I have never been to maine before and need some help please.

My boyfriend and I are trying to decide between Cape Cod and maine, and it looks like Maine, there really is not much to do. We just really like to chill and go out to eat, shopping etc. Just was wondering if Maine is a good choice for the 2nd week of september? Which area would you recommend for a couple in their late 20%26#39;s?? Thank you so much in advance!!

I have never been to maine before and need some help please.

There wouldn%26#39;t be alot of shopping, but Eastport has their Salmon festival the weekend after labor day, it would be quaint and relaxing and there are places to eat, fish. whalewatch, shop etc. Its relaxing there and you can also use the time to explore New Brunswick, and visit Ganongs chocolate factory etc. Its fairly inexpensive up there compared to the more touristy places like Bar Harbor and southern Maine/ cape cod, but definitely a more authentic downeast experience.

Here is a link to the website with the list of activities:

http://www.eastportme.net/

I have never been to maine before and need some help please.

The second week of September is the very best time to visit Maine. The summer crowds are gone and the fall foliage crowd is not yet here. The families with children have gone home to get their kids started in another school year. You don%26#39;t exactly have the state to yourself -- but almost!

The weather is still great although the evenings will be getting a bit chilly. If you come to Maine, you%26#39;ll avoid all the nonsense traffic of Boston in trying to get to Cape Cod. I%26#39;ve only been to Cape Cod once but my impression of it was either the oh-so-rich sailing crowd or the rowdy gay crowd up in Provincetown.

I%26#39;m understandably prejudiced, but I would suggest coming to the Acadia National Park region. The scenery is incredible and there is so much to do. You certainly can simply relax. But you can also find a great meal in the many restaurants of Bar Harbor and other towns on the island. There are two movie theatres and an improv show. You can rent bikes or kayaks. You can take a whale watch or a sunset sail. The Park itself offers a number of programs, including a Stars over Sand Beach during which a Park Ranger explains the night sky as you lie on the sand and look at the many, many stars in the oh-so-dark sky.

If you like restaurants and shopping, I think you would enjoy spending at least some of your week in the Portland area. The Old Port is full of great restaurants and one-of-a-kind shops. There is also a lot of chain shopping in Kittery, just over the NH border, and in Freeport, which is just a 20-minute drive north of Portland. I would suggest you spend a little time looking at the Portland forum to see if it looks good to you.

There was a thread on this forum a month back or so discussing the relative merits or demerits of Bar Harbor vs Ogunquit vs Cape Cod. You may want to search for that.

As for choosing, I think that, overall, you cannot go wrong, especially since you are traveling in mid September, for exactly the reasons that Bonniemaev cited. The aweful weekend traffic to the Cape should be considerably diminished, leaving a more reasonable drive, smaller crowds, and maybe even some discounted lodging. I think this would be an ideal time to visit the Cape. And I am sure that you will find many opportunities for outdoor recreation - biking, kayaking, whale watches, etc., as well as dining, arts, entertainment, etc. The ocean will be warmer, too. You could take a day trip to Martha%26#39;s Vineyard, rent motor scooters and tour the island, or just enjoy it in a slower and quieter mode.

That said, the coast of Maine is beautiful. Portland is a great city with everything walkable. Bar Harbor is one of my absolute favorite vacation spots ever. From the coast of NH all the way up to BH, there are all these beautiful towns, small and large, great dining, arts, outdoor recreation, access to the water, beautiful bays and coves with fishing villages, gentlemen sailors, etc. The whole New england coast, from the tip of Provincetown on the Cape and up the coast through Mass., NH and Maine, is full of history, beauty, recreation opportunities, quietude, artists and crafts people, incredible seafood, and more.

Whatever you decide to do this September, remember, you have a lifetime of travel ahead of you. Whatever you didn%26#39;t see this year can become next year%26#39;s vacation. Cape Cod or Maine in September? Soun ds like a win - win to me.

I would vote for Maine. If you really want to chill out. I would probably stay in Rockport area, where you can travel upcoast or down on day trips pretty easily.

Check out Chow Hounds.com on the NE boards for some really good restaurant recommendations. You can do shopping at Freeport Outlets or in Portland on your way up. Rockport and Camden has some really cute shops...

We spend our days gunkholing. Driving down penninsulas, and back roads, stopping at galleries, small shops. Maine is great at that time of year because the weather is wonderful and many of the tourist have left and leaf peeping hasn%26#39;t started... Find a place on the water to rent for a few days and do nothing but enjoy the sunrises and sunsets.

Inn By the Sea in Cape Elizabeth if you just want to chill and it fits your budget.

You can shop in nearby Portland, and take a day trip to Freeport for L.L. Bean %26amp; outlet shopping.

Hi lisalsal,

I%26#39;ve spent alot of time down the cape and the islands (mostly Nantucket), Newport, Block Island, and the north shore of Boston. Then I discovered Maine and I fell in love.

But let me backtrack.

The cape, islands, etc. are beautiful. My preference is the route 6A or bayside of the cape i.e. Sandwich, Bourne, Brewster, etc. Or from Chatham on the elbow and further down to Orleans, Truro, etc.

