If you’re traveling for a vacation in Maine for the very first time, which places will you visit first?

You can’t go wrong by traveling up route 1 along the coast. Inland Maine has many hidden lakes and towns but the coastal towns and parks are just spectacular – one after another. Kennebunk, Ogunquit, and York are all lovely along the lower coast. Definitely hit Bath, Belfast and Camden in the mid-Coast and then go on to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park on My Desert Island for the bulk of your trip. The most spectacular coastal scenery in the Northeast. I would try to go in late June or early September, just before or just after the height of the season which can be crowded.

For several years, my Ex and I rented a cottage on Mt Desert Island for a week in August.

The Maine Highway, the Maine Street, the Maine Train Station, the Maine Football Stadium, the Maine Library, the Maine Hospital, the Maine Police, the Maine Fire Department, and the Maine Coons.

I’ll second Mt Desert Island for sure. It can be crowded during peak season, but there are quiet places to stay on the west side of the island, and there are plenty of great hikes that provide great views and don’t attract large crowds. There’s plenty of great ocean kayaking as well, if that’s your thing.

^^ Agree. The cottage we rented was on “the quiet side” of the island, was on a pond and was lovely. It is mainly Acadia itself and Bar Harbor that get overloaded in the summer but you would want to spend some time in each. There is an excellent guide for hiking called “A Walk in the Park” that describes hikes on the island both in and out of Acadia itself.

Camden. I love to watch people build wooden boats.

Maine is very big state.
That said, I live 4 miles from the border and and have a vacation home there.
I will just list things here in a stream of great memories.
Lobsters, LL Bean in Freeport, Acadia Hike, Mt Cadillac, Perkins Cove in Ogunquit, York Beach Taffy, Lighthouses, Portland Commercial street, Kittery Outlets, Route 1 Antique Stores, Old Orchard Beach, Kennebunkport, Nunan’s Lobster Hut, Lubec lighthouse (easternmost US point), Mt Katahdin, sugarloaf ski area, sunday river ski area, picking lobsters off the boats in Stonington and cooking on the beach.
Renting my summer house on Deer Isle overlooking Penobscot Bay :)

Yeah, I love Maine

Maine is so beautiful, so serene, although it’s busy and touristy in the summer season.

We have family in Boothbay Harbor. Such a beautiful town although if I go from where I live to there on a summer weekend, the traffic makes it a really long, grueling drive. If you plan any trip to Maine, make sure to include lots of free time to just meander, hang, and enjoy the location.

I can tell you that if you go now (end of September), it’s going to be chilly. The ocean water is really cold. The advantage is it won’t be busy at all, although some things in touristy areas will be closed.

Like @janbb said, if you’re into shopping, check out Rockport and the LL Bean store. If you go now and you’re into getting stuff for holiday shopping, at summer clearance prices, now’s the time.

I still relatives and friends in Maine. My maternal grandmother had cousins in Friendship Maine.

Nubble Lighthouse The Cape Neddick Light is a lighthouse in Cape Neddick, York, Maine.

Portland Head Light, Cape Elizabeth, Maine

I love lighthouses

When are you going ? and are you driving?

If you don’t have E-Z Pass for tolls get it, will save time driving on I-95 and other highways.

^^Thank you. Not driving. I may have a window to go there for the first time next month and if that does not happen I’m thinking May.

@mazingerz88 Both are great times of the year. Nights will be cool as others have stated.
The Foliage colors are predicted to be very good this year. Hoping for Sunny days and cool nights.
May will also be good. Minimal tourists then.
Wishes for a good time Down East

The Old Port Portland Maine.

Portland Head Light another lighthouse

If you’re flying in, you’ll probably end up flying in to Portland’s airport although there is a small one outside Mt Desert Island. Portland is a small city rather than a town but has a great harbor and restaurants and could be a good base for a vacation. You might want to stay there and see if you can take busses for day trips to some of the other coastal towns. There are good excursion boat tours of the harbor in Portland but I’m not sure how late in the season they run.

Read @TW’s link for specific suggestions.

Thanks so much everyone! Just so you know I like lobster rolls and clam chowder a lot. And also like Stephen King’s books. Which makes me think of Bangor. :)

Maine is wicked gorgeous, although it’s about to get rather cold. I prefer to visit during July.

I remember going swimming at Mount Desert Island first week of August many years ago, 49* F water temp!

BRRRRRRR

Funny story. on one of my first trips to Maine I had bought a sweatshirt that said, “Maine, The Way Life Should Be.” I passed by an old codger who looked at it and said, “You must be a tourist.”

My father and I drove through Maine in October, 1993.

If you enjoy brisk weather and fall foliage, next month would be a great time to visit.

The receptions we got when we were in Machias and Lubec were less than friendly. If they’re not part of your itinerary, then I’m sure the excellent suggestions posted above will more than compensate for not including them.

Just outside of Lubec, we saw a sign that read:

WELCOME TO LUBEC
EASTERNMOST TOWN IN THE US
SETTLED IN 1785…INCORPORATED IN 1811

▲ I’m not shouting, it’s just that the sign was all caps.

The northern apex of our trip took us to a hill overlooking Riviere-du-loup, Quebec.
From there we looked down and saw a magnificent view of the St. Lawrence River, which is about 10 miles wide and verdantly green at that point. :D

On our way back to Saratoga Springs, NY, we stopped in Bennington, VT and hit the Ben & Jerry’s there, where we received a much warmer welcome than we did in those other two places.

@janbb Now that’s funny.
I get the same vibe (sometimes) from people on my Greek island!