There are a number of B and B's and small inns in the areas. Brooklin is quite far down on the peninsula, but certainly within a day's drive. You might search the following towns- Penobscot, Brooksville, Cape Rosier, Deer Isle or Stonington. Castine is not on the same loop, but is also quiet and lovely.

You will run across other visitors, but it is a very different atmosphere from Acadia.

The Blue Hill Peninsula is gorgeous. There are a handful of very sweet towns/villages, each with it's own feel. Castine is refined with its rows of lovingly restored white clapboard federal houses. Stonington at the southernmost tip is rustic with a classic/authenic lobstering harbor, one of the most photogenic harbors in the state and a favorite of kayakers. (Go to this site and click the fourth thumbnail down. That's sunrise at the Stongington Harbor.) Deer Isle is well known for its art colony. Blue Hill has beautiful homes, nice restaurants. Blueberry barrens dot the whole peninsula and offer lovely views out over Penobscot Bay. Brooklin is tiny, but has always held a special place in my heart because of EB White's having lived there.

If you want to rent a house for a week, you'll find so much more for your money on the BHP than in the Acadia Region. Try A Better View, see http://www.abetterviewrental.com/

As pretty as Brooklin is, it is teeny and I think I'd send you to Stonington if you plan to visit for several days. There is more to do there--but not as much as Acadia, but there is a strip of downtown about two blocks long with a few stores, ice cream shop, grocery, active waterfront, etc., lobster pounds nearby, restaurants, etc.

If you like the Deer Isle Stonington area, but what a resort feel, try Goose Cove Lodge, http://www.goosecovelodge.com/

If you want more high end, try Castine, where there are several very nice small hotels/B&Bs, tennis, golf, waterfront, historic tours.

You can make day trips to Acadia from the Blue Hill Peninsula, but the farther you go down the Peninsula, the farther it is to Acadia.

My extended family came to visit for a week last summer I actually wanted to rent in Stonington, but they needed lots of stuff going on and they outvoted me and chose Acadia.

However, if you really do prefer a quieter pace and are able to entertain yourselves, and don't care for the crowds of Bar Harbor, then you could have a fabulous vacation with a base in Stonington. Rent kayaks and explore the lovely islands off of Stonington. Take the Isle au Haut cruise one day.

There are so many spectacular parts of Maine, it's really hard to say that one is better/prettier than another, but Stonington is a true gem.

See if you can find a copy of "Maine: The Seasons" http://www.tlesterphotography.com/bio.htm That photographer is based in Deer Isle and many of the photos in that book are of Stonington/Deer Isle.

Oops. The site to click on for Stonington photo is http://www.tlesterphotography.com/Maine/maineAlbum.htm

Thanks to everyone for your thoughtful replies. We are still in the very early planning stages so we will consider all of your suggestions. Many thanks!

I love Brooklin. We go every summer. Yes, it is very quiet but that is the draw for us. The good thing about the location is that you are centrally located to everything. It's a great location for kayaking and biking. My kids spend hours on the beach catching various little sea creatures.

Check out The Lookout, www.thelookoutinn.biz. I have eaten there and the food is good. I have not stayed at the Inn. The cottages and the rooms look very nice and there is plenty of open space. Also, there are quite a few cottage rentals throughout the area. I would try for something on the water. We stay on Herrick Bay and see seals and porpoises fairly regularly. The seals hang out on the islands just off Flye Point. You can usually see the porpoises in the morning. Try vacationcottages.com. I don't think they have this year's available weeks posted yet. The Red Cottage is next door to the house we usually rent. The price is great. The cottage is not luxurious (no dishwasher, don't take really long showers) but the view is phenomenal. The Nelson and the Astbury look nice. Try cyberrentals as well.

Hike up Blue Hill for the view, it's an easy hike. The village of Blue Hill has some nice restuarants and shops. Stonington is about a half hour or so. If you like kayaking, the area around Deer Isle is some of the best scenery. Bar Harbor is about an hour. Definitely drive up to Schoodic to enjoy Acadia without all of the people. Also, take the boat out to Isle au Haut for some hiking - take plenty of food and water. For some reason, I always arrive at the store after is has closed. Castine is beautiful as well.

