help with Itinerary

I am leaving my Boston hotel the morning of 9/2 and have to be in bar harbor on 9/4 to check in at the Bayview.

My current Itinerary is to stop at portland for 1 night and camden the other night.

Any rcomendations as to where to stay at either of these places something not to expensive. Also any suggestion as to which towns are must see along the way and what to do.

How about some nice restaurants along the way.

Feel free to jugle my itinerary around i am opened to suggestions.

help with Itinerary

Hi burbon,

I%26#39;ve never stayed overnight in Portland but if you check out www.visitmaine.com and then click on the %26#39;Where to Visit%26#39; link and then choose Portland, you%26#39;ll find a wealth of informatioin re: accomodations, restaurants, etc.

My recommendation would be to try and stay in the Old Port district. Once there you can leave your car and walk everywhere. In addition to the shops and many galleries in the area you can also walk to the Portland Museum of Art which is well worth a tour and to Casco Bay Lines where you could hop a ferry and tour the bay, islands, etc.

As far as restaurants go you could try David%26#39;s for lunch in Monument Square or Flat Bread in the Old Port and either Fore Street or Street and Company in the Old Port for dinner. Beware of going to DeMillo%26#39;s. Though it has a great location right on the harbor the food is iffy and very inconsistent. However, it%26#39;s a nice spot for drinks and maybe an appetiser.

For Camden I%26#39;d recommend staying at the Lord Camden Inn right on Main St. Again, you could park your car and walk everywhere from its location. I%26#39;ve stayed there several times and like the river view rooms.

Places to possibly stop on the way between Portland and Camden? There are several! Definitely while in Portland drive south to Cape Elizabeth (about 10 minutes) to see Portland Headlight. Very dramatic. Close by is the Lobster Shack on Two Lights Rd. This is your basic lobster shack but has spectacular views and is a fun place for lunch or a very casual dinner.

North of Portland of course is Freeport if you%26#39;re into shopping or want to check out LL Beans. Haraseeket Inn has a great restaurant with lots of atmosphere. Also if you like Japanese, Miyako%26#39;s is excellent! Both are right on Main St.

Further north is Boothbay Harbor which really deserves more than an hour or two visit but might be good to check out and spend an afternoon. It%26#39;s located down route 27 right off of route 1 about 10 miles. It%26#39;ll take you about 15 minutes to drive down the peninsula.

Once in BBH park your car and browse downtown and visit the Whale Park. Maybe take one of the zillions of tour boats (I like Captain Fish%26#39;s the best) and see how beautiful the harbor really is with its islands, many century old summer cottage colonies, and 4 lighthouses. For lunch try the Blue Moon Cafe or the Lobster Dock.

Or you could take a drive out to Ocean Pt. from downtown. Take route 96 to the end and you%26#39;ll come to Grimes Cove and Shore Road. This is a great area to walk or take a picnic, sit on the rocks, and watch the waves crash or enjoy the spectacular views of islands, 4 lighthouses, boats of all kinds, and open ocean in addition to lovely 19th century summer cottages, many with pretty gardens. It%26#39;ll take you about 10 minutes from downtown BBH to get to. Well worth the time and drive and I can guaranty you won%26#39;t regret it!

North of Boothbay Harbor is Damarascotta - a lovely little town right on route 1 with fun shops and a couple of good restaurants i.e. King Eider%26#39;s Pub and the Damarascotta River Grill. From there venture down to Pemaquid Light. It%26#39;ll take you about 15 to 20 minutes but again is well worth the detour. Pemaquid Light sits high above the ocean and has stunning views out to sea. There%26#39;s also a small art gallery and restaurant close by.

Just south of Camden and further north of Pemaquid is the town of Rockland and home to the Farnsworth Art Museum which has a great collection of Maine sea and landscapes done by Maine artists or summer people. Shortly north of town is the Brown Bag restaurant. Grab lunch here and then drive 5 more minutes down to the Rockland Breakwater Light. Walk the wide, very safe jetty 3/4 of a mile to the lighthouse and be rewarded with fabulous views of Penobscot Bay, Windjammers sailing by and the Camden Hills.

In Camden make sure you drive or hike up to the top of Mt. Battie just north of downtown. Great 360 views of the bay, mountains, a lake, and wonderful small towns.

Hope I haven%26#39;t overwhelmed you. But there%26#39;s so much to see and do between Portland and Camden that I%26#39;m betting you%26#39;ll want to come back again and stay longer to see it all! Good luck and don%26#39;t forget to post back with a report of how your trip went :).

cozyharbor

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