Dennis, Yarmouth, Hyannis, etc on the ocean side are bustling and traffic jams are the norm during tourist season. These areas are built up and commercialized to the point where, in my opinion, all the charm has been driven out. You could almost be in suburbia but with beaches. There%26#39;s a fine line between having shops, restaurants, galleries, and/or too much of a good thing. Certain parts of the cape just have too much.

The above being said, the cape and islands might be really nice in September but I%26#39;d avoid the more congested/suburban type areas mentioned.

Re: Nantucket . I used to spend ALOT of time there and it%26#39;s stunningly beautiful. There%26#39;s no place else like it in the states. The history, the geography, the charm, the culture, the food, the rolling moores in the fall which turn a wonderful shade of red, everything about it is wonderful. Except the crowds and the zillions of new homes popping up like crazy.

Where once you could gaze across island and see nothing but nature%26#39;s best with an occasional home here and there, now it%26#39;s being overrun and loved to death. And that%26#39;s a shame, especially for someone who knew the place way back when...

The last time I visited Nantucket was in August 2003. Downtown was like a traffic jam in Boston or NYC; everyone brought their cars (you really don%26#39;t need them there); the people were pushy and arrogant; the shopkeepers and bartenders were rude and tired it seemed, and whatever charm existed was hidden under the crowds. I couldn%26#39;t wait to get the heck out of there.

Nantucket is still worth visiting but only in the WAY off season or if you rent a place out Madeket way, far from the maddening crowds and plan not to venture into town often or if you do, don%26#39;t mind traffic, etc.

The main difference and draw to either the cape and islands and/or Maine is this.

The cape and islands have some really beautiful beaches. And some of the towns are picture perfect pretty with weathered shingle capes, beach roses everywhere, and loads of charm.

In Hyannnis and surrounding towns there%26#39;s lots of happening night life if that%26#39;s important. There%26#39;s also a zillion mini-golf places, movie theatres, a huge mall, t-shirt shops, and bars up the wazoo in which to party. Teens love it. Young people love it. Those whom are older or like a more quiet pace and like to soak in the local charm and beauty will prefer the bayside and Chatham on down.

Bottom line is the cape has something for everyone but choosing the right town or area can make or break your vacation. It%26#39;s really important to research any areas you%26#39;re thinking of staying and then decide from there.

Onto Maine.

As previously said, I%26#39;ve spent alot of time down the Cape and the islands and though I particularly loved Nantucket and still do (if it weren%26#39;t for the crowds, etc), I then discovered Maine and that was the end of trips down the cape.

I first started out staying in hotels, then rented cottages, and eventually bought a place. Now I%26#39;m here year round and there%26#39;s no place else I%26#39;d rather be.

The few times I venture out of state, I enjoy it briefly, but usually can%26#39;t wait to come back. It%26#39;s different here. The people are nice. They%26#39;re warm and unpretentious. There%26#39;s no battle of who has the most impressive house, the nicest car, the most money. It%26#39;s almost a classless society where blue collar and white collar mix very easily; where artists, writers, and other creative types thrive; and where old fashion values still exists with neighbors helping neighbors,etc.

As for a place to vacation. It%26#39;s the best! The southern coast has beaches just as beautiful as the cape and islands. But they are somehow different and I%26#39;ve never been able to put my finger on it.

The midcoast also has a few really pretty beaches with long stretches of sand, beach roses, dunes, and views out to lighthouses, islands, and open ocean. In addition, there%26#39;s also the rocky coast where waves crash, lighthouses abound, and the scent of evergreens mixed with salt air is intoxicating.

Add to the above the zillions of islands, some accessible via ferries or mailboats, some only by private boat and there%26#39;s much to discover and enjoy.

As the Bar Harbor/Acadia experts might tell you, Acadia Nat%26#39;l Park is the crowning gem. The midcoast begins the slow conversion from gentle rolling hills to where the mountains meet the sea in the Camden area and on down to Acadia.

If you really want to chill out, enjoy nature at it%26#39;s finest, hike some awesome trails, relax along the shore, or visit small fishing villages and chow down on lobster overlooking the water, then Maine is the place for you. Yes, there are numerous great restaurants, galleries, shops, boat excursions, etc just like there are down the cape, but the pace is slower, even during the height of summer and tourist season.

I%26#39;d suggest staying in Ogunquit on the southern coast if you want beach or even parts of the midcoast. (Reid State Park and Popham beaches are both located mid-coast near the towns of Brunswick and Bath); Boothbay Harbor or the Pemaquid peninsual for some great scenery and a little bit of everything. Or Camden and Acadia Nat%26#39;l Park further downeast for mountains meeting the sea and great hiking. However, there are many other little towns and villages in between that are really special too!

Check out www.visitmaine.com or purchase Christina Tree%26#39;s Maine: An Explorer%26#39;s Guide to get you started if you decide Maine is your preference.

Good luck and let us know what you decide :).

cozyharbor