Maine Questions

[pcdreams]

as most of you know We're vacationing in VT in Oct. Thought we might swing over to the coast, walk some beaches, eat some fresh shirmp, etc. Which city (Bangor, Portland) has the best of both? What is the must see beaches, must eat shrimp places.

Been meaning to get to the coast everytime we go but never do. Well this is the trip. going to stop at Niagara as well!!

God its gonna be good to get out of this dadburn heat!!

[saramark]

Bangor is not even on the coast. Bar Harbor is the tourist spot, with all the souvenirs and lobster, seafood you can shake a stick at. We are only allowed to harvest shrimp in the winter, so if you get fresh shrimp, it ain't Maine shrimp. Sorry. Rockland is nice, the area has tons of lighthouses, including the "forrest gump" lighthouse. The Breakwater lighthouse is awesome. You walk about 7/8 mile across giant stones, crossing the harbor as you go up to a lighthouse that is literally in the middle of the harbor with water on all sides but a 15 foot wide stone path that takes you there. Mid Coast area, Boothbay Harbor and Rockland are the best with Bar Harbor being the largest tourist attraction. We live near Rockland, just 3 miles up the coast in Warren. Feel free to PM me with questions more specific. Would love to help you get to experience the Maine coast.

mark

[sugarbush]

yup, Bangor is a good hour from the coast and at least two or three from anything else. If you want to see a very large paul bunyan and the home of Stephan King, then go to Bangor, but you might like the Portland/ Kittery better.

[Dutchie]

Originally Posted by sugarbush

yup, Bangor is a good hour from the coast and at least two or three from anything else. If you want to see a very large paul bunyan and the home of Stephan King, then go to Bangor, but you might like the Portland/ Kittery better.

Kittery is a tourist trap and to be avoided at all cost unless you want to go outlet store shopping.

Go further north downcoast. You'll get to see the real coastal Maine and the seafood is just as good, if not better.

[sugarbush]

I wouldn't call it a tourist trap. The trading post is there and most of the local New Englanders shop there. It is also close to the Bunny Clark and the Ugly Ann, the best deep sea fishing boats on the east coast.

[bill not in oh]

SHRIMP?!?!?!?

Maine would be lobster and STEAMIES! Doesn't get any better - think you can get steamies in Oct.... You can probably get weeds, too... drooling now... Mark - I'm comin' to visit... need any help puttin' that fence up?

This is why I'm movin' back to the ocean...

pcdreams - if you have time, go to the desert - craziest thing I saw in Maine

[Ramblin Wreck]

Probably out of your way (and definitely not on the ocean), but the Mt. Katahdin/Penobscot River/Baxter State Park area is very scenic.

[Dutchie]

Originally Posted by sugarbush

I wouldn't call it a tourist trap. The trading post is there and most of the local New Englanders shop there. .

Yeah ..... the tourist New Englanders ..... .... such as the M-------s.

[pcdreams]

Originally Posted by bill in oh

SHRIMP?!?!?!?

Maine would be lobster and STEAMIES! Doesn't get any better - think you can get steamies in Oct.... You can probably get weeds, too... drooling now... Mark - I'm comin' to visit... need any help puttin' that fence up?

This is why I'm movin' back to the ocean...

pcdreams - if you have time, go to the desert - craziest thing I saw in Maine

at the risk of sounding like a complete flatlander, what are Steamies?

[saramark]

bill you are welcome at my house anytime.

mark

[ET1 SS]

We live just a hair North of Bangor.

This is all forest, river and peat bogs. No ocean here.

[sugarbush]

Originally Posted by pcdreams

at the risk of sounding like a complete flatlander, what are Steamies?

:baby04: :baby04: :baby04: FLATLANDER........You have spent way too much time in Vermont........oh, and that is a Vermont thing.....you will not hear that in other New England states much.......And the proper use is G*& D*&% flatlander
And as far as Kittery goes......seeing as you are a tourest it would be okay for you to go there....... I am a native Vermonter and I recommend it highly.....its alot closer than Bangor and not such a boring ride. Sure the Bar Harbor and MT desert is beautiful, but its a good 8 hr ride up there from any part of Vermont. You will get the same sleepy newengland coastal town feel that you are looking for down in Ogunquit, which is minutes from Kittery......On the otherhand if you have a good week to stay in the Bar harbor area than it would be well worth the ride.

