Altoona, PA to Bar Harbor/Acadia NP, Maine

[JF2CBR]

Hello all, I started reading this forum to try and get some ideas/information on my trip to Maine. I'm looking for some information..

1. "Must see" attractions on or not far out of the way
2. What roads I should take...the more scenic the better
3. Any other information you think i would find helpful

Now some details of my trip...I have the following worked out so far:

We plan on travelling from Altoona, PA to Acadia National Park, Maine with stops in Boston, Kennebunkport, and Freeport, Maine. We're camping in Acadia for 4 nights (already have reservations) then travelling north to Baxter State Park, Maine for the last two nights camping then taking our sweet time (two full days) and comming home from Baxter State park to Altoona, Pa. On the way home we want to see the White Mountains of NH and I would like to see some of Vermont. Also we're stopping somewhere on the way home (either camping or at a motel) and I thought it would be cool to stay in the Catskill mountains....I'm not too sure of the camping situations in the Catskills. Then we plan on tavelling through the pocono mountains back to Altoona.

Any advise would be greatly appriciated!!

Thanks,
JF

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America forum.

On the way north, you might want to swing a little west and north of the shortest route, heading north from Jersey Shore up PA-287 to the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. From there, you can connect via US-6 and US-220 with NY-17 and I-88 to Albany. Along the way, you can make a stop at the Baseball Hall of Fame. Between Albany and Boston, the speed route is I-90, the New York Thruway and Mass Pike, but the scenic route is the Mohawk Trail, basically MA-2 into Boston. Those changes only add about 45 miles to the direct interstate route between Altoona and Acadia. Along the coast as you head up towards Acadia, you already seem to have the high spots on your list so let's look at some recommendations for your return.

From Baxter State Park, the way to see the White Mountains of New Hampshire and the Green Mountains of Vermont is to use US-2 across Maine to Gorham, NH, then head south on NH-16 to do the drive to the top of Mount Washington. Continue south until just south of Conway, NH where you'd hook up with NH-112 west, the Kancamagus Highway, an absolute must. When you come out at the western end in Lincoln, head north a bit to see some of the great vistas and hikes in Franconia Notch State Park. My personal favorite is the Flume Gorge. Then get back on NH-112 and continue west to join up with US-302 and enter Vermont. To see Vermont at its best, you can't do better than to just wander down VT-100 through the center of the state, two lane blacktop at its absolute best. This would put you in position to take US-7 through the Berkshires of western Massachusetts. Then MA-23, NY-23, and NY-23A will put you in the Catskills. From there, I'd suggest heading down US-209 to the Delaware Water Gap before joining I-80 into the Poconos and on home.

AZBuck

[JF2CBR]

Wow....thanks so much for your help!!

That sounds like an awesome way to end a week long camping adventure in Maine!

I'll be sure to publish my trip diary on here when i get back! Maybe some pictures too.

Thanks again,

JF

[Mark Sedenquist]

1. "Must see" attractions on or not far out of the way

I don't know if this really counts, but there is one attraction I have always wanted to see and never had the time to do....

In the DeLorme HQ building in Yarmouth, you can see a globe that is 42-feet in diameter, (6000 pounds) and rotating at the same speed as the "real one".

Mark