Maine Budget Trip

[Aurora D]

My family is thinking of taking a trip to Maine the first few days of July. We would be driving up from NJ and probably staying 3-4 days. What are must dos that are budget friendly? Where to stay? We are not opposed to cabins or pseudo camping.Any great budget places to eat? I have no idea about anything to do in Maine but have just heard that it's beautiful.

 

[seb65]

We camp in Maine. We camp at Bayley's CAmping Resort. They do have cabins, and they have shuttles to Old Orchard Beach. My parents go to Ogunguit and stay at Hampden Inn. They love it there. Further north is Boothbay Harbor, which is nice.

 

[NY Pirate Princess]

That week is peak vacation time on the coast of Maine, so if you find something you like you had better reserve fast. Our hotel has been sold out for months. Camping and/or something OFF the beach will be your best bet for cost and availability. I googled seafood take out places at our location to find good food at a reasonable cost. The beach will be our budget friendly fun since it is FREE! Lots of stores and restaurants are cash only in Maine so if you do go, bring some cash.

 

[JessM]

I would focus on beaches or hikes for budget friendly in Maine. You didn't say where you were thinking of going but I'm going to assume somewhere in Southern Maine.

The states parks are beautiful and admission is very affordable. I'd recommend Crescent Beach (ocean) or Sebago lake state park for beach days. You can also get into Old Orchard beach, pine point and others for free, parking is just kind of a pain.

Kennebunkport is a great place to walk around and look in the shops. I'd also recommend Perkins cove. There's a cute small town there and a beautiful walk way along the ocean down to the beach.

You could also do a nice inexpensive day up in the Cape Elizabeth area. Fort Williams is a beautiful free public park in Cape Elizabeth with a old mansion ruins, fort and Portland Headlight (lighthouse). Kettle Cove is a good little beach area not far from there. In addition Two Lights State Park is nearby too. The Lobster Shack is a restaurant close to there with amazing fried seafood. It's right on the water and you can BYOB there!

Downtown Portland would also be a good place to spend an afternoon walking around.

 

[scrapquitler]

The firest few days of July? You want to help your budget, go a week sooner or a week later. Fourth of July will be the busiest weekend of the summer, most likely since the 4th falls on Saturday this year.

 

[tink9702]

JessM has some great ideas for you! Crescent Beach, Sebago Lake & Two Lights State Park are all great! Honestly depends on whether you are looking to hike/swim in lakes or if you really want the ocean as to where you go. The "lakes region" of Maine is really beautiful but very different than coastal Maine. You could also canoe & camp on the Saco River. The canoe rental might be a bit more expensive but it is a bunch of fun! Here is a great site for camping in Maine: http://www.campmaine.com/

 

[nhgirl]

My husband and my brother-in-law went on a fishing trip to this place http://www.longlakecamps.com/ and they were really impressed. The place is extremely clean and the people who run it are awesome. The cost is quite reasonable too.

 

[sharona]

You didn't say if this was with kids or a couples trip so, in general, for Southern Maine beaches we like Ogunguit, York Beach, and Kittery Point. We frequently drive up from MA just for the day. If you want further north there is Wells then Kennebunk then Old Orchard, Portland... eventually Bar Harbor/Acadia. If you want something on the beach, check out the Anchorage Inn in York (they may be sold out). Not fancy or budget friendly but very convenient for families. It's directly across from the beach and they have several pools both indoor and out. There's also a trolley that goes from in front to the "downtown" area of the beach where there are arcades, restaurants, shops, Nubble Light house etc. From there you can easily drive south to Kittery Point outlets/restaurants or up the coast to see Wells and Kennebunk. I 2nd what Jess M said, Kennebunk has a nice downtown area with a couple of funky galleries and some great restaurants and Perkins Cove is a great little spot as well.

I don't know anything about non coastal Maine.

 

[Donald Duck888]

I would say if you like camping you should look into Hermit Island (on Casco bay). It is amazing, you can basically pitch a tent and listen to the ocean waves as you go to sleep. Having said that I would echo what others here have said about possibly going a week before or after as finding a site on hermit island (or most places in ME actually) on such short notice for that week will be tough. If you are not going for a coastal vacation I would suggest our white mountains here in NH as we are right next door to ME. If you like hiking you could do a lot of hiking, fish some great rivers or take the cog railway or auto road to the top of Mt Washington (the highest peak east of the Mississippi river) where it is always nice and cool and the views are spectacular. Plus all shopping is tax free here as we have no sales tax.

 

[sharona]

Love love love the White Mountains. Heading to North Conway in 2 weeks!!!

 

[DisMomme]

Maine is a huge state. Any idea where you were thinking about going? In Southern Maine you have Kennebunk, York, Old Orchard, Portland. We live near there and prefer to head toward the Lake Pemaquid area or to Bar Harbor. I have friends that have a camp in Moosehead - it is beautiful there. Nearby shopping and lots of hiking, canoeing and 4-wheeling trails. North Conway is great - we used to go there often when the kids were younger - shopping for me, swimming/fishing for the husband and Story Land for the kids. Anywhere you go will be crowded the first week of July.

 

[HeatherC]

North Conway is in New Hampshire....not Maine.

I second Hermit Island for camping....grew up camping there for two weeks every summer for well over 35 years. Place never changes.

Bath, Maine is nearby and is a very pretty town on the Kennebec River. It has a walkable downtown with lots of shops and restaurants and is a great location to stay if you want to see other coastal towns as daytrips. You could do Rockport, Boothbay Harbor, Christmas Cove, Wiscassett, Damariscotta in one direction and Freeport, Baileys Island, Ogunquit, Kennebun, Old Orchard and York Beach in the other.

Popham Beach right outside Bath is one of the most beautiful beaches in Maine.

Have fun wherever you go!

 

[sharona]

North Conway is in New Hampshire....not Maine.

I second Hermit Island for camping....grew up camping there for two weeks every summer for well over 35 years. Place never changes.

Bath, Maine is nearby and is a very pretty town on the Kennebec River. It has a walkable downtown with lots of shops and restaurants and is a great location to stay if you want to see other coastal towns as daytrips. You could do Rockport, Boothbay Harbor, Christmas Cove, Wiscassett, Damariscotta in one direction and Freeport, Baileys Island, Ogunquit, Kennebun, Old Orchard and York Beach in the other.

Popham Beach right outside Bath is one of the most beautiful beaches in Maine.

Have fun wherever you go!

Thanks for the geography lesson - alternatives to Maine were being suggested.

 

[HeatherC]

I just didn't want to confuse the OP. If they are not from New England, they may not know where North Conway is.

 

[amyy]

There is no place like Bar Harbor/Acadia but I would think it will be hard to find a hotel room for the beginning of July. This hotel still has openings and is near Portland. I have never stayed there but would give it a try. Budget stay and you can read but I don't think they have cable tv etc. http://www.polandspringinns.com/

 

[nhgirl]

I agree with amyy. There is no place like Bar Harbor/Acadia. My favorite place in Maine and I've been up and down the entire state. The Bar Harbor Inn is very nice and they still have availability. Not very budget friendly unfortunately. There are cottages in and around Bar Harbor. Rosecliff Cottages and Summertime Cottages are a couple that come to mind.

Regarding York Maine, the restaurant across from the Anchorage Inn (The Sun & Surf) is a must at least once per summer. The views of the beach from the outdoor dining area are awesome!

 

[plummer925]

I live in Maine and am happy to give you recommendations! What do you like to do? We have everything...