Stowe VT to Bar Harbor

I%26#39;m driving from Stowe VT to Bar Harbor next month. I%26#39;m looking for a route to take. How much time should the trip take? I don%26#39;t see a direct route

%26amp; looking for suggestions %26amp; places to stop along the way. Any recommondations on hotel near Bar Harbor that is reasonably priced. I am interested in taking pictures of the scenery. What other towns would you recommend? Thank you.

Stowe VT to Bar Harbor

We are visiting the area in early Oct. We are staying a few days in Mt. Washington area(Conway, NH) before heading to Bar Harbor. The Bar Harbor Inn is highly recommended.

Stowe VT to Bar Harbor

You are correct that there is no direct route between Stowe, VT and Bar Harbor, ME. All the major highways run north and south instead of east and west.

One thing you can do is travel highway 100 down to I-89 to Montpelier and then take highway 2 all the way across Vermont, NH, and Maine until you get to Bangor when you take 1A and then 3 to Bar Harbor. I wouldn%26#39;t recommend this. It%26#39;s long and slow and not all that scenic.

The way I would go is to take 100 down to I-89. Take I-89 to the NH border at White River Junction/Lebanon. There pick up scenic routes, trying to go due east. Route 4 and route 104 will take you to I-93. Go up 93 just a little bit until you get to 113. This will take you across the White Mountains on the very scenic Kancamagus Highway. Good chance of seeing Moose, waterfalls, scenic overlooks. You%26#39;ll end up in North Conway, NH. If you decide to stay overnight go just a few miles north of North Conway and stay in Jackson, NH which is much less commercial (read outlet stores) than North Conway.

From North Conway you can easily pick up route 302 which will take you to Portland, worth a stop. Just north of Portland is Freeport, home of LLBean%26#39;s flagship store. A good lunch can be had at the Azure Cafe. Then it is two hours up the interstate from Portland to Bangor and another hour to Bar Harbor.

The Bar Harbor Inn, although wonderful, is a bit pricey. There are affordable, clean, family-owned, older motels in the Bar Harbor area that are safe and pleasant. Edenbrook and Highbrook motels come to mind. You might also check out sleepbarharbor.com for a selection of Bed and Breakfast inns right in the village of Bar Harbor. The local innkeepers are good for giving local information about where to photograph and where to find an excellent dinner and where to hike.

Thanks so much for the information!

I love the ';quiet side'; of Mount Desert Island, and particularly Somesville, Southwest Harbor, and Bass Harbor. If you%26#39;re planning to take pictures, you%26#39;ll definitely want to shoot the footbridge in Somesville and other parts of this quaint village which was founded in 1761. There are good places for a lobster roll or icecream in Southwest Harbor, where you could also stock up on wine and cheese (Sawyers) for a picnic when you visit the Bass Harbor Headlight -- another ';must'; in your photographic journey. The Web site below gives a good sense of the ';quiet side'; of MDI:

www.ouracadia.com

Enjoy your visit!