OH DUer wants to vacation in Maine on a budget

[roseBudd]

Suggestions?

We want to kick back, eat lobster & crab where the locals do and maybe be near a Forest or some good fishing off a pier

Cheap motels OK, as long as they are clean

[MaineDem]

1. I'd suggest the Bar Harbor region

You've got Acadia National Park http://www.nps.gov/acad/ one of my most favorite places.

There are many lobster places either on the island or just before you get there in Trenton where the lobsters are cooked while you wait. There aren't too many crabs in Maine (unless you meet some of the curmudgeons who live here) but you should try steamed clams (steamers).

There are reasonable motels in Ellsworth as well as on Mt Desert Island although those on the island tend to be a bit pricey. A favorite place for us is the Acadia Hotel in downtown Bar Harbor. http://www.acadiahotel.com/index.htm It's right on the town green, you can walk to most attractions in town, and you can get a shuttle bus (free) across the street to most spots on the island. You drive to the island, by the way.

http://www.acadiachamber.com/mdichamber.html
http://www.mountdesertchamber.org/
http://www.barharbormaine.com/
http://www.ellsworthchamber.org/

The local county Democrats have an office in downtown Ellsworth. You should stop in and say hi to them if you drive by.

I hope this helps. There's always the Boothbay Harbor region, too. I prefer these areas to the beaches in southern Maine but others may have different thoughts.

Have a great time!

[Shorebound]

2. Some visitors

are saving money by staying in motels in Augusta and Bangor and then driving the 45 minutes to the coast. Both cities also put you within easy driving distance of the western mountains (Augusta) and the North Woods (Bangor). If you want to stay on the coast without spending huge bucks, both Belfast and Bucksport have small motels reasonably priced.

If you plan on fishing in fresh water, you'll need a fishing license.

[unhappycamper]

3. If you're coming up the end of the month, visit us in Kennebunkport on the 25th.

Big rally and march going on. http://kportprotest.org/

[mainegreen]

4. The Bethel region is cheap this time of year and home to great mountains..

gorges, waterfalls, lakes, hiking, swimming.

[roseBudd]

5. These seem like all great suggestions but I have a few questions

Assuming I have to fly in somewhere, presumably Portland, then wondering about getting to these other places. I thought I read Acadia is 3 hrs from Portland

So any savings on motel could end up going towards a rental car

If we stay in Portland we could get by w/o a car, correct?

Kennebunkport? Isn't that where the uber rich are? I wouldn't want them looking at my cheap shoes and purse :(

[Shorebound]

6. No car?

Hmmm, not having a car will be a problem. Public transportation in Maine is less than sterling. If you stay in Portland, you'll do fine, and in fact I would recommend you tour the islands on a Casco Bay Lines ferry boat as one activity. You can get off at any island that strikes your fancy and walk around for a while and then board the next ferry.

[Old and In the Way]

7. You could get by w/o a car if you stayed in Portland.

You have car rentals at the airport, bus and train service for York County (southern coast).

Check out The Tides at Goose Rocks Beach, on the coast just below Biddeford Pool. 40 minutes from Portland. An undiscovered (relatively speaking) ocean front old inn on its own private beach (relatively speaking) and off of Route 9. Very nice if you want a real ocean/beach experience. Kennebunkport is a 15 minute drive South (great tourist destination, excellent food, shops). Don't sweat the cheap shoes, most people visiting (and most people living there) aren't wearing Gucci's (or whatever the heck a good brand name for shoes are....we're sneaker and work boot folks up heah!)

On edit: here's a link - http://www.tidesinnbythesea.com/amenities.html It's gotten a lot pricier since I used to hang down there in the late 70's drinking beer on the deck :-(


If you rent a car, you can easily get up to the White Mountains from Portland, beautiful area in NH...about a 90 minute drive.

[Maine-ah]

9. you can fly further north to

Owls Head International Airport. Puts you 15 mins from Camden, and 5 mins from Rockland. Taxi cabs are available. Less expensive than P-land.

