My favorite places were Portland, Freeport, and Camden.

Portland has a quaint feel and is a bit artsy. It is right on the coast and is very much a fishing town.

Freeport had older architecture fitted with new outlet shops – so if you enjoy shopping this is a good place for you to make a pit stop.

Camden is one of my favorite towns. It really looks like it is out of a movie and there are lots of little shops and no ‘chain’ stores – even the grocery is a little one. Here you can ‘climb’ Mt. Battie for a great view over the harbor and it is very much worth it.

Other places I went were Old Orchard Beach and Augusta… OOB as we affectionately called it is a bit strange – the water is freezing even on the warmest day and it is very dated.

Augusta is interesting but not worth a trip.

It is a beautiful state. I did not make it to Acadia but I hear it is worth the trip.

As for places to stay I was working at summer camp during my trips so I didn’t have an hotel recs. I know you can camp or I suggest getting a hotel through hotels.com or hotwire.com

Best of Luck – try a lobster roll – even at McDonalds!

I agree; Augusta isn’t worth the time.

Portland is a great place to visit; you can take a ferry out to the islands (I recommend a day trip to Peak’s Island) and there is a lot of activities. The duck tour is fun, there are a lot of theaters and a few museums, there are plenty of places to eat. The night scene is half way decent.

Freeport is good for shopping, if that’s your thing. It isn’t really mine.

Camden is a nice little town; I was there last summer for a wedding.

If you can get up to Acadia and enjoy hiking, I recommend it. Bar Harbor has a lot going for it, and you can spend a week easy hiking and biking in that area. You can take charter boats out to fish in the ocean.

If you enjoy hiking, you might like climbing Mount Katahdin at the end of the Appalachian Trail.

Not sure if you want to drive this far, but I would recommend Mid-coast area. It is probably a 7 or 8 hour drive so maybe too far but it is wonderful. If you do Freeport and love the outdoors, be sure to go to Wolf Neck Woods State Park. And go to Haraseeket Lunch and Lobster for the quintessential Maine dining experience. If you go up a bit further (to Bath and turn right), I recommend the Popham Beach Bed And Breakfast – an old Coast Guard Station converted. Popham Beach State Park is nearby and has lots of sand dollars!
Just across the bridge from Bath is the road to Georgetown which will take you to another lovely state park – Reid State Park. There is the Grey Havens Inn just up the road from Reid. Nearby (and down a side road) you will find Five Islands Lobster Coop (or whatever the name is now, it changes every few years, I think.)

From any of these places, I must recommend a trip to Pemaquid Point (in the photo)- it is my favorite place in the world. Damariscotta is the town you pass through going down to Pemaquid and for lunch there, we always stop at King Eider’s Pub for Bangers and Mash. Oh, so good!

For dining, there are several musts: Robinhood Meetinghouse is extraordinary. In Brunswick, try the Starfish Grill.

Oh, thank you for giving me the chance to think about Maine today. I hope you have a great trip. Let me know if you have any more questions.

Personally, I loved Acadia Nat’l Park. I highly recommend the Blackwoods Campground, and most any of the hikes on the island are spectacular.

Also, the whale watching trips in the area are overrated as far as being “nature” trips (you basically get in a big boat and waste gas chasing after whales who want nothing to do with you). But as far as awesome boat rides go, they’re tough to beat!

Camden and Acadia National Park (Bar Harbor) are my favorites thus far. Camden is quaint, the food, shopping, people, views, and harbor are great. Acadia is very cool. Bar Harbor is cute, but very touristy.

My favorite place in Maine is Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth. It’s great for a picnic and flying kites. There’s a small beach, and ruins for exploring, as well as a small museum/gift shop inside the still-operating Portland Head Light. I also agree with the recommendation of Freeport if you like to shop, and also Boothbay Harbor – it’s touristy and tacky, but there are lots of cute little shops and the ocean breeze. I would avoid Old Orchard Beach, personally – it’s ugly, tacky, and dirty. It’s got personality and a certain charm, but I wouldn’t bother with it on a two-day trip. For beaches, Popham Beach is much nicer, although in the summer the parking fills up very quickly in the morning and parking on the side of the road will get you a ticket. (In other words, don’t try to show up at noon on a hot day because you’ll never get in.)

Bath is nice for exploring the shops downtown, but don’t plan to make a day out of it unless you’ll be there on the weekend of the 4th of July; there is the Bath Heritage Days festival that weekend, with a craft fair, and carnival, and usually a book sale too. Otherwise, Bath is a nice stop on your way somewhere else.

