What to do in Portland, ME before going to Acadia?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bradbury State Park in Pownal
Casco Bay ferry ride to Peaks or the Mail Run
The Dairy Queen in Topsham (LBJ ate there with a plaque to prove it!)
Popham Beach
Reid State Park
A Sea Dogs minor league baseball game
Old roadside cemeteries in Durham (where Steven King has childhood ties)


Otherwise Portland is kind of a one day town, imo. I lived in Midcoast Maine and out of town guests were unimpressed with Portlands offerings. I thought they were snobby but I guess I get it. Visit the abundant stunning. nature of Maine! Watch out for the flies and ticks

I live in a town nearby and this is a really weird suggestion. Gelato Fiasco in nearby Brunswick is excellent, however.

[Anonymous]

You can go to Brunswick as well. Lots of fun stuff there too.

[Anonymous]

Oh, and re Wolfe's Neck Park, visit the Center for Agriculture and the Environment. They have farm animals and some nice trails.

The LLBean paddling center is nearby too.

[Anonymous]

I already mentioned it on the other thread, but pop into Shoppers Hardware in South Portland and say hi to the shop cats Daniel and Bigfoot.

[Anonymous]

I’d do two nights in Portland and two nights in Boothbay and then on to Acadia. Check out the coastal Maine coastal botanical gardens near Boothbay.

[Anonymous]

We enjoyed Portland for 3 full days:
Day 1 Catamaran sail out of Saco: https://www.biminisailingcharters.com/
Day 2 exploring the city
Day 3 - hiked Mt. Pleasant (tallest mountain in Southern Maine) https://www.mainehikes.org/hikes/best-hikes-near-portland-maine

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Our food restrictions mean that we will NOT be eating out; we'll bring our own food.

This sounds awful. How does this work for day trips? Do you have to come back to Airbnb for lunch daily? Do you pack cooler every time you leave for the day with a full days worth of food for everyone? God wants you to have a good time and eat a lobster roll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bradbury State Park in Pownal
Casco Bay ferry ride to Peaks or the Mail Run
The Dairy Queen in Topsham (LBJ ate there with a plaque to prove it!)
Popham Beach
Reid State Park
A Sea Dogs minor league baseball game
Old roadside cemeteries in Durham (where Steven King has childhood ties)


Otherwise Portland is kind of a one day town, imo. I lived in Midcoast Maine and out of town guests were unimpressed with Portlands offerings. I thought they were snobby but I guess I get it. Visit the abundant stunning. nature of Maine! Watch out for the flies and ticks

I live in a town nearby and this is a really weird suggestion. Gelato Fiasco in nearby Brunswick is excellent, however.

Where do you live?

My suggestion was tongue in cheek bc it’s a very amusing landmark. Gelato Fiasco is ok… very filling and $$. But who stopped by there on 8-20-66? No one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Since we'll be flying into Portland and Acadia is 3+ hours north, I'm not sure that driving to Kennebunkport makes the most sense. Is there anything we can do that's between Portland and Acadia?

Or would it make sense to stay in two different places in Acadia? Is it big enough to warrant doing that (the way that Yellowstone is big enough that it makes sense to do that)?

There is lots to do and see between Portland and Acadia.

Spend one day in Portland and the surrounding area. Do a schooner cruise, visit Fort Williams State Park, take the ferry to Peak's Island for a day. If it's a beautiful day, go to the beach in Cape Elizabeth or Scarborough.

When you leave Portland, drive north to Freeport where you can visit Wolfe's Neck State Park and Winslow Park. Or you can skip that and continue on up the coast to Bath where, if it's before 2 PM, you can have a great lunch at Mae's Café. The Maine Maritime Museum is interesting and could include an outing on the Kennebec river if that's of interest to you.

Nearby Popham Beach is spectacular and worth spending the day.

Continue with the coast to Damariscotta. Visit the awesome secondhand bookstore there, then drive down the Pemaquid Peninsula to the Lighthouse Park, where the views are great and there are some interesting things to visit. The rock formations and views are spectacular. If it's a nice day you can spend some time at Pemaquid Beach.

As you leave Damariscotta, stop at Round Top Ice Cream for delicious treats. Then drive another 15 or 20 minutes to Waldoboro, where you can have something to eat at Moody's Diner. Blueberry pie! Whoopie pies!

Rockland is a little way north from there and has a wonderful art museum, which I know you're not interested in, but the Puffin Project is also in Rockland and if you like animals and science, it's pretty fascinating. Ideally you would be able to do a cruise to see puffins, but August is not the season for that.

https://www.audubon.org/seabird-institute/projects/tufted-puffin-conservation-pacific-northwest

Past Rockland is Camden, which I think is overrated honestly, but you can drive up Mount Battie in Camden Hills State Park for panoramic views.

Keep driving north and just past Lincolnville is the town of Belfast, Maine, which is worth a stop for a meal and a walk. It has a genuine feel to it which in my opinion Camden lacks.

Acadia is about an hour and a half north of Belfast. Enroute, stop in Bucksport and visit Fort Knox, one of Maine's best-preserved coastal forts. Take the elevator up the Penobscot Narrows Observatory for 360-degree views of the river and bay.

I hope this is helpful.

Great advice here (although I do like Camden personally, and the hikes in Camden Hills are great. Popham Beach is worth going to as well. We also really enjoyed Brunswick recently - the art museum and arctic museum at Bowdin are small but interesting/worth a visit. There is so much to do in Midcoast Maine - you'll have a great time.