Road Trip: The Maine Lobster Trail: Practical info

Useful information to help you plan a trip to Maine's Mid-Coast

How to get to Mid-Coast Maine

Lobster on the deck at Shaw's Lobster Pound near Pemaquid Point, Maine
Lobster on the deck at Shaw's Lobster Pound near Pemaquid Point, Maine (see Day 3).

If you don't live close enough to drive (Portland’s a straight shot up I-95 for folks in the northeast), fly into Portland and rent a car.

The Portland International Jetport (www.portlandjetport.org) is served by most major airlines (Continental, Delta/NorthWest, United, and US Airways; www.momondo.com), as well as low-cost carriers jetBlue (from New York–JFK and Orlando; www.jetblue.com) and airTran (from Baltimore and Orlando; www.airtran.com).

When to go to Maine

Technically you can go at any time of year, but consider this: Maine is farther north than much of lower Canada. That makes for some harsh, snow-bound winters—and, frankly, many hotels and restaurants and even sights close for part or all of the winter (generally mid-October through May).

Mid-Coast Maine Road Trip
Intro
Day 1: Yarmouth, Freeport, and Westport Island
Day 2: Bath, Brunswick, Bailey Island, Damariscotta, & Waldoboro
Day 3: Pemaquid Point, Thomaston, Rockland, & Vinalhaven Island
Day 4: Rockland, Rockport, & Camden
Practical info

There are two peak travel times: high summer (mid-June, after schools get out, through August) and leaf-peeping season of fall (www.state.me.us/doc/foliage/).

Maine, being so far north, kicks off New England's frantic month of tourists driving around to see the brilliant fall colors of the changing leaves. In Maine this means from the last week of September (peak colors in Northern Maine), through the first week of October (Central and Western Maine), to the second and third weeks of October, the key season in the region covered on this Road Trip (Coastal and Southern Maine). Hotel rooms are actually harder to come by during the leaf-peeping period than in summer.

The details again

The Maine Coast Bookshelf

GUIDEBOOKS:

Day 1

Tourist info

Attractions

Shopping

Food

Lodging


Day 2

Tourist info

Attractions

Food

Lodging

Day 3

Tourist info

Attractions

Transportation

Shopping

Food

Lodging

Day 4

Tourist info

Attractions

Shopping

Food

THE ROUTE

Day 1 - Portland to Westport island (55 miles)
To save time, zip up I-295 to Yarmouth, then switch to US. Route 1, which follows the coast to become the main street of most major towns.

In Freeport, head east on Bow St., right on Flying Point Rd., then right again onto Wolf’s Neck Rd. Turn left onto Burnett Rd., then right back onto Flying Point Rd. Fork left onto Casco Rd., right onto Pleasant Hill Rd., and left again onto Maine St. in Brunswick.

Turn right onto Route 24/Old Bath Road, lined with classic 1950s-style burger joints, for the drive to Bath, where it joins up with Route 1.

Continue north towards Wiscasset, but just after crossing Montsweag Brook, turn right into Route 144, which will dogleg left up Birch Point Rd., then right again onto Westport Island. Follow it until you see the Squire Tarbox Inn on your right.

Day 2 - Westport Island to Waldoboro (90 miles)

Return up Route 144 to Route 1 and turn left to backtrack through Bath and Brunswick.

Done with those, turn around yet again up Route 1—Maine requires much going back over your tracks—but this time, as soon as you cross the Kennebec River from Bath to Woolwich, turn right on Route 127 down to Reid State Park.

Double back up to Woolwich, and continue north up Route 1 to Damariscotta and Waldoboro.

Day 3 - Waldoboro to Vinalhaven Island (65 miles)

Start the day going backwards again, south on Route 1 to Damariscotta, and turn left onto Route 130 to Pemaquid Point.

Driving back north up Route 130, in New Harbor veer right onto Route 32 to drive back north along the peninsula’s eastern shore back to Waldoboro, were you pick up (you guessed it) Route 1 again, headed north.

It passes through Thomaston to Rockland. Park in the free lot; catch the ferry to Vinalhaven.

Day 4 - Vinalhaven to Portland (105 miles)

Detours to the Olson House and Marshall Point Lighthouse aside, from Rockland, Route 1 shoots straight up into Camden—though I’d get off in Rockport at Pascal St. to take the lovely back roads (Pascal to Central to Russell to Chestnut) into town, along Rockport’s cute little harbor then past the postcard green field where lounge the belted Galloway cattle of Aldermere Farm, a downright picturesque herd of shaggy black cows wearing white girdles.

From Camden, Route 1 is the straightest line back to Portland, or you can save time by going inland via Route 90 to Route 17 over to Augusta, then catching I-95 to I-295 south.

 

Tours Under $995 G Adventures


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This article was by Reid Bramblett and last updated in June 2012.
All information was accurate at the time.

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Copyright © 1998–2013 by Reid Bramblett. Author: Reid Bramblett.