lodging suggestions for Bar Harbor in August

Hi, we%26#39;re a party of 4 with two adult children, need lodging Aug. 12-15 (leaving the morning of Aug. 15 to return to Boston for a flight back to Chicago). I need suggestions on lodging. . . something close to the ocean but not too expensive ($150/night) like cabins or cottages? Don%26#39;t know if a B%26amp;B would work since we need 3 beds total, or maybe I should just stick with something like the Bar Harbor Motel? Does anyone know anything about the Edgewater Motel and Cottages? Shorepath Cottage (do I have that right?) I have found listings on other web sites that don%26#39;t have reviews here. . .thanks!

lodging suggestions for Bar Harbor in August

Both the Edgewater and the Shore Path Cottage have quite a few reviews right here on tripadvisor. Just type in the names in the search function above.

lodging suggestions for Bar Harbor in August

Shorepath Cottage is a B%26amp;B, not cottages. Just wanted to mention that and you can get information about them and other B%26amp;Bs on the web site mentioned before...

www.sleepbarhabor.com.

chin blackheads

large family gathering in oct.

I am planning a family weekend trip to bar harbor and acadia park this oct.

I am looking for a place close to the park and town. would need about 10-15 rooms.

I am picture a type of place were we could barbacue and eat out side with fire going at night.

Maybe Cottages or motel that would accomadate this?

Any Ideas would be helpful thanks in advance

large family gathering in oct.

Bar Harbor Cottages and Suites might work for that purpose. I know the couple who own it and they are very accommodating. It%26#39;s a nice quiet location, near the water, to the north of Bar Harbor. Clean, pleasantly furnished cottages with screened porches and barbecue grilles outdoors.

http://www.barharborcottages.com/

large family gathering in oct.

Thanks for the input will call them among many others I have found.

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!

1st time visit to BH..4th of July Weekend. Xtra festivities?

We are first time visitors to BH for 4 nights over 4th of July weekend. Traveling with our sons, ages 16 and 15. Are there fireworks over the 4th? We%26#39;ll be doing a lot of hiking and biking of course, but what else would be great for their age group...on or off water. My husband and the kids love to deep sea fish, on or off shore. Any great spots? I heard there was a fantastic comedy show at night that would be great for them? Too old for Lulu%26#39;s? We are staying at the BH Regency Hotel, which has me a bit nervous after reading feedbacks, but it was the only hotel on the water that had rooms available..guess we%26#39;ll hope for the best. Thanks for any advise!

1st time visit to BH..4th of July Weekend. Xtra festivities?

There are fireworks down at the town pier. There is a 4th of July parade that starts around 9. It%26#39;s a great small town parade. After the parade, there is a pancake breafast/lobster lunch at the ballfields down on Park Street. They also have games and activities for kids, but I%26#39;m sure yours are too old for the games/moon bounce!

I don%26#39;t think they%26#39;re too old for Lulu%26#39;s as we send lots of adults on that trip. Also fun is Diver Ed%26#39;s boat trip. Your sons might enjoy kayaking. There are several different outfitters here. I%26#39;d recommend Aquaterra for a trip around the bay in Bar Harbor, or National Park Kayaks for a trip around the quieter Northwest side of the island.

There are several great hikes that your sons would enjoy. Go to acadiamagic.com for some great descriptions of hikes in Acadia. Depending on your fit level, I would recommend Acadia Mountain, Precipice, Beehive, Gorham Mountain, or Great Head Trail.

Improvacadia is a funny show. There are two shows a night with the early show geared toward families and the later show being more geared to ';adults';. Not sure where you%26#39;d fall. Also fun is Reel Pizza. You can order a pizza and drinks and watch a movie. They usually have two movies playing at a time.

1st time visit to BH..4th of July Weekend. Xtra festivities?

My husband and boys did a fishing trip from Southwest Harbor, I think. I can%26#39;t remember the name though.

If you like hiking and biking, you are sure to love kayaking.

I would also recommend the pancake breakfast/parade/lobster lunch (or maybe it was dinner, I can%26#39;t remember) festivities. The fireworks get crowded. Scope out your viewing spot early.

We enjoyed whale watching but it is hit or miss with actual whale excitement. My sister had a great trip with lots of whales up close, we had a fair trip with a few whales off in the distance.

Go up to Schoodic. The crashing waves and unique rock formations are worth the trip. There are some wonderful little quiet spots to pull off and have fantastic little beach to yourselves. There are also a couple of hiking trails up there as well.

Check out the link below for a list of 22 great things to do with your kids in Acadia. My daughter and I started going to Acadia when she was 13 -- she loved the rock climbing, hiking, and Downeast Friendship Sloop.

www.ouracadia.com/kids-favorites.php?pg_id=20

Portland with a toddler in October

We%26#39;re from VA and are considering a trip to Portland in October. Is it still warm enough to enjoy the coast? I%26#39;ve heard wonderful things about the children%26#39;s museum and the art museum, but what else is there to do with a toddler (2 year old)?

