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We recently embarked on a fabulous adventure… A NEW ENGLAND ROAD TRIP – BOSTON TO BAR HARBOR! It was such a fun way to explore, taste the cuisine of the east coast, and experience super cool bed and breakfasts along the way! We bonded! We explored! We shopped! We had fun! It was such a great way to wrap up our summer together. Have you explored the east coast?

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A NEW ENGLAND ROAD TRIP – Boston to Bar Harbor

GETTING TO GLOUCESTER

“At the beach, life is different. Time doesn’t move hour to hour but mood to moment. We live by the currents, plan by the tides, and follow the sun.”

– Sandy Gingras

We drove from our home in Michigan to Port Huron to cross into Canada. We decided to go the low road across Canada to Niagara Falls, above Lake Erie, through New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire (1123 miles) on the way to the east coast, then explore numerous more miles from Boston to Bar Harbor, and finally we took the high road from Maine, through Montreal and Ottawa, above Lake Huron through Canada on the way back re-entering Michigan at Sault Ste. Marie (1113 miles). So we did a big loop driving A LOT of miles and having so much fun exploring as we went! My husband had just gotten a new truck and we had fun “breaking it in!”

On the drive across Canada we did stop and explore Niagara Falls for the afternoon, since we were passing by. Click the link to read more about our afternoon there! I really enjoyed the Adirondack’s in Vermont, and New Hampshire too! The Brattleboro, NH area was so pretty! It was a really welcome little community. We stopped to get coffee and shop in the local general store. The homemade desserts, local preserves, soaps, and Vermont maple syrup were awesome finds. It was super quaint. The covered bridges were awesome.

We went through Keene, NH too before making our way to Beverly, MA for lunch at Little Italy Pizzeria owned by FAT TUNA‘s Captain Bob from “WICKED TUNA.” Then we made our way to Gloucester for our 7 Seas Whale Watching Tour scheduled excursion. Read more about the Gloucester Whale Watching Tour by clicking this link. It was a long day (5 hour tour past Stellwagen Bank/Jeffery’s Ledge vicinity) after whale watching over 72 miles round trip almost all the way down to Cape Cod in search of the whales.

A NEW ENGLAND ROAD TRIP – Boston to Bar Harbor

GLOUCESTER to PORTLAND

“Because there’s nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it’s sent away.”

– Sarah Kay

After whale watching, we commenced our exploration up the east coast! We stayed in Portsmouth for one night. We launched our great adventure up the coast from here! We explored the beaches of Kittery and York following Highway 1 as close to the edge of the ocean shore as we could. The beaches along here are very long and beautiful. The next little community was Ogunquit. What a super cute, quaint, charming town! This was definitely a stand out! Lobster Point Lighthouse was of note.

Next was the town of Wells. Wells Beach was very pretty. But, it was time for lunch! In 2010 Guy Fieri’s DINERs, DRIVE-INS, & DIVES recommended the Maine Diner! You have to go to the MAINE DINER in Wells, ME! It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but the food and the wait-staff are exceptional. Our waitress, Ronna, was so kind to us! Try the Indian Pudding! Also, try the She-Crab Bisque, Crab Stuffed Mushrooms, Lobster Roll w/coleslaw & the Club Chicken Sandwich. SO, so good! Buy the T-shirt! We did! We travel with the Tee and take photos of wearing it in all kinds of places and mail the photos into the Diner…it’s a thing there! They have fun!

If I could go back to any restaurant on this trip it would be this one! It was simple food, but such authentic clean flavors! The lobster was fresh and wonderful! We were sorry to not return for dinner that evening, but alas we had to keep moving on up the coast. From Wells we traveled to Kennebunkport, ME. It is the quintessential seaside resort town. The most beautiful church sits on the edge of the ocean here. It is called St. Ann’s by-the-sea Episcopal Church. We stumbled upon it accidentally! We came to discover that this is where the George W. Bush Family attends when they are in Kennebunkport as their Bush Compound is nearby. The church is magnificent. Rich history and an extremely beautiful setting with an outdoor service area included.

