Where is a good place to vacation in Maine in the summer?

Answer 1

The most scenic place to go would be Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park. However, the island can be quite crowded during the summer, unless you go near the end.

The Camden Hills area is a much quieter place, with many fine inns and bed and breakfasts throughout the area. Camden is a nice small town with a pretty harbor that has boats that give day cruises. Camden Hills State Park is an excellent place to camp and hike, with beautiful views of Penobscot Bay.

If you stay in the Camden area, you can go to Rockland (the Lobster Capital of the World), which is bigger, and nearby towns such as Rockport and Thomaston. Thomaston features many nice older homes that sea captains used to own.

If you go north of Camden, you can visit Belfast, which is larger than Camden but slightly smaller than Rockland. The downtown area features many nice shops, and the city has a nice park on the waterfront.

Away from the coast, Baxter State Park, near Millinocket, is just about as wild as you can get and still be near some sense of civilization. Another option is the Moosehead Lake region and Greenville. Both areas have an abundance of wildlife, including moose. You can often see a moose eating alongside I-95 between Bangor and Millinocket and alongside Maine Route 15 between Bangor and Greenville.

If you want to be close to the conveniences of a bigger city, Bangor may be the best place to set up shop. From here (I live in Bangor), you can take day trips to all of the areas I mentioned while paying less for lodging and being close to large shopping centers.

Web sites to check out:

http://www.visitmaine.com
http://bangorinfo.com
http://www.belfastmaine.org
http://www.katahdinmaine.com
http://www.themainehighlands.com
http://www.barharborinfo.com
http://www.nps.gov/acad

Answer 2

A popular tourist spot is Old Orchard Beach. However, if you want a kind of out of the way spot go to Presque Isle or Skowhegan. Bangor is much better than Portland if you want to stay in a populated area. Campobello Island is also a nice spot. Arnold Schwarzenegger is reported to stay there from time to time.