I can't say enough about this area. It's not for everyone but E.B. White liked it. You really have to be looking for peace and quiet. You will be doing a bit of driving but every road is scenic. Let me know if you have any other questions about Brooklin. I have gone there for 26 of my 42 summers. It has become slightly more populated since my childhood summers here but it is still just as your description states.

We spend much of our summer in my husbands childhood home of Deer Isle/Stonington. This is about 20 min. from the Blue Hill area. I suggest you look at the nice Pilgrim Inn, in the tiny one street town of Deer Isle. It is right on the cove, with a wonderful restaurant downstairs. I have not seen the rooms but you may on the website. Check out Terrill Lester's photography gallery on the corner. There are about 5 shops, the Post Office , Library and the Pilgrim Inn in town. Travel on to Stonington a few miles down the road. Tour Nervous Nellies Jams and Jellies for the best strawberry rhubarb jam in the world and have a scone and visit the artwork in the woods for an interesting time. You will pass winding coves with beautiful views. This is the real downeast Maine. Lobstering and fishing at its finest. The best coconut creme pie in a downtown restaurant called Harbor View. Tiny place with lobster and excellent seafood where the locals eat. Lobster dinners are usually 14-15 dollars. Enjoy yourselves!! You are only about 1 1/2 hours to Bar Harbor from Deer Isle. It is one hour to Ellsworth. Not a bad drive and very scenic. The bridge to little Deer Isle and the causeway to Deer Isle are wonderful sights.

I don't know about the date this year, but do beleive it's an annual event...The Flye Point Music and Arts Festival is located in Brooklin (last year it was June 23rd and we attended)...we could not find much available for lodging that weekend as we were late in trying...we ended up staying at a nice B&B in Penobscot called THE BRASS FOX INN. You can find information for both on the web.

Sorry...I think that may be The Brass Fox Bed and Breakfast. :)

Hi Havalina. I would love to hear about your experience on Blue Hill Peninsula. We read the same Cookie Magazine article about Blue Hill Peninsula that you quote above:

http://www.cookiemag.com/travel/roadtrip/2008/03/mainetrip?currentPage=3

Hubby and I just got back from a week on the Blue Hill Peninsula, where we visited many of the places mentioned in the thread above. We stayed at both the Oakland House (Penobscot) and the DragonFlye Inn (Brooklin). The peninsula and the Inn’s were all spectacular. We also made it down to Stonington on Deer Isle and were not impressed. The harbor was picturesque (maybe the prettiest we saw in Maine), but we felt an open hostility toward tourists. We were nearly run over by a redneck kid screeching his tires in the middle of town, and we were glared at by almost everyone in town. As much as we did not like Stonington, we definitely recommend Lily’s Café along the drive down to Stonington. At the advice of the innkeeps at DragonFlye Inn, we hiked the Barred Island Trail on the back side of Deer Isle…. Wow!!! We had a beautiful sandy beach all to ourselves. Barred Island is just next to where Goose Cove Lodge used to be. Goose Cove Lodge apparently is no longer in business (we followed old Goose Cove Lodge road signs to find the Barred Island trail). The Goose Cove land / cabins is now a private retreat for a new owner. The restaurant, however, is still open and now called the Cockatoo. (We did not eat there, but we had a drink on their porch after the hike.) We also ate at Pilgrims Inn in the village of Deer Isle (along the drive to Stonington), and it was a great meal – loved the fish and chips. We also had one dinner at Arborvine up in the town of Blue Hill, which was the best meal of the trip (although it was expensive, it was worth the price). Blue Hill (town) was O.K., but it was too much like every other little town in that part of Maine. In reflection, it is hard to separate in my mind Blue Hill, Northeast Harbor, Southwest Harbor, Castine, and several of the other towns we visited. They all were very much the same things and invoked the same feel. I recommend going to one of the towns further down on the peninsula or to Deer Isle over the town of Blue Hill. The more remote areas have a unique character that really shines through. Please share with us your experience.