DGrin Shootout 2009 -- Transportation Thread

Llywellyn

Since folks are busily planning their travel, we wanted you to have one place to discuss whens, hows, carpools, airports, and what-have-you, so have at it!

knapph

Travel in Maine
For those driving to Mount Desert Island, MDI, for the shootout.

First of all, if you need any photo supplies, clean photons etc., a good place to stop is Photo Market in Portland. It is a true photo store. The place is a mess with all the stock they have but it is a great place to shop (http://www.photomarketmaine.com).

You will probably be traveling on I-95 coming into Maine. There are two main routes to Mount Desert from the south. You can either travel on I95 to Bangor and then take I395, route 1A and then route 3, the faster route, or you can travel on route 1 from Kittery or Brunswick, the scenic route. If you take the route through Bangor you will see mainly trees once you get past Augusta. Not many people up that way.

If you would like the scenic drive, exit I95 at Kittery to get onto Route 1 or take I295 at Portland and get onto route 1 at Brunswick. This route will be slower than staying on the interstate but you will see more. If you are into other visual arts, plan to spend some time in Portland, Rockland, or Camden. There are some great gallerys and museums to see.

I95 becomes the Maine Turnpike, toll road, shortly after the Maine/New Hampster state line. Just south of Portland the road will split into I95 and I295. The roads end up in the same place, in Gardner, so take which ever one you wish. Those of us who live here usually travel I295 so we do not have to pay tolls. If you want to travel through Freeport to stop in at LL Bean you should get onto I295 and take the Freeport exit onto route 1. If you take I295 through Portland, you can cut over to route 1 at Brunswick for the scenic drive.

If you fly into Portland you can get onto either I95 or I295 from the airport.

With either route, you will end up on route 3 going onto Mt Desert Island. Stay on route 3 once you get onto the island and you will find the hotel on the left just before you get into the town of Bar Harbor.

We will post more information later about possible places to do some shooting in southern Maine, lighthouses etc. Portland is noted for its restaurants and its old downtown area; if you have some time, stop in and see us, we like tourist dollars.

We were up at MDI shooting a few weeks ago and will post some intro pictures soon. We are looking forward to meeting all of you and hope you enjoy Maine as much as we do.

Ella and Knapp Hudson
Portland, ME
www.stonecoastphotography.com

dlscott56

knapph wrote:

For those driving to Mount Desert Island, MDI, for the shootout.

First of all, if you need any photo supplies, clean photons etc., a good place to stop is Photo Market in Portland. It is a true photo store. The place is a mess with all the stock they have but it is a great place to shop (http://www.photomarketmaine.com/).

Just a note that your link contains an extra character at the end so doesn't work properly as is.

knapph

Thanks

dlscott56 wrote:

Just a note that your link contains an extra character at the end so doesn't work properly as is.

Thanks, fixed it.

Knapp

Snowgirl

coming from Canada
Hi there. I'm driving down from Sussex, New Brunswick. I haven't decided whether to enter the US at St. Stephen / Calais or go up to Woodstock / Houlton. Any suggestions as to which is faster and least hassle?

If there's anyone flying in to Bangor that wants to be picked up on the way through and share expenses - I'd be happy to accommodate:D

Ceci

denisegoldberg

Snowgirl wrote:

Hi there. I'm driving down from Sussex, New Brunswick. I haven't decided whether to enter the US at St. Stephen / Calais or go up to Woodstock / Houlton. Any suggestions as to which is faster and least hassle?i

I've crossed in both places. When I went to New Brunswick last year I entered Canada at Woodstock / Houlton and returned at St. Stephen / Calais. The main St. Stephen crossing can be rather backed up. The last time I used that crossing I sat in line in St. Stephen for close to an hour. Last year a B&B owner told me that there is another very small little traveled crossing just south of the main St. Stephen crossing - you might see if you can find that one. But there was also a new large crossing under construction in St. Stephen, south of both previously existing crossings. If the new Calais border crossing is open (it wasn't when I came through last August), that would be an option. If not, I'd either take the Milltown crossing or the Houlton crossing.

As far as roads on the Maine side go - you would be on I-95 from Houlton to Bangor. Or if you take the Calais crossing, stay on Airline Rd./Route 9 heading west until you hit a road that heads towards Ellsworth.

