july 4th--any special events?

thinking of coming to portland during july 4th weekend. are there any special events that happen in Old Port or on any of the islands?

thanks for the info.

whirlw%26gt;

july 4th--any special events?

meliving.com/events/…index.shtml

july 4th--any special events?

thanks. it seems like the eastern prom is where the action will be for the 4th. is there any other thing to see in this area?

The Eastern prom is great on the 4th. They close the streets in that area so you%26#39;ll probably have a 15 mminute walk to get to the park, unless you go early in the day. The Eastern prom is walking distance from the Old Port.

*bump*!

One more idea...

I just read that L.L.Bean, in Freeport (20 mins. from Portland), is putting on the largest fireworks show ever, in Maine. When Bean does something like this, they usually do it right. Might be worth checking out.

';Must sees'; and ';Must eats'; on the Maine coast

We%26#39;ll be travelling from Scotland to Maine via Toronto %26amp; Halifax at the beginning of October. We are staying in B%26amp;Bs in Bar Harbor for 4 nights,Portland for 2 nights,Ogunquit for 2 nights and then on to Boston.we%26#39;ll be using public transport all the time.

Any ideas please for places not to be missed and ideas for the best value eating places in those towns.

Thanks

';Must sees'; and ';Must eats'; on the Maine coast

We covered part of your itinerary on our trip last summer. Check our GoList for details and have a great time!

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';Must sees'; and ';Must eats'; on the Maine coast

By ';public transport'; I assume that means you%26#39;ll be taking the Downeaster Train from Portland to Boston. I rode that recently for the first time and loved it. A great way to avoid Boston traffic, which can be horrendous!

It%26#39;s very easy to get around Boston on the mass transit system (they call it The ';T';) and it%26#39;s pretty easy to figure out the T maps and schedules. You shouldn%26#39;t have any problems, .just make sure you select a hotel that%26#39;s convenient to a T stop. We stayed at the Omni Parker House right downtown and got an excellent deal on Expedia. We couldn%26#39;t have been happier with the location.

Your best bet for info on Bar Harbor, Portland and Ogunquit is simply to read archived threads in the forums of those towns. The ';can%26#39;t miss'; stuff gets discussed frequently. In Bar Harbor, stay close to the town green or waterfront park. That way, you can get around on foot and using the Island Explorer Bus system IF it hasn%26#39;t closed down for the system. Portland has a city bus, but you might decide you%26#39;d like to rent a car one day to go out to Cape Elizabeth to the lighthouses. Ogunquit is walkable if you bring comfy shoes and stay somewhere centrally located. You want to be close to the intersection of Route 1 and the Shore Road. Rates should be affordable in October.

Re: Bar Harbor and vicinity:

The Island Explorer free shuttle will operate on the more popular routes through 8 October.

A number of hikes and walks, as well as places to eat, are discussed in the Overview section at the top of the Bar Harbor forum page.

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Weather in July?

We will be in Bar Harbor on July 15 and from what I have read the temperature during the day is around 80 and at night it is 60. Does it rain a lot during July?

Weather in July?

No it does not rain a lot during July. Hardly at all.

Weather in July?

Hi Fewman!

I think Bonnie Mae may be writing a bit ironically.

The Maine coast gets its share of rain in July, although not dramatically different from other parts of the Eastern Seaboard. I%26#39;d be surprised if your vacation were rained out, but it has been known to happen.

Rain may come from three kinds of weather:

1) Passing frontal systems, that may cause showers and sometimes thundershowers for a day here and there. A front goes through on average every three days, but not with any sort of consistency, and not all produce rain. They seldom last more than a day at a time.

2) Atlantic coastal fog, which does have the potential to hang in for a week or more at a time if your luck is bad and the wind is southerly. In such periods, the air is moist and clammy, and the nights and early mornings are frequently doused with drizzle or showers.

3) On the average of once a year in July, the tail end of an Atlantic hurricane will charge through, completely washing out one day.

