in the past we have mostly traveled Maine by the interstates but this time we traveled coastal route US 1 - truly 'the way' to see the stereotypic Maine land/see scapes - absolutely beautiful
The old US 1 highway hugs the east coast from top to bottom. We traveled a good chunk of it from Portland north. Very lovely way to spend a few hours. Not for the frenzied types however.
We started our US 1 journey at Fort Kent, ME. This town is the most northeastern town in the US. We followed US 1 through the coastal ME area...very scenic.
You get the best out of this drive by stopping along the way to take in views or soak up local charm. Don't take it if you're in a hurry. Lovely in the fall, especially in the sunshine.
You can't be in a hurry to take this route (that's what the Interstate is for), but the views, the little towns, the lobster shacks all make it worth it. Different from the West Coast's Highway 1, but still a treat.
A very nice travelway in good repair. Don't be in a hurry if you want to enjoy the Maine coastline or the Fall foliage colors.
Slow traffic, because of small town passage but the beauty of the coast cant be beaten. Definitely need to make a reservation , or else plan to search a lot.
On our first trip to New England, and Maine, we loved every mile of Coastal Hwy. 1. We did not mind the slower m.p.h. pace... would definitely take this again , and stop at places we did not get to see in a week's trip; We travelled to Bar Harbor, but it was the Journey to get there -- Hwy. 1 -- that was the highlight of Maine. I did wish there were more signs about finding the light-houses though.
Maine (with apologies to native sons) is either sea or endless tracts of forest. U.S. 1 hugs the coast from Kitterly to Calais and takes you though wonderful small sea-side towns and villages, magnificent ocean views, and an endless smorgasbord of interesting sea-food eateries. The interstates are great for traveling but you see nothing. U.S. 1 is awful for traveling (slow, pocky, and meandering) but that's what the Maine sea-coast is all about.
With some long days planned ahead, we decided to take a short scenic visit to Camden, ME from Freeport, ME via US Route 1. We saw some great fall foliage and we also saw some beautiful homes, and what we thought was classic Maine homes.What we did find out is that Maine code means that people can't knock down a building to build it as per their own spec - see McDonald's in Freeport, just opposite the Harraseeket Inn.