Need Advice for Road Trip to Maine U.S.A | GTAMotorcycle.com

Need Advice for Road Trip to Maine U.S.A

Hi - need advice on planning a trip to Maine U.S.A.
3 to 6 riders are going.

Start in Toronto, want to stick to as many scenic backroads as we can. Avoid interstates.
Don't care how long it takes (we have 2 weeks to kill). Want to see some sights. No camping, just
motel it.

Anyone done this and can make any comments or recommendations?

Planning is to leave July 1st and return by July 14th.
 
You have 2 weeks and all you're doing is going to Maine?

401 to Kingston, head south, and then east through the Adirondacks. Highway 3 is nice. Be prepared for rain. It always rains, every time I go through there.

There are several ferries that cross Lake Champlain. Pick one. They're all cool. On the other side is Vermont, where the riding is very, very good. Pick just about any road east / west through Vermont and then through New Hampshire, which also has awesome roads.

Since you never said exactly where you're going, I dunno if we can be more specific than that. Check out http://motorcycleroads.com/ and http://www.motorcycleroads.us/
 
In NH go to the top of Mt. Washington in the White Mountain Forest.
Lots of biker friendly places to stay in Goham.
I stayed at the Top Notch Inn....nice place and there's a bar close by.

In Maine you must make your way to Bat Harbour.
Once there go to the top of Cadillac Mt. in the Acadia Park.
Also in Maine I found a couple of Tim Hortons in Bangor.....if you care :)

When I crossed Lake Champlain there was a free Ferry at the bottom that was free....you may want to google that to see if its running.

He's the thread from the trip I took

http://www.gtamotorcycle.com/vbforum/showthread.php?146922-Me-and-Princess-go-East

Don't know when you are planning on going but June is a busy month with Americade and Laconia going on.
 
When I crossed Lake Champlain there was a free Ferry at the bottom that was free....you may want to google that to see if its running.

It's not free anymore. It's about $6 per bike. The bridge is re-built.
 
A few years back we drove the cage to Maine, and I really want to ride 27 from the Quebec border some day. Scenic twistys on a nice road, ahhhh.
 
I love that trip! Right off though, do Newcastle south and run the lake to Picton. Take the ferries across to Fox. First night in Lake Placid ... it's a full day but start off right!
 
Portland is a beautiful city. No mandatory helmet laws in Maine!
 
I'm thinking about a similar trip, but on to Moncton and to Gaspé.

Just wondering, would early May be too early in the year for this? I'm good riding down to about 5°C and could cope with a little cooler.
 
+1, you really should do Mount Washington, NH, it's a blast

#17 in Vermont is great, climbing Stark Mountain. 100N was good too.

If you're riding w/ a few guys, you should split up and take a couple different routes to your destination for the day, and meet up later.

Then you can argue about the best route home ;)
 
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Toronto to Portland, Maine: https://goo.gl/maps/Pvs6Rn1rpWv - 1100km/15hrs
(passing by Tracy road, Whiteface Mtn/Lake Placid, Mount Washington Auto Road, Evans Notch, Hurricane Mtn Road, Whitehorse Gear)

Portland, Maine to Front Royal Virginia: https://goo.gl/maps/oR13mz1BFG92 - 1250km/15hrs
(passing by the NY97 'Hawks Nest', PA125/Goldmine Rd, and plenty of nice backroads for most of this entire stretch)

Front Royal Virginia to Toronto: https://goo.gl/maps/rVqnKpxga9T2 - 1400km/14hrs
(PA144, Wykoff Run Rd, Kettle Creek Rd, PA872, PA 949, PA666, Longhouse Scenic Drive)
 
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SInce you have two weeks....you could go north to Rouyn-Noranda ( take the Quebec side past North Bay ) and then ride across the TransCanada staying North of Montreal and so Shawinigan and Parc Mauricie and the FJord area

http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/qc/mauricie/index.aspx

Wicked nice road through the park and and through https://goo.gl/maps/Fhau3L1JCYS2 Mt Mathieu Parc then out to Gaspe and then loop around into the US

Whiteface recommended AND Mount Washington if the weather is reasonable. Mount Washington is weather controlled at the bottom for mcycles

Kid atop Mount Washington where the winds can get to 200 mph plus

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I'd not do it on a weekend tho. 1st gear up the whole way.

With 6 of you ....I'd consider some white water rafting too in Maine as well.
 
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You have 2 weeks and all you're doing is going to Maine?

401 to Kingston, head south, and then east through the Adirondacks. Highway 3 is nice. Be prepared for rain. It always rains, every time I go through there.

There are several ferries that cross Lake Champlain. Pick one. They're all cool. On the other side is Vermont, where the riding is very, very good. Pick just about any road east / west through Vermont and then through New Hampshire, which also has awesome roads.

Since you never said exactly where you're going, I dunno if we can be more specific than that. Check out http://motorcycleroads.com/ and http://www.motorcycleroads.us/

I'd strongly recommend this routing...the GTA to Thousand Islands via 401 is a bummer, but going the other way though
Buffalo then east is worse....once crossing the river into upstate NY you're laughing, great area to ride east, Vermont is
fantastic, NH is good too, can drop the lid off once crossing the state line if that's your thing.

If you have 2 weeks it'll be an easy trip. Can get to Bar Harbor in 3 days without pushing it.
so you should be there for 4th of July. That'll be fun.

Seeing as you have the time, I'd strongly suggest a trip up into New Brunswick. Historic town about an hour
from the border called St. Andrews. Great spot park for the night, good hotels, great little pubs right on the sea.

You prolly have time to make it to Halifax as well. Fantastic Maritime city.
 
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the GTA to Thousand Islands via 401 is a bummer, but going the other way though

It also sucks that you are riding straight into the morning sun if you leave as early as you should...nothing more tiring than starting a trip into glare and the 401 going east on a sunny day is a horror.

One reason I like going north to Rouyn-Noranda instead and then cutting across the top on the Trans-Canada...plus there are some nice roads in Quebec on the way up and even some around Huntsville if you want to explore a bit. Just mind gas on the TC ...there is a stretch with very little.

Blitz to Huntsville, fuel up and have a break at Coffee Cabin ( .just North of Hunstville ) then decide how you want to proceed.

https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Rest...abin-Huntsville_Muskoka_District_Ontario.html
 
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https://www.myrouteapp.com/travelblog/routes/35373#

Toronto to Cape Breton and back in 9 days. Includes Maine. GPX files. I would make a couple of changes but to be honest, I don't remember the names of roads I didn't like. There weren't too many.
If I had more time available, I'd cut out some slabbing.
Use files named CB. The other files are for my Arkansas trip.
 
The stretch to the border can be far more interesting than the 401. Once you get out to Newcastle, get off and take Lakeshore Road to Port Hope, then take Highway 2 east to where it heads down to Picton. You'll end up at the Glenora ferry which is an interesting little trip on a MC. Highway 33 off the ferry takes you to Kingston, and then you can run 2 and the Parkway basically to the border.

That alone knocks off 75% of the 401 riding coming from the GTA and it's all FAR more interesting.
 

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