So what is “The Season” for Maine? Like Memorial Day to Labor Day?
Just about, but the first two weeks of June not everything will be open. It’s been creeping earlier. I remember going in the third week of June 2002 and a lot of places in Rockland were not open yet.
Be prepared for extreme traffic on Rt1, especially in Wiscasset and Camden. Waze is your friend. Both Bangor and Portland airports are refreshingly easy to deal with. If you’re comfortable on steep short trails, the hike up Mt. Battie in Camden is awesome. You can also drive to the top for a few $.
Yeah, on busy weekends the bridge in Wiscasset backs up bad, and there are a few other pinch points.
This might change my approach. Would you feel comfortable with a boat ride? What is the level of walking that you would be comfortable with? There are some excellent boat tours out of Boothbay Harbor and MDI that would be a great way to see the sights from the water without significant exertion.
YES!
Assuming a strong tailwind, from being dropped off at the dock to the boat.
Lots of cool schooner tours in Rockland and Camden. Rockland is probably a lot more accessible from a parking/walking standpoint. Parking in Camden sucks in the summer.
I agree with everyone who has said that two days is not enough for Acadia! If you want a weekend jaunt with all the Maine elements, fly to Portland and drive north on Route 1. Take one of the ferries out to the islands - you can do a tamer version from Rockland to Vinalhaven (a larger car ferry) or my favorite, the Laura B mail boat from Port Clyde to Monhegan (passenger and freight only). If you choose the latter, have lunch at the Island Inn, and a beer at Monhegan Brewing, and come back on the last boat home - you’ll get pretty much the quintessential Maine experience in a manageable timeframe.
Some other highlights: Take a windjammer cruise on A Morning In Maine, a ketch out of Rockland - they do 2 hour sails every day, which is actually quite rare (most of the big sailboats do liveaboards). I second McLoons Lobster - it’s literally the most scenic meal you’ll ever eat. Go to the Owl’s Head Transportation Museum, even if you’re not into cars and planes - it’s awesome, and you can have lunch at The Apron , a fabulous lunch counter at the Owl’s Head Airport. If you go to Port Clyde, stop at the Marshall Point Lighthouse and follow in the steps of Forrest Gump!
Credentials: Lifetime Summer Person in Port Clyde, and as of a year ago, finally a full-time Maine resident in nearby Cushing (where you can go see The Olson House, site of Andrew Wyeth’s iconic painting Christina’s World).
I love the trip from Port Clyde to Monhegan, but it might be a little physically challenging.
Thanks for all the tips. We’re camping near Acadia for 3 nights at the end of next week, bringing bikes, and I’m making notes based on the posts here. We’ve been to Portland / Kennebunkport / Freeport a few times so focusing on Acadia & Penobscot Bay for this trip.
A few questions: how bad are mosquitoes? We’ll be at Lamoine State Park, in a tent. We have sprays, citronella candles and bracelets. Is it worth buying a battery-operated mosquito zapper?
@Telemark you say that the best lobster pound is at Southwest Harbor which is great to know since we’re not Bar Harbor types; Google brought up 4 of them and Thurston’s looks like the highest rated?
I don’t think we’ll manage to get to Cadillac Mt for sunrise at 5 AM, but is sunset there good too?
The 1000 Places to See Before You Die book has Blue Hill and Deer Isle on the list; any comments? Supposedly Stonington is a big lobster port but I don’t see many lobster pounds there?
And any comments on this cruise which I found thru the Acadia website? It looks like it’s available morning and afternoon. Acadia National Park Morning Cruise | Sea Princess Cruises (barharborcruises.com) It goes to Little Cranberry Isle and they have a shorter one that doesn’'t: Seals & Fjord Cruise | Sea Princess Cruises (barharborcruises.com)
We did the short version of this and really enjoyed it, but I’m looking at the longer version and kind of wishing we’d done that instead (that may have been a money thing since there were five of us). I do notice that the longer one is 2 hr 45 min…very careful not to make it a 3-hour tour. 
Beal’s Lobster Pier is the place I was refering to in SWH. Love that place.
You now need an advanced ticket to drive up Cadillac, and nearly the entire summer tickets are sold out already. They do release some the day before so you need to be online and quick to grab a spot. Cadillac Summit Road Vehicle Reservations, Acadia National Park - Recreation.gov Sunrise is quite nice; sunset is OKbut not particularly spectacular. There are better places to watch sunset. I don’t believe you need a ticket to bike up the road, but I’d be hesitent to ride it before dawn or after sunrise with the traffic. I’ve ridden up the road during the day and it was fine.
There will be mosquitos. Long sleeves and DEET spray/lotion are your best options. Zappers will be useless, citronella only marginally useful. Never tried anti-bug bracelets.
I don’t know about that specific cruise company but the trip looks fine. A friend got married on Little Cranberry so I have fond memories of it.
Deer Isle is nice, but not dramatically different than other places along the coast. But the bridge to Deer Isle is a hoot; love driving across that!
OK so if we’re just crossing the bridge to Deer Isle and then turning around after a few minutes, that gives us time for other places, maybe Castine.
Surprisingly there are still quite a few midday and afternoon tickets available for Cadillac on 2 of the days that we’re there; it’s early AM and sunset that are sold out, which is why I thought sunset would be nice there.
Any sunset view recommendations are welcome.
@Maserschmidt yes I thought about the 3 hour tour too
Deer Isle Bridge
Another vote for Beal’s in SW Harbor, as well as the Owl’s Head Museum. Both are plenty touristy, but enjoyable.
@pkbites - The carriage roads in Acadia can be pretty gentle. But if physical limitations mean car travel is the only option for you, do look for a sunrise reservation for Cadillac Mtn. I haven’t done any boat tours, so I can’t speak to those options.
@gkster - If you’re up for it, the bike ride up (and down) Cadillac is a lot of fun, but it is a decent climb - about 1,000ft in 3mi, for a 6% average grade. Blue Hill and Deere Isle are both scenic, and have literary connections: EB White lived in the former (properly in Brooklin I believe, also home of Wooden Boat, if you’re into that), while Robert McCloskey summered in the latter. And Stonington definitely has a working waterfront, though I’m not sure how the lobster fleet stacks up against other towns.
Another great option is the Pemaquid Peninsula, south of Damariscotta. New Harbor is a working fishing harbor, lots of fresh osyters and lobster to be had, a stunning lighthouse, puffins, and a sand beach.
Check out the Seagull Restaurant next to the Pemaquid Point lighthouse and Shaw’s Lobster Wharf in New Harbor. A strong mention of Red’s Eats in Wiscasset next to the bridge for the best lobster roll - warning, the line can be very long.
For some major anniversary we rented the apartment at the lighthouse for my in-laws , I think for three or four days. They loved it.
As you’re driving over Caterpillar Hill, on the way to Deer Isle, to your west will be Walker Pond. Give a wave to my folks. They may be kayaking, if they’re up there that week. My family has roots in the area.
IIRC, there are some good lobster pounds on Deer Isle, but I haven’t been there in a while.
Huh? 
Sorry. Meant for @Saint_Cad. No idea why my brain farted and pulled you in instead.