Kittery, Maine
There is no better entry into Maine than Kittery. Steeped in history as the oldest town in Maine incorporated in 1647, it was the perfect place to stop for our first Maine lobster. There are several seafood restaurants along the coast to choose from and the stunning lighthouse and Ft. McClary were worth the visit.
Old Orchard Beach, Maine
A beach front seaside lodge is the best place to enjoy the relaxing sea view of Old Orchard Beach. We stayed at the On the Beach Motel which was literally on the 7-mile beach. There is a beachfront amusement park and a Boardwalk with shops and entertainment.
Bangor, Maine
The road from Old Orchard Beach through Ellsworth and Bar Harbor is a scenic byway of mesmerizing water and brilliantly colored leaves. We stopped in Bar Harbor at The Travelin Lobster for a lobster feast. The casual seating is outdoors surrounded by natural beauty. 1569 ME-102, Bar Harbor.
Sites like the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse and Cadillac Mountain along the way offers great photo opportunity.
Did you know that Bangor is most well known as the setting for Stephan King’s books? You can even see his house there. Timber Kitchen and Bar was a fun place to eat. It looks like a mountain lodge with a sophisticated and artsy décor. The food and service were great. 22 Bass Park Blvd, at the Residence Inn, Bangor.
From Bangor we took the scenic drive loop to Rockwood and back through Jackman, Maine. The colors were breathtaking. As we traveled around winding roads, each curve unveiled a hillside covered in what looked like a red, gold, orange, and yellow patch work quilt.
Since we were on the “Pursuit of Leaves and Lobster”, we used the Peak Fall Foliage Map at www.newengland.com to track the timing of when to find peak color in New England. I proved to be reliable.
North Conway, New Hampshire
The drive from Bangor, Maine to North Conway was brilliant in color through the White Mountains. Paul was even inspired by Cathedral Ledge mountain to write a new song.
We planned our stay to coincide with the Fryeburg Festival in Fryeburg, Maine. It is one we “happened upon” several years ago and loved it. Started in 1851 this agricultural fair is packed with exhibits from lumberjack competitions to showing livestock to gardening to dairy to and horse racing. It never disappoints.
Allow at least a full day for the festival. There is so much to see on the fairgrounds plus different events are scheduled every day for nine days. Fryeburgfair.org is the website that updates quickly.