Where To Go? Maine?
fool4thecity
Registered Users Posts: 632 Major grins
Planning on a trip to Maine this Fall. Any ideas on where to get some Moose shots and the amazing fall color???? Sure it would be as picturesque as our Teton trip last year... Or maybe it will be better. Help me out. Thanks for any advice!
0
Comments
Go to Greenville/Moosehead lake area. Moose out number people in the area 3 to 1. Drive the logging roads just before sunrise/just after daylight. You will usually see them feeding in streams and swampy areas on aquatic vegetation (mostly streams). Be very careful driving after dark. Many accidents and people injured from hitting moose at night in the roadway.
Since I live in Portland, Maine I will suggest a stop here. Portland Head Lighthouse is a great place to take photos. The lighthouse is in a town park; the gates open at sunrise and are closed at sunset. You need to be ready to shoot when you get there as they are sometimes a bit slow to open the gates and you can get tight for time. If the weather is not too foggy the sunrises can be great. There is a trail that runs along the cliffs that will take you to some good places to shoot. There is another lighthouse offshore from Portland Head - Ram Ledge light. Other lighthouses near Portland are the Cape Elizabeth light at Two Lights (also a good place for a lobster dinner outside at "The Lobster Shack"), Spring Point Ledge light and Bug Light in South Portland. If you like old buildings downtown Portland (the Old Port) is interesting. If you are a fan of art, the Portland Art Museum is a good place to visit. There are a lot of art galleries in the area around the museum. We enjoy getting on one of the ferry boats that travel between Portland and the offshore islands. Peaks Island is the largest island in Portland harbor and is a good place to have a picnic. You can also take a half or full day guided kayak trip with Maine Island Kayak Company (You can also take kayak trips in Bar Harbor).
If you are a map person, look for Delorme Maps in Yarmouth. The road atlas Delorme publishes is very useful if you want to drive around the back roads in Maine. Many people like to stop at LL Bean in Freeport. Look on the internet for more information about these two places.
Driving up the coast, any road named "Shore Road" is usually worth a detour. A detour off Rt. 1 at Northport to Bayside is interesting. The Farnsworth Museum in Rockland is a good place to visit. If you have time and are a fan of the Christina's World painting, then a trip to the Olsen House in Cushing. Peter Ralston's gallery in Rockport is a good stop. His photos of the Maine coast are hard to beat. Look on the map for Mechanic Street/Beauchamp Point/Calderwood Lane for a scenic drive between Rockport and Camden.
While in this area take a look at the Owls Head Transportation Museum; old bikes, cars, boats, and airplanes. You can see more at their website.
At Acadia National Park, drive the park loop road, go to the gardens (Asticou Azalea Garden and the Thuya Garden) in Northeast Harbor if you like flowers. The beach near Thunder Hole is a good place for sunrise shooting. You might be able to get a sunset from Cadillac Mountain. If you try for a Cadillac Mt. sunset, do not try to get one from the summit instead go the the first overlook going back down the mountain (I think it is the Blue Hill overlook) - better shooting from there. You can also get some nice views from the top of Cadillac if you walk down the side from the summit to the right of the parking lot as you first enter (the South Ridge trail I think). Jordan Pond is a good place for shooting and to get a bite to eat. Walk around the pond a bit, it's nice. For a different look at Jordan Pond climb North and South Bubble. The climbs are short but steep in places and the views are great. Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse is good shooting - take the trail to the far end of the parking lot from the entrance to get to a good view of the lighthouse. Across the water from Bass Harbor is Bernard another good place for early morning shots. You will need to scout for a parking place if you want to be there for early shooting. I think the parking at the town landing is reserved for working folks and they can get a bit grumpy if they get there early in the morning to take their lobster boat out and find someone "from away" (that would be you) in their parking place. The Otter Cliff area on the park loop road is another good place to do some shooting. Lots of great rocks and water to see on Schoodic Peninsula on the mainland across from Acadia. The carriage trails on Acadia are great places for bike riding. You can rent bikes in Bar Harbor.
Bring some good walking shoes and be prepared for cold winds. We always go out with fleece jackets and rain parkas in the car even in the summer - you never know what the weather is going to do. The ocean off Maine is cold even in the summer and this causes very unpredictable weather. If you get out on the rocks near the ocean watch the seaweed, it is very slippery. And, also keep an eye on the waves, they can surprise you.
Hope this helps.
Stone Coast Photography Facebook