In case you haven't seen this - it shows the Calais St. Stephen crossings - http://www.shiftportal.com/bangor-saintjohn/editor/index.cfm?fuseaction=main&sectionid=7&subsectionid=12.

--- Denise

Snowgirl

denisegoldberg wrote:

I've crossed in both places. When I went to New Brunswick last year I entered Canada at Woodstock / Houlton and returned at St. Stephen / Calais. The main St. Stephen crossing can be rather backed up. The last time I used that crossing I sat in line in St. Stephen for close to an hour. Last year a B&B owner told me that there is another very small little traveled crossing just south of the main St. Stephen crossing - you might see if you can find that one. But there was also a new large crossing under construction in St. Stephen, south of both previously existing crossings. If the new Calais border crossing is open (it wasn't when I came through last August), that would be an option. If not, I'd either take the Milltown crossing or the Houlton crossing.

As far as roads on the Maine side go - you would be on I-95 from Houlton to Bangor. Or if you take the Calais crossing, stay on Airline Rd./Route 9 heading west until you hit a road that heads towards Ellsworth.

In case you haven't seen this - it shows the Calais St. Stephen crossings - http://www.shiftportal.com/bangor-saintjohn/editor/index.cfm?fuseaction=main&sectionid=7&subsectionid=12.

--- Denise

Thanks for the heads up. I haven't driven across the border for a couple of years so I'll check ahead before I decide whether it's Houlton/I95 or the infamous Airline Route. i hear it's been improved (I hope).

Thanks

Ceci

Ann McRae

Plans, finally!
I fly Edmonton-Minneapolis-Boston on Tuesday Oct.6, arriving at about 5 p.m.

My roomie, cmkultradome, is picking me up from Logan, and we are driving north to
Portsmouth, NH for the night. The plan for getting to Bar Harbour is an early rise, coastal drive, lighthouses and scenery! We will be traveling in cmkultradome's Honda.

Returning to Boston on Sunday. Flying out Tuesday. Current plan is Phyxius, Fourleggedphoto, possibly cmkultradome and I will spend Monday shooting in Boston.

Others are welcome to join in with us for any part of this.

ann

davev

We're still not sure of the route or even what day we're leaving.
I may end up working Sunday the 4th and hitting the road on the 5th.
If that's the way it happens, it's 28 hours of driving to get there the afternoon of the 7th.
Don't that sound like fun?

Any way we look at it, it looks like a post shoot will happen this year instead of a pre shoot.
I do the google map thing and it wants to drag me through Boston. It's not happening.
I drove through there once, that was enough.
The other route was through Canada going through Montreal. This may be the way to come back.
I've never been there.

I'm sure whichever route that Kate makes me take will be fun and exciting.:D

stuffjunkie

...sorta plan...in the works...

I would like to see Dawn on Wednesday 10/7 in Portsmouth (Head Light?)...
(and drive the coastal route to Bar Harbor shooting (the place up) along the way.
Google maps says it's about 6+ hours from Portsmouth to Bar Harbor (I'm sure they figured in traffic )

I have a couple days after the shootout that are as yet unplanned.

cmkultradome

davev wrote:

I do the google map thing and it wants to drag me through Boston. It's not happening.
I drove through there once, that was enough.

Dave-
I agree, Boston can really be a zoo as far as traffic is concerned. I'm picking Ann up in Boston and I'm looking at it as an adventure, I'm not pressed for time so I don't think I will be stressing. If your travel route has you coming across Route 90 (Mass Turnpike) you can cut up north on Route 495 (kind of like a beltway around Boston). Your only on it for about 45 minutes and then you meet back up with Route 95 and continue north to Maine. I'm coming up from Rhode Island and my directions always take me thru Boston, I always do the route 495 thing unless I'm traveling before 6:30AM or after 10PM at night. Good Luck - it sounds like you really will have an adventure either way you go.

