First trip to Maine

My fiance and I will be taking our first trip to Maine (or New England!) over 4th of July. We will fly into Boston, spend one night there, and then would like to drive up towards Maine, with ending in Portland for 1 night. We have a total fo 3 additional nights. We would like to do 2 nights in one town and 1 night in the other. We love beach towns, and really enjoy good restaurants. Romance is always appreciated! Any help would be great.

Thanks

First trip to Maine

York Harbor Inn for two nights and Inn By the Sea in Cape Elizabeth for the one nighter. Book NOW for 4th of July period!

First trip to Maine

I would recommend the Boothbay Harbor area...Southport.

However, it does make for more driving.

Ogunquit is worth seeing but very touristy....walk on the

Marginal Way, a walk along the ocean

Hi travelgirrllll,

I would suggest staying 2 nights in Ogunquit at the Beachmere Inn which sits right on the water and offers spectacular views out to sea and then 2 nights in either Boothbay Harbor or Camden.

Since you mentioned how much you love the beach, I suggested Ogunquit since it has one of the most beautiful beaches in Maine. Yes, it%26#39;s touristy but it%26#39;s a lovely and charming upscale summer resort area and has lots to offer re; restaurants, galleries, shops, summer theatre, boating excursions and scenery. Also from Ogunquit you could easily make day trips to Portland, Freeport, or Kennebunkport.

Depending on how long you decide to stay in Ogunquit, from there I%26#39;d stay one or two nights in either Boothbay Harbor or Camden as I mentioned above.

Boothbay Harbor is about an hour and 45 minutes north of Ogunquit and also offers lots to do and beautiful scenery. However, there are no sandy beaches only small, rocky ones. This is the rocky coast that Maine is known for with crashing waves, tall evergreens, lots of lighthouses that you can either drive to, see from an tourboat, or view from land, and many lovely old summer cottage colonies.

There%26#39;s also plenty of art galleries, shops, and boat tours (the one to Monhegan Island is well worth a daytrip). There%26#39;s also the Botanical Gardens and the Boothbay Region Land Trust properties. Both offer a variety of easy trails to hike that often lead to a quiet cove, a small rocky beach, or pretty little harbor. Perfect for a private lunch or romantic stroll.

For places to stay I%26#39;d recommend the Spruce Pt. Inn, the Ocean Pt. Inn, or the Newagen Inn. All sit at the very tip of peninsula%26#39;s and are across the street from the water and offer gorgeous grounds and views of the rocky coast and open ocean. In addition all have pools, tennis courts, good restaurants, and the Spruce Pt Inn also has a spa.

The best restaurants include any in the Inn%26#39;s I recommended or in town such as the Thistle Inn, The Russell House, the Rocktide Inn, or the more casual McSeagulls or the Blue Moon Cafe. On Southport Island is the Lawnmeer Inn. All restaurants with the exception of the Russell House and the Thistle are on the water and offer great views. And most offer live entertainment in the evenings.

If you don%26#39;t mind driving an additional hour north of Boothbay Harbor, Camden is a lovely upscale town that is perfect for just a night or two. It has a lovely harbor flanked by small mountains that you can drive or hike up to. Once at the top the views are spectacular out to Penobscot Bay, lakes, mountains and lots of lilttle towns. There are plenty of restaurants, shops, and boating excursions to keep you busy. I%26#39;ve stayed at the Lord Camden Inn right in town and it%26#39;s a great little place. Ask for one of the river view rooms.

From either Boothbay Harbor or Camden you can visit the Farnsworth Art Museum, home to many a Wyeth painting or walk the almost mile long wide and safe jetty out to Rockland Headlight. From the lighthouse are spectacular views of the Camden Hills, open ocean, windjammers, and great fishing. This is a great place to bring a picnic lunch from the Brown Bag in Rockland.

Well I%26#39;ve put my two cents in and then some! Hope I%26#39;ve helped. Good luck with planning your trip and don%26#39;t forget to report back!

cozyharbor