[sugarbush]

After re-reading your first post I realized that you are talking about going in October..........There is not a must see beach anywhere in New England in October That North Atlantic wind is cold and those rocks are wet and slippery......and you don't want to go up towards Bangor that time of year either, that is getting late enough that it might snow Best to head for the Red Lobster in Portland if you want seafood

[saramark]

you may be pushing it a little. we don't get snow til usually October 12 or 13 LOL. On my pics site, you can see "why we love living in Maine" at http://picasaweb.google.com/cowperth...eLivingInMaine we took those pics in October or November. The foliage is beautiful on Cadillac Mountain and the beaches are empty, and cool but still great for walking and collecting shells, my kids love that time of year. The lighthouse pictured there is in Port Clyde, one of 8 lighthouses within an hour of my home. We are just over an hour north of Portland. There are plenty of hotels and B and B's that are cheaper come October 1. It would be worth your while to call and find out about off season rates and which attractions are closing in late October depending on your trip schedule. The beaches are still beautiful and actually more so, since there are not hordes of people clogging them up and leaving their trash behind. October is a beautiful time of year in Maine. Would love to give you the tour should you come up this way.

mark

[bill not in oh]

Originally Posted by pcdreams

at the risk of sounding like a complete flatlander, what are Steamies?

Steamed softshell clams Mmmmmmmmmmmm.....

Although I've never lived in New England, I've visited a number of times (STBX grew up in MA) and I've seen steamies (or steamers) on the menu in restaurants in MA, NH, VT, and ME, so I figured it was a New England thing.

Oh ya - and 'weeds' are muscles. That one very possibly is a MA term, perhaps even exclusive to the South Shore as that's the only place I recall hearing muscles referred to as weeds. LOL

[A'sta at Hofstead]

Originally Posted by bill in oh

Steamed softshell clams Mmmmmmmmmmmm.....

Although I've never lived in New England, I've visited a number of times (STBX grew up in MA) and I've seen steamies (or steamers) on the menu in restaurants in MA, NH, VT, and ME, so I figured it was a New England thing.

I've lived in New England since I was a babe and have only heard them referred to as Steamers, which reminds me, I really need to stop by the Fish Market after work!!

[buspete]

Yesterday we went over to Portsmouth/Kittery to meet with a friend of my wife's from school who was up in New England on vacation. We live on the NH/VT line, and it's all backroads from here to there.

In my lifetime, Kittery has turned into an insane tourist trap, but I think I ate my bodyweight in lobster and steamers at the Weathervane restaraunt.

If it were me, I'd head further up Rt1 to some of the smaller towns.

[rwzzz]

If you are making a quick stop in Maine, I like the town of Wells, about 14 miles north on rt95 from the southern border. We stay there for a week every year. It is billed as a sort of family friendly town and not as pretentious as say Ogunquoit (just south of Wells) or Kennebunkport (just north of Wells). Ogunquoit and Kennebunport (the Port) are the picture perfect towns you would expect for a seaside resort area. Some might say the prices reflect this. I find that Wells is more reasonable. It has two very nice beaches, a harbor, and several good restaurants ( Mikes Clam shack on rt 1 is well reguarded by the locals and the tourists). We go to the Fishermans catch just off rt 1 on the harbor road every year, the kids insist. For a fishing trip I would recomend the 3 Ladies see the broucher at the town dock. Very friendly captain on a 28ft boat for 4 guests. My daughter caught the biggest fish. Of course if you take the time real coastal Maine (I'm told ) is north of Portland.
Have fun

[saramark]

Anything south of Portland is referred to as "northern Massachussetts" anywhere I have ever lived.
I have never heard of mussels being called weeds. Steamers are steamers, and mussels give me projectile vomit. YECH!!
I ran a crab processing plant for years and commercially purchased lobsters, crabs, scallops, shrimp, and urchins.
I have worked on crab boats, lobster boats, shrimp boats, urchin dive boats and mussel draggers.
The real Maine (not the touristy stuff) can be found in Jonesport, Tenants Harbor, Port Clyde, and Eastport(easternmost city in the US)

mark

[Dutchie]

Originally Posted by saramark

Anything south of Portland is referred to as "northern Massachussetts" anywhere I have ever lived.
I have never heard of mussels being called weeds. Steamers are steamers, and mussels give me projectile vomit. YECH!!
I ran a crab processing plant for years and commercially purchased lobsters, crabs, scallops, shrimp, and urchins.
I have worked on crab boats, lobster boats, shrimp boats, urchin dive boats and mussel draggers.
The real Maine (not the touristy stuff) can be found in Jonesport, Tenants Harbor, Port Clyde, and Eastport(easternmost city in the US)

mark

Amen. Lived on Cape Cod and Maine for 25 years and could not agree with your more.