FourRosies

My family is currently working on planning for a trip to Maine (at my daughters request). We are limited to dates from May 31 - April 10 because of my daughter’s days off from school.

We are planning on flying in and renting a car. The original plan is spending some time in Portland, and some in Bar Harbor. And other than that doing easy hikes or drives around Acadia national park.

I would love to stay in a rental right on the water, which I think would involve staying in a different town.

I am mainly looking for advice on what areas we could expect most things to be open, and if there are towns we shouldn’t miss. Or best AirBNB’s or rentals in these areas.

thanks!

HappyTrvlr

You need a local to give you a realistic description of what April weather is like. It’s not so good in other areas of New England then.

dfrostnh

That should be before black fly season and crowds. You should be able to find an air B&B or VRBO on the water that doesn't require a full week rental. Ours was not far from Rockland which is a completely different area. Lobster shacks with outdoor seating won't be open but there are plenty of other restaurants with indoor seating. We prefer the mid coast area. You might take a look at the Harpswell area. There's a guide to conservation areas you can download. Easy hikes and lots of places to explore although not as rugged and dramatic as Acadia. I've never found the right place to stay so we opted for a small air b&b in nearby Brunswick which is a college town so plenty of restaurants. To the north is Bath home to the Maritime Museum. Friends do an annual vacation in the Harpswell area and always stay in a waterfront apartment. I think it's near Dolphin Marina.that restaurant says open April to November. The area is very rural and quiet so it might be too early to go there.
Maine Coastal Gardens near Boothbay doesn't open until May.
Unfortunately New England weather in April can range from warm and sunshiny to snow storms.

KarenWoo

April in New England can be very iffy weather-wise, and especially in Maine. Our oldest daughter went to college in Brunswick, and it is a lovely area as drfrostnh describes. The Harpswell area is beautiful, and we have had lunch many times at the Dolphin Marina. You can visit Portland easily from Brunswick. However, the weather is more likely to be more winterish. We visited our daughter quite frequently and April was always cold. Camden and Boothbay Harbor are very nice, too.

Acadia National Park is beautiful, but much further north, so I imagine it would be even colder.

For your dates, I assume you mean from March 31 to April 10. Later in April or May would be a better time but I realize you can't do that.

J62

When someone says they are going to Acadia, my first question is "why?"...

It is a nice park, but since so much of the mid-coast also has small villages, craggy coastline, long stretches of open space, and is a not as far away. Personally I think you might enjoy being in a town along the mid coast just as much.... Somewhere like Camden, Rockland, or Boothbay, or Harpswell area all of which will have plenty of lodging options that time of year..

zoeyz1249

You can also visit the White Mountain National Forest. It is located in New Hampshire, but extends into western Maine. Each year, it attracts a large number of visitors from all over the world. Also on foot, an aerial tram ride here provides a more comprehensive bird's eye view of the maple foliage throughout the park. Visiting the White Mountain National Forest is usually done from the town of Lincoln, New Hampshire to the town of Conway. The trail runs through the White Mountain National Forest with green hills and winding roads, and there are many forest trails to reach various points of interest.

cdnyul

For 10 nights I would stay in Bath at the Residence Inn. Shaws is across the street for groceries.
https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotel...area/overview/

Parking in Portland can cost up to $50 per day. It is free after 6PM or limited to two hours in metered spaces.
There are better ways to spend $500.

Easy hikes in the Bath/Brunswick/Freeport area are:
Popham Beach, especially at low tide (take the road through Parker Head) Reid State Park, Morse Mountain. Wolfe Neck Woods, Dodge Point, the lighthouse and nature trails in the Damariscotta area.
Orr and Bailey Islands for the scenery. Dolphin Cove restaurant should be open (expensive) Erica's Seafood, probably will be closed.
Brunswick is nice, a taco place that shut down during the pandemic is now a French bakery, so things are definitely improving.
It is a college town.

Based on last week's in the area, I can recommend Eventide Oyster Co. in Portland and 555North in Brunswick.
A lot of restaurants were only open three or four days per week.
I would not bother going to Acadia.

A couple of snaps from Popham, record high temp for November.