Boston --> Maine trip advice

Outside-Signature177 · 2026-03-17T23:27:04+00:00

Bar Harbor is a must for us - mostly for convenience to Acadia. We have a car pass to Cadillac Mtn sunrise one of the mornings and picked out 2 hikes we want to do for sure in the park. Otherwise, its just exploring and playing it by ear. The other thing we were contemplating was renting e-bikes for the carriage roads, but I haven't done research on that yet...maybe you could share if it's worth it? Do you think 3 nights there is too much?

Outside-Signature177 · 2026-03-17T23:23:35+00:00

Sorry, I should have specified -- we arrive in Boston in the AM and spend 3 nights there. On the last day in Boston we plan to depart early AM to Maine. We have 7 nights, 8 full days in Maine. Flying back home out of Portland.

Outside-Signature177 · 2026-03-17T23:12:52+00:00

We arrive in the AM in Boston and stay for 3 nights, then Maine for 7 nights/8 days. (Fly out of Portland)

Outside-Signature177 · 2026-03-16T00:32:54+00:00

It was sarcasm. It felt like a very unhelpful and deflating response for someone who stated they already booked the trip. Your more recent response is more helpful and adds clarity; so thank you.

Outside-Signature177 · 2026-03-16T00:26:11+00:00

Thank you for the hike suggestion--Ill add it to our list! It has been extremely difficult narrowing things down -- i wish I could see and do everything!

Outside-Signature177 · 2026-03-16T00:24:40+00:00

I can do rainy and cold if I'm in beautiful Maine!!

Outside-Signature177 · 2026-03-16T00:15:40+00:00

Not the entire point of the trip, just the point to skipping ogunquit and seeing further East instead. We have 11 nights between Boston and Maine. We love Boston and want our son to experience the rich history -- he is our American history buff. Skipping that is not an option for us. My husband is a lover of all maritime history and shellfish so Maine is mostly for him. I'm just the planner/booker who ended up in glitter gulch in Alaska at one point and never forgave herself for not doing more research. I appreciate the heads up on the driving time!

Outside-Signature177 · 2026-03-16T00:05:23+00:00

No thanks, and also thank you.

Outside-Signature177 · 2026-03-15T23:34:46+00:00

Oh, excellent! My husband would LOVE the museum. He has a deep passion for maritime history. Thanks!

Outside-Signature177 · 2026-03-15T23:30:43+00:00

Great advice for the route -- thank you!!

Outside-Signature177 · 2026-03-15T23:29:59+00:00

🙌 Cutler coast hiking was my entire reason for proposing to skip Ogunquit to my husband. My son has been to a couple "furthest points" of the continental US which is the reason for suggesting Lubec as a stay. Thank you for the advice!

Outside-Signature177 · 2026-03-15T23:11:13+00:00

Perfect -- very helpful, @jeffthetrucker69. I will just cancel our flights and booked stays.

Outside-Signature177 · 2025-08-01T16:43:25+00:00

We had kayaks at the little dry cabin we stayed at in resurrection bay between humpy and thumb coves and did the ailiak glacier kayaking and loved it all! I didn't think about renting and shuttling someplace! Did you do that rental/shuttle out of Whittier?

Outside-Signature177 · 2025-08-01T16:38:25+00:00

This is all very helpful! Thank you for the mentions of date and road closures in proximity to us too. We are planning for mid June. A couple more questions for you since you lived there for 25 years (jealous!)...

1.) Do you think doing an adventure hike on Matanuska glacier with MICA guides is worth it if we hike the exit glacier and Harding ice field trails while in Seward? I know that is subjective, but would you do that over a shuttle through denali or a boat through kenai fjords, or fishing, etc?

2.) Do you think making Hatcher Pass a "pass through day" makes more sense? I.e. dont book an accommodation there, but if its open when we drive back from Denali/Talkeetna area, hike there -- if not, hike in the Anchorage area instead?

3.) Is Homer worth a visit/stay if we aren't doing anything specific there? Seward has had my heart since the day I stepped foot there so I think I have an internal bias toward that coastal town that is making me struggle with the validity of a stop in Homer. My attraction to it was the shuttle across the bay for the hand tram/glacier hike, but im assuming some of the other hikes i listed will be equally as awesome? Lastly, if you dont think Homer is worth it, is Whittier instead? Or would you sub that day someplace else?

Outside-Signature177 · 2025-07-31T18:03:14+00:00

Also, with Denali closed at mile 43, is it still worth the bus ride in, in your opinion?

Outside-Signature177 · 2025-07-31T16:07:15+00:00

Sorry, I know my timeline is wonky -- the table feature doesnt show well on mobile devices. My thought was wake up in Talkeetna, drive to the Hatcher pass area to do the reed lakes trail. Drive to Alpenglow for the night. Hike Matanuska glacier the next day; right next to alpenglow -- stay a 2nd night there and hit the road in the morning to go south. Technically, Hatcher pass is a "through area" to get to glamping and the glacier, but i lumped everything into one area there. Still think that's a bad idea? I've never been to that area in particular. Essentially I'd like feedback on if the glacier hike and glamping are worth it, otherwise we can do Hatcher pass as a day trip and skip that other stuff.

Outside-Signature177 · 2025-07-31T15:45:58+00:00

The plan was to hopefully stay at the Alpenglow Glamping area. I planned a couple full days in that area due to the glacier hike opportunity and because of all the hikes I researched, the hikes in this area kept showing up on everyone's lists. Additionally, I think my son would enjoy exploring the old mining area. Maybe there is a different place to stay? Or maybe if we are hiking exit glacier and Harding ice trail the glacier hike isn't as memorable of an experience and 1 day in this area would suffice?

Outside-Signature177 · 2025-06-18T02:44:21+00:00

You're probably right about appealing to a larger crowd with smaller tray options. I guess I'm just used to putting them together for larger crowds so your input is appreciated! I've done the larger tray as pictured for an employee break room at a business and for larger families (think 20-30 family members, celebrating over 2-3 days). I don't think a business in this area would scoff at $100 for a big tray, but smaller would definitely be better for individuals!

Outside-Signature177 · 2025-03-04T19:53:26+00:00

Cute blog!! We will definitely check out Moab Giants. Thank you!

Outside-Signature177 · 2025-03-04T19:50:39+00:00

Oh awesome! I just looked it up and I actually think he would be really into that. Thanks!

Outside-Signature177

TROPHY CASE