Maine Camping
Maine camping for us covered eight nights and four campgrounds. It was the apex of our trip because it was the farthest north we went and Acadia National Park was the highlight of our trip.
Bangor
Bangor was our first Maine stop. I have been aware of Bangor most of my life because of all the Stephen King books I have read. I so hoped we would run into him. Silly, huh? Despite not seeing King, Bangor was such a nice place. It has a huge Paul Bunyan that is recognized as the most handsome Bunyan for its finally detailed features. The fiberglass over steel Bunyan structure can also withstand hurricane winds.
Paul Bunyan Campground
The Bunyan theme extended to our campground and we had a pleasant stay there. There was a pool and laundry and our site was beside a large pond.
Steven King’ House
Stephen King’s house was a must see. It looks somewhat like you would expect a home of his to look. The gate and fence includes bats, spiders, and gargoyles. Sadly, no sign of the great man.
Land Transportation Museum
The Cole Land Transportation Museum surprised and delighted us. It has all sorts of things used for transportation in Maine dating back to more than a hundred years. Old fire engines, wagons, cars, campers, motorcycles, wagons, and snowplows are there.
The bridge below was constructed to represent bridges of the past. Unlike Vermont, there only a few covered bridges in Maine today and we did not get to see any of them.
I was particularly interested in the museum’s snowplows because they are not a part of my world in the South. I think the machine in the photo below looks like something from a King novel.
Lobster!
We discovered a grocery store that we love, Hannaford. It was founded in Maine in 1883.
The Hannaford location near our campground was reputed to occasionally be frequented by Stephen King. I hoped we might see him, but instead found a store we loved. Fresh produce covered a huge portion of the store that comes from local farms and they will cook the live lobster of your choice for $8.99 a pound. Our lobster picnic by the pond was so delicious!
Mount Desert Island
Mount Desert is an island of Maine that includes Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. The terrain is very hilly and rocky, but is quite beautiful. We spent two nights in Bar Harbor and two nights in Acadia National Park.
Bar Harbor
Our first two nights were at Hadley’s Point Campground. It was a full hookup campground on the northern part of the island and we were comfortable there.
We arrived on a Friday afternoon and headed to the town. It was very picturesque with gorgeous views of the coast and many boats and yachts. The streets are very narrow and lined with restaurants and shops that cater to tourists.
Amazingly, we snagged a parking spot right on Main Street. We had our pup with us and got some ice cream at Mount Desert Ice Cream and ate it on the Village Green. Our favorite was The Dude, which tastes like a White Russian.
We took a walk down Main Street to Agamont Park. There is a shore path that I wish I could say we hiked. Just didn’t get it in.
We returned to the town of Bar Harbor a couple of days later thinking crowds would be less on a weekday. However, it was worse and we couldn’t find any parking. There is a free bus shuttle, The Island Explorer, that transports people to Bar Harbor from local hotels, inns, and campgrounds. We didn’t try to use it because we thought dogs wouldn’t be allowed. However, we later learned that “well-behaved” dogs are allowed, but not on the seats. It would have made our last trip to Bar Harbor much more enjoyable if we had ridden the shuttle.
We just happened upon the lovely spot above and stopped for a photo. Everything was so lush and green!
Acadia National Park
I have heard many times how beautiful Acadia is and now know it is true. It is a relatively small National Park, but uniquely lovely. The big thing to do at Acadia is to go to the top of Cadillac Mountain. The park requires reservations to drive to the summit during peak season. We were lucky that the day and time we chose was clear and sunny.
The Porcupine Islands are several small islands are visible from the top. It was not too crowded on the summit because of the limited access and I do think it enhanced the experience.
Another popular spot is Otter Cliffs. There is a walkway and you can climb down to a stunning view of the rocky shore. You can’t see it in this photo, but there were tons of lobster traps in the water.
Jordon Pond is a centerpiece for the park and there is a restaurant there. They specialize in popovers and tea. We actually had a meal there, including popovers. Our meal was there because you can take dogs if you eat on the lawn.
Our pup hung out below the table while we had our meal. The atmosphere was very nice, but the meal was overpriced for what you get.
Blackwoods Campground
Our two nights in the park were in Blackwoods Campground and we loved it. Most importantly, our spot was level and shady with a nearby bathroom that was immaculate. We were dry camping, so no electricity. However, the weather was mild and we didn’t really need the air conditioner. Our camper is equipped with a solar panel and it was enough to keep our battery going because we were frugal using electricity.
There are no showers in the campground, but there was a place just outside the park that is coin-operated.
One thing we especially liked was a path to the ocean from the park. It was an easy downhill path that led to a bench and a ledge above the water.
It was a popular spot and we met other campers there. The view of the water and rocks below was gorgeous.
Kennebunkport
Sandy Pines in Kennebunkport was our last Maine camping stop. It was the nicest campground we visited on our trip.
This campground had a heated saltwater pool and an extremely nice laundry. So, I went for two birds one stone and did laundry while we hung out at the pool.
Kennebunkport’s big claim to fame is that it is where the summer home of George H. W. Bush family is located. It has been a Bush family retreat for more than a hundred years. We got close enough to get a shot of the compound. Check out the Texas flag under the U.S. flag.
Downtown Kennebunkport is so beautiful with the Kennebunk River flowing through the center of town and flowers everywhere. We only had one full day to explore, so we just drove around and took in the sights. Next, lunch was at Federal Jack’s—delicious fish and scallops. Maine seafood is the best!
One quirky attraction is The Wedding Cake House, built in 1825. It has been called the “most photographed house” in Maine. We checked it out, but couldn’t tour it because it was undergoing renovations. However, it looks pretty good for an almost 200 year-old house.
Maine Camping in Conclusion
We had high expectations for our Maine camping trip and it certainly did not disappoint. It is a beautiful part of our country and its people were friendly. It was also nice to be in an area with such a rich history. Oh, and the seafood was incredible!
Lastly, check out our visits to other states on our page, States Visited, a Campsite Resource.