Stephanie

cj99si

Hey wish I had time to attend the whole event, I really hope to meet up with some of you though(photo crashers allowed?) Im from the Portland area, so any specific questions i'll be happy to try and answer. If your going to Portland headlight/fort williams get there early the park opens before sunrise. Its good any time of the day but like anything with photos its best early or late(better early)

eoren1

Which way to go
I'm torn about the best strategy for getting up to the Shootout. I live in Marblhead, MA and will be driving out first thing that morning. I've shot the lighthouses on the Maine coast (including Portland head and Owls head) so was thinking of going an alternate route to hit the peak of fall colors. What do you think of heading up 93N to just before the 91 interchange and then taking route 2 all the way across into Maine? It's just over 7 hours according to Google (not taking into account photo stops The alternative is the 95N to Brunswick then Rt 1 route which is about 6 hours.
If anyone has other suggestions for the drive up by way of New Hampshire or other ways of ensuring good fall colors, i'm happy to entertain alternatives.
Thanks,
E

By the way, I'll have an '02 4-door Civic with me if we need to drive to locations once in Maine.

knapph

Since you live on the coast, I would suggest traveling through the mountains. A suggested route: Take I-93 through Franconia Notch and turn right onto Rt 3 over to Rt 302. Take 302 through Bretton Woods and Crawford Notch. Left onto Rt 16 in Glen up through Mt. Washington Valley to Rt 2 in Gorham. If you like driving back roads, turn left onto North Rd about 3.5 miles after you turned onto Rt 2 in Gorham and take North Rd into Bethel, ME. Or, stay on Rt 2 into Bethel. Continue on Rt 2 to Norridgewock and take a right onto Rt 139 toward Waterville. In Waterville get onto I-95. By this time you will probably be ready to get to Bar Harbor. If you like driving on Rt 2, stay on it until you get to Newport and get onto I-95 there to Bangor. This is a link to the route on Google maps.

Have a good trip,

Knapp
Portland, ME

eoren1

knapph wrote:

Since you live on the coast, I would suggest traveling through the mountains. A suggested route: Take I-93 through Franconia Notch and turn right onto Rt 3 over to Rt 302. Take 302 through Bretton Woods and Crawford Notch. Left onto Rt 16 in Glen up through Mt. Washington Valley to Rt 2 in Gorham. If you like driving back roads, turn left onto North Rd about 3.5 miles after you turned onto Rt 2 in Gorham and take North Rd into Bethel, ME. Or, stay on Rt 2 into Bethel. Continue on Rt 2 to Norridgewock and take a right onto Rt 139 toward Waterville. In Waterville get onto I-95. By this time you will probably be ready to get to Bar Harbor. If you like driving on Rt 2, stay on it until you get to Newport and get onto I-95 there to Bangor. This is a link to the route on Google maps.

Have a good trip,

Knapp
Portland, ME

Thanks for the detailed route - that was exactly what I came up with in the meantime after researching some falls along the way. I think I'm going to try to hit Arethusa and Crystal Cascade with a possible stop at Glen Ellis. I just hope it doesn't take too, too long to do the drive with all these stops and hiking...
E

knapph

eoren1 wrote:

... I think I'm going to try to hit Arethusa and Crystal Cascade with a possible stop at Glen Ellis. ...

Another easy falls to get to is Silver Cascade .

knapph

Things to see on the way while in Maine
Things to see on the way (does not include anything on Mount Desert Island):

The links for the lighthouses contain pictures of each of the lights.
Nubble Light - http://www.lighthouse.cc/capeneddick/
Cape Elizabeth Light - http://lighthouse.cc/capeelizabeth/index.html
A good place to eat is the Lobster Shack - http://www.lobstershacktwolights.com/ This is at Cape Elizabeth Light with inside and outside seating. Great rocks out on the ocean.
Portland Head Lighthouse - http://lighthouse.cc/portlandhead/index.html
Ram Island Ledge Light (can be seen offshore at Portland Head) - http://lighthouse.cc/ramislandledge/index.html
Bug Light - http://lighthouse.cc/portlandbreakwater/index.html
Spring Point Ledge Light - http://lighthouse.cc/springpoint/index.html
Bath Iron Works - Look to the right when you cross the large bridge in Bath to see BIW building ships for the US Navy
Maine Maritime Museum - http://www.bathmaine.com/
Pemaquid Point Light - http://lighthouse.cc/pemaquid/index.html
Owls Head Light - http://lighthouse.cc/owls/index.html
Owls Head Transportation Museum - http://www.ohtm.org/
Rockport harbor
Rockland Breakwater Light - http://lighthouse.cc/rocklandbreakwater/index.html
Camden harbor



Art Galleries in Portland, Rockland, Camden. Especially the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland (http://www.farnsworthmuseum.org/) and the Olsen House (http://www.farnsworthmuseum.org/olson-house). The Olsen House probably will not be open but, it is great picture taking outside .

