The capital city of Massachusetts, Boston is a happy mixture of present and past: the wide avenues of the modern part of the city blend into the narrow, snakelike lanes of the old colonial town; futuristic skyscrapers rise next to historic buildings. Boston was built in 1630 around the Boston Common – a pasture then used to graze local livestock – and, during the following century, became the core of the American Revolutionary War against Great Britain. After independence was declared, Boston kept on thriving as a trading and culture centre.
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Day 4 — Newport (VT) → Portland
Portland is the main center of Maine, founded in 1632 and quickly becoming a prosperous city of shipyards and timber trade. Very cosmopolitan for its time, with long wooden docks dominated by the houses of wealthy merchants, it was destroyed by a fire by the natives in 1675 and by the English in 1775, but became prosperous again with the advent of the railroad, the Canada Trunk Line, which transported products from Canada and the Great Plains here. Today, the dock with the customs house survives almost intact, but instead of the Grand Trunk Station, demolished in 1966, we find the Old Port Exchange, which has revived the old port district. Within a 30-minute drive from the city, there are numerous lighthouses, including the Portland Head Light on Cape Elizabeth peninsula, the oldest, most famous, and probably most photographed. Another must-see stop is Old Orchard Beach, an 11 km sandy beach where the picturesque Old Orchard Beach Pier extends for over 150 meters into the Atlantic Ocean.
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Day 5 — Portland → Bar Harbor
The Maine coast from Portland to the Canadian border is extraordinarily quaint, dotted with dozens of fjords overlooked by lovely towns such as Rockport and Camden. These destinations are especially popular among sailing enthusiasts. A bridge connects the mainland to this little town, rising on Mount Desert Island. Formerly a fashionable resort for early 20th century millionaires, today Bar Harbor is a popular holiday spot, its old mansions having been converted into hotels. During the summer its harbor is a favourite departure point for offshore fishing and whale watching. From Bar Harbor you can also visit the nearby Acadia National Park. The coast is rugged, as it typically is in Maine, peninsulas are covered in woods and dotted with small villages and lighthouses overlooking the ocean.
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Day 6 — Bar Harbor → Bangor
Formerly lumber capital of the world, Bangor is now known as the hometown of Stephen King. Its main street bustles with antique shops and fine pubs where you can sample delicious beers.
