grizzley02360 said:
RJ's Dad has a really good set of directions on the site. Also a big warning about a bridge being declared "Unsafe".
The directions on the web site are excellent, and I concur that the route through Bangor is faster.
There is a third option, which is to get off I-95 at Portland, take I-295 to a few miles north of Portland, and follow Route 1 all the way from there up to Ellsworth. Time permitting, I prefer that route because it's the most scenic, but it will take you through a bunch of small towns that can slow you up. This is nowhere near as much of a problem in late October as it would be in July or August. This option also takes you by Freeport, if you have any interest in stopping at the L.L. Bean store. (There is also an L.L. Bean outlet store on Route 1 in Ellsworth, last I knew. But the outlet store is less than 1/10 the size of the main store and doesn't have an indoor trout pond.)
For those with kids, a couple of miles south of L.L. Bean on Route 1 is a teddy bear factory, where you can select your own bear "hide," pick the eyes and nose you want, have them sewn on, and then stuff your own teddy bear. Don't have the URL but if you're interested, search on "Maine" and "Teddy bears" and it should come up.
For the bigger kids, another mile farther south on Route 1 is the headquarters and store of the DeLorme Company. They're the people who sell all those state Gazeteer books and maps. The store is a treasure trove for people who like maps. USGS maps of the entire state of Maine, plus all their books, plus mapping software for both Windows and Mac computers. I believe that's at Exit 17 off I-295 in Yarmouth. The teddy bear store is near the Yarmouth/Freeport line.
You can also access all these stores using Option 2, from I-295.
BTW -- the bridge at Bucksport is "unsafe" for large, heavy trucks but the weight restrictions would not apply to an XJ, even loaded for a weekend of camping.
For reference, from New Haven where I live most locations on Mount Desert Island are about 400 miles. The New Hampshire/Maine border is the halfway point for me, so figure about 200 miles from the state line to Bass Harbor, plus whatever it takes from your home to the Maine line.
