Maine ,US trip planning - Acadia National park and other stops

Hello ecs1516

Have not been to Maine in too many years but it is beautiful.

There is a lot of information online. Here is just one link

https://www.mainetourism.com/places-to-stay/ but there many more. Just go to Maine travel information

There are probably also links exclusively for Acadia National Park, Novia Scotia and Quebec City.

I also suggest checking out youtube videos.

Crowds would probably be less when school starts up but keep in mind that leaf changing season begins maybe late September into October and crowds should be huge

Would you consider a. cruise? Norwegian and other lines offer. cruises from Boston or New York to Quebec City during fall. it is supposed to be a really beautiful cruise.

Thanks Bostonphil7,

I haven't thought of youtube videos ,but good idea. Also we will be going to Boston this summer for a trip helping my son move there. We will see the sites of Boston , but that is separate trip from Maine trip. I had looked up some Maine websites , but I had not seen that one for some reason . Thanks

For our own visit a few years ago we opted to stay in Southwest Harbor in order to avoid the seasonal crowds in and around Bar Harbor. It turned out to be a good choice for us since the little town fills up quickly when the day trippers start arriving, and it was even worse one day when a cruise ship was in port - couldn't wait to get out of there.
It's a much more mellow experience over on that side of the island and is still only about 30 minutes by car to Cadillac Mtn. There are a number of excellent trails in the area that we had pretty much all to ourselves.
We used booking.com to find our accommodation.
We drove a couple of hours up Rte. 1 to visit the FDR compound on Campobello Island just across the Canadian border in New Brunswick which we enjoyed very much. It's now an international park and is very well done - we wound up spending half a day there before continuing on to Quebec City.
We stayed in the town of Levis just across the St. Lawrence River from Quebec - again, to avoid the crowds especially on days when a cruise ship is in port. There's a delightful and picturesque little ferry that connects Levis with the Old City (just below the Fairmont Hotel), which allowed us to avoid traffic and parking issues in the city. We enjoyed the "daily commute" across the river in order to see the sights and explore the beautiful city, and we particularly appreciated leaving the hustle and bustle (and the crowds) behind when we finally departed in the late afternoon. Used booking.com for accommodations there too.

I’ve stayed at the Cromwell Harbor Hotel, which is on Main Street in Bar Harbor, away from the main drag of shops and restaurants but still an easy walk to them. We were there in high season, and it was very quiet.

Have lunch or tea at Jordan Pond House in Acadia; it’s famous for its popovers.

The Asticou Azalea Garden, which is near Acadia, is very much worth a visit.

It’s also worth checking cruisemapper.com to see if there’ll be any cruise ships in port in Bar Harbor during your stay. The Main Street area in particular can get pretty hectic when there are ships in port.

If you do plan to go to Nova Scotia, there’s a ferry (The Cat) that runs between Bar Harbor and Yarmouth, NS.

September is a fantastic time to visit New England. Enjoy your planning!

We went to Bar Harbor in late September last year, and everything (lodging, restaurants, etc.) was very crowded. Acadia National Park was so crowded that it was hard to find parking spaces. Make sure you check the Acadia NP website for purchasing a vehicle registration for Cadillac Mountain. We stayed in some cute cabins about ten miles north of Bar Harbor. (Eden Village Motel and Cottages).

I do like the drive around Southwest Harbor. Not crowded! Or a drive over to Schoodic Point.

Regarding your question about travel guides:
A quick search on Amazon turned up scores of Maine travel guides, many of which seemed to be very highly rated. You might want to start your search there. We picked up a used copy of the Lonely Planet "Maine and Acadia NP" guide before our own trip which we found to be quite good ... and which only cost a few dollars.

Was born and raised in Boston. It's a great city.

Be prepared for sticker shock if you are looking to book a hotel. Booking.com is good for research.

Last two times I visited, I sent for a travel information packet put together by The Boston visitor's site. It cost money but they did send me information in the mail. I do not know if this is still done.

Copley Square is among my favorite Boston areas. Boston is a great walking city.

Maine is terrific, and we used the Moon Travel books for planning. You may be able to preview them at your local library before purchasing one of them. Our trip was in May, so I can't speak to crowds in the fall, but many schools these days do start back in August if that would mean less people. We focused on coastal Maine; flew in and out of Portland; rented a car there. Some of the highlights for us on the way to Acadia were:

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay, ME https://www.mainegardens.org/visit/plan-your-visit/ & Pemaquid Lighthouse.