Having said that, summer is far and away the favorite time to visit Maine, as you%26#39;ll discover when you check motel prices! Don%26#39;t be troubled by fear of inclement weather.

Happy travels, and let me know if I can help further!

David

capetien10@gmail.com

If, as I have suggested several times on this forum, you consult the Weather Underground trip planner for the Bar Harbor area, you would see that for the period 10--20 July the probability of a ';precipitation day,'; i.e., a day with measurable rain, is about 26%---and in the last three years of record (10-20 July), there was a total of five such days, i.e., 20%.

I really wasn%26#39;t writing ironically. It%26#39;s been my experience in the last eleven years of living here that it really doesn%26#39;t rain much in July. And when it does rain, it%26#39;s often in the night with some resulting fog around the next morning. Or at least that%26#39;s the way I remember it. Now April and May are quite rainy. Sometimes June.

Ditto to that. We%26#39;ve been visiting Maine in July for the past 15+ years and our sunblock has always gotten a workout!

Want a ';deadliest catch'; experience!

Ok, not really, but I would like some recommendations on boat tours where we can catch lobsters (or pull in the traps) and really feel like we are getting a true experience. Any recommendations in Southern Maine (we are staying in Ogunquit, but can travel north for a day). Thanks!

Want a ';deadliest catch'; experience!

You should head to Portland - there is a place on Commercial Street that provides this service and then cooks up your catch for you.

Going to Maine for the first time - where to go, what to do?

My husband and I are planning a trip to Maine in August. It will be the first time for both of us. We would like some help or suggestions as to which part of Maine to prioritize in our visit. I know Maine is popular for its coastal towns. Would that be the best region to see for first timers? We love historic places so a coastal town with old forts and villages, perhaps? Suggestions are heartily welcome! We have about a week to spend.

Thanks. God bless.

Going to Maine for the first time - where to go, what to do?

The first time I went to Maine we crammed a lot into our first visit to get a ';sampling';. We visited kennebunk (popular for being seaside area, nice beach, great shopping area downtown by water, Bush%26#39;s family compound). We went to Freeport for the LLBean and other outlets. We went to Boothbay Harbor (think turn of the century boardwalk/tourist) it has MANY touristy shops, ice cream, taffy, sailboat rides, antique stores, and very close to artist galleries and a short drive to Ocean%26#39;s Point - totally get away from it all rocky beach area. Of course we also did Bar Harbor and Acadia national park.

It was a lot in one week, and we only were at each place a day or two.

That being said, on all of our return trips we strictly do Bar Harbor/Acadia now. In my humble opinion, it%26#39;s the best! You can hike, bike, shop, sail, whale watch, carriage tours, kayak...the list is endless. Lot%26#39;s of great food, fun things, and the beauty of Maine!!!

Going to Maine for the first time - where to go, what to do?

You don%26#39;t say in your post how long you will be in Maine; and how you are getting there???? I am going to assume flying since you live in MN - so - for your first trip - fly into Portland; drive south to Kennebunkport and spend a couple days. Leave there; drive North; (staying off 95 - use Rte 1 and other coastal roads) You can stop in Freeport to visit LL Bean (other outlets there are pretty generic; so I would not waste my time anywhere else); perhaps make your next couple nights in Camden - and then proceed further north to Acadia National Park. The Park is gorgeous - but Bar Harbor is getting pretty crowded; especially in August. You might want to pick another small town somewhere close; like Southwest Harbor. Maine has some of the very best inns and B%26amp;B%26#39;s in the country - even if you are not a B%26amp;B%26#39;er (my husband is NOT) - we stay in them in Maine and even he loves them. There are some great reviews of good ones elsewhere in this site. (and some all the breakfast tables are private - no sharing a table with strangers at 7AM) The best food in Maine can be found on the water at small shacks - clams, lobster, lobster rolls (think shrimp salad, but with lobster - stuffed in a grilled hot dog bun!) Many are still family owned; most have fabulous food; and almost all are very cheap (by today%26#39;s standards for seafood)

Like the previous poster - we love Acadia the best...but if it is your first trip; you would do yourself a disservice by only seeing that part of Maine.

