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01-18-2018, 06:54 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 15
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Heading to Acadia - Advice Needed
We have finally pinned down our summer destination and it is Maine. We will be heading there from Ohio and then returning home to coastal North Carolina. Our current plan is to arrive there around July 15. I realize this is perhaps not a good time to avoid crowds, but it is the only time we can swing it.
I'll be honest, the Northeast makes me a little nervous with the low bridges, heavy traffic and pot hole roads. With that in mind, I could use some advice.
Traveling are me, my wife, our two children ( 9 and 11 ) and our very chill dog. We have a 33' Class A and tow a Honda Fit. We are both educators with summers off so we have some flexibility in terms of how long we stay, but thinking a couple of weeks from the time we get there.
Here are my questions:
Routing advice? Ohio to Maine or Maine to North Carolina?
Everybody I speak to has a different theory on getting around DC / New York which we will need to do on the way home . For those who have done it, what do you find best? Do you have favorite places to lay up for a day or so to break up the drive south?
My wife is starting us off at Seawall Campground for 7 days. The web states accommodates rigs up to 35', has anybody stayed there and have some thoughts on that? Is there space to park our car? Does the campground have convenient access to drinking water as well as a place I could dump some grey water?
Is two weeks too much ( or too little ) for Acadia? What other destinations should we consider adding to our trip?
Looking for any and all advice and answers to questions I probably haven't even thought to ask.
Thanks in advance for the help.
Happy Trails
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01-18-2018, 07:35 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 625
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Hey, we see Class A units all over the northeast, and really aren't all that many low bridges - especially if you stick to main highways. We've been to Maine several times with our camper and have not found any issues at all. Pot hole roads? Usually not so much, with a few notable exceptions. For instance, I-78 through eastern PA is a freakin' nightmare.
Alternate routes. Once you get to northeastern US, we have happily used I-84 from Scranton PA, through New York, into CT and MA. Then we catch I-90 to I-495 around Boston. Then you're on I-95 to Bangor. Finally, US 1A to Ellsworth, and ME 3 onto Mt. Desert Island.
Seawall may be a little primitive, depending on your needs. No electric, water or sewer hookups, for example, although the website says they have drinking water and a dump station. There are a *bunch* of more 'modern' campgrounds clustered around the north end of Mt. Desert Island, if you want full hookups. For example, we're planning to head that way in June, and tentatively are planning on Narrows Too, or Patten Pond (a few miles up US 1 -- we have family in Winterport, near Bangor).
How much time for Acadia? If you like hiking, 2 weeks would be great. My DW is a little handicapped, so we're kinda stuck with driving around and looking at what we can see from a parking lot or scenic overlook. Bummer. My son hikes all over Maine, now that he lives up there.
Good luck and enjoy the lobster!
Roger
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TV 2010 Ford F-150 Supercab
TT 2016 Jay Feather 23RLSW
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01-18-2018, 07:39 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Gulf Streamers Club
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Cincinnati
Posts: 19,925
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Arcadia NP is a beautiful place. Much to see and hike around, if you have bikes, it's great for them also. Use the Toad in the park, there are some height restrictions on some of the roads in the NP. Bar Harbor is a fun town, but it gets busy on the days the cruise ships visit.
I went to Arcadia from Ohio by using I-80 to I-81, then I-84 to Newburgh NY and across Connecticut to I-90, I-290, I-495 until North of Boston at the Merrimack River and onto I-95.
You might want to take US 1 for part of the trip in Maine, I enjoy the small seaports along the way. Freeport, ME is the home of the LL Bean original store, etc.
On the way South from Maine, I'd go the same way south, but stay on I-81 in PA south until I-66 in VA, then as you get East towards Washington, DC, take US 17 to Berea, VA and I-95 S.
This route avoids all tolls around PA, NY, MA, NJ, and keeps out of big cities.
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Bob & Donna
'98 Gulf Stream Sun Voyager DP being pushed by a '00 Beetle TDI
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01-18-2018, 07:46 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Vintage RV Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 720
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BFlinn181 x 2
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1998 Fleetwood Flair 25Y--P30 Chassis - 7.4 L - KD5ALG
"When I was younger, I could remember anything, whether it had happened or not." - Mark Twain
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01-18-2018, 08:00 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Lowell, Arkansas
Posts: 7,297
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My DW is from ME and we met back in 1967 while I was stationed at a radar sight 10 miles south of Doverfoxcroft. We summered in ME probably 30 or more times since her folks lived in Dover.
