week trip from Minnesota to Augusta Maine

Hi- traveling with a teenager from Minnesota to Maine. AAA has us mapped from Minneapolis/St Paul to Chicago to Tronto thru New York state then outside of Boston then up to Maine. Any suggestions or advice would be welcome. Any photo opportunities would be great - teen is a camera photo buff. Will be in Augusta Maine for the July 4th event. Suggestions on restaurant stops and sightseeing while there. We thought we would stop the first night in Bufalo NY to see Niagra Falls go the next day the rest of the way or stop outside of Boston then do the scenic drive in the morning. We will try to avoid the rush hour traffic. Staying around August from July 2nd and leaving July 5th in the morning to head back to Minnesota. Plan to stay in Toronto on the way back. Do we need a passport now or is a dr license ok?

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

As of January 1, 2008 you will need a passport to cross the border from Canada. Until then, assuming you are doing a land crossing, you can cross with only both a government issued ID and proof of citizenship. In practice, this means a driver's license with a photograph and a certified copy (with an embossed seal) of your birth certificate. This goes for everyone in the car.

Also, the routing from AAA is a little odd. There is no need to go through Canada if that is going to present a problem. A perfectly good route is just a straight shot on I-90 to the Boston area and then up I-95 to Augusta at 1565 miles. Adding Toronto to the mix could either shorten your drive (1530 miles if you stay in Canada through Montréal and approach Augusta from the north via ME-27) or lengthen your drive (1645 miles if you return to the US via Niagara in order to go on to Boston). So I'd say your first order of business is to decide which of those three routes you're going to take.

Depending on which way you go, some photogenic stops along the way might include Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Niagara Falls, of course, the Thousand Islands Region of the Upper St. Lawrence, and the coast of Maine.

AZBuck

I just re-read your post and see that you appear to be planning to go from Minneapolis to Buffalo in one day. No way. That's nearly a thousand miles no matter which way you go and cannot be done in a single day's safe driving. Two full days is much more like it with an overnight stop somewhere East of Gary, IN.

AZBuck

I'm a bit puzzled by the routing you've got going here too.

I'm gathering that you only plan on taking 2 days (1 night) out and 2 days back?

That's very much speed run territory, and speaking from first hand experience, its not going to give you time to sightsee along the way. You need to take the most direct way there and back, and even then you will be facing some grueling days.

The most direct way is via I-90 all the way to Boston, as Buck mentioned. Going through Canada is a detour that you just don't have time for. Even if you did, Toronto would be at least an hour out of your way on the Direct route from Michigan to Niagra Falls.

I also agree with Buck that there's no way that you should try to make it between Buffalo or Toronto and Minneapolis in a single day. I've driven Madison to Toronto in a day, and leaving at 10 am, I didn't arrive until after midnight. Adding another 250 miles on is just too much for a single days drive, espeically if you're looking at another mega-mile day before or afterwards.

Hi,Thanks for your advice. We decided to fly into either Boston or New York, then rent a car and drive up the coast for a scenic drive. How about some new suggestions on places to see, restaurants and or places to stay.

I think you've made the best decision considering your time schedule. I'm originally from Maine and I have a few suggestions for places you should look at stopping.

Kennebunkport, Maine. This town is home to hands down the best Lobster Roll in the world. If you don't know what a lobster roll is believe me you'll love it. It's one of those places that really sums up the look of the quaint coastal New England town.

Freeport, Maine. It's a little bit of a tourist trap but in a very refreshing way. You mentioned you'll have a teen with you and this place is all the outlet shopping you could ever ask for. There's a twist though, the town made the companies conform to the look and feel that they wanted to preserve. So you have a McDonalds that looks more like a coastal residence and outlet stores that that fit right into the downtown rather than create an eye sore. It's also home to L.L. Bean. The last time I was there they had a place to try out canoes and kayaks, actual water. And even a climbing wall.

Cape Elizabeth. This town has two of my favorite state parks. It's always quiet and the water isn't too cold. Believe me as you head up towards the mid coast you'll find the water frigid at best. Plus you get to see some of those light houses that we're famous for.

If you get the opportunity, and it will be slightly out of your way. Try to get to Acadia National Park. It's really a must see for anyone discovering coastal Maine. Acadia is located on Mount Desert Island and is home to the coastal communities of Bar Harbor, Somesville, Southwest Harbor, and Northeast Harbor. This place is really a must see.

There are literally hundreds of unique and wonderful places to go along New Englands coast. I figured I'd just mention a few highlights up in Maine. I'm sure you'll be getting alot of response on this topic.

And here are a few more Maine sights.

AZBuck

I'm from Maine as well. I live in Portland. Definitely check out the Portland Old Port. Great for visitors, tons of great restaurants. Come visit Walter's on 15 Exchange St where I work. Great food. We have lots of great stuff on the menu. Go to Two Lights State Park in Cape Elizabeth and visit the Lobster Shack and this is where you should get a lobster roll. The place was on food network. Take a stroll along the eastern promenade. Down the hill there is a nice beach trail that it great at night. Also, the eastern promenade has the best fireworks in maine on the fourth of july.

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Originally Posted by Glorified

I'm from Maine as well. I live in Portland. Definitely check out the Portland Old Port. Great for visitors, tons of great restaurants. Come visit Walter's on 15 Exchange St where I work. Great food. We have lots of great stuff on the menu. Go to Two Lights State Park in Cape Elizabeth and visit the Lobster Shack and this is where you should get a lobster roll.

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Welcome to the Great American RoadTrip Forum and thanks for the local's insights!

Mark

Just marking this thread, as Acadia is my plan for the eastern end of my trip this summer.