For anyone interesting in repeating my rides either as a tour or as a series of day trips, here are some information sources.
Amtrak Downeaster, train from Boston, MA to Portland, ME - You can get specific information about the Downeaster, or you can go to the Amtrak home page.
Seacoast Area Bicycle Routes - a web page that includes links to a number of pages describing riding in the seacoast area of both New Hampshire and Maine.
Maine Department of Transportation bicycle cue sheets. I used three of the cue sheets, and found them to be very accurate and easy to follow. They included tips on things to see in addition to the directions. This site also includes cue sheets to get from Kittery (the southernmost city on the Maine coast) to Calais (the northernmost city on the Maine coast). Now that would be an interesting tour - the entire coast of Maine. Another thought for a tour: ride from Kittery to Bar Harbor, take the ferry from Bar Harbor to Nova Scotia, do a tour of Nova Scotia, then take the ferry from Nova Scotia back to Portland. That would allow a one-way tour of a good chunk of the Maine coast without the need to take a bus back!
New Hampshire bike maps. The Seacost region map would be helpful in riding between Maine and Massachusetts. These maps can be downloaded from the web site, but I'd recommend requesting the paper copies. You can either pick them up at New Hampshire Visitor Centers on the interstates, or you can call the number supplied on the web site.
Rubel bike maps - Eastern Massachusetts Bicycle Map. Unlike Maine and New Hampshire, the state of Massachusetts does not produce a free cycling map. But there is a commercial map available that is very good. I've been using Rubel Bike Maps for years to find interesting rides around the state.
The Granite State Wheelmen - bicycle club in New Hampshire - hosts a Seacoast Century every fall. The ride starts in Hampton Beach, NH and goes both south to the Massachusetts coast and north through New Hampshire to the Maine coast. I rode it last year and will repeat it again on September 21st. It's a great ride that follows the coast. If you're planning a tour in the area in the fall, this is a good ride for a change of pace day.
When I was in Portland I stayed at the Inn at Saint John. It was a charming inn, with a range of room prices. Since I drove there I just left my bike locked in my car, but they do have bike storage. The stairs to the rooms are steep and narrow, not the ideal place to carry a bike, so a storage area for our prized cycles is probably a good thing!
