Camden,Maine to Belfast, Maine

[Sailariel]

I have been looking at the Adventure Cycling map of Maine. The recommended route from Camden to Belfast is Rte 52. Route 52 is winding, narrow, rough, and without a shoulder in most places. I won`t ride it. Route 1, on the other hand, is smooth in most places, and is getting better with maintenance. There is a good repair lane in most places. There is more traffic than route 52, but the road is safer. Route 52 has better scenery--sort of hard to appreciate when you are dodging pot holes and frost heaves. 52 is also a touch hillier.

[ptaylor]

This would be a good topic for "What is the best route?" I see there being 4 favorites: 1) shortest, 2) smoothest, 3) safest/least traffic, 4) going through interesting places, 5) a combination of the first 4.

I think ACA has chosen 5, with an emphasis on safety/least traffic and interesting places.

With ACA's limited funding, and probably overworked staff, I'm sure they have not been able to keep up with changing traffic patterns and road improvements.

So, what can 'we' as part of the ACA family do about it? What are we going to do about it?

Paul

[Sailariel]

Paul, I plan to contact ACA and impart the "Local knowledge". I do believe they welcome updates. It is a great organization. Planning to become a life member. This is also a super forum.

[JayH]

Contact Maine's DOT, they publish a free state map with traffic densities and shoulder widths. The map might be a little dated but it's still useful. I used the ACA maps to basically get from new paltz, NY to Kittery, ME, but once in Maine, I simply used the DOT maps to get to Orient, ME.   We biked through Belfast, ME but we were coming from Augusta so we simply took Rt 3 towards the coast and from Kittery, we got off of Rt 1 near kennebunkport and biked inland to Sebago Lake and then north through the twin cities to Augusta (my friend had an aunt there where we stayed for a night).

I forget the link to the Maine DOT, but you can search for Maine DOT bicycle map or so and request it free via snail mail.

Jay

[ptaylor]

Good for you Sailariel!

Paul

[Sailariel]

Jay' You went practically by our house--now done after a year of construction. there is a two block stretch between Rte3 and Rte1 called Lincolnville Ave. (It should be called Rte52) but it is in the city limits. We are right on the tourist route and welcome guests. Camping in our yard is fine. There is water and I`m reasonably sure some will want a hot shower. I also have a very complete bike shop with repair stands, Park tools, and a trueing stand. I can`t work due to disability ,Veteran`s and my age which is 65, but I have become a pretty good wrench and fix all the kid~s Wal-Mart bikes which the LBS does not care to work on. The house is also about100 yards from a super market an a Family Dollar. The yard is surrounded by woods so one feels they are in the country. We do have deer and racoons.

[JayH]

Hi Sailareil...  Too bad I didn't know that sooner. However, since I'm an avid hiker, I have friends all over the Northeast and although we camped mostly between NJ and ME, my friend that I biked to ME with is originally from "The County" and has a lot of relatives up there, like the aunt who lives in Augusta.  I also have a friend just north of Belfast in Stockton Springs so my friend and I stayed at her place for the weekend. Then since my friend has a camp on East Grand Lake in Orient, ME, I dropped 2 panniers, the tent, the sleeping bag, the stove, etc. etc. and we just hauled ass 130 miles in one day to my friend's cabin.  

Rt 3 is a nice road to bike, although you get a lot of Acadia-bound tourists.   I got a picture of myself near the sign that leads to China, ME... I mean, I'm Chinese so to say I've biked in "China" I thought was cool. :-)

This past september, another friend and I did a kayak navigation of Vinalhaven from the Stockton Harbor in the Penobscot Bay (I'm also a serious kayaker). Very nice trip and we stayed at some of the MITA campsites and got a chance to see the new bridge over the Penobscot by Verona Island (which is a nice island to ride around in)

Jay