[hulahips]

Starting to research Maine. Anyone hear of boothbay harbor? Is it a nice place to visit? Attractions nearby?? Would love to go for few weeks and really see the state?

[dbussone]

I was born in ME. Boothbay Harbor is very nice. I'm including a URL for the Chamber of Commerce - but it is the site map so you can see all the stuff on the website and explore it more easily. http://www.boothbayharbor.com/site-map.html
Weather, eat swim, stay, play, etc. it's an extensive listing

[hulahips]

Wow. Great so what do you recommend? Where do we fly in to? Is it a good location to start out with?

[pbkmaine]

You will want to spend time in Portland for the great restaurants, then maybe travel up the coast to Acadia National Park. If you go Route 1, you will pass a dozen or so beautiful coastal towns. Freeport has LLBean and outlets galore, Brunswick has Bowdoin College and its wonderful small art museum, Bath has the Maine Maritime Museum, Wiscasset has Red's Eats and its famous lobster roll, then you will pass many well known pottery places. Take a detour down from Wiscasset to Boothbay to see the Harbor and the Botanical Garden, then back up to Route 1 to Rockland to the Farnsworth and their amazing collection of Wyeths (N.C., Andrew, Jamie), then up to Mt. Desert Island for Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor. If you are terribly ambitious, you can go right up the coast to Eastport, and perhaps into Canada and Campobello Island.

[pbkmaine]

I would fly into Portland. It's the largest airport in Maine. Having said that, I am going up to visit a friend in Waldoboro in August, and I am flying into Manchester NH, because Southwest has a direct flight to Manchester from Orlando.

[dbussone]

There's your trip!

[KeepingItReal]

Originally Posted by hulahips

Starting to research Maine. Anyone hear of boothbay harbor? Is it a nice place to visit? Attractions nearby?? Would love to go for few weeks and really see the state?

Fly into Portland, catch LL bean and the outlets along main street in Freeport. Can also stop by Kennebunkport. We stayed in Freeport and then Camden where Peyton Place was filmed. Had a great trip, Stayed at the The Black Horse B&B right on HWY 1. Rockland and Rockport are close by and be sure to take the water ferry over to Vinalhaven. You can drive north to Belfast and take a train ride there.. Crabcakes and blueberries.......great.

[hulahips]

Tks everyone. Sounds great. How is weather end of August?

[njbchbum]

pbkmaine suggested a great first-time trip to Maine! It is very similar to our first trip over 30 yrs ago! Flying into Portland rather than Manchester, NH doesn't allow you the tour of the southern coast along Rt 1 - great towns of Wells, Ogunquit, Kennebunkport and Old Orchard Beach. If travelling during the summer be prepared for traffic!!! And if travelling for fall foliage, many of the lobster and clam shacks have closed for the season; and the real foliage is more inland.

A couple of good websites to view are Visit Maine and
Travel Planners - Maine Tourism Association

A must see if you are travelling in the Fall is The Fryeburg Fair! Fryeburg Fair > Home
[free with admission - Thursday, Oct 8, 8PM - Clint Black - I'll be there!!! ]

[njbchbum]

Originally Posted by hulahips

Tks everyone. Sounds great. How is weather end of August?

Maine August Weather 2015 - AccuWeather Forecast for ME 04736

[fred53]

Skip Old Orchard beach...the place has been a dive for many, many years...unless of course you prefer kitsch, drunks, loud people and motorcycles. Visit Acadia Nat'l park on Mt. Desert Island(pronounced "dessert"), google great local seafood places and hit one or two on the drive from Portland to Acadia(Rt.3)....llbeans in Freeport is nice and open 24/7/365...Ogunquit is quaint, but overrun with tourists as are most of the southern beach towns(Boothbay included, but is nicer than the southern towns)...

[Balesschool]

Beautiful place to visit to experience the rocky coast of Maine. Very touristy with lots of shops and restaurants. Many boats leave there for short or long cruises, one going to a nearby island where there is a beach. Golf course in area, LL Bean right down the road. State beaches nearby.

[Paper1]

Originally Posted by hulahips

Tks everyone. Sounds great. How is weather end of August?

Unless you are into salt water swimming I would consider visiting Maine after Labor Day. Sept and Oct were always my favorite time of year in my old home state.