Where to go?

Hi-

My husband and I are looking to take a trip to Maine but since neither of us have been before, we need some help on what city to stay in. We will be traveling from Portsmouth, New Hampshire by car.

We are looking at the first week of September for about 3-4 days. We would like to stay in a smaller hotel/inn in a quant seaside town with a walkable downtown, cute cafes, cliffs/rock/beaches to explore and good seafood.

Young couple, no kids.

Any suggestions? Thanks

Where to go?

I would vote for Bar Harbor. At first glance, you might think that Bar Harbor is too busy to be a ';quaint seaside town';. But actually it has retained a lot of its charm. There are many small villages in Maine. But most of them have no ';downtown'; to speak of and no cafes, little lodging, and few restaurants. Bar Harbor is just about eight blocks long, has three ice cream shops, a couple of coffee shops, very good restaurants, and lodging from which you can walk to all of those things. It has two village parks and a half mile Shore Path.

The first week of September, right after Labor Day, is fairly quiet around here. Many would-be travelers are getting their kids settled into school. Fall foliage hasn%26#39;t turned yet. The weather is wonderful, with warm days and cool nights. Lots of hiking and boating things to do here.

You might check out sleepbarharbor.com if you are comfortable with and a Bed and Breakfast. Some have 16 rooms, so they are more like a small inn. The Cleftstone is a nice place to stay, just outside of town. The Bar Harbor Inn is a nice motel/hotel right on the water in the village.

Where to go?

Hi Lucybalue,

I have to agree with bonniemaev and also vote for Bar Harbor. Our first trip was over 20 years ago and we have been back 5 times. Bar Harbor is a great base for exploring Acadia National Park and Mt Desert Island.

If you are driving US-1 north of Portland make sure to stop in Camden. I think it is also the kind of town you are looking for.

Maine is a great place to visit. Enjoy your trip!

I would suggest the Damariscotta/Newcastle area or Boothbay Harbor for a ';stay in a smaller hotel/inn in a quant seaside town with a walkable downtown, cute cafes, cliffs/rock/beaches to explore and good seafood.';

Acadia National Park is wonderful and worth seeing, but Bar Harbor%26#39;s downtown offers little variety for shopping and dining. The midcoast area offers all that you requested and is much closer to Portsmouth. For that matter, although Portland is not a quaint town, it has everything else you asked for.

You might look in to visiting the Rockland/Camden area. Rockland was recently voted #2 in Budget Travel%26#39;s America%26#39;s Coolest Small Town competition. The area has all the things you mention and more.

Try the Historic Inns of Rockland for a really nice place to stay. We just did a tour of all four of them and there%26#39;s no way we could pick a favorite...they were all amazing. There are less expensive places to stay too....try Strawberry Hill, it overlooks the ocean.

Rockland and Camden both have walkable downtowns. Rockland has the Farnsworth Art Museum and several galleries as well as the Maine Lighthouse Museum and the Audubon Puffin Center. I love Archipelago...a shop where all the wares are created by craftspeople from the local islands (great stuff and perfect Maine souvenirs!) The Grasshopper Shop is fun, as is Planet Toys. Visit the Harbor Square Gallery and make sure you get all the way to the top for their roof-top sculpture garden...very cool.

Grab a great cup of coffee or tea and a light lunch or pastry at Rock City Coffee (they roast their own free-trade beans). It%26#39;s also a used book store.

There are far too many restaurants on Main Street to mention them all. I like Rustica and Cafe Miranda and I hear good things about Suzuki%26#39;s (I don%26#39;t eat sushi so I haven%26#39;t been). In Good Company is a great wine bar and comfy hang-out spotNot on Main Street but worth the short walk along the waterfront to get there are Conte%26#39;s (be prepared for the funky atmosphere and HUGE portions), The Landings, Amalfi%26#39;s, and the Boat House...all have water views. The best way to experience lobster in Rockland is aboard the M/V Rendezvous. They do lobster-dinner cruises for up to 15 people on a gorgeous classic power boat.

Visit Camden Hills State Park for the cliffs that you mentioned. They have a great trail system that is mostly easy or moderate but you%26#39;re rewarded with great views of Penobscot Bay along the way and at the top. You can even drive to the top if hiking isn%26#39;t your thing. The park is on both sides of Route 1 so after you hike or drive Mt. Battie, go across to the other side for shore front access to the rocky beaches. There aren%26#39;t many sand beaches around but if that%26#39;s what you%26#39;re looking for they can be found...Birch Point State Park in South Thomaston (locals call it Lucia Beach) and the Drift-In Beach in Tenants Harbor. Go at low tide.

The first weekend in September is Camden Windjammer Weekend. The afternoon of the 4th is when most of the activities happen...the schooners arrive, there%26#39;s a talent show in the park, and fireworks that evening. There are lots of boats (power, sail, and even lobster boats that haul traps) available in Rockland and Camden if you%26#39;d like to get out on the water for just a couple hours. There are even ferries that can get you to one of three local islands with or without your car.

Check out the schedule at The Strand and the Camden Opera House before you come. They often have great performers. The Strand has a balcony with a bar if you want enjoy beer or wine with a movie.

Rockland/Camden is probably about 3 hours from Portsmouth.

I hope this helps but mostly I hope you have a great time in Maine no matter where you visit!

For reasons outlined above, and using the criteria in your original post, I%26#39;d suggest that Bar Harbor, Camden or Boothbay Harbor could all make a great trip... Don%26#39;t want to be too redundant -- just trying to say don%26#39;t agonize too much trying to pick between them.