Thanks!

Portland with a toddler in October

By October it%26#39;s pretty cool (especially by VA standards), but by no means is it too cold to enjoy Portland! Depending on the part of the month, it could be Indian summer-type temperatures or raw enough to scare you inside.

One of my favorite things to do when I was a kid, especially in the off-season, was to walk on Kettle Cove beach in Cape Elizabeth (about 15-20 minutes from Portland). It%26#39;s a great spot for beachcombing; children%26#39;s eyes spot seaglass, shells, etc. here like you wouldn%26#39;t believe! There are also tidepools and footpaths where my sister and I used to look for birds%26#39; nests. You can take the paths up to an overlook for a nice view.

Portland with a toddler in October

You could take a ride on the Narrow Gauge Railroad:

http://mngrr.org/

Those both sound great- my son loves trains! How are the restaurants for ';kid-friendly-ness';?

Is Acadia a reasonable day drive from here?

No, Acadia%26#39;s not a reasonable day trip from Portland. It%26#39;s around a 3 hour drive and there%26#39;s lots to see and do in the Park and in Bar Harbor and the surrounding area. A lot of people give Acadia and surrounding places 2+ days to see.

As for kid-friendly restaurants, you%26#39;ll find a range. As with any place, there will be more upscale places and more family-oriented places. There are plenty of box-restaurants that obviously cater to kids, but for nice local businesses I%26#39;d recommend O%26#39;Naturals (in Portland%26#39;s Old Port and Falmouth) and Silly%26#39;s (Portland, near Munjoy Hill).

but what else is there to do with a toddler (2 year old)?

You can get out on the ocean by taking the ferry out to one of the islands. You%26#39;ll see lobster catchers at work, lighthouses, perhaps seals, loons and bald eagles. It could be quite cool, or it could be gorgeous! For that age, I%26#39;d do the quick half-hour trip to Peaks Island and back. You could also get off onto the island, wander around a little, and catch the next ferry back. They%26#39;re almost hourly.

Right next to the Casco Bay Lines terminal is Harbor Fish Market, where a toddler would be amused by all the fresh fish and lobsters for just as long as you will!

Out in Cape Elizabeth is a fabulous town-owned park, Fort Williams, where Portland Headlight is located (which you can see from the ferry ride.) This is a great place for kite flying, as well as scrambling around the abandoned fort structures (which are secured, no worries about losing him/her down a shaft!)

Another great place to fly a kite, or just watch all the cool ones already there, is Bug Light Park in South Portland, just across the Fore River from Portland%26#39;s waterfront.

Weather in May/June

I am thinking of visiting the Ogunquit/York area in late May/early June. Can anyone give me an idea of what the temperature will be? I don%26#39;t like heat and don%26#39;t want to be uncomfortably hot. Also, will insects be a problem?

Is it better to schedule my trip for the second week in May, with regard to temperature and insects? And, what will the pollen/allergy situation be like? I couldn%26#39;t find any info on that at all.

Many thanks!

chin blackheads

Mini -Bachelorette Party; Please help!

Hi all,

I would really appreciate some help/advice from some Maine natives. I currently live in Houston, as I have most of my life, but one of my closest girfriends is getting married in Maine this July.

We will be in the Old Port area on Thursday, July 9th, and I am planning a mini-bachelorette party (for just her and I). I want to show her a great time before her wedding because she totally deserves it (we met as officers in the Navy, and she is very hardworking). The problem is, I don%26#39;t know the first thing about Maine. Any idea on things I can do or places we can go to show her a good time?

Thanks so much!

Mik

Mini -Bachelorette Party; Please help!

Your posted on the Portland forum; is that specifically where you%26#39;re looking to do this, or anywhere in the State? Just the two of you? Eating greasy food or 5-course gourmet, ballet or mechanical bull, getting crazy at a club or walk on the beach? Just too many options; how %26#39;bout some more help?

Mini -Bachelorette Party; Please help!

Maine-ah%26#39;s right: a little more info would help. Having said that, the Old Port is bachelorette party heaven. You will not be alone. I just looked quickly at Portland%26#39;s web site (http://www.portlandmaine.com/) and noticed that there%26#39;s a free concert in Monument Square that night with a beer tent courtesy of Sebago Brewing. Could be a good place to start. There%26#39;s plenty of bars in the Old Port, as well as places on and around Congress Street.

Thanks so much for your willingness to help. Sorry I wasn%26#39;t more specific. We will be in Portland in the Old Port area. I%26#39;m not really looking for 5 course gourmet, maybe just a nice restaurant, followed by a fun bar for drinking and dancing (a mechanical bull sounds right up our alley, oddly enough). The concert suggestion was a great idea, and I will definately look into that. Any other suggestions are always welcome.

Thanks again.

Dinner in the Old Port may selections...age? new upscale bar called Pearl...dress code, no dirt bags