Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island
SCHOODIC SECTION OF ACADIA NATIONAL PARK
Summer folk have been visiting Mount Desert Island (MDI) for millennia. The earliest Native Americans discovered fabulous fishing and clamming, good hunting and camping, and invigorating salt air. Today’s arrivals find variations on the same theme: thousands of lodgings and campsites, hundreds of restaurant seats, dozens of shops, plus 40,000 acres of Acadia National Park.
It’s no coincidence that artists were a large part of the 19th-century vanguard here: The dramatic landscape, with both bare and wooded mountains descending to the sea, still inspires all who see it. Once the word got out, painterly images began confirming the reports, and the surge began. Even today, no saltwater locale on the entire eastern seaboard can compete with the variety of scenery on Mount Desert Island.
Those pioneering artists brilliantly portrayed this area, adding romantic touches to landscapes that really need no enhancement. From the 1,530-foot summit of Cadillac Mountain, preferably at an off hour, you’ll sense the grandeur of it all—the slopes careening toward the bay and the handful of islands below looking like the last footholds between Bar Harbor and Bordeaux.
For nearly four centuries, controversy has raged about the pronunciation of the island’s name, and we won’t resolve it here. French explorer Samuel de Champlain apparently gets credit for naming it l’Ile des Monts Deserts (island of bare mountains) when he sailed by in 1604. The accent in French would be on the second syllable, but today “De-SERT” and “DES-ert” both have their advocates, although the former gets