We spent a few days in Camden, ME and I highly recommend The Captain Swift Inn; beautiful property & fabulous innkeepers. While in Camden, we hiked the Mount Megunticook Trail and had a memorable dinner at Primo in Rockland, ME

As for Acadia, we stayed in Bar Harbor at The Primrose Inn, and I do NOT recommend it. Overpriced with an indifferent staff; room photographs can be deceiving. We enjoyed everything about our dinner at "The Travelin' Lobster" Check their Facebook page for hours. Acadia's hiking trails are well marked and vary in difficulty. Views from the Great Head Trail and the Gorham Mountain Trail were gorgeous. The Ocean Path trail is an easy walk, but it can get crowded depending on the time of day. We found the Jordan Pond House to be a huge disappointment. IMO it is a tourist trap; long wait; subpar food and poor service; not sure why their popovers are so "famous" as they are not good.

If you are in Portland, check out the Allagash Brewery, and if the "Bite Into Maine" food truck is there that day then stay for a delicious lunch. Our stay at the Chadwick B&B in Portland was lovely. Happy planning for your trip!

Thank you for all these replies.

The suggestion to fly into Portland and pick up your rental car there is a good one I think.
One possible side trip that might be of interest is the town of Freeport ... just up the road from Portland on the way to the NP. It's the home of llbean and the whole town seems to be one big showroom for their lines of outdoor products and clothing. I think there are a half dozen HUGE stores featuring their products. I didn't think we'd ever get out of there. It gave the phrase "shop till you drop" a whole new meaning ...

Robert,
Yes we were definitely thinking about flying into Portland. I also have the LLBean store on my list in Freeport . It is one of my favorite mail order companies I have used for over 30 years I just have to check out their main store.

ecs1516: brace yourself, but it's not just a flagship store - it's an entire complex covering several blocks, with each of the cavernous stores specializing in one particular element of the LLBean brand. If you're already a fan you're going to love it.

I stayed 3 nights in Rockland on my trip last Oct., staying at the Rockland Harbor Hotel. Good location, decent price. Lots to see in the area. Hill’s Seafood Company had excellent scallops. Ports of Italy nice restaurant in nearby Rockport

York is a nice place. Nubble Lighthouse is very scenic. Lobster Cove restaurant

To Quebec go via Greenville and Moosehead lake

Over the years, we have tired of driving in and out of Boston. Lately, we have flown into Boston, staying a few days using public transport and walking. Then taking a bus to Portland Airport to rent a car for visiting Maine & Canada. In Portland. The Inn at St John Is a quirky hotel in a good location with a great staff. Highway 1 heading north is the scenic route. Lobster stop in Wiscasset at Red's Eats or Sprague's Lobster along the highway. After trip, return car and fly out of Portland. In Bangor, lobster bisque at the High Tide Restaurant & Bar. We have lots of favorite places and restaurants in Maine, most off the beaten path but still close.

Also close to Freeport and LL Bean is Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park. Great place for a picnic and/or light hiking.

Not sure if you're planning to travel south of Portland, but Wells Beach is very nice.

I was born and raised in Maine. While one would think September is a quieter month with kids back in school Maine still sees a high number of tourists at this time so I would anticipate things will still be fairly busy and some moderate crowds.

If your group is interested in coastal towns to visit I grew up in the Kennebunkport area which might be worth a quick visit or Ogunquit. Further up the state on your way to Bar Harbor you might visit Camden & Rockport.

If you are thinking of adding on a stop in Canada driving from Bar Harbor to Quebec City is roughly 5 1/2 hours and you would get to see interior Maine which is quite different than the coastal towns. Bar Harbor to Montreal is roughly 6 `1/2 hours drive. Both cities if you have not visited before are worth it in my opinion. Quebec City has a more European feel. You mentioned going to Nova Scotia which you could take the CAT ferry from Bar Harbor to Nova Scotia, that's what I would suggest if you want to go to NS. I personally prefer Prince Edward Island over Nova Scotia.

Just want to mention (if you're worried about prices) because I saw someone stay sticker shock - we went down to Maine/NH/MA last year for the 1st time in forever and had been going to go last week of Sept or 1st week of Oct - prices more than doubled for hotels/motels. We ended up bumping our trip up to Sept 15 to save money. Trees were already starting to change if you want some of that (which isnt a huge deal for us because Nova Scotia leaf peeping is just as gorgeous)

Oh these are such great posts ! I saving all of these notes . Thank you
Now just to decide if we want to go before leaves changes or during , but it sounds like the that season is more expensive .