[MaineDem]

12. You could fly into Bangor or Trenton (small airport there)

There's public transportation to Bar Harbor and with the free shuttle service all around the island you'd never need a car.

[gorbal]

14. You should take a trip to Ogunquit

(you take the amtrack train to Wells and call the trolley from the station). You do not need a car in that area in the summer, as trolleys connect Ogunquit to Kennebunkport, York beach, Wells beach and other nearby areas. I really enjoyed walking up "Marginal Way" last summer, it is perhaps the most beautiful walk I have been on. I started at their artsy downtown area, which had a real unique, fun and exiting feel to it, then took the "Marginal Way" walk to Perkins Cove, which was unbelievably beautiful.

(I would not suggest going on a weekend or holiday as it is WAY to crowded, and forget finding a parking space.)

You could also try Rockland; If your not driving it's around 30 dollars round trip from Portland via concord trailways (take the #5 portland city bus to the concord/amtrack station then go in and get ticket). Plan ahead to go to the Farnworth museum, state theatre, walk the breakwater, or take a ferry ride to one of the islands.

I have a little blog on traveling in Maine here-

http://stufftahdoinmaine.blogspot.com/

I don't make money on it, it is purely a vanity thing that maybe two other people have read so far. Forgive me if the grammar is horrible.

[Maine-ah]

8. cheapest way to do it, is to go camping.

Camden State Park has really good camping, that would put you in the woods, on the ocean. Rockland is 15 minutes, and fishing off the breakwater is fabulous.

http://www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/doc/parks/find_one_name.pl?park_id=14

[roseBudd]

10. According to Expedia here are a few choices for bundling air/hotel to save

Days Inn South Portland

Across from Maine Mall. We stayed in a 1906 era hotel in San Diego near Horton Center in old downtown. I don't suppose the Maine Mall is urban cool

Econo Lodge of South Portland

This pet-friendly hotel is across from the Maine Mall, four miles from the historic Old Port area, and 10 miles from the ocean.

[luckyleftyme2]

11. if you drive

If you drive their are several cut rate car rentals. one is" u save". this way you could see much more of maine.
If you land at bangor,here is just a suggestion for a trip. bar harbor is but a 90 minute drive. the scenery is fantastic and the food is great. the next day take a trip to machias,be sure and stop into helen's for a meal and their world-wide famous strawberry pie.
then head for calais(you'll now notice trees are abundant) and get the best pizza in maine at "Carmen's" tell her joe sent you.
from there had for eastport,and see the bay of fundy,home of the 27 foot tides.from there its only a short trip to campbello island (former summer home of pres. roosevelt)
on your return trip travel rte# 1 thru Princeton,waite,to topsfield then take rte#6
to lincoln.(you will now have past several lakes and plenty of trees)
from lincoln take the back road to bangor.
by now I hope you have decided to extend your stay and visit the other three quarters of out beautiful state.
I've been blessed to have worked on highway and govt projects all over this state and
so i'm probably a little bias.

[roseBudd]

13. We are probably still going to fly into Portland as fares to PWM are substantially

less than the other airports and bundle a car & wing it after the first night or two.

It's the same in OH, we fly out of Dayton rather than Cincinnati to save.

I am thinking there has to be lodging that orbitz or travel advisor doesn't know about.

Looking at some of the B&B websites from Kittery to Old Orchard Beach, some could use a web 2.0 redesign, maybe I can work out a trade and shoot photos for site redesisn at the same time :)

Thanks for all the suggestions & I will probably be updating from Maine once we arrive. Perhaps an impromptu DU meetup for the third week in August :)

[gorbal]

15. I stayed at a place near Wiscasset for 40 dollars a night

You can get some real deals if you look hard enough. I hear Moody's Motel in Waldoboro is quite cheap, (at least their cabins used to be) and we used to stay in the Yankee Traveler quite alot when we visited my brother. I would book ahead if you could, as August is busy as crap.