rockland, Rockort and Camden area, and we will have our daughter, two dogs (BIG) and my DH found a 3 week old kitty drowning in a puddle (dumped) last week, he is now 4 weeks, and his name is Felix, already had his first visit to the vet and will go back in 4 more weeks for his first shot; one of our dogs my husband also found "he was dumped in a park near us". So we need a big yard and I need to find my DH a new hobby

[horsewizard]

We are actually looking to move to Kentucky! what a small world! =)

Southern Maine is the perfect place if you want to be in the middle of everything with lots of people and things to do. I grew up in Kennebunk and highly recommend it. You are just over an hour from Boston, about 4 hours from NYC. the NH real estate taxes are horrendous!!!!!!! Be very careful!!!! My brother lived in a 150 year old duplex with two bedrooms and his share of the taxes was $4000 in NH. Make sure you check into that.