As stated stay on major roads and no low bridges. We went to ME 2 summers ago and took a slightly different approach which I would do again.
We took the MASS Pike in but only went a little ways into Mass then headed north into NH and found a nice CG. We only stayed one night then took the 2-lane back roads through NH into ME. It was a nice scenic drive with the normal amount of small rural town traffic. We we have a 31' MH (gas) with a TOAD and had no issues at all. The roads did wind and twist but were very smooth and well maintained. The NE small towns were very nice.
Acadia & Bar Harbor is a tourist trap on steroids. It's still nice to visit. We stayed in a very small CG on the water for about 6 weeks. The CG was in Winter Harbor which has a population of about 600. We could walk to great restaurants, fresh fish and lobster right off the boat. There was also a small ferry boat that went to and from Bar Harbor twice a day so we took it into BH for one day. that's a very nice way to avoid the traffic. If you wanted to bike acadia you can take your bikes over on the ferry. As I recall it was a very nice hour ride to BH. That was enough for us.
We Honeymoon close to BH back in August of 1969.
If you want or need any more details send me a PM and I''ll ask the DW for the details. She does the navigating, all the trip planning and I do all the driving so details don't stick with me very long.
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TeJay Auto Instructor/4-yrs USAF/ Liz: RN/ WBGO 2014 Vista 30T/ F-53/CHF/5-Star/Koni * Bella & Izzy * Golden /Cocker mix/ Louie The Cat* All Retired
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01-18-2018, 08:05 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Thor Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 3,788
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GuyG
BFlinn181 x 2
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I'm also with BFlinn181 concerning the route. Living in southeastern Virginia and I don't go near I95 from central Virginia all the way north to Boston. Stay on the primary roads and you shouldn't have any low bridge issues.
Was in Acadia last July. Bring some warm cloths for the evenings. Great temps for a campfire.
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2006 Hurricane 31D built on a 2006 Ford F53
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01-18-2018, 08:44 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Tiffin Owners Club
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Whitehouse Station, NJ
Posts: 828
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When visiting Acadia NP, during summer you must go very early to find parking at the various trailheads in the NP. Fills up pretty early in morning. We wanted FHU and stayed in the KOA Bar Harbor Oceanside. We enjoyed the “down east” parts of Maine and really liked Lubec and Harrington but may be too quiet for your kids. We also enjoyed Belfast and Boothbay Harbor. On way from Ohio might want to hit Lake George and Mount Washington. On way south we like Minuteman CG near Boston and Cherry Hill Park to tour DC. If you decide to go down coast via Delaware, Delaware Seashore SP south of Rehobouth is great.
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Randy & Ella (terrier mix rescue)
2020 Winnebago View 24J
Downsized from 2013 Tiffin Phaeton 40QBH
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01-18-2018, 09:50 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Enjoying the Western States!
Posts: 19,637
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This blogger made 6 awesome posts on the Acadia area. Ready them for ideas on where to stay; what to do:
https://wheelingit.us/?s=acadia
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Full-timed for 16 Years . . .
Traveled 8 yr in a 2004 Newmar Dutch Star 40' Diesel
& 8 yr in a 33' Travel Supreme 5th wheel
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01-19-2018, 01:47 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 8,055
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Given that the coast of Maine has been visited for more than 400 years and settled for close to that there are many interesting places to stop. Tourism has been an economic issue almost as long. You can look for lighthouses and you will find interesting villages dating back to the 1600-1700's. Some are classic old Maine and some are tourist traps.
We visted the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse and Museum but there are others. My point is that it's worth visiting one to see how folks lived back then and the changes now. Good history.
The Bath Maritime Museum is worth a visit. You can see a lot of the Bath Iron Works shipyard in a drive by. Freeport and Bath are not that far apart so I would camp between them and at least drive by the shipyard and drop into LL Bean who is open 24 hours a day. Use the towed. Much easier to get around with.
