The 4 complaints tourists make in their reviews of Maine

Tourists and cruise ship passengers jam the streets and information booth at the Bar Harbor town pier in this 2013 BDN file photo.

Tourists and cruise ship passengers jam the streets and information booth at the Bar Harbor town pier in this 2013 BDN file photo.

With Memorial Day come and gone, tourist season in Maine is fully underway, and it’s easy to find online travel journals and reviews gushing about the best places to eat, sleep and recreate in our lovely state.

The vast majority of travelers have nothing but nice things to say about Maine. But let’s face it, no place is perfect. Here are four things we kind of take for granted around here, but summer tourists really hate.

Traffic is backed up on Intestate 95 in this 2014 file photo. (BDN photo by Linda Coan O'Kresik)

Traffic is backed up on Interstate 95 in this 2014 BDN file photo. (Linda Coan O’Kresik)

1. Driving: Whether it’s the local driving habits, the long stretches of roadway between destination points in our spread-out state or the bottlenecks on the highways, summer visitors really despise the time they have to spend behind the wheel in Maine.

Reviews from VirtualTourist.com:

  • “We have waited for periods of an hour just to get through the main toll gate or through New Hampshire where all routes emerge. And if there is an accident it can be hours extra.”
  • “[W]as it just me or does everyone driving in Maine pull out right in front of you like you aren’t even there? The speed limit in Maine is 55, not because of the moose, the curves, or the small towns, but because the law there is if a car is coming, wait ’till it’s almost on top of you, then pull out in front of it!”

2. Overnight options for children: Sure, there are campsites and chain hotels that accommodate families, but for travelers who want to visit the boutique hotels or B&Bs with their children, the options can be limited.

Reviews from TripAdvisor.com:

  • “I’m amazed at the number of places that forbid children. … I see numerous available hotels that look good at first — just to find that either children are prohibited or we exceed the number of guests for a room, even double-queen rooms, which should be OK.”
  • “I get that they do not want huge families and ill-mannered kids at these properties but it seems to be discriminatory.”
Holly Garner-Jackson in Machias shows off the nonprofit Maine Black Fly Breeders Association's best-selling bumper sticker. (BDN photo by Katherine Cassidy)

Holly Garner-Jackson in Machias shows off the nonprofit Maine Black Fly Breeders Association’s best-selling bumper sticker. (BDN photo by Katherine Cassidy)

3. Bugs: We Mainers hate the black flies and mosquitoes that come out in the summertime and swarm around our barbecues, but we’re sort of used to the routine and prepare accordingly with bug spray or citronella torches. We forget that, for our tourist friends, Maine’s insect populations are really unusual and overwhelming. In addition to the black flies and mosquitoes, travelers are really bothered by our “monstrous fleas” and brown tail moths.

Reviews from VirtualTourist.com:

  • “I once tried to take a walk in the woods near Moosehead Lake in northern Maine, and I had to literally run back to the car because the mosquitoes were so bad. I can really believe that people have been driven insane by these pests.”
  • “We found a fabulous campsite in Cobscook State Park. Beautiful. But as soon as the sun started to go down, we were swarmed with mosquitoes. They were relentless. You may want to eat early and get in your tent before they come out or eat very late when they have been slowed by the cooler weather.”

4. Hot? Cold? You can’t predict the weather: As the old saying goes, if you don’t like the weather in Maine, wait five minutes. Our wildly unpredictable weather, especially in the still-touristy late spring or early fall, really throws visitors for a loss. We have all of our clothes handy, but travelers need to know what to pack…

Reviews from TripAdvisor.com:

  • “Weather can be hit or miss. Last 2 years it [during Memorial Day weekend] was rainy and 2 years ago parts of New England had snow. 3 years ago in the 80’s and beautiful.”
  • “In Maine and most of New England, the weather is pretty unpredictable…
    Snow in April is NOT that strange and don’t be surprised if you get 82-degree weather in a couple of days.”
Residents around northern Maine kicked off Memorial Day weekend -- the traditional start to the summer season - with a fresh dusting of snow.  (BDN photo by Julia Bayly)

Residents around northern Maine kicked off Memorial Day weekend — the traditional start to the summer season – with a fresh dusting of snow. (BDN photo by Julia Bayly)