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Good afternoon! DH and I will be visiting your lovely state for the first time next week. It has long been a dream of ours to go and we are so excited! We fly into Boston from Orlando on Monday morning, drive to Cape Elizabeth to Two Lights State Park and the Portland Head Light then stay in Cape Elizabeth Monday night. Tuesday, we would love to get up really early and drive HWY. 1 up to Bar Harbor where we have reservations for the remainder of the week. We would like to stop along the way to see Owl's Head Lighthouse and the Penobscott Narrows Observatory and perhaps some of the small towns....BUT I have read online that this would be a 10 hour drive without stops! Google maps qualifies it as a 3 Hour and 40 minute drive but I know that is without stops, traffic lights, etc.
Could a native give me some insight into the feasibility of this option? I really don't like driving the interstate up as we will be driving it back on the return trip to New Hampshire where we are spending the following week in the New Hampshire mounts. Also, if there are other, more interesting places to see along Hwy 1.
You can do that in one day. I'd estimate 5 to 5-1/2 of driving time. Since you like the lighthouses, let me recommend a drive out to Pemaquid from Damarascotta. It's ~15 miles from Rt. 1 to the lighthouse, but it is one of the prettiest in Maine.
You can do that in one day. I'd estimate 5 to 5-1/2 of driving time. Since you like the lighthouses, let me recommend a drive out to Pemaquid from Damarascotta. It's ~15 miles from Rt. 1 to the lighthouse, but it is one of the prettiest in Maine.
Thanks so much! This is exactly the kind of information I needed! I did read about Pemaquid but was afraid I wouldn't have time. We'll add it to our itinerary.
You don't need to be intimidated by the interstate Highway in Maine - it is an easy road to travel and we have done it hundreds of times. Early June there won't be the number of tourists that will be found starting July 1. I can understand you wanting to take Rt 1 but it will be a long and probably tiring trip. I would recommend you pick out a couple of places to zero in on along Rt 1 and take the interstate for the rest of the trip.
Thanks so much! This is exactly the kind of information I needed! I did read about Pemaquid but was afraid I wouldn't have time. We'll add it to our itinerary.
Any suggestions on good places to eat?
If you go to Pemaquid, go over to New Harbor and eat at Shaw's.
If you decide that you really want to drive Rt. 1, you might consider taking I-295 up to Brunswick and then use Rt. 1. You will see a lot of great scenery on Rt. 1. You might see some ships at Bath Iron Works. You might want a lobster roll from Red's Eats in Wiscasset, or you might want some Blueberry Pie from Moody's Diner in Waldoboro.
That could be a nightmare due to traffic. As Mensa said, the drive on Rt 1 to Brunswick is pretty boring (unless you want to go to LL Beans). But, once you get away from I-95 the traffic can be absolutely terrible during the tourist season, especially when combined with any road construction along the way. I could tell you some horror stories, but I'm not going to. Maybe if you picked certain days of the week it wouldn't be so bad, but I don't know what days are better than others.
id consider this...take 295 from portland to the bath/brunswick coastal rte one exit,,, you will be entering brunswick,,,,go straight and watch for signs,,,you will take a left at an intersection (cumberland farms will be on your left)
this will go right to bath,,during the weekdays traffic wont be bad....keep going you will go over the bath bridge and headin towards wiscasset on rte 1...
keep following rte 1,,, thru wiscasset- go over the bridge,,,and exit on the damariscotta/pemaquid exit (you may see rtes 129/130
take the damariscotta exit...go thru the small town,,and take a right before the big white church (rte 130 i believe)
follow this road right to pemaquid point--one of the most beautiful places in maine,,there is a a beach nearby too-pemaquid beach,,,
drive back, the way you came,,,and get back on rte 1 north at damariscotta,,,the traffic shouldnt be too bad til you hit rockland/camden,, but again, not bad on the weekdays,,,,keep going north til you come to the observatory/narrows bridge in prospect
from there,(head towards bucksport, not frankfort or winterport),keep going til you hit ellsworth,, now you are close to bar harbor,,,follow the road to bar harbor..
Wow!! Thank you all so much!! You've given me wonderful advice and great pointers! I feel so much better about driving Rt. 1. I'll report back in a couple of weeks when we return. Can't wait to visit your amazing state!
Wow!! Thank you all so much!! You've given me wonderful advice and great pointers! I feel so much better about driving Rt. 1. I'll report back in a couple of weeks when we return. Can't wait to visit your amazing state!
be sure to eat some lobsters and steamer clams (in butter!!)
I was near bar harbor today and the traffic wasnt bad...even with the road construction,,
if you are in a hurry on your way back from bar harbor,,,you can go back to ellsworth -take 1a (i think) back to bangor (take the newport west exit) this puts you on (south)"95" and now you are headin south,,speed limit is 65....take this road til you get to the gardiner exit,,,then take 295 south back to portland/cape elizabeth....this will take you 3.5-4 hrs at the most
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