You can use the superslabs to get close but I would run Rt 1 from where it follows the coast and splits with I295. Shorter and more scenic. Unless you are bigger than a 53 ft trailer on the back of a semi cab you will be fine.
If you want to try TJ's idea I'd do something like 202 to 9 across southern VT and recommend stopping near Bennington, VT. Visit the Hemmings Motor Museum. It's free. Visit the Bennington Battle Monument. It's educational. One of the places the country started. If you do that 9 becomes 7 in NY. Head for I88 to Binghamton, NY where you can get on I81 to get past DC. Interesting stops along the route include Gettysburg (do it with towed).
You and the children might enjoy the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton, VA. There are many other interesting Civil War sites as the Shenandoah valley was a major Civil War area. By that point you will be past DC so can head east to Richmond and pick your route from there.
Just a few points of interest I know of. I can spend months just exploring Maine. ;-)
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01-19-2018, 06:53 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: North Wildwood, NJ
Posts: 527
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We spent a week in Rockland, ME last summer for the Maine Lobster Festival. We did day trips to Arcadia NP, stopped at many lighthouses along the way and visited LLBean in Freeport. For me I find that I usually have too much time but in that area of ME you have many opportunities for day trips, boat or ferry trips, etc. I characterize the Maine Lobster Festival as little festival with national attraction. The footprint is small and there are people from all over but it is a nice size festival with lobster every which way. This year it is August 1-5th. Something to consider for a couple days stop on the way home after Arcadia. Maine Lobster Festival: 70th Annual Celebration of All Things Lobster, August 2 - 6, 2017 in Rockland, Maine
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Bob and Cathy
2015 Itasca Sunova 33c towing a 2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara
Member FMCA F421963, GS Life, SKP#127220, WIT, PA,
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01-19-2018, 07:40 PM
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#12
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Community Moderator
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Point Pleasant Beach, NJ
Posts: 31,248
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Acadia/Bar Harbor is a great destination. We usually stay at Narrows II. It's a very well maintained park and sits right on the water. There is plenty to do there. Make sure to take in a whale watching trip.
If you have time go to Booth Bay. It's a sleepy little Down East town with a ton of flair. You won't be bored here. We stay at Shore Hill CG and have repeatedly been there.
Good luck with your plans.
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Tony & Ruth........... FMCA#F416727
2016 London Aire 4519, Freightliner chassis, Cummins ISX, 2018 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, Blue Ox Avail with AF1. TST 507 TPMS
No amount of money can buy you an extra second of time.
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01-19-2018, 07:44 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Tiffin Owners Club
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Whitehouse Station, NJ
Posts: 828
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TonyDi
Acadia/Bar Harbor is a great destination. We usually stay at Narrows II. It's a very well maintained park and sits right on the water. There is plenty to do there. Make sure to take in a whale watching trip.
If you have time go to Booth Bay. It's a sleepy little Down East town with a ton of flair. You won't be bored here. We stay at Shore Hill CG and have repeatedly been there.
Good luck with your plans.
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+2 in Shore Hills CG. If you go there do the Cabbage Island Clambake Cruise. It was phenomenal!
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Randy & Ella (terrier mix rescue)
2020 Winnebago View 24J
Downsized from 2013 Tiffin Phaeton 40QBH
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01-19-2018, 07:46 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Entegra Owners Club Spartan Chassis
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 4,192
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TeamD_NC
Here are my questions:
Routing advice? ...Maine to North Carolina?
Everybody I speak to has a different theory on getting around DC / New York which we will need to do on the way home . For those who have done it, what do you find best? Do you have favorite places to lay up for a day or so to break up the drive south?
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When southbound from New England, many have found that finding I84 (west of the Boston area) and following that west to Scranton, PA to connect to I81 south will keep you clear of NYC, Newark, NJ, Philadelphia, PA, Baltimore, MD and Washington, DC. From I81 south, many will take I66 east (just a little south of Winchester, VA to connect with US17 south (exit 28 from I66 east) which will connect with I95 about 45 miles south of the DC metro area at Fredericksburg, VA.
Although that routing adds some miles to the shortest route from Acadia to NC, it's a much more pleasant drive. A few hills in NY, PA and VA, but, nothing too difficult.
Take care,
Stu
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2018 Anthem 42DEQ
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