Continuing on up the coast, Cape Porpoise, Goose Rocks Beach, Fortunes Rocks are all passed through to get to Saco, ME where you continue on to Scarborough (of note is Cape Elizabeth lighthouse) and eventually Portland. We stayed the next few nights in Portland at the INN AT ST. JOHNS. The Inn At St. John, built in 1897, stands as one of the best Inns and European Boutique Hotels, boasting the city’s oldest continuously operated status. It oozed history and the walls begged to re-tell their stories. It was awesome!

We loved the Dairy Corner in Scarborough, ME and enjoyed the beach there. Also in the Freeport, ME area we explored the HARRASEEKET LUNCH AND LOBSTER COMPANY dock area. It is so interesting to watch the people, fishermen and tourists alike enjoying the water and the fishing trade on an everyday basis.

“Every time we walk along a beach some ancient urge disturbs us so that we find ourselves shedding shoes and garments or scavenging among seaweed and whitened timbers like the homesick refugees of a long war.”

– Loren Eiseley

A NEW ENGLAND ROAD TRIP – Boston to Bar Harbor

PORTLAND to CAMDEN

Fun Facts of Small Towns

This next area required a lot more deeper exploration of all the inlet towns down the fingers of land after we passed through Brunswick. Exploration required a trip down the tip of the finger and back up before moving on to the next area to explore.

Before we left Portland on this morning, we stopped off at Becky’s Diner for breakfast! I HAD to order the LOBSTER BENEDICT for breakfast! FRESH LOBSTER daily was my goal! Another Guy Fieri, DINERS, DRIVE-INS & DIVES, recommendations here at Becky’s Diner did not disappoint! South of Cape Elizabeth we discovered Kettle Cove State Park! What a beautiful area. I could return and linger in this area! Great beaches!

North of Portland in the Freeport (famous for L.L. Bean retail company) area we also discovered Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park south of Freeport and spent a bit of time exploring this beautiful area and it’s history. We came across this really old amazing barn and this sign was on the barn. The barn sat roadside so we were able to read this sign from the truck.

FUN FACTS ABOUT BRUNSWICK, ME

Another notable town was Brunswick. Brunswick, Maine is a quintessential college town in Midcoastal Maine. Bowdoin College, founded in 1794, sits in the heart of the town on a beautiful campus. Brunswick has a rich history. Joshua Chamberlain was a professor at Bowdoin during the Civil War who joined the Union army; his heroism at the Battle of Gettysburg made him a legend. Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin and member of the Underground Railroad, lived and worked in town. Her house is now a designated National Historic Landmark. Brunswick was very pretty.

Exploring down the coastal fingers, we toured the Harpswell area down to West Harpswell and finally South Harpswell taking the road until you could not go any farther. Backtracking back up the finger we worked our way over one finger towards Sebascodegan Island to Orr’s Island and finally Bailey Island to shop at Land’s End Gift Shop!

After that we worked our way over to Edgecomb and Boothbay Harbor. LOVED BOOTHBAY!

We had lunch there. Of course I had a Lobster Roll and since my husband doesn’t care for shell fish, he had a fabulous Egg Burrito from a cute window stand vendor. Anyone familiar with Mackinac Island Michigan would equate Boothbay to Mackinac Island. Same vibe except vehicles are allowed in Boothbay.

The next finger over was the Bristol area and Pemaquid Point Lighthouse. We explored. From there over to Rockland, and over from there to discover Owls Head Lighthouse. So many miles of driving and exploration were had exploring these fingers of land and the small cute communities that took a bit of work to get to for exploration. This whole area is referred to as the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens and I did see the lure! Very beautiful country.

On this road trip I was drawn to the lighthouses. If we had the chance to visit, I made sure we sought each one out that we could! At the very tip of another finger straight down from Rockland, past St. George, past Port Clyde is the Marshall Point Lighthouse & Museum. It was very foggy here when we were there, but exquisite! This video is of the drive down this finger and what we found once there.

After this we headed up to Rockport (famous for shoes) and eventually checked in to our next stop for a few days in Camden, ME.

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO LEARN MORE

A NEW ENGLAND ROAD TRIP – Boston to Bar Harbor

CAMDEN to BAR HARBOR

Tourism

“Take me to the ocean. Let me sail the open sea. To breathe the warm and salty air and dream of things to be.”

