Planning Trip for Memorial weekend.... Need Help

Hi

I am looking at plannig a trip to maine for May 21st until the 26th. My boyfried and I are thinking of flying into Portland early in the morning, renting a car and driving up the coast. I have only been to Maine to snowboard. I have a couple of questions.

Will most places be open by this time of year and is it a good time to go?

How long would it take to drive up to Acadia along the coast from Portland, stopping and sightseeing along the way?

Can we find places to stay along the way or do we need to book rooms in advance?

Also, any recommendations of really nice places to see. I am big into photography and my boyfriend loves lighthouses.

Thanks!

Planning Trip for Memorial weekend.... Need Help

It is a very wavy (so some spots take a while to get to)and stunning coast so you will need to be selective! My husband and I did a day of ';lighthousing'; so here are some lighthouse tips anyway!... My favorite lighthouse is Owl%26#39;s Head (perched on lovely wooded cliffs...great for photos). Have lunch in the Owl%26#39;s Head General Store while you are there. Marshall Island light (seen in the movie ';Forest Gump';) is lovely but a bit of a drive. The Rockland Breakwater lighthouse is not a pretty light in itself, but an interesting walk as it is a half mile out on the breakwater. People say that Pemaquid Point Light is not to be missed, but I have not been there. Plan to spend more than a day in Acadia; it is stunning!

Are you looking for quiet natural beauty or fun towns or a bit of both?

Planning Trip for Memorial weekend.... Need Help

See also the forum topic ';Stop on the midcoast';. MicheleS posted an interesting side trip to Pemaquid Peninsula for my husband and my trip this June.

Many things will be open for the season. It%26#39;s a good time to come. The trees will just have leafed-out; the tourist season will not yet have become busy.

How long it will take you to travel from Portland to Acadia will, of course, depend on how many detours you take from Route 1. But I would guess that if you left Portland around 9 a.m. and took your time traveling north, you would get into the Acadia region by late afternoon or early evening.

Camden would be a good place to stop for lunch. Be sure to drive the auto road to the top of Mount Battie, just as you leave Camden village. The view is spectacular.

You would have time to detour down the peninsular where Pemaquid Light is located. It is an oft-photographed light house.

The bridge over the Penobscot River at Bucksport is worth a stop. You can go up the elevator to the top of one of the bridge pilings. Again, great view.