Planning a trip to Maine and Cape Cod

We are planning a trip to Maine and Cap Cod from Indiana the last week of September and the first week of October.  Do any of you have suggestions for places to visit and campgrounds to stay in on our trip?

Thanks for any help you can give.

Dick

When I used to live in NJ, Bar Harbor was a favorite destination for a week of refreshing from the workdays the rest of the year...having only a week, we didn't usually dawdle along the way -- one side trip to Cape Cod but we didn't stay there.  For Bar Harbor, we liked to stay at Mt Desert Narrows which is just after you cross over onto the "island" so to speak.  It was convenient to pretty much everything, buses stop at all the campgrounds and take you to/from town -- some of our friends thought that campground a little pricey, but in that area much is.  We thought it was pretty peaceful at that time of year as the kids were all back in school.  We would park down at the bottom; they call it right on the ocean, but it's more right on the cove that opens out onto the ocean.  You get high tide and lots of peaceful water and seagulls; then low tide and out come the clammers.  We would go about the same time as you are planning and some years it would be cold and windy, some years summery and beautiful.  Haven't been back in probably the last 4 years due to moving to the Midwest, but it is on the bucket list to get back there asap.  I still want to make the drive along the coast up rte 1, see some beautiful lighthouses, venture back into the woods a bit and see some moose....I'll live vicariously thru your report of this trip.  Have a great time!

Cape Cod is a large area.  Without traffic it will take a little over an hour to drive from one end to the other.  We think the Fall is the nicest time to visit.  The crowds with the summer traffic has left.  Each town along the cape is a little different.  We live at the end of the Cape and have not personally camped at any of the campgrounds.  Although, we have had friends stay in East Falmouth- Cape Cod Campresort and liked it.  Also in Brewster- Sweetwater Farms seems nice.  In Eastham, Altantic Oaks gets good reviews- but to us, driving by, it looks like a parking lot type campground.  It does have access to the beach and also the biking trails.

We have stayed in a few places in Maine.  In Scarborough, just below Portland is Wild Duck campground.  It is on a marsh.  Very low keyed and very pretty area.  We just returned from Boothbay.  We stayed at Shore Hills campground.  Nice wooded sites.  Easy access to Boothbay Harbor.  Two nights while we were there we ordered and had delivered lobsters, steamed in ocean water, delivered right to our site!  They were wonderful, arrived hot and very inexpensive!  They also offer a shuttle that takes you into the Harbor area.

The northeast is a great area to visit in the Fall!  Be prepared- it will get cool at night.

 In Maine, we have stayed at Hadley's Point in Bar Harbor, Bass Harbor Campground, Shore Hills in Boothbay and Wild Duck in Scarborough. This year we planned to stay at National Park Campground, Seawall (no electric/water) but cancelled. Decided not to go to Maine this year.

Bass Harbor was too tight for our liking. X2 for Wild Duck and Shore Hills. Our neighbors from Florida have stayed at the Bar Harbor Campground and really liked it. No reservations, you arrive and pick your site. Payment by cash or check-no cc. End of Sept. should not be a problem.

Judi

Dick,

     We are heading that way from Michigan the first week of September.  We plan to be gone about a month.  Our first stop is West Point, NY, then onto Cape Cod, Bar Harbor, and then we'll circle back through Cabot, VT and go to Cooperstown, NY and Corning NY.  I have not made any reservations but just called a few places and they said they have openings.  As we get closer I'll start calling to confirm places as the weekend "might" get crowded.  If we have internet I'll post and let you know about the places we stay.

Sue

Just a tiny tidbit if you have never been to Corning, N.Y. before. You can purchase items at the Corning Museum but they also have an outlet store downtown. Unless things have changed the store gets little advertising and you might not know it exists.  In the past, I have picked up a few things in the outlet cheaper. 

If your into gardens in Boothbay Harbor the Maine Coastal Garden is worth a visit. Boothbay is about halfway between Portland and Acadia.

Dick,

We are into the second week of our trip out East.  Our visit to Cape Cod was just a day trip and we stayed in Plymouth, MA at the Pinewood Lodge Campground in the midst of a Pine Forest.  We are now in Bar Harbor and staying at Mt. Desert Narrows.  Nice campground as others have stated.  We chose this one because we are Passport America members and it is only half price from Sun-Thurs.  A good deal at less than $20 for a campground in this area.  They gave us an Ocean Front site and it is gorgeous.  All campgrounds we have been to are about half full.  I did not make any reservations for any of them and just called them when we were on our way.  No problems this time of year.  It may get busy as the color changes start.

I LOVE BAR HARBOR!!!!!!!



Sue