Maine trip for a southerner

[pathways]

I will be leaving my mountains of western NC in the third week of May to travel

to Boston, and Maine. Plan to go to Acadia, Bar Harbor? Are there are

special place to plan to hit? I shoot with slides and camcorder. I would

appreciate any suggestions from a knowlegable Yankee. John Womack

http://home.earthlink.net/~pathways/

[bobatkins]

What are you looking for? Acadia is nice in a civilized National Park sort of way. Baxter State Park is much more of a wilderness/nature experience. The further north you go the further away from the "cute victorian inn B&B weekend tourist" you get and the more real nature you see.

 

You won't find much nature in Bar Harbor itself unless it's cooking in a pot!

[sandy.]

Bob, you are quite funny at times ;-)

[ed_tobin]

John,

 

Last year I went to maine for 4th of July weekend. I chose to stay at New

Harbor and not Bar Harbor based on some research on the web.

 

http://www.jimemery.com/travelogue/Maine%20Travelogue/travelogueme.htm

 

While I have lived in New England most of my life and vacationed as a child in

Maine with the family I have not spent any time photographng in Maine.

 

Bar Harbor gets very crowded and has lots of shops stuff. New Harbor is a

smaller fishing village and is very relaxing. Read the link above I followed it

and had a great time. The hotel listed wass great.

[bobatkins]

I've visited Acadia every year for the last 15 years and I've never heard of "New Harbor"! I though I knew every village on the island.

 

There's Bass Harbor, Northeast Harbor, Southwest Harbor but I don't recall any New Harbor (unless it's really, really, new!).

 

Where is it?

[arthuryeo]

Bob is right about Bah Haabeh. :-P Besides the pot-cookin, there're lots of lobsters to be eaten.

<br>Acadia is definitely worth the trip. Their tide-pools have tiny little sea-creatures (I promise, they're not sea-monkeys) which I have never seen before elsewhere. Bring your macro-lens!

<br>Now something practical ... even in the deep lazy summer, if you intend to camp out at Acadia, bring lots of warm clothings.

[bobatkins]

Also required in the May/June timeframe is a bucket of "Off" or other mosquito and black fly repellant if you intend to venture far into the woods. I've been known to wear a head net and gloves to keep the little buggers from eating me alive.

[brien_szabo]

End of May beginning of June is a tad too early for Lupines. You may see a couple but mid-June is when they really start to "pop." You will though catch many types of ferns in all stages. From small fiddleheads to full grown Interuppted Ferns (in the Wild Gardens of Acadia)Late morning light and a macro lens make for some interesting work when it comes to shooting ferns. Also, don't be surprised if you get a lot of fog. I've been in Acadia end of May/beginning of June and have spent many days making the best of foggy conditions. Also, don't forget to try out what is better known as the Quiet Side of the island. Lots of hidden treasures over there.

[john_bald]

Acadia National Park is one of those place where I have always had a nice experience - I have nothing but pleasant memories of my handful of visits there. Just about any time of the year would be worthwhile photographically (except maybe March and April, which qualify as late winter), but I aim to be helpful in setting your expectations: spring comes much later and more slowly in midcoast Maine than it does in more southernly areas. Acadia (the national park is a short distance from the town of Bar Harbor) will be just in middle spring, not summerlike at all. The greening of spring and flowers, etc., will be under way - great for nature photography! By contrast, Boston will be in later spring, tending toward summer.

<p>Don't worry about crowds in Bar Harbor, they don't arrive en masse until June. There are many, many lodging choices in the area and the prices are probably lower than you're used to.

<p>The State of Maine sponsors an ongoing, seasonal photo contest. If you'd like to see some images of spring in Maine, <a href="http://www.maine.gov/portal/photos/winners.php">click here</a>.

<p>Have fun, John!<br>John Bald, Brunswick Maine

[gary_duffy]

John,<p>

Okay, I spend quite a bit of time in Maine and never have heard of New Harbor, but I have consulted my trusty Delorme Maine atlas and there it is, a couple or three peninsulas north of Boothbay Harbor on route 130! (Looks like it could be interesting) Speaking of which, you might give Boothbay Harbor a try.

[ligia_dovale]

There are quite a bit of quaint harbors in Maine worth the visit, as mentioned above. I would add to the list of places to photograph, some of the lighthouses, like the Nubble Light at Cape Neddick, York and the Pemaquid Point lighthouse in Damariscotta. The latter probably offers the most beautiful views and setting to photograph, the layered granite rocks that surround it make this lighthouse unique, and it is not far from New Harbor. The Otter Cliffs and Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park are a must to visit, plus there are plenty of spectacular scenery along the Loop Road, it is the best place to experience the rugged coast of Maine. As for Baxter State Park, it is the best place to see Moose, do some hiking and take pictures of Mount Kathadin. If you are considering Baxter, you could email directly at Ligia123@aol.com for more information and places to stay.

[pathways]

Thanks to everyone who responded. Now that I've returned from Maine, let

me add a place or two for archive. We were only there for three days, and the

weather was overcast with rain and light skies and not much sun. I used my

Canon DV camcorder more than slide film and got some good pics,

considering. It was cool, from 42 to 56 degrees. After the obligatory hike

around Cadillac summit, we crossed Sand Beach and hiked the Great Head

Trail, 1.4 miles of forest and sea cliffs. The Ship Harbor Nature Trail, an easy

1.3 mile trip. The Ocean Trail, 3 miles of sand beaches and sea cliffs, and

Gorham Mountain Trail, an excellent 1.8 mile to the top of a 500 foot mountain

but which looked like the top of the world. All of these offer excellent close

and vista photos, and were good for hiking between the rain. The camcorder

was able to work better under dark conditions and get in close to the sea cliffs

with its 22X optical zoom, and all in all I was satisfied with the results. The

"quiet side" was reminisent of the 1940's. The town of Bar Harbor provided an

excellent photo essay (again with camcorder still shots) and the food was

good. Thanks again for the help. John

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