Coastal Tour of Maine?
12-31-11, 05:33 PM
#1
Every day a winding road
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Coastal Tour of Maine?
One of the destinations on my possible tour list is Maine.
First the time of year. In the Arcadia thread, I see that after Labor Day is a good time to avoid crowds but what about the weather? Rain? What is the temperature like during this time of year.
What is a good section of the coast for say 10 days or so?
I want to have camping as an option. Though there will be 5 of us, 2 will usually camp and 3 will take hotels, B&Bs etc. I also like comfortable camping. That is camping that has showers and real bathrooms. Campsite should be near restaurants. We would also want to be not too far from our motel counterparts. Are there campsites that might fit into these qualifications?
Are there hostels along the route?
First the time of year. In the Arcadia thread, I see that after Labor Day is a good time to avoid crowds but what about the weather? Rain? What is the temperature like during this time of year.
What is a good section of the coast for say 10 days or so?
I want to have camping as an option. Though there will be 5 of us, 2 will usually camp and 3 will take hotels, B&Bs etc. I also like comfortable camping. That is camping that has showers and real bathrooms. Campsite should be near restaurants. We would also want to be not too far from our motel counterparts. Are there campsites that might fit into these qualifications?
Are there hostels along the route?
12-31-11, 05:59 PM
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Hey there Spinnaker,
Actually Sept is a great month to tour. i did a 4 day tour in the Maine Lakes region mid Sept last year. The state parks are still open, as are most private campgrounds. Also, hotels will be easier to get vs pre-Labor Day. the temps are cool in the morning, but warm up quickly to avg 60-70. I have plans to perhaps tour a loop of the Rangeley Lakes down to the Freeport area and back, in case you want a more inland tour. If you're open to another camper on your trip, let me know.
What route do you plan to follow? Since the coast is really a series of long fingers out into the ocean, if you follow say Rt 1, you miss many of the small villages and have to deal with traffic. If you loop down each pennsuala, you'll be covering huge distances and not making much northern progress.
Actually Sept is a great month to tour. i did a 4 day tour in the Maine Lakes region mid Sept last year. The state parks are still open, as are most private campgrounds. Also, hotels will be easier to get vs pre-Labor Day. the temps are cool in the morning, but warm up quickly to avg 60-70. I have plans to perhaps tour a loop of the Rangeley Lakes down to the Freeport area and back, in case you want a more inland tour. If you're open to another camper on your trip, let me know.
What route do you plan to follow? Since the coast is really a series of long fingers out into the ocean, if you follow say Rt 1, you miss many of the small villages and have to deal with traffic. If you loop down each pennsuala, you'll be covering huge distances and not making much northern progress.
12-31-11, 07:02 PM
#3
Every day a winding road
Thread Starter
Actually that is why I am posting to figure out a route. But I wasn't planning on hitting each and every peninsula. Maybe just one or two that can't be missed but I guess I would need to figure out which ones.
How cold does it get down to at night? High 40's might be the coldest I would want to camp.
Have you noticed many campsites near towns? Or better yet in town, maybe in city parks?
I'd like to get up to see the Bay of Fundy but don't know if we can get that far north. I guess it depends on where we start.
Also coming back. I was thinking of an inland tour back. Or is there a train or bus we can take back? Maybe a one way tour north with a train trip back?
How cold does it get down to at night? High 40's might be the coldest I would want to camp.
Have you noticed many campsites near towns? Or better yet in town, maybe in city parks?
I'd like to get up to see the Bay of Fundy but don't know if we can get that far north. I guess it depends on where we start.
Also coming back. I was thinking of an inland tour back. Or is there a train or bus we can take back? Maybe a one way tour north with a train trip back?
01-01-12, 06:20 AM
#4
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You shouldn't have any worries about it being too cold, as in september if it drops into the 40's, that would be unusual. More likely 50's at night, and 60's to 70's during the day.
If you stick to coastal routes, you will have no trouble finding lodging. There are campgrounds, motels and overnight cabins everywhere along rt. 1. And they will be less likely to be full after labor day, and may even have reduced rates.
As already stated, if you stick to rt. 1, you will miss some very picturesque coastal towns and villages, however it does go through Camden and several other beautiful towns.
For pure beauty, it's hard to beat Acadia. The town of Bar Harbor is right outside the park, with plenty of lodging. But you won't find any trains.
You will probably have to go to Portland to get a train or bus.
One of my favorite places on the Maine coast is Boothbay Harbor. It's gorgeous, and there are tons of bed and breakfasts. Also some campgrounds. https://www.boothbayharbor.com/stay/ The streets and roads are narrow, so caution is needed, but there is some great riding in the area.
As for weather, can't promise anything, obviously, but the weather in september is typically very nice, and it's less likely to be rainy than in the spring. It's really the nicest riding weather of the year. Cooler and less humid, and the bugs are gone. October is nice also, but it can get pretty cool, especially at night.
If you google Jim Witt's long range weather calendar, you can be pretty safe planning your trip for september around the weather outlook.
If you stick to coastal routes, you will have no trouble finding lodging. There are campgrounds, motels and overnight cabins everywhere along rt. 1. And they will be less likely to be full after labor day, and may even have reduced rates.
As already stated, if you stick to rt. 1, you will miss some very picturesque coastal towns and villages, however it does go through Camden and several other beautiful towns.
For pure beauty, it's hard to beat Acadia. The town of Bar Harbor is right outside the park, with plenty of lodging. But you won't find any trains.
You will probably have to go to Portland to get a train or bus.
One of my favorite places on the Maine coast is Boothbay Harbor. It's gorgeous, and there are tons of bed and breakfasts. Also some campgrounds. https://www.boothbayharbor.com/stay/ The streets and roads are narrow, so caution is needed, but there is some great riding in the area.
As for weather, can't promise anything, obviously, but the weather in september is typically very nice, and it's less likely to be rainy than in the spring. It's really the nicest riding weather of the year. Cooler and less humid, and the bugs are gone. October is nice also, but it can get pretty cool, especially at night.
If you google Jim Witt's long range weather calendar, you can be pretty safe planning your trip for september around the weather outlook.
01-01-12, 08:04 AM
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If you end your tour in Bar Harbor, the BH Bicycle Shop can pac & ship your bike. BH being the start/end of the Northern Tier Route, the handle lots of bike shipping. However, bus/air service would be from Bangor, BH does have a very,very small airport but not sure about service. There is train service from Boston to Portland, but I'm not sure if the trains go much past Portland. Perhaps up to Agusta, but I don't think I've seen a rail line along the coast.
Bay of Fundy is interesting, but if you want to see it, best to start in BH and north from there to Calais, St Andrew, NB Canada is nice, Campabella Island. there are free ferries in Canada that run between the islands there.
Bay of Fundy is interesting, but if you want to see it, best to start in BH and north from there to Calais, St Andrew, NB Canada is nice, Campabella Island. there are free ferries in Canada that run between the islands there.
