Day Trips of Interest Outside of Waterville
Acadia National Park
(Bar Harbor, or 2-4 hours depending upon route taken)
Scenic drives and walks along
Maine's rocky coast. Carriage paths for biking, hiking trails, sand beach, and picnic areas.
Can be combined with trip to Bar Harbor.
Scenic Route--Take Route 137 to Belfast, Route 1 to Ellsworth, Route 3 to Bar
Harbor. It takes 3-4 hours depending on traffic.
Quick Route--Take Interstate 95 North to Bangor. Get off the first Bangor exit and take Route 1A to
Ellsworth. In Ellsworth it becomes Route 3 and takes you into the park. It takes about 2 hours.
Augusta(1/2 hour)
State Capital --
Maine State Museum --
Fort Western Museum
Combine with trip to Hallowell.
Bar Harbor(2 hours)
Charming Main Street with shops and
eateries. Jackson Cancer Research Lab. Follow directions to Acadia National Park.
Bingham(1 hour)
Scenic drive--Wyman Dam; Bigelow
Mountain Hiking. Take route 201 North
The Black House(Ellsworth--2 hours)
See how one of Maine's famous families
lived in the early 19th century. The fully furnished house is a splendid example of Georgian
architecture. Restored garden, carriage house.
L.L. Bean(Freeport--1 hour)
Famous outdoor outfitters--open 24
hours/day, 365 days/year. Take Interstate 95 South to Freeport.Can be combined
with trip to Portland or Desert of Maine.
Boothbay
Harbor(1 1/2 hours)
Beautiful Harbor, sailboats, boat
rides, footbridge, shops, eateries, deep-sea fishing. Railway and Antique Car Museum; Crab and Lobster wharf.
Combine with trip to Wiscasset and Ocean Point.
Take Route 201 to Augusta, Route 9 to Gardiner, Route 27 to Boothbay.
Camden(1 1/2 hours)
Charming town and harbor, shops,
eateries, hiking in Camden Hills State Park, Mt. Battie Drive. Take Route 137 South to China, Route 202 to
South China, Route 32 to South Windsor, Route 17 to West Rockport, Route 90 to
Route 1, and Route 1 to Camden.
Desert of Maine(Freeport--1 hour)
Maine's most natural phenomenon--over 35 acres of giant sand dunes as high as 75 feet, with over 100
shades of sand. Take a safari ride, walk the dunes, visit the 18th century barn and museum. 2 1/2 miles from L.L. Bean--Route 1 and
Interstate 95.
Fort Knox(Prospect--1 1/2 hours)
The second largest fort in the
United States. On Route 174, just off
Route 1--west of Waldo Hancock Bridge.
Hallowell
Antique shops, combine with trip to
Augusta. Take Route 201 South to Hallowell.
Mohegan Island(2 1/2 hours)
Charming Artists Colony, fisherman's
museum, forest walks, nice Inn. Take boat from Port Clyde (a boat also journeys from Boothbay Harbor). Proceed as if going to Camden, except
continue on Route 32 South to Route 1. Take Route 1 North to Route 131 South to Port Clyde.
Main Maritime Museum(963 Washington St., Bath)
Restored 19th century
shipyard, Grand Banks fishing schooner, boat-building school marine arts,
lobstering exhibit, ship models, children's room, boat rides.
Moosehead Lake(Greenville--2 hours)
Squaw Mountain Resort --
Lily Bay State Park -- Take Interstate 95 to Newport, then get on
Route 7, next get on Route23 to Sangerville, on to Route 6, then on to Route 15 to Greenville. Turn right to Lily Bay, turn left to Squaw
Mountain.
Ocean Point(1 1/2 hours)
Rock ledges on Boothbay Harbor's
peninsula. Combine with trip to Boothbay.
Take Route 96 to East Boothbay and continue on to Ocean Point.
Old Orchard Beach(2 hours)
Amusement Park, Eateries, Wharf,
Beach. Take Route 95 to Scarborough. Take Route 1 South to Old
Orchard Beach.
Pemaquid Point(1 1/2 hours)
Outside of Damariscotta, lighthouse,
Picturesque Rocky Point, beach, old fort, restoration. Proceed as if going to Camden, except take
Route 215 off Route 17 to Damariscotta, then Route 13 to Pemaquid Point.
Perry's Nut House(Belfast, 3/4 hour)
Nut and animal exhibits. Samples of nuts from all around the
world. View a mounted world-wide animal exhibit upstairs. Located on Scenic
Route 1 and 3. Free admission.
Portland(1 1/2 hours)
Victoria Mansion, Wadsworth-Longfellow House. Old Port
restored district, shops, eateries, movies, and festivals. Take Interstate 95 South. Can be combines with L.L. Bean.
Rangeley Lakes Region(1 1/2 hours)
Saddleback Mountain, Rangeley Lakes
State Park. Take Route 137 through
Oakland to Route 2, Route 2 to Farmington, Route 4 to Rangeley.
Rockland(1 1/2 hours)
Farnsworth Museum, Sardine
Factory. Proceed as to Camden, except
stay on Route 1 into Rockland. Combine
with trip to Thomaston.
Rockport(1 1/2 hours)
Golf Course, breakwater, and beautiful
beaches.
Seashore Trolley Museum(Log
Cabin Road, Kennebec Beach)
Dozens of old trolleys, streetcars,
buses, rapid transit cars, etc. Many
work and can be ridden. Restoration
shop is open for the tourists to watch.
The Shaker Museum(New Gloucester)
A living museum situated in
America's oldest religious community. Shaker furniture, textile, tin and woodenware, folk art, early American
tools and farm implements. Guide service,
museum ship, and Shaker store--Route 26
Willowbrook(Newfield)
The only 19th century
museum of its kind in the country. Has
over 60 display areas and more than 10,000 items in 33 structures. Includes an old fashion country store, over
60 restored drawn horse carriages and sleighs, a wide variety of shops. Contains a turn-of-the-century area with
gasoline engines, and much more! Consists of restaurant, gift shop, and picnic area.
Wiscasset
Quaint Maine village, old jail,
shops to stop at on your way to Boothbay.
Weld(1 1/2 hours)
Mt. Blue State Park, hiking on Mt.
Blue and Tumble Down Mountains--swimming, picnicking. Travel to Farmington as is going to Rangeley, continue on route 2
to Wilton, take Route 156 to Weld. Convenient store in Weld has directions to start of trails.
State Parks
Maine has an extensive State Park
System. They are listed on the back of
the state highway map. Ocean swimming
at Acadia, Reed, Old Orchard Beach, and Topsham. Best lake swimming at Lake George, Lily Bay, Damariscotta, and
Mt. Blue.
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