A Scenic Downeast Maine Vacation by Jessica McDonnell

During the summer of 2004, my husband and I went to the rugged coastline of Maine to celebrate our second wedding anniversary. We had the most amazing time!

We drove from our home in Pennsylvania, so it was a bit of a hike, but well worth it. We found our charming oceanfront accommodations near Pemaquid Point thanks to the friendly folks at Golden Travel Guides. While there, we explored up and down the entire coastline. We thought Pennsylvania had a lot of countryside…until we visited Maine. The entire state is just such a serene place; it has an unbelievable amount of natural, undeveloped open space.

We chose to go to Maine because of the romantic affinity we have always had for New England's rocky shores, and our desire to see Acadia National Park. Acadia National Park hosts Cadillac Mountain, the highest mountain on the East Coast north of Brazil as well as countless other exquisite landscapes. The park is situated around Bar Harbor, Maine's quintessential Victorian town that is dotted with colorful gingerbread houses, charming shops, and delightful restaurants and bed and breakfasts. We visited gardens, mountains, carriage roads, and sparkling lakes in Acadia.

Outside of Acadia we visited at least twelve lighthouses, shopped in Freeport, home of the original L.L. Bean store, as well as exploring countless towns along the entire coastline including Rockport, Rockland, Camden, and Old Orchard Beach to name a few. Old Orchard Beach resembles the Jersey shore; it is colorful, has food vendors of all varieties lining the wide, people-filled streets, and has folks of all ages gathering for sunny afternoons on the white sandy beaches (just about the only white sand beaches in all of Maine).

This was a phenomenal vacation. The coast of Maine is a must-see for everyone! It is perfect for couples and families alike. Be sure to bring comfortable walking shoes and a windbreaker (there is usually heavy fog and even in August it is a bit chilly).

© 2007, Jessica McDonnell for GoldenTravelGuides, a national network of 150+ Internet-based guides to the “Best of” cities in the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean. They arrange group, leisure, and business travel at 40,000 hotels worldwide. 877.465.3368 / http://www.GoldenTravelGuides.com

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