Hi

I would suggest taking a look at the Pemaquid Point area. You%26#39;ve got the lighthouse and Fort William Henry, trips to Monhegan island, wonderful coastal scenery, nice shopping and dining options in Damariscotta and on the peninsula and you%26#39;re within easy reach of Portland, Historic Bath, Camden, Rockland .... and even Bar Harbor / Acadia for a day trip.

We%26#39;ve been to Maine several times (will be heading back this July 18 to Bar Harfor / Ellsworth area). Yes, the coastal towns are great. May I suggest, Camden, Boothbay Harbor, Kennebunkport (get a glimpse of Geo. Bush Sr. at his Walker Point compound), Bar Harbor and the nearby Acadia Natl. Park. Whichever you choose-reservations are a must in the summer season! Don%26#39;t forget bug spray and bring a sweater, just in case. In any of the coastal towns, suggest a whale watch trip, or just a plain sunset sail on a vintage sailing ship. Clean water, good food, and honest hard-working folks will give you a vacation you want to return to again.

Hope this gives you a start. You may reply for more details..Enjoy!

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Night programs at Acadia

I have my whole itinerary planned out and was just waiting for the Beaver Log to post the schedule showing the stargazing program at Sand Beach. Sadly, it%26#39;s on a night when we can%26#39;t go, and I don%26#39;t want to un-reserve everything just to fit it in.

So, I%26#39;m wondering if anyone has ever done the ';Owl Moon'; program or any of the Ampitheater night programs at the campgrounds? What kinds of programs are they usually? Good?

Elise

Night programs at Acadia

i%26#39;m writing again to pull this post to the top....

anyone with any insight?

We leave in two days.

Thanks!

Traveling back from Nova Scotia...

plan to stop once i hit maine on I-95. Where would be the best spot to settle in for a night after we cross the canadian border. good food and beer is a plus. thanks!

Traveling back from Nova Scotia...

As soon as you cross into Maine you will be in the town of Houlton. If you do not stop there you will have to travel another hour or so to reach the next town of any size that will have lodging and another hour after that to reach the first ';city'; which is Bangor.

Unless you have more time you want to drive I would just stop in Houlton. There are only a couple of choices for lodging and I can not really reccomend either one as I have not stayed there. As far as food goes it may sound funny but we really like the food at the truck stop restaraunt there, the Irving ';Big Stop';. The first time my brother wanted to take us there we were skeptical but the food was excellent. They have a very large menu choice and I would have to describe the food as like a really good ';home cooked'; meal.

The restaraunt as well as a couple others and both of the hotels are located right off the I-95 exit in Houton.

Traveling back from Nova Scotia...

We always cross at St. Stephen/Calais ME (usually faster and less traffic). There%26#39;s a great Chinese restaurant in Calais (which we often eat at) and a pub or two, which look cute, but we%26#39;ve never stopped in. Can%26#39;t help you with lodging though......we always keep driving further on into Maine or town to NY.

You certainly could cross over in Calais/St. Stephen it would certainly be shorter distance wise and probably about the same time wise. I just did a quick comparison of the two routes. From the Nova Scotia/ New Brunswick border to the Maine/ New Hampshire border on I-95 it is about 511 miles and 9 1/2 hrs via crossing into Maine at Houlton and is about 473miles and 9hr by crossing into Maine at Calais then going to hit I-95 in Bangor. The time I think would actually be about equal because you can make a little better time then the map programs say if you use the interstate route. The choice is yours, if you are driving to and from I would go a different way each time just for a change in scenery.

If you did chose to cross over in Calais there is indeed a really good Chinese restaraunt there. As for lodging I would reccomend the Calais Motor Inn.

guys,

thanks for all the help!! i think we will go down through

calais, as there isn%26#39;t really much in other spots! i%26#39;ll check

out that chinese resteraunt for sure!!

thanks a million!