Portland is full of great places to eat

Maine State Office of Tourism http://www.visitmaine.com/
Maine Guide - http://www.maineguide.com/
Camden Rockport Chamber of Commerce - http://www.camdenme.org/
Maine Today - http://www.mainetoday.com/
Maine Outdoors - http://maineoutdoors.com/
One of Ella's favorite places: Lunaform pottery. This is about 10 miles past the turn to Mount Desert Island near West Sullivan, ME. The directions are on their web site http://www.lunaform.com/ (I think this is on our list of to dos while in the area).

This is a map of the route we would take to Mount Desert if we were starting in Kittery and wanted to see some of the above attractions. This does wind around a bit and is not practical for someone trying to travel fast.
Google Maps: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=116957864597038509943.0004736bc40727b90b401&ll=44.061933,-69.191895&spn=2.834255,4.938354&z=8

If anyone has something to add to this list, please post some more messages.

Knapp and Ella
Portland, ME

cmkultradome

knapph wrote:

This is a map of the route we would take to Mount Desert if we were starting in Kittery and wanted to see some of the above attractions. This does wind around a bit and is not practical for someone trying to travel fast.
Google Maps: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=116957864597038509943.0004736bc40727b90b401&ll=44.061933,-69.191895&spn=2.834255,4.938354&z=8

If anyone has something to add to this list, please post some more messages.

Knapp and Ella
Portland, ME

Thank you so much for posting this map. Anne & I will be driving up from Portsmouth, NH and weren't sure exactly where to stop along the coastal route.

One other place I was considering stopping was in Bucksport at the "new" Penobscot Narrows Bridge. It is a very cool looking suspension bridge with a 42 story observation tower in one of the supports and right next to Fort Knox. There are supposed to be only 3 other bridges like it in the world and they are located in Slovenia, Thailand, & China. I'm not sure what the photographic implications are for this site, but my parents have been there as toursists and said it was quite impressive.

Here's the link: http://www.penobscotnarrowsbridge.com/bridge.html

Stephanie

redleash

Hi All-

I will be driving from Richmond, Maine, to Bar Harbor on the afternoon of the 7th. Richmond is just south of Augusta, about 15-20 mins drive. If anybody would like a ride from that area, just let me know. I plan to head over to Rt 1 and follow it over to BH. Depending on the time I leave Richmond, I may meander some along the way. I love to take back roads, but not in the dark!

I will be returning to Richmond on the 11th and could take someone back to Augusta or possibly even to the Portland airport if need be.

Get in touch if anyone needs a ride!

Lauren

denisegoldberg

cmkultradome wrote:

One other place I was considering stopping was in Bucksport at the "new" Penobscot Narrows Bridge. It is a very cool looking suspension bridge with a 42 story observation tower in one of the supports and right next to Fort Knox.

Stephanie -
It's well worth a stop at that bridge. I grabbed some photos there when I passed through there two years ago - for the curious... http://www.denisegoldberg.com/gallery/3540642_Wbj6z. I'd love to stop there again to play with my camera some more.

--- Denise

Phyxius

My plans!

Departing SOMD (Southern Maryland) the evening of Sunday Oct 4th.
Hanging out in Watkin's Glen, New York Monday and Tuesday 10/5 & 10/6.

Driving the 12+ hours to Acadia on Wednesday 10/7.

Departing Bar Harbor on Sunday 10/11 for Boston with Ann McRae and 4leggedFotos.

Phyxius

Ann McRae wrote:

My roomie, cmkultradome, is picking me up from Logan, and we are driving north to
Portsmouth, NH for the night. The plan for getting to Bar Harbour is an early rise, coastal drive, lighthouses and scenery! We will be traveling in cmkultradome's Honda.

ann

Ohhh, New Hampshire is an idea! Hmmmmm. I'll see if 4leggedFotos might want to divide our 12hr drive a bit and stop in NH and drive in with your guys