Route 1 Through Maine

[Ranger_Smith]

Anybody do route 1 North through Maine and over to Bangor and into the Mt. Washington area.Gonna start on the Maine/New Hampshire border. Will be doing it with a 43'. Anything to be concerned about.

[vermilye]

fwed wrote:
On US Route 1 the first things you run into are a series of shopping malls and then you hit Ogunquit. Unless you are looking for something particular there, I'd avoid them both, or backtrack after dumping your rig for the night. Both are traffic nightmares. I'd stay on I-95 until Wells, and tgen oick up Route 1. Likewise Kennebunkport -- great town, but you're not going to get through there with a 40' anything on your tail. Route 1 doesn't go through K'port, so you could stay in the area and go down there in your 4-wheeler -- still slow but do-able. From there north, Route 1 isn't bad. Wiscasset is slow, but the street is wide. Camden is slow and narrow. These were all little fishing villages at one time. Like most of Maine, nothing is going to be quick.

After Ellsworth and Bar Harbor, Route 1A to Bangor then Route 2 to northern New Hampshire.

Enjoy our state -- just take your time.

Fwed.

Well, in Ogunquit, if you know someone named Anne and want to annoy her, you can stop at Perkins Cove & pick up an Ugly Anne "T" shirt. Of course you will need to find a place to park, and spaces are rare! Last time I was there they had cops that forced you to drive out of the cove rather than looping around trying to find an empty space.

[Ranger_Smith]

We're gonna get off 95 in Sanford/Wells and then hit route 1 and go North from there. Wife's brother lives in Wells and may go visit him.

[fwed]

On US Route 1 the first things you run into are a series of shopping malls and then you hit Ogunquit. Unless you are looking for something particular there, I'd avoid them both, or backtrack after dumping your rig for the night. Both are traffic nightmares. I'd stay on I-95 until Wells, and tgen oick up Route 1. Likewise Kennebunkport -- great town, but you're not going to get through there with a 40' anything on your tail. Route 1 doesn't go through K'port, so you could stay in the area and go down there in your 4-wheeler -- still slow but do-able. From there north, Route 1 isn't bad. Wiscasset is slow, but the street is wide. Camden is slow and narrow. These were all little fishing villages at one time. Like most of Maine, nothing is going to be quick.

After Ellsworth and Bar Harbor, Route 1A to Bangor then Route 2 to northern New Hampshire.

Enjoy our state -- just take your time.

Fwed.

[drenjoey]

What can I say......Vacationland is the place to be in the summer.

[jarata1]

Just got back from Maine and bar harbor route 1 in that area is fine southern route is slow
Traffic is really tough everyone wants to go to vacationland

[mgirardo]

We did it back in the fall of '99 on our Honeymoon. We started in Ogunquit and took Rt 1 north until we got off for Bar Harbor. It is a very scenic route, but it is slow going.

I wouldn't want to do that during the peak season though. We went back to Ogunquit a couple years later at the end of June and just getting from I-95 to Ogunquit on 1 was stop and go the entire time. It was a very different experience.

-Michael

[vermilye]

As others have noted, lots to see, but don't plan on being in a hurry. Depending on the time of year & time of day, anywhere near an attraction can be heavy stop & go traffic.

[Ranger_Smith]

Flintstones wrote:
On route 1, you will enjoy plenty of traffic lights.

In the Mount Washington area, you will also be fine if you wind up on Route 302, or Route 16. If you are looking for amazing scenery in New Hampshire, travel the Kancamagus Highway or thru Crawford Notch or thru Franconia Notch.

We've been up there before. I used to go there every year on motorcycle when I was younger. Just wasn't sure of route 1. We usually go up to the Merrimack area and over. We are gonna do the route via Maine as wife wants to visit her brother up there. Thanks for the info.

[Flintstones]

On route 1, you will enjoy plenty of traffic lights.

In the Mount Washington area, you will also be fine if you wind up on Route 302, or Route 16. If you are looking for amazing scenery in New Hampshire, travel the Kancamagus Highway or thru Crawford Notch or thru Franconia Notch.

[SidecarFlip]

Sounds like a nice road (Route 1) to not be in a hurry on. I'll be on it myself in August

[CloudDriver]

We like route 1 between north of Portland up to Ellsworth when we go to Acadia. We get off I95 to I295 south of Portland so don't do the more southern portion of route 1. Not a high speed drive, but enjoyable to go through the historic small towns along the way.

[Ranger_Smith]

DrewE wrote:
You mean US 2 between Bangor and the White Mountains, right? US 1 stays many miles away from the White Mountains, following the coast.

US 1 does have some kind of curvy slow parts through various seaside communities. It's not a great road to make quick time on. Neither one should pose an insurmountable obstacle to your travels, to my knowledge. It has been quite a few years since I drove US 1 through Maine (in a car) so my memory is rather on the hazy side as to specifics.

Yes route 1 then over to bangor via 2

[DrewE]

You mean US 2 between Bangor and the White Mountains, right? US 1 stays many miles away from the White Mountains, following the coast.

US 1 does have some kind of curvy slow parts through various seaside communities. It's not a great road to make quick time on. Neither one should pose an insurmountable obstacle to your travels, to my knowledge. It has been quite a few years since I drove US 1 through Maine (in a car) so my memory is rather on the hazy side as to specifics.

[K_Charles]

Rt 1 is fun a little at a time. I haven't done the whole 500 something miles but a lot of it. The southern part, near the ocean will be very slow in the summer but lots to see.