– Erica Billups

We stayed a few nights right in Camden, ME. The location downtown was great for walking to restaurants, but not worth the $ in my opinion. There were so many cute B&B’s available in this area like just up the road in Lincolnville, ME. We were interested in THE BLACKHORSE INN and MOUNT BATTIE INN. Next time we would recommend trying one of those! The views from MOUNT BATTIE are extraordinary!

Downtown Camden exuded charm. It reminded us of the freshwater harbor’s at home in Northern Michigan. We were more interested in the seaside ocean experience. The area was beautiful though.

Thank goodness for the Sea Dog Bewing Company in the evenings! We were so glad to take all of this in to savor. What an experience! We were able to walk there for dinner from our B&B. The food was really good!

Walking around the harbor area of Camden, ME was relaxing and enjoyable in the evenings. Our days were spent exploring the sea-sides headed up the coast, but our evenings were tranquil relaxation moments.

In Stockton Springs we made an effort to view Fort Point State Park Lighthouse. The pyramidal bell tower is one of the few left in New England and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The bell, replaced by a foghorn, hangs outside the tower. The lighthouse history is rich and worthy of reading.

We ventured up through Belfast, Searsport, and further up to Stockton Springs and on to the Bucksport/Orland area where we headed back down the next finger of land through Penobscot all the way to Stonington for Galen’s birthday lunch at 27 Fathoms on the back deck ocean seaside where we watched the tide come rolling back in while we ate a late lunch. It was really cool to watch the tide returning. It was like the bath tub filling back up as the shore grew deeper and deeper as we sat there watching.

Along this route we enjoyed Penobscot to the Blue Hill Area then took the Deer Isle Bridge over to Little Deer Isle, then the next Causeway Beach connection to Scott’s Landing Preserve that connects Deer Isle.

We then explored all the way down to West Stonington then to Stonington. After that we circled to the other side of the land and headed up to Blue Hill, Surry, and on to Ellsworth. Look at the aerial view we came upon at one point of this vast beautiful area!

Once in Ellsworth, ME you can travel down to Trenton towards Town Hill and Mt. Desert. A loop of adventure over to Pretty Marsh, Seal Cove, West Tremont, Tremont, and Bass Harbor reveals some very pretty country. We explored Bass Harbor Head Light Station. It is an 1858 lighthouse nestled on a sea cliff, with rocky paths to vantage points and tide pools. For there you can continue the driving loop back up to Southwest Harbor, Echo Lake Beach and back to Mt. Desert before heading over to Acadia National Park on the next finger of land over.

We checked into Moseley Cottage Inn & Town Motel in Bar Harbor for our last few nights in Maine. This location was easy walking distance to all restaurants and shopping as there is no where to park downtown this became essential to leave our vehicle in secure parking and walk everywhere. Our goal was to finish exploring the coastal communities and spend a chunk of time in Acadia National Park. There was so much to see and limited time remaining.

Acadia National Park is very picturesque. We started on the loop drive and stopped at the wild gardens for a hike on the Jessup Path and Hemlock Loop. While this was very interesting and we were lured with stories of moose sightings, we quickly moved on to drive past Sand Beach and park before Thunderhole and Gorham Mountain trailhead to enjoy the rock cliffs of Otter Point.

We drove up Cadillac Mountain to capture the sunset one evening. Cadillac Mountain is a popular destination for visitors to Acadia National Park. Accessible by car, it is the highest point on the eastern seaboard of the U.S., and offers magnificent views of a glaciated coastal and island landscape. Early morning visitors can capture the firs rays of daybreak to hit the East coast and it is an excellent viewing point for Northern Lights.

For our Anniversary Dinner we went to CHERRYstones for delicious local seafood in Barb Harbor, ME. We started with Spanakopita. I had a Lobster Bisque and Lobster & Chicken Cobb Salad. Galen had the Fish & Chips. The food was fabulous. Bar Harbor is expensive, so buckle up to spend there.

