Road Trip to Millinocket (Bath, Belfast: restaurant, shop, cabin)

[Kristin85]

Hi everyone,

I have received a lot of wonderful advice on this board before so I am back for more! Any and all input is appreciated.

This Sunday my husband, brother, and I are leaving Exeter, NH for Millinocket. We're going to be staying in Millinocket for 5 nights and 6 days. What route should we take to get there? My brother does not want to travel on a major highway and we would all like to see some towns "off the beaten path" that are unique. Traveling the major roads would take us 4 hours but we're fine with traveling up to 8 hours to get there. Without any input we will probably travel near I-95 then cut from the Pittsfield area through rural areas up to Millinocket. We're open to traveling along the water (we've never been between Bath and Belfast before) or traveling significantly more inland.

Also, if there are any "must see" places in the Katahdin area, please tell.

Thanks!

[mainebrokerman]

if you came up thru western maine in the mountains it would be a pretty ride- thru fryburg to bethel to rangeley, to eustis (rte 16), then to greenville, to milo thru brown ville junction- backway to mt katadhin-rte 11 i believe to millinocket

[RMoore007]

And if I95 is your route, just get off in Newport at route 7 and go to Dover-Foxcroft where you can catch the Milo road from there. It's a 26 mile ride to Dover going through Newport, Corinna and Dexter first.

Although, mainebrokerman's route is nice too and you'd still go through Dover to get to the Milo road.

[Kristin85]

Thanks guys. I'll run both of the options past my family tomorrow and decide which one to take.

[Maineah]

Go to Greenville, I -95 to Newport then take route 7/11 to Sangerville where you can pick up route 6/15 to Greenville. There are signs They call it "the Moosehead Trail". Stop at the cigar shop around the bend heading toward Rockwood in downtown Greenville (dime store indian out front directly across from "The Stress Free Moose" restaurant and bar) ) and say Hi to dmyankee. Great guy and he knows the area well. (plus your hubby will be pleased with his cigar selection) He'll most likely tell you to go up the east side of Moosehead to Kokadjo and then to the golden road that runs along the west Branch of the Penobscot river on your way to Millinockett. Very pretty road with vistas of Mt Katahdin along the way. After you cross Abol bridge you bear right and it's a straight shot (20 miles or so ) into Millinockett. You'll take that route back to the south gate to Baxter too so you will be familiar with the route back.That's the best, most scenic route in my opinion. And as you know by now I'm never wrong.

[beltrams]

I'd stay off most of 95 entirely, instead going up NH Rt 16 and then through western Maine as Mainebrokerman says.

One of the great things about Google Maps is that one can request directions from it and then drag the suggested route around to kind of warp it and see other possible alternatives, mileages, and general travel times.

In your case, one can pull the route over to Rt 16 and tease the result into many possibilities. It just depends on how far north your family wants to go before crossing into Maine. Fryburg and Gilead are possibilities. Personally, I love the drive from Errol through Wilson's Mills and into Rangeley, but that's a real stretch for only a one day drive ending up in Millinocket. Something a bit more moderate, however, would be nice.

[mollysmiles]

Oh... and with google maps you'd get a hint of the scenery as well. Good idea!

[bangorme]

Originally Posted by Maineah

Go to Greenville, I -95 to Newport then take route 7/11 to Sangerville where you can pick up route 6/15 to Greenville. There are signs They call it "the Moosehead Trail". Stop at the cigar shop around the bend heading toward Rockwood in downtown Greenville (dime store indian out front directly across from "The Stress Free Moose" restaurant and bar) ) and say Hi to dmyankee. Great guy and he knows the area well. (plus your hubby will be pleased with his cigar selection) He'll most likely tell you to go up the east side of Moosehead to Kokadjo and then to the golden road that runs along the west Branch of the Penobscot river on your way to Millinockett. Very pretty road with vistas of Mt Katahdin along the way. After you cross Abol bridge you bear right and it's a straight shot (20 miles or so ) into Millinockett. You'll take that route back to the south gate to Baxter too so you will be familiar with the route back.That's the best, most scenic route in my opinion. And as you know by now I'm never wrong.

The Golden Road from Kokadjo to Telos Bridge is VERY rough. I would avoid it if possible.

[Kristin85]

Thanks again for the advice everyone. We're staying off I-95 altogether so we'll probably pick and choose from everyone's suggestions using the Google Maps drag feature. (Great suggestion!) It will be a late night tonight with packing and devising a route.

Does anyone have suggestions of places to see in Millinocket? So far we've just gotten advice to go to the Appalachian Trail Cafe.

[Kristin85]

Originally Posted by bangorme

The Golden Road from Kokadjo to Telos Bridge is VERY rough. I would avoid it if possible.

Our cabin is on a path off of the Golden Road. To say I'm excited about this trip would be an understatement!