Take a week to explore the small towns of northern Maine (more info) and the Downeast coastal corridor, experiencing the character and energy of the state’s rural, down-to-earth corners while taking in serene views along the way. Embrace small-town living while driving between family-friendly festivals, coastal restaurants, and dramatic, rocky headlands.
Itinerary / 6-7 Days
Bangor, Maine
Courtesy of Visit Maine
Day 1Riverside Brews in Bangor
Fly into the Bangor International Airport (more info) and pick up a rental car. You could hit the road immediately and head to Houlton (more info) or if you arrive later in the day, check into the all-suite Residence Inn by Marriott Bangor (more info) for the night.
Walk along the nearby Penobscot River (more info) or Bangor’s Main Street for a relaxed evening of dinner and riverside craft beers at Sea Dog Brewing Co. (more info). Or cross the Penobscot to the town of Brewer (more info) for Mason’s Brewing Company (more info).
To keep it even simpler, grab a table at the hotel’s restaurant, the Timber Kitchen & Bar (more info) on the ground level of the Residence Inn, for an eclectic menu that includes Mexican street corn, lobster dip, and forest mushroom pizza.
Walk along the nearby Penobscot River (more info) or Bangor’s Main Street for a relaxed evening of dinner and riverside craft beers at Sea Dog Brewing Co. (more info). Or cross the Penobscot to the town of Brewer (more info) for Mason’s Brewing Company (more info).
To keep it even simpler, grab a table at the hotel’s restaurant, the Timber Kitchen & Bar (more info) on the ground level of the Residence Inn, for an eclectic menu that includes Mexican street corn, lobster dip, and forest mushroom pizza.
Looking out over Brackett Lake and Grand Lake in Maine
Photo by Courtesy of Visit Maine
Day 2Walk the Meduxnekeag River and Relax on East Grand Lake
Make the 90-minute drive to Houlton (more info), an agricultural border town with year-round family-friendly events. Try to time your trip for Midnight Madness, an annual festival that shuts down the postcard-perfect downtown every July 3, culminating in a fireworks finale that night. Or head up in early May to join in the epic nine-mile Meduxnekeag River Canoe Race.
Stop at the Houlton Farms Dairy Bar (more info) in the warmer months and snag a scoop to stroll through the Houlton Riverfront Park (more info), with its picturesque Meduxnekeag River trail and a footbridge that connects to Houlton’s downtown. In nearby Hodgdon (more info), enjoy the expansive farmland views and a glass of wine made from locally grown berries and fruits at Hidden Spring Winery.
After touring the town, drive about 45 minutes south to East Grand Lake, and check into the rustic, hilltop First Settlers Lodge (more info). For larger groups, consider a vacation rental along the shore—groups that want to be right on the water should look into Rideout’s Lodge & Cottages (more info) in Weston (more info).
Stop at the Houlton Farms Dairy Bar (more info) in the warmer months and snag a scoop to stroll through the Houlton Riverfront Park (more info), with its picturesque Meduxnekeag River trail and a footbridge that connects to Houlton’s downtown. In nearby Hodgdon (more info), enjoy the expansive farmland views and a glass of wine made from locally grown berries and fruits at Hidden Spring Winery.
After touring the town, drive about 45 minutes south to East Grand Lake, and check into the rustic, hilltop First Settlers Lodge (more info). For larger groups, consider a vacation rental along the shore—groups that want to be right on the water should look into Rideout’s Lodge & Cottages (more info) in Weston (more info).
The Million Dollar Scenic Turnout in Weston, Maine, overlooking Grand Lake
Courtesy of Visit Maine
Days 3-4Swimming and Boating on East Grand Lake
Bisected by the U.S.-Canada border, East Grand Lake is a far-flung gem worth the journey. Bass fishers peacefully coexist with canoers, paddleboarders, and boats towing tubes of ecstatic little ones. Keep your eyes and ears attuned to the lake in the early mornings and around sunset for families of loons and their distinctive, eerie calls.
To rent paddling gear or a boat, call Rideout’s (more info) ahead of time to ensure your dates align with its schedule. You can also ask them about hiring a guide for fishing or canoeing excursions, even if you aren’t an overnight guest. If you rent a boat, make your way to Caribou Point (more info) for a picnic on the peninsula and a refreshing swim.
Get back in the car to see the lake from up high at the Million Dollar View Overlook (more info), a vantage point with glorious views of East Grand and the surrounding forest. Bring your passport for any excursions to the Canadian side of the lake or to any towns in the province of New Brunswick.
To rent paddling gear or a boat, call Rideout’s (more info) ahead of time to ensure your dates align with its schedule. You can also ask them about hiring a guide for fishing or canoeing excursions, even if you aren’t an overnight guest. If you rent a boat, make your way to Caribou Point (more info) for a picnic on the peninsula and a refreshing swim.
Get back in the car to see the lake from up high at the Million Dollar View Overlook (more info), a vantage point with glorious views of East Grand and the surrounding forest. Bring your passport for any excursions to the Canadian side of the lake or to any towns in the province of New Brunswick.
