Traveling out East?

We were in Maine last week and stopped at Old Orchard Beach (without reservations) and got in the first place we went to. I have never paid to go on the beach in Maine, Mass or RI. I have paid to camp on the beach but not to walk on it.

You will have to contend with the revelers from Boston, and New York City, with their better than thou attitudes and their impatience.

Ramsgm, are you always this condescending? Impatient, sometimes, but I take GREAT exception to the "better than thou" attitude comment. Some stupid survey may have given us that title but I can tell you it's not true. And BTW, it's "Katahdin", not "Kataydin". Have you ever been up there?

OP, just be prepared to deal with some issues you might not be used to. I've sat for hours just south of the Beltway in VA when the temp has been over 100 on the highway. Just roll down the windows and crank the tunes. Reservations are a good idea as it does get crowded during the peak season. But don't get too wrapped around the axle about preplanning everything. Lots of people on here "wing it" in areas like this with no issue. I'm a planner, but I've been an admin/office manager/event coordinator/travel planner, etc., for 35 years-it's in my blood. The coolest thing about visiting an area that's totally opposite of what you're used to is sometimes when you get home you have a whole new appreciation for what you've got.

Crowe, you've gotta get back on the road again! I've been enjoying your informative and always courteous posts for a long time!

Why thank you! The start of this post is probably a little less than courteous, but when someone begins a response with insults, sometimes it's hard to bite the tongue! :) Yes, I do, indeed, need to get on the road again! My son is waiting to hear on grad school and once we know what's up with that we'll start making decisions on when to get our next RV. Still leaning towards a truck camper, but we'll see.

Interesting to me that you would attempt to venture out to environs unknown, without the requisite due diligence on the areas you are visiting.
It is true, most coastal roads are narrow, and blocked with loathsome traffic.
Have you attempted to make reservations at any of the places you intend visiting? I would highly suggest this, or you may find yourself setting up camp at a Walmart, or Truck Stop.
We have visited coastal Maine many, many times, and if you intend to run your course along the coast or even use the Interstates, then yes, you will find the roads narrow, winding, and full of hours upon hours of sitting in traffic. The whole of the East Coast is densely populated, and the people here are looking for an escape from the rigors or everyday life by visiting these resort areas, too. You will have to contend with the revelers from Boston, and New York City, with their better than thou attitudes and their impatience. Uh-huh, I'm one of the burbs, so I have learned to take it easy and relax. People are just people, with different ideas, and different ideals.
If you head towards New York, and visit Long Island, to rub elbows with the celebrities in the Hamptons, the first thing I would be concerned with would be the low clearances on the Parkways, here. Then you will have to contend with the river crossings, tolls, intolerable traffic, hot humid weather, and overpricing of anything you touch, see, feel, or eat. That is just the way it is here. But, we have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world here. Be certain, you will pay tolls to use roadways, park your vehicle, enter parks, visit museums, and just about anything else you can think of. There's a charge, and then a surcharge, for nearly everything you do.
The scenery in Maine is breathtaking, especially if you make the trek north to Acadia, and Kataydin. Please be vigilant of the moose that venture out onto the roadways. Unlike deer that can destroy your vehicle, these massive animals can, and often do, result in horrific fatalities. The signs along the roadways expounding the number of deaths by moose are an attestation to this statistic.
There are huge black bears up north, which should not be approached. They are wild and powerful animals, and will do just about anything to get at food. Heed the signs, and warnings.
A nice area is the Adirondack Park area in Northern, NY. Here you will be traveling on country roads, up and down mountains, and on winding mountain roads. Take your time, and relax back to a time where people, like the Roosevelts, Teddy that is, came to hunt and enjoy the splendor of nature.
Other than that, the east coast is a great place to visit, from Florida to Maine, and everywhere in between. Your travel options will be endless, and you will come away with an amazing view of a different way of life in these areas.
So, make your plans, know where you are going before you get there, know what obstacles you will face, and above all PLAN YOUR TRIP with attention to detail.
If you decide to come our way, I wish you safe travels, and welcome you to our little piece of paradise.

somertime wrote:
We were going to Maine and down the coast , but a friend of ours just emailed us and said they can't wait till they get home to the Midweast. They said the streets are like alleys, the traffic unbearable, you have to pay to get onto a beach or pay even if you want to take a look at the beach, tons of shops and lots of people and no parking, can't get to a restraunt, and it's way to hot to enjoy. WOW! Wondering what your experience is about this location. Maybe a bus trip would be better.
Thank you

Give us a HINT, what exactly are you looking for? Where Exactly are you wanting to go? What Exactly are you hoping to see? On the East Coast we have beaches that have horses on them, we have beaches that have no people for miles. We have towns that have large Boulevards right through the Center. I have driven my Coach in Downtown Cambridge right through Harvard Square -- not the most fun but not very hard either. While I LOVE the mountains in the West we have some spots here in the east that keep a lot of us coming back.

