I am taking myself on a little jaunt next week during vacation and plan to stay ON THE BEACH!! in Ogunquit for two nights. I will look around there and go swimming and all, but I figure it’s a good home base to drive up and down the coast. I am not in shape to do any real hiking in Acadia or anything like that, but what scenic spots or other attractions should I be sure to stop at? If only to take a picture and say I was there.
Bar Harbor. My parents and I used to go there on vacation when I was a kid; it’s really beautiful; and it was the first time I ever saw the word “fuck” spelled out. I think I was around 5 years old. I had heard the word before - very rarely - and was vaguely aware of its connotations as “the worst word ever” (I hadn’t learned “cunt” yet) but walking down the street in Bar Harbor, I saw the words “FUCK OFF” scrawled in white spraypaint, descending vertically, down the side of a dark-green lamppost. I was absolutely shocked that someone would have the audacity to do this. I remember it like it was yesterday.
Cool!
::makes note “Go to Bar Harbor and tag a lamppost. It’s for the kids!”
I went to a wedding in Boothbay Harbor a few years ago and it was a beautiful area. I’m not sure how far that is from where you’re going though.
Keep in mind nothing along the coast of Maine is a short drive. It will take several hours to get from Ogunquit to Bar Harbor, more if there is typical summer traffic. Boothbay Harbor is more reasonable but still a bit of a drive. If you go there, stop for a lobster roll at Red’s Eats in Wiscasset.
How long are you willing to drive?
Bar Harbor is a very long haul from Ogunquit, yes. Really, really long. But, it’s a lovely trip, if you’re up for it. One beautiful town is Camden.
Years ago, my husband and I took a trip to Bar Harbor and then got home and saw the movie “Thinner”. It was like a travelogue of our recent trip. You know, sans curses.
Hmmm. Probably a few hours each way so that might not take me too far. My friend has told me to go south to York from Ogunquit, that it’s a gorgeous scenic roadway.
When you’re in the York area, why not go see the Nubble lighthouse, one of the most popular and most photographed lighthouses in southern Maine
Short Sands and Long Sands beaches are nice as well
as far as a good place to eat in Kittery, stop off at Bob’s Clam Hut, an official side-of-the-road stand, their Jumbo lobster roll is especially nice, they’re located right next to Kittery Trading Post, a sporting goods shop that’s been in business since 1932
the Weathervane is nice too if you want a sit-down place, or if you want to travel up Route 1 a little further, there are two other small seafood places on the way, York’s Best, a little “diner-esque” style resturant which has excellent food, and just up the road a bit (a mile to mile and a half) is Bosn’s Landing, their Lobster Roll is infamous, it’s on a lightly grilled hamburger bun, and it has enough lobster meat in it that you almost have to dislocate your jaw to eat it
in downtown York, there’s Wiggly Bridge and Steedman Woods, a nice little tidal island park, with the world’s smallest suspension bridge leading to it, and yes, Wiggly does live up to it’s name, it wiggles when you walk over it
That’s Shore Road, and it’s a GREAT road, very twisty and scenic, look it up on google maps, it’s a fun road, but only if you’re not stuck behind someone who can’t find the gas pedal, it’d be a great road for a sporty car or a motorcycle
An unusual and fun stop for map/geography nerds is the DeLorme shop in Yarmouth, home of EARTHA, the world’s largest rotating globe: Garmin International | Home
Would you believe I’ve been here almost 11 years, and Bob’s Clam Hut and the Kittery Trading Post are the only two places I’ve been in Maine! We were going to Portsmouth, NH, and I insisted I at least touch Maine for the first time, and that’s where we went. I’m not a seafood fan but wished I was when I saw the piles of fried goodness my friends had!
If you do end up in York, stop by the Goldenrod candy company, watch the taffy-pulling machines work their magic, and pick up whatever amount of whatever flavor piques your interest. I highly recommend the peanut butter.
Swimming? In Maine? In April? I’m not sure they ever have a swimming season up in Maine, but I’m pretty sure that April isn’t it.
Camden is a pretty town, but it’s gotten built up since the first time I visited it. A bit more tourist-trappy than it used to be. They have various schooner expeditions from the town, but I suspect that this is too early in the season.
I’d skip Freeport and the whole L.L. Bean experience unless I had plenty of time. It’s overrated unless you’re in need of camping equipment.
I spent the month of June on Mt. Desert Island a few years back, and we received off-season rates on our rental house. It was too cold for me to even think about swimming. I’m not sure if I wore shorts more than twice.
The season up there (not sure about the rest of Maine) is July & August.
Here is your 10-day forecast for Bar Harbor.
I think it’s about five days in late August, but if I see water I have to get in it. I know it’s not the same, but I did swim off Washington in October. That was a warm(heh)-up for this.
I only plan to be in for a few minutes but I am expecting to see at least one other person in there.
Drat–all three days will be cloudy and low 50s. Well, it will be pretty and brooding–the clouds, the rocks–cool!
If you’re driving up the coast on Saturday, you can stop off at the Road House in Montswaeg, just north of Bath.
Normally I wouldn’t recommend you *ever *stop there, but my band’s playing there tomorrow night … and what a treat that would be.
Old Orchard Beach and Portland are well within your driving distance. Beyond that, it’s a pretty good haul north to anywhere worth seeing, IMO. I doubt Old Orchard Beach will be doing much business at this time of year, so I’d give Portland more of a shot.
When I was a child we would get so mad at my dad for thinking he was a big hero for taking us to the beach in Maine. We were used to swimming in Long Island’s Great South Bay, but this was about 30 degrees colder and rocky. We could have been home watching All My Children instead of freezing our asses off.
York is nice, btw. And not ridiculously out of the way like most of Maine.
I’ll be in Camden next week. But it’s the one in New Jersey not Maine. But I guess one quaint waterside community is the same as another, right?
Have you been to the beaches in Maine? Water temp in Bar Harbor next week will be between 42 and 45 degrees. A few minutes is literally all you will be able to stand. If people are in the water they will likely have wet suits.