Holiday to Maine? Where to go, what to see

[IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads]

We're thinking of a holiday to Massachusetts/Maine in the summer - maybe starting with a few days in Boston and end with a few days in NYC and exploring the coast in between.

The DC will be nearly 13 and very nearly 16.

Happy to drive a lot!

The coast in between is not Maine though - are you planning on driving north of Boston or just doing Cape Cod etc?

Ah right! We don't know yet, but I've bought a map so I can at least get my states right and plan a bit more.

I love Ogunquit and Perkins Cove. We based ourselves in Ogunquit and travelled out to other places on day trips. Worked well!

How long are you thinking? You might want to choose either NY (not just the city, there's nature and beaches too) or New England (Maine and Mass.). There's been a recent thread on this.

Also the time of year, Maine is best in late July and August so you can swim more comfortably, June is still pretty cold.

Basic rule of thumb though is driving 4 hours north of NYC to Boston, 1 more hour via New Hampshire to the Maine border (town called York). Another hour to Portland which is the main (ha!) city and very nice to visit. Camden, Bar Harbour, Bath, and Acadia are all nice too.

If you want to do NY beach this thread has some good info https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/holidays/4998506-calling-nylong-island-or-newport-ri-experts

If you decide on Maine we also found Kennebunkport (where the Bushes have a compound) a lovely place to stop, also Cape Elizabeth/Ft Williams Park. It’s a beautiful and wild coastline. We loved Bar Harbor and Acadia so much we went back and did it twice. You can do a boat trip (we did Diver Ed
which was a lot of fun) and hiking or just drive around the park and jump out as and when. Bar Harbor is very touristy but the scenery is wonderful and the lobster the best I’ve had anywhere.
if you decide to stick closer to Boston/NY then Cape cod is well worth an explore. Chatham, Provincetown, and the beaches. We also did the Mayflower II and Plymouth. Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, both great to hire bikes and explore. You can also do Gilded Age homes etc on Rhode Island.

Strawberry banked museum in Portsmouth, new Hampshire and the Hancock shaker village in Massachusettes were two of our highlights.

I’m in Maine. How long a trip are you planning? Some great suggestions above. Bear in mind Portland to Acadia/Bar Harbor is 3.5 hours drive, and Acadia is packed in summer.

Don’t try to drive from NYC to Maine - that’s too far. But Boston - Maine - New Hampshire - Boston is a fun trip. There’s tons to do.

A wonderful part of the world!