When we went to Maine many moons ago… we stayed in rented waterfront house (rented throu vrbo or something similar) in Trenton, right before park entrance… not sure how prices are right now, but highly recommend… very peaceful and beautiful to spend an evening on the porch after a day in the park
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Just came back from Bar Harbor. Weather was amazing, unseasonably mild (mid 80’s and the hotel pools was packed). Acadia was practically empty - we were able to park in a really close spot both at Jordan’s Pond and Sand Beach. Got a table at Jordan’s Pond with only a 5 minute wait. Not sure why, somebody did say park attendance is down about 30% this year.
We lunched on the way back at Tuscan Bistro in Freeport - great place (thanks again to the CCer who gave me that tip a few years ago).
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Great! We eat at that restaurant frequently. It’s 15 minutes from our house.
Interesting that Acadia wasn’t crowded! Tempting to go up there!
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I’m shocked. I was in Zion and Bryce recently. They were packed. It didn’t seem to matter even when the temperature at Zion exceeded 100F.
When we toured Acadia a few years back at the end of the season it was pretty empty as well. We have a wonderful visit. We loved the carriage ride and popovers.
I am jealous - I wish I lived 15 minutes from a restaurant I liked that much!
This area has a huge number of amazing restaurants. Now that our daughter lives right in the heart of Portland, she has discovered several of them and we treat her occasionally. For a town of fewer than 70,000, it’s hard to believe! So I’m thankful for tourists. 
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Portland restaurant suggestion for your daughter–BaoBao Dumpling House in Portland–it’s a great restaurant. We’ve been there several times and we live in MA (two-hour drive up). The chef/owner is a young woman from our small town (6500 pop) and she’s doing great food in Portland. She’s been a James Beard Rising Chef several times and was a Food and Wine Best New Chef in 2014.
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I guess we should drive 20 minutes to try it!
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To lazy to look over the whole thread, but the Maine Brewing Company Brew house in Freeport is wonderful. Their pizza and salad are super tasty and the room is really cool. If you like beer their selection is amazing. They always have a couple of exclusive experimental beers available as well as a selection of their regular stuff. IMHO-- they are in the top group of breweries in the US right now.
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Thanks for the recommendation! We live in an adjoining town. 
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Thanks! We drive right by this (on 295) all the time and never noticed it was there. I will also try it out in the near future.
Having just returned from 10 days traipsing around New England, my one piece of advice would be to research how to download offline Google Maps and do it for the entire region.
I was stunned at the lack of coverage on TMo and AT&T, the two networks we were carrying. Not just out in the wilds - and far south as the Mark Twain house just outside of Hartford CT - No Service.
I thought my phone had failed, but it’s fine now that I’m back home.
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We find that Verizon works well in Maine. We have great reception at our cabin that’s in the middle of nowhere.
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Thanks - we have purchased an All Trails subscription - that works without coverage. We have those same two networks - btw. Our driving distances will be short- so hopefully we’ll be ok - but it’s a fair point.
Thanks
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When we rented cars in areas with poor coverage, we were able to get a gizmo for the car that boosted the signal so we wouldn’t lose the GPS. That said, if we know we are going to be in a very rural area, we go old school and print out the directions ; )
You will need to download the maps first but can use them without coverage. Guessing that’s what you meant, but if you are dependent on them, better to be 100% sure. Also know that GPS track isn’t consistent everywhere. I have terrible coverage near my house, for example, - it often puts me on the wrong side of a large river! - but have known when I am 10 meters off the trail in other places! I love All Trails, btw.
Not really sure. Not my dept. I just know we paid $30 to have them work even without coverage.
Download the maps when you have coverage then use the track offline feature. (That’s what you paid $30 for!) Try one near home first, just so you are familiar. It’s cool but requires your compliance, if that makes sense!
I looked at my T-Mobile map and it shows coverage for most of Maine. Not the northernmost part but most of Maine.
I live in Northern Michigan where cell phone coverage can be spotty to say the least. Some tips I’ve figured out that usually work for us.
If you are traveling by car, sometimes our cell phones will not connect to the nearest tower. Usually turning the phone off and on does help.
Sometimes that doesn’t work and if you are near Canada, your phone likes to try and think you are in a different country. Usually my iPhone will give me a notification.
Cell phone towers are hard to come by in national parks and forest service areas. Accept that your phone won’t work.
If all else fails, try and wave your phone when you get to the top of a hill. I can’t tell you how many times my husband called and said, I’m on top of a hill, I’ll be home in 2 hours. 
I hope these tips are helpful and not annoying. I see tourists confused by the lack of service.
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