Be a little more specific and maybe some of us can give you a little more real advice.

BOL,

Oh, I forgot to tell Stars101, don't forget to stop by a cheese factory for some great WI cheese, cheese curds, and a beer. We went to Leinincougals brewery in Chippewa Falls, and found that to be very worth the time. We live on the border of Wi and MN, so that is why I mentioned MN. Of course there is Mall of America too. Both states are beautiful.

Stars101, I live in WI, and will say Door County is very nice and famous for fish boils, also the WI Dells, has a great boat ride. If you get North toward the boundary waters, it is our favorite to go to Duluth and camp up on the way to Grand Marais, it's called the North Shore. It is some of the best biking and hiking we know of. There are beautiful water falls and cliffs. It is what I think Maine would be like and that's why I want to go there. Nature and fresh air is what we love. DW loves reading books about Maine and the lobster fishing stories, so we need to go there.
Thanks for all the comments.

The best time to go to any destination is after tourist season - for Maine, the month of september is great. Otherwise, all the tourists are there, making the places hot, crowded, and hard to get to.

I grew up in DC (the mother of all tourist destinations) and we didn't go down to the mall (tourist area) during tourist season (april through august) except to make fun of the tourists.

Also, the locals know where to go to access the beach and find parking. Your best bet is to browse around the web and check places like the tripadvisor forums for local information.

P.S. - we will be out your way next year to see House on a Rock. That's the only thing I know to see in WI.

So what do you recommend as a good overview of your state?

Crowe, you've gotta get back on the road again! I've been enjoying your informative and always courteous posts for a long time!

To the OP: I've live in New England all my life and find all your concerns to be part of the charm! We are moving south to NH and have a summer cottage in VT, and except for visits to relatives we confine our camping to the spring and fall. The weather is great, the roads are mostly unclogged, and almost all the beaches are free - and even in the fall there's good beach swimming and no beach crowds. Come see New England then!

We have public beach access - ya just gotta pay for it :)

Come to think of it I never considered.... are there places were the beach is FREE??? That must be nice.

Wait, I DID see a free beach from Charleston, SC last year. First time I ever saw one LOL.

OK, yes, it is miserably hot/humid in the northeast this year.

We just spent 3 wks on the road and I couldn't wait to get back to the northeast! IA had small tornados and large hail. CO, AZ and NV had wildfires and 120 degree temps. NE had 40 mph crosswinds across the entire state :) All. the. way. AZ, NM had nothing green for as far as the eye could see (that freaked me out). And the interstate had so many scorch marks from burning cars/trucks I stopped counting. I know "desert", but until I saw it for myself I didn't get the whole picture LOL. Plus flat land - forever - that's freaky too :) Come on people, have a little hill now and then.

Still and all we had a great time (if not always comfortable, if you know what I mean) and are so glad we finally saw something different from the Northeast.

I'd say that Maine would be really nice to see and there are beautiful areas - Acadia for example. Yes, the coastal route will have traffic, but it's not an alley. And NH is nice too. Especially the White Mountains area around Lincoln, NH. Cooler too.

Not sure how far you want to go south but Mass. gets really bad and you'll just hit more traffic/suburban areas the farther south you go around MA, CT, NY area. I'm talking about state roads/routes. The interstates are fine, just congested at certain times. But doable. Anything north of Mass. is nice and worth a see. Personally, I'd avoid the tri-state (MA,CT,NY) area. Although, Mystic CT is nice and so is the Thimble islands area of CT.... on the river. Lichfield CT will give you a good "old New England" feel and the state routes are a nice, easy drive.

So I'd try to come across upstate NY and see the Finger Lakes. I'd research the Adirondack Park and see if you want to stay near Lake Placid. then go into VT up near the Canadian border. Stop and see some things in VT. Pop over to NH, and then onto Maine.

Or, if the coast is your goal. Avoid the ADK park (takes too long) stay on the interstates and just see NH and Maine. But I would check out some parks/attractions near the Finger lakes area. And the beaches there are lovely and peaceful, just not an ocean...

Anyway, you'll get a much nicer view of the Northeast if you avoid NY (downstate, upstate NY is beautiful) and Mass. like the plague. Your driving sanity will thank you. Sorry, some (most) of us seem to be aggressive jerks on the road. Quick story - on our 6,000 mile trip we only had one panic stop where a driver passed us on a 2 lane street and then cut over and cut us off. It was in Chicago Heights (rte30?? maybe) and the driver was from Mass! LOL. We jammed on the brakes and nearly had a fender bender - heck HE nearly merged right into our driver's side fender. All b/c he wanted to get into a parking lot.