The small town of Eastport, Maine
Courtesy of Visit Maine
Day 5Visiting Eastport’s Art Galleries and Museums
Take the two-hour drive to Eastport (more info), a working waterfront destination with a creative vibe that’s also one of the easternmost towns in the U.S. Along the way, stop in Calais (more info) for a quick breakfast or lunch stop at Crumbs Cafe & Coffee Bar (more info)—order the poutine to taste the border-town culture here. You can also visit the St. Croix Island International Historic Site for insight into the French presence in the early 1600s and the Indigenous Passamaquoddy people.
For a longer pause, head to the nearby Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge (more info) for one of the easy walking or hiking trails across the 30,000-acre marshy, hilly preserve. Bring binoculars to scope out the more than 225 recorded wildlife species.
Once in Eastport, keep it simple with a dockside lobster roll to watch the lobster boats come in at Horn Run Brewing. Tack on an evening cruise with one of the town’s several charter companies through Passamaquoddy Bay (more info) and Cobscook Bay (more info), and wander through the dozen-plus art studios, galleries, and waterfront sculptures clustered around Water Street.
For culinary enrichment, carve out time for a tour of Raye’s Mustard Mill Museum (more info), reportedly the continent’s only remaining traditional stone-ground mustard mill. Sample some of the traditional Maine company’s mustards—like one made with Shipyard Brewing Co.’s Pumpkinhead ale—on your visit to the small museum and working mill.
If you brought your passport and want to extend your stay, drive to Campobello Island in New Brunswick for whale watching and sweeping ocean overlooks. The Old Sow Whirlpool is the largest tidal whirlpool in the Western Hemisphere and also just across the border.
For a longer pause, head to the nearby Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge (more info) for one of the easy walking or hiking trails across the 30,000-acre marshy, hilly preserve. Bring binoculars to scope out the more than 225 recorded wildlife species.
Once in Eastport, keep it simple with a dockside lobster roll to watch the lobster boats come in at Horn Run Brewing. Tack on an evening cruise with one of the town’s several charter companies through Passamaquoddy Bay (more info) and Cobscook Bay (more info), and wander through the dozen-plus art studios, galleries, and waterfront sculptures clustered around Water Street.
For culinary enrichment, carve out time for a tour of Raye’s Mustard Mill Museum (more info), reportedly the continent’s only remaining traditional stone-ground mustard mill. Sample some of the traditional Maine company’s mustards—like one made with Shipyard Brewing Co.’s Pumpkinhead ale—on your visit to the small museum and working mill.
If you brought your passport and want to extend your stay, drive to Campobello Island in New Brunswick for whale watching and sweeping ocean overlooks. The Old Sow Whirlpool is the largest tidal whirlpool in the Western Hemisphere and also just across the border.
The Schoodic Peninsula in Acadia National Park
Courtesy of Visit Maine
Days 6–7Exploring Acadia National Park or a Downeast Day Trip
There’s plenty to see before heading back to Bangor (more info), so you have your choice of options. One is to see Acadia National Park (more info), taking in the dramatic granite coastline and spruce forest on popular Mt. Desert Island along the trails. It’s about 2.5 hours south of Eastport and, for a longer trip, could easily serve as an anchor to other small towns along the Downeast coastal corridor before the roughly one-hour drive north to the airport.
Another option is to keep the small-town theme going with visits to Lubec (more info), Machias (more info), Gouldsboro (more info), or Ellsworth (more info). Each could make a leisurely rest-and-stretch stop along the way back to Bangor. Or drive the Schoodic National Scenic Byway (more info) to check out the Schoodic Peninsula (more info), which is part of Acadia National Park.
A longer stop in Lubec would leave enough time to hike through the West Quoddy Head State Park (more info) for uninterrupted Atlantic Ocean views and an iconic red-and-white striped lighthouse, or to stroll through Cobscook Shores (more info) to explore miles of undeveloped shoreline and tidal ecosystems. If you can spare the time and are up for a moderate hike, traverse all or part of the 10-mile Cutler Coast trail (more info) near the town of Cutler (more info), which is between Machias and Lubec, for unspoiled views of the rocky coastline along the Bold Coast.
Another option is to keep the small-town theme going with visits to Lubec (more info), Machias (more info), Gouldsboro (more info), or Ellsworth (more info). Each could make a leisurely rest-and-stretch stop along the way back to Bangor. Or drive the Schoodic National Scenic Byway (more info) to check out the Schoodic Peninsula (more info), which is part of Acadia National Park.
A longer stop in Lubec would leave enough time to hike through the West Quoddy Head State Park (more info) for uninterrupted Atlantic Ocean views and an iconic red-and-white striped lighthouse, or to stroll through Cobscook Shores (more info) to explore miles of undeveloped shoreline and tidal ecosystems. If you can spare the time and are up for a moderate hike, traverse all or part of the 10-mile Cutler Coast trail (more info) near the town of Cutler (more info), which is between Machias and Lubec, for unspoiled views of the rocky coastline along the Bold Coast.
