greetings from the other side of the country.  my wife has never been to the east coast and i've never been to maine.  we want to take our vacation there next year.  can anyone suggest points of interest or good places to visit?  we aren't into the city life, we mostly like nice parks, scenery, wildlife, etc.   thanks,   tim

Acadia National park is very nice, lots of good hikes up rocky hills right beside the ocean, with nice views.

I like the Camden/Rockland area as well, which is about 2.5 hours south of Acadia.  It's an area generally
referred to as Midcoast Maine, and you can do alot of coastal kayaking around Camden/Rockland, and also there are a few nice hikes in the hills right by the ocean there too.   If your wife is into scented candle smelling shops with creeky floors, Camden is very picturesque and loaded with them.

I spend alot of time in Maine, my folks live up there.  One thing I'll say is right along the coast is very nice, but when you get inland there is alot of poverty along with natural beauty.

thanks for the tips.  i'll have to see the coast as well as inland.

Mt. Blue State Park and the Mt. Blue/Tumbledown area, as well as Baxter State Park are obvious choices as well for nature and scenery.  Old Orchard Beach is the "trendy" spot in Southern Maine that all the tourists flock to.  Unless you enjoy loud noises, flashy cars, lots of insanely underdressed people, alcohol, and exorbitant prices on parking...stay away.  Can't say I've seen much of Maine in my time here so far but hope to remedy that in the near future.

Both good reccomendations from ED_P.  I can second the natural beauty.  As for the poverty...there may be a few places that "fit the bill"...but if any large general area in Maine can be considered poverty-stricken then...you must have it GOOD.  Not born in Maine, not raised, traveled the continental US quite a bit.  Growing up in Tucson, AZ. I KNEW what it was like to be poor, and see large communities of truly poor people.  So obviously that sort of opinion is based on personal experience....the only way I can picture describing a prospective area of travel as poverty-stricken is if I was speaking of a thirld world country.  Maine is what second? third? highest taxes in the US, with one of the top average hourly wages and annual salaries?  I digress off topic...

A couple of other suggestions.

Don't miss Acadia it is fantastic, but just north of Mt. Desert Island there is a smaller part of Acadia Nat. Park on Schoodic Point.  Also Beautiful and fewer people than the main park.  

Inland there is Baxter State Park and the Allagash water way, which runs Northwest of Baxter.  I haven't been to Baxter in several years but it was one of the best run State Parks I've ever been to at the time.  The Allagash is more wilderness camping and reduced access.

Enjoy the trip!
Chris

One more suggestion- if you do go to Acadia, for ~$120 you can drive your car onto a hydrofoil
Ferry that goes to Nova Scotia in under 3 hours.   I've never been there, but my brother and
sis in law did it last year, and said Nova Scotia was really beautiful to drive around on.   The Ferry leaves from Bar Harbor, which is right on the edge of Acadia NP.  Has gambling on board if you're inclined, and I think they have a slower, sleep overnight version, get to Nova Scotia in the morning for the day.

www.catferry.com/

General Genocide- Not meaning to diss the inland, I have in mind a local guy that is helping my parents (they're in their 80's and need help with repairs to their farm, as I live 4 hours away and can't get their
every weekend).   I dropped off a payment to the guy just last weekend and he lives 3 miles down a dirt road, in a house with no TV, Fridge, or Phone.  Just a kitchen table with a radio and a few cans of food.   As I drove to his house I go by a half dozen abandoned houses.

Weird thing about Maine, alot of outsiders are buying up farms and converting them to vacation homes.  A Citibank Lawyer from Hong Kong lives in the same town as the guy helping my folks, and has spent over $700K restoring a hilltop farm this summer.

Hi, I lived in Searsport and Belfast, Me. area for a very short 7 months. I used to see a bald eagle every day driving to work. Definitely check out Acadia and Schoodic is very nice and much less crowded. Also check out Moosehead Lake, south of Baxter State Park, especially if you like to see float planes.
  Camden is nice but in-town is very congested especially on weekends. Mt. Battie and Lake Megunticook are nearby.
  A lot of lighthouses along the coast as well.
  Good luck and have a nice trip.