Week in New England (Maine) Need suggestions!

[Malloy]

Looking to head up that way in the fall for a 5-6 night vacation. I've only been up there 2x, both times to the Samoset Resort in Rockland for a conference. Decent hotel, great views. So, I need some help ;-)

We will probably drive. Not looking to rough it. We like nice and unique hotels. We like good food. I'm open to any/all suggestions.

Thanks

[phillycat]

Looking to head up that way in the fall for a 5-6 night vacation. I've only been up there 2x, both times to the Samoset Resort in Rockland for a conference. Decent hotel, great views. So, I need some help ;-)

We will probably drive. Not looking to rough it. We like nice and unique hotels. We like good food. I'm open to any/all suggestions.

Thanks

Ohh...Maine in August is heaven.

Portland has a stupid number of great places to eat. It's hard to go wrong, but Fore Street is a standard and worth the hype. Thai food everywhere is excellent. For a fancy dining experience Five Fifty Five is great. Otto pizza is delicious. Breakfast at the Porthole.

Near Portland, do to Two Lights state park for the classic Maine coastline experience. Go to the Lobster Shack there -- pricey, but worth it for the views and the fried clams aren't half bad.

Swim in a Maine lake. The coast gets all the hype but the lakes are the bomb.

If you have time to head "Down East," Belfast is a gorgeous little town getting lots of attention these days. Have heard great things about "Lost Kitchen," but didn't make it there myself.

36 Hours in Midcoast Maine - NYTimes.com

I can't tell you about hotels because we usually stay with family, but have a wonderful time!

[Dayman]

I want to go to Portland so bad.

A hipsterish foodie haven in New England may be the only sort of place to steal me from Philadelphia.

[Lakey]

I'll second Two Lights and the Lobster Shack. Portland Head Light and Fort Williams are nearby. There is a pretty fantastic view of Casco Bay there. The Black Point Inn located in Prouts Neck near Portland is a resort that has been in operation since the late 19th century and still maintains that same old New England resort feel. You might want to check it out. I've never stayed there since we stay with family, but have been to the restaurant there several times and it seems like a very nice place to stay. The restaurant is fairly good as well. As others have mentioned there are lots of good restaurants in Portland. I had good meals a few weeks ago at Street and Company in the Old Port and Five Fifty-Five on Congress Street. Both are good but not terribly expensive places to eat in Portland. If you feel like dropping some serious coin on a meal there's the White Barn in Kennebunkport. I haven't been there in several years, but it is still supposed to be an outstanding, albeit very expensive restaurant.

The Portland Museum of Art has been restoring Winslow Homer's house in Prouts Neck and will be opening it to the public in September. It's a short walk from the Black Point Inn and could be an interesting place to visit. Fall is a good time to visit Acadia since its less crowded than during the summer. We like to go kayaking when we are in Maine, but we've never done it in the fall. It's hard to know whether the weather would be suitable. There are also many good places to hike on the coast and inland.

[sometimesilie]

I've been going up to Midcoast Maine since I was a kid, have a trip planned in less than a month. Rockland is considered Midcoast, as is Camden which is a few miles up Route 1. Just outside of Camden you have the Camden Hills State park where you can take a fairly easy hike and see the entire Penobscot bay below you. Camden itself is kind of old Northeastern money town, but there are lots of places to eat and cool art galleries.

Another nice Rockland area day trip is Port Clyde and Marshall Point Lighthouse. Really if you have a map or a gps it's nice to just ride around that area following the road along the coast...there's tons of little parks and beaches and beautiful stretches of road. I have family in Thomaston so I'd just take off with no destination and no map, and get temporarily lost while exploring the area.

If you've never been out to the Islands, I would highly recommend taking the ferry from Rockland and spending a day in Vinalhaven or Isle au Haut. Vinalhaven is a small lobstering town about 15 miles out in the bay, surrounded by many smaller islands. It's picturesque and you can rent a bicycle to explore the island by land or a kayak to go by water. Isle au Haut is more for hiking, and is the smaller, less known island which comprises Acadia National Park. Go there for hiking/picnicing, since there's not much in town. There's also a ferry to North Haven but there's really not a whole lot to do there.

If you have the time and you're driving up coastal route 1 through Wiscasset (about 30 miles south of Rockland--I always pick 1 up around Portland where it turns into Coastal Rt. 1 since it's such a pretty drive) you've got to stop by Red's Eats. Best lobster rolls in the coast but it'll be real busy on any weekend day.

Most of my experience in the area is out on the islands in the Penobscot around Vinalhaven but the mainland is also fantastic. Feel free to ask if you have specific questions. I think you guys are going to have a great time, the weather is awesome in August. Last year we went last week in August and it was about 55 overnight and 70 in the day, for a week straight.

[sometimesilie]

We've just been doing some pretty extensive research trying to find a house to rent on MDI, near down town Bar Harbor. I've never been but the gf loves it, you have Acadia and down town Bar Harbor. For around $1000 you can rent pretty secluded cottage right on the water for a week, like this place: Bar Harbor Oceanfront Camp, Maine but there are some even nicer places on the same website for a little more. If you don't mind not having the daily amenities of a hotel something like this would get you a lot more privacy in a beautiful location.

[Dayman]

Ban me from this thread now before I steal a boat and head up the ICW.

[Sycamore]

Maine is one of my favorite places ever. EVER.

If you go to Bar Harbor, I really liked this hotel: Atlantic Eyrie Lodge (Bar Harbor, ME) - Motel Reviews - TripAdvisor

I adore Portland and would totally live there if I had an opportunity. They have a decent restaurant, bar scene. I like divey but awesome J's Oyster, Portland - Restaurant Reviews - TripAdvisor

If you're into craft beer, there's a lot of great brewpubs on the coast.

And, if you're ever up this far north, this spot is a MUST try. It's bizarre and awesome: Long Lake Sporting Club