CHERRYstones restaurant bar harbor maine

A NEW ENGLAND ROAD TRIP – Boston to Bar Harbor

MY TAKE AWAY ON THIS TRIP

Tourism in Maine

SO, let me preface this section with the fact that I live in a tourist destination in Northwest Lower Peninsula Michigan. I really do understand waning patience with tourists by the time the end of the tourist season each year rolls around. I also understand that our community must tolerate this invasion of tourists $ to sustain our businesses annually. I also fully comprehend basic acts of human kindness and a genuine compassion towards others. I genuinely am a pretty kind person, I feel. I definitely am a positive person who does not typically complain or convey negativity in blog posts.

Also, let me reiterate that we experienced Coastal Maine from pretty much end to end. We spent a lot of $ (restaurants, tours, gas stations, groceries, B&B’s, Coffee shops, shopping for gifts to bring back, etc.) to experience Maine. So this is a pretty fair assessment from many different communities of Maine people that we interacted with daily. Granted we did meet a handful of very kind people sprinkled here and there (like Ronna at the Maine Diner – that’s probably why I remember her name), but the vast majority of interactions were not warm or kind. Just a different slice of the cultural differences of our country, I guess. East coast culture is very snappish, brash, and curt. Be that good or bad, you decide.

Also, don’t think that public restrooms are easily possible in Maine. It was a struggle to travel these locations exploring these communities WITHOUT the use of public restrooms available throughout ALL of Maine. It was odd. People looked at me as though I had horns growing out of my head when I would ask them where the nearest public restroom was located. Gas stations did not offer them. Coffee shops and restaurants seemed to grudgingly offer only if you were a patron first. It became our joke when the typical small community restroom became a port-a-potty…I’m not kidding! We had to stop frequently to buy unnecessary coffees and teas throughout the day, just to use the restrooms in these towns. And, even then, many of these small communities didn’t have a coffee shop just a party store or a gas station with NO RESTROOMS. That was one of the upsides of finally leaving Maine when we started our road trip back to Michigan. How odd to look forward (a talking point) to REAL clean, restrooms as a topic on a road trip. So, don’t take your public restrooms for granted people! 🙂

To wrap it up, Maine was very beautiful! The tidal ocean cycles were completely intriguing. The fishing communities remain super unique and quaint. Gaining a better understanding of all the components of the fishing industry from catching the bait to selling the catch at the Lobster pounds to the distributors, etc. was a fascinating attempt to understand. We LOVED the fresh seafood. If you find yourself with a desire to explore coastal Maine like we did, stock up on hand sanitizer, wet wipes, and $ to spend. Ha! We enjoyed ourselves trying out the B&B’s, local culture, cuisine, and beauty. However, it did make me realize that Michigan is not to be taken for granted either. We live in such a beautiful place too with really wonderful, kind people everywhere. I love our peaceful, slower, LAKELIFE and I sometimes forget that, with my desire to explore and have adventures traveling. The grass is not always greener elsewhere…

TAKE ADVENTURES!

The beaches, sunshine, and ocean provide the backdrop for many other adventures! Do you have a personal BUCKET LIST for travel dreams? You too can DAYDREAM YOUR NEXT TRAVEL ADVENTURE! We enjoyed exploration and adventure here!

If you remember to pack the TOP 10 THINGS YOU NEED TO PACK, you will be ready to dive into many ocean adventures and find joy for this adventure right along with us!

AMAZON GIFT CARD – CLICK HERE

God’s magnificent creation was on full display here on our NEW ENGLAND ROAD TRIP! We were just in awe of it’s raw beauty. WHAT a beautiful part of our country to explore and enjoy! Take time out of your normal routine and go explore! My husband I really enjoy taking adventures together and exploring new interesting places. God’s wonderful creations abound and the joy shining within the people we meet reflects through their eyes when we can engage a conversation. It is our joy to find local color to share their culture and history with us when we are visiting new places! So many interesting people to meet on these journeys!

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Inspirationally Yours,

Barbara

BIO: https://www.inspirationaltraveladventures.com/about-us/

About Me

A 1993 graduate of Michigan State University, Barbara earned a BS in Social Science Pre-Law. She is a Business Manager/HR Director. Her passion is travel, discovering new places, experiences, cuisine, cultures while enjoying temperate climates. Barbara is a newly transitioning empty-nester who became a travel blogger. She’s a great photographer, talented writer, and has a great family to highlight in her high school/college athlete football sons.

WEBSITE: www.inspirationaltraveladventures.com

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