With this whole virus going on, my family's trip plans for 2020 have changed quite quickly. I was supposed to go to Camden, NJ / Philadelphia (April), Brooklyn, NY (July), and Lake George, NY (August) this year, all travelling by road. The first two were cancelled early on (both were school / church trips), and the last one was cancelled due to scheduling conflicts as a result of the pandemic (and the unknown reopening timeline). My family was left to decide where to travel to, especially on short notice. Our annual vacation week is either the last week of July or the first week of August. Normal trips usually take us short distance from home, places like Cape Cod in MA or the south coast of Maine (places near York, Wells, Kennebunkport).
We have also been visiting national parks recently, as I start to get older. In 2017, we visited the Grand Canyon (AZ) (https://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm) and Zion (UT) (https://www.nps.gov/zion/index.htm).
Combine both of these, and we ended up in Bar Harbor, Maine, home of Acadia National Park (https://www.nps.gov/acad/index.htm).
As mentioned prior, my family's road trips are on the shorter end compared to most forum members, maxing out at about two hours. The trip to Bar Harbor took us just over six hours, with stops along the way (about every 90 minutes).
To reach Bar Harbor (last week, July 25), we used the following roads: I-495 (MA), I-95 (MA, NH, ME), I-395 (ME), US 1A (Bangor, ME), ME 3. While in the area, we also used ME 102, ME 102A, ME 198, and ME 233 (ME 102A and ME 233 were both clinched). The best views can be found on US 1A from Brewer to Ellsworth, ME.
On the way back (today, August 1), we visited my mom's side of the family in the South Shore (MA) to attend my cousin's high school graduation party (it was just family - about 25 in their backyard). Additional travel on I-95, I-93, and MA 3 (as well as a few other, redacted for privacy).
We got real lucky when it came to traffic. We hit a bit on I-495 around Lawrence and Haverhill, MA. Returning we hit the normal MA 3 traffic in Braintree and Weymouth. Signs showed that I-93 was backed up between Boston and Braintree (as always).
I fully recommend Bar Harbor and Acadia NP for everyone. Scenery is great and there are amazing things to do once you arrive.
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Future road trips: In a couple years, I'll be heading off to college, and I will be staying in the Northeast (within a 8-9 hour drive). I am planning on travelling throughout spring / summer 2021 to colleges throughout the region. (For anyone wondering about my study intentions, I currently want to go into urban planning.)
We're used to national parks out west, which tend to be far from everything. Acadia and Bar Harbor offer great scenery and great food (lobstah, popovers, fluffernutter sundaes) without a lot of driving.
The only time I have been to Maine, I was 15. It was memorable for two reasons. First, it was during the 1984 Los Angeles Oympics, which was the last time I was really into the Olympics. Watched Michael Jordan help clinch the gold medal on a black and white television.
Second, it was the first time a girl intentionally showed me her breasts.