Great Little Towns in Maine?

Hi! My MIL lives in Raymond, Maine and my husband, kids, and I are heading up on 7/31. My husband and I would like to do something different. We have been down into Portland and walked around at the. We have never been down into any other towns. We like the waterfront areas with different local shops and restaraunts. I am looking for some suggestions as to where to go that isn%26#39;t more than an hour or so away. I don%26#39;t want to spend my day driving.

Thanks!

Great Little Towns in Maine?

Not sure how far away it is but Camden is just the nicest little town. Right on the water, plenty of little shops and restaurants, and it%26#39;s just so beautiful. You can check out my full review in a post a little further down.

Great Little Towns in Maine?

I have no idea howlong it takes to get from Raymond to the coast (i.e., Rte. 1), but Rockland and Camden are roughly 85 miles from Portland---an hour and a half or thereabouts. There are other areas, maybe not with a lot of shops and restaurants, that are interesting---the various peninsulas such as Harpswell and Orrs/Bailey Islands, Phippsburg, etc.---and are just southeast of the Brunswick/Bath area.

An hour from Raymond would get you to pretty much anywhere on the coast from Kennebunkport to the south and Bath/Brunswick to the north. Old Orchard Beach might be a good stop as there are plenty of things there for the kids and of course the beach, this would be somewhat similar to Ocean City though so not sure if its your liking. Kennebunkport is a nice coastal town with neat main street.

Might I suggest something in the opposite direction, I know you specifically mentioned waterfront areas but why not check out the mountains, that would certainly be a change of scenery from Ocean City and the coast. There are a ton of things to do in the White Mountains and the scenery is wonderful. From Raymond about 45 minutes would get you to the North Conway area which is kind of a center of activity with the most shops and restaraunts. From there another 1/2hr will get you to many of the attractions like theme parks for kids, tram rides up the mountains, scenic train rides, waterfalls, scenic drives, etc. Dont get me wrong I live in Maine and I love our coast but I also love the mountains, it is such a nice change of scenery.

Another thing I will throw out there for you. I am not sure the age of your kids but a nice night out for the whole family I think would be a visit to the Bridgton Drive-In Movie Theatre which would only be about 20 minutes from Raymond. The drive in movie experience is one that a lot of people do not get anymore. There are still plenty of them in existance but a lot of people do not know this. The Bridgton one is nice and you will see many families there on any evening.

I know this does not really answer the question you posted but I hope it is helpful.

Thanks to both of you for getting back to me. I found information about Aquaboggan and it doesn%26#39;t seem to be too far from the in-laws house so I think that one day we are going to do that. I would like to play tourist and maybe check out Old Orchard beach. Although we live near the beach (11 miles to be exact) we rarely ever get there so going there would be fun for the kids.

By the way, my children are 3 %26amp; 6.

Also check out Boothbay Harbor. I used to go to an all girls%26#39; camp in Wilton, ME, which is in the Lakes and Mountains region, but on my day off as a counselor, another counselor and I used to go to Boothbay, and loved it. This was 1974, but at that time, it reminded me of Annapolis, MD, years before. I am planning on returning to Boothbay myself, the last week of Aug., this year.

Went to Bar Harbor for the first time last Aug. and loved it!! In fact, my travel buddy, Kay, and I, loved Maine so much, we are thinking of making it our annual summer trip.

Again, not an answer to your question, but I think Maine is so beautiful, there isn%26#39;t any place, you won%26#39;t love!!!

I agree with CountyMounty. There is nothing really unique within an hour of Raymond, on the coast. Head for the hills. Try Naples for water fun. Boat rentals and all the other aquatic stuff on Long Lake. Point Sebago State Park in Casco is also good. Currently they are building the world%26#39;s largest sand castle there, for charity. It is supposed to be finished around the time of your visit..

Also, I would not recommend Aquaboggan. Overpriced and crowded. There is a small fun park in Windham. Seacoast Fun Park on route 302. Mini-golf, bumber boats, go carts. Should be fine for 3 %26amp; 6 year olds.