For dining, I’m most familiar with Brunswick. The Wild Oats bakery is good for lunch; they’ve got great sandwiches, soups, and baked goods. There are two Indian restaurants in town, both of which are good, and the Great Impasta is a nice little Italian restaurant with seafood/pasta dishes being their specialty. In my experience, it’s very busy on a Friday or Saturday night, though. There is also the Sea Dog brewery in Topsham, which has excellent food and drinks, a very pleasant atmosphere, and in the warmer months there is outdoor dining overlooking the Androscoggin River. It’s in the old Androscoggin Mill building and they’ve preserved all the original brick, put up old pictures of the mill and the river. Very cool.

If you like kitschy gift shops, try the Land’s End gift shop in Harpswell, or one of many shops in downtown Freeport. Also in Freeport is L.L. Bean, which is open 24 hours a day in case you need some last minute fishing or hunting supplies at 4 in the morning. ;)

I’ve never been to Acadia but I hear great things about it.

Without a doubt, Bar Harbor… an absolutely stunning place!

I highly recommend visiting Portland (and surrounding neighborhoods). Yes, Bar Harbor, Acadia, and Presque Isle are all beautiful places but you only have two days. The drive to those places alone would take up your vacation (however, it would be a beautiful drive!)

I highly recommend taking the Casco Bay Ferry to Peaks Island for lunch – it is such a beautiful twenty minute ride or so with views of Portland. Also, there is a great little dive bar in Portland (near the Ferry dock) that serves the best steamers in all of Maine (it’s called J’s oyster bar).

The nightlife in Portland is okay – bars close at 1 but they are all in one central area right on the water.

Other interesting spots are Fort Williams, Two Lights, and Wells Beach. Wells Beach is by far one of the nicest beaches in Maine. Hope this helps.

I forgot to add one thing – if possible, you MUST go to Boothbay Harbor – it is one of Maine’s best kept secrets.

Wow! So many responses! I live in Maine but I am sad to say I haven’t traveled or explored very far so I can just give you my limited advise. Depending on what you like to do and how much you are willing to spend, the suggestions would vary but I’ll just throw some things out there. Like people have mentioned you should definitely go to Portland. It’s one of the main hang out spots for my friends & I because it has the Old Port which is just what it says. An Old Port in Portland. In the Old Port there are tons of little shops, some of them expensive but still fun to go into. There’s a Coldstone Creamery and a Beal’s ice cream. There’s Granny’s Burritos for Mexican food, Sebago Brewing Company, and a couple Japanese restaurants all right in walking distance. There’s even a little movie theater with only one screen that plays a good movie from time to time. It’s gorgeous to wander through the Old Port at the end of the day when the sun is setting. It’s the most wonderful feeling and everything looks beautiful, from the quaint little shops to the cobblestone streets. AND – I don’t know if you’re interested in this – but there’s also a hookah bar right next to the movie theater. My friends and I are just teenagers so we like stuff like that. :] Ok. So sorry I’m rambling, I just really do love the Old Port. So you should definitely go there if you can. Freeport is also really pretty and good for shopping because it’s full of the cheaper outlet stores. That’s all I can write for now but I hope I helped you a bit and if you have any other questions feel free to ask, I might be able to help.

Thanks all for the suggestions, I was expecting a 7 hour drive or so, the extra 3.5 is to Bar Harbor may be a little much… but bath isnt too far it seems.

I am hoping for the maine experience, will i be able to find a good lobster (reasonably priced) in portland or bath or is i all too touristy…

Old port sounds good. so does that ferry ride…

If its worth the drive i may still do the bar harbor trip.. but an extra 8 hours of driving in a weekend is quite a bit

My favorite place in maine is Mt Desert Island, but that’s a 6 hour drive from Boston. Since you’ve only got 4 hours, I’d head up the coast to Camden. There are places to camp around there. Have fun!

When do the black flies arrive and when do they leave? I was told to avoid them at all costs. Is it as bad as people say?

I used to go up to Ogunquit with my family all the time. It is a beach town. We usually went in the summer, but it’s not bad in the winter either.

(If you are going in the winter, call ahead, because a lot of places are only open seasonally, so only in the summer.) Around Christmas time, many houses are all lit up with lights and decorations. It looks like your classic New England town. The beach is beautiful with snow on it. You’ll feel like you are on a glacier or something.

In the summer, it is kind of crowded, but during that time you can stay at the Cliff House Resort and Spa. It is one of my favorite places. I have really good memories of going there with the fam. They have a rocky shoreline that’s fun to walk along, and they have a great brunch. I haven’t been there for years, but would love to go back.

The water along the coast of Maine is cold. Ogunquit beach has some strong waves, but it is still pretty safe to swim in.

I saw some comment about black flies. You shouldn’t really encounter those unless you are in the woods, but they are not bad enough to write about. Just wear some bug repellant spray and you’ll be more than all set.