Ideas for Family Summer Vacations in Maine with your Kids
� If you’re trying to spend your family summer vacation in a destination that differs greatly from where you currently live, you might want to put Maine on your map. If you don’t already live in the New England area, you’ll find that this general part of the country is unique from wherever it is that you currently live. And if you do live in New England, a trip to Maine can offer your kids a chance to see things that are in their own backyard but which aren’t the same as the things in your state.
Annual Events
Sometimes one of the best ways to experience a trip to a new state is to go during the time that it’s featuring one of its annual events. This brings the community in the state together and gives you a meeting place for your experience of the culture of the area. Maine features many different annual events, particularly in the summer when the weather is nice and the reasons for gathering are many. The three-day family festival known as Casco Days is one such event. Others include the Maine Performing Arts Festival, the Bethel Art Fair and the Whatever Family Festival.
Outdoor adventures
Maine is cold most of the time, so when it’s not, the people in the state get out and enjoy the outdoors. When in Rome, right? Your family can indulge in numerous outdoor activities in Maine including camping, canoeing and hiking. Go to the campgrounds located in the Moose River Valley if you’re adventurous enough to consider running into one of the magnificently large creatures. Go instead to the Western Lakes and Mountains for active hiking areas. Or consider the South Coast if you want your nature close to some urban areas.
Portland
Those families that like more urban areas will find that Portland, Maine offers a terrific balance between an urban environment and a more relaxing location. This largest of Maine cities has activities going on for all ages all throughout the summer. For example, the Children’s Museum of Maine can be explored here. They also host Kid Activity Days during the summer with once-weekly activities like seed-planting and necklace-making happening at Lobsterman’s Park. Spend a day at Smiling Hill Farm, just outside of Portland, to get that rural side of the area’s experience.
Maine Oddities
Families that enjoy seeing what others don’t think to see will find that there are a plethora of opportunities to do so in Maine. Maybe all those months spent inside during the cold winters give Maine locals a chance to think about some oddities. Or maybe it’s just a place that welcomes in the offbeat. Whatever the case, there are plenty of strange little stops in Maine that your family can enjoy on a road trip throughout the state. Foe example, Maine has multiple-story outhouses (a two-story one in Bridgewater and a three-story one in Bryant Pond). Okay, if that’s not what you want to take your kids to see, maybe your family would get a kick out of Lenny, the Life-Sized Chocolate Moose which can be seen off of the side of the road when you travel Route 1. Or maybe the ever-strange “Desert of Maine” will draw you in like it does many other tourists each year.
Here are more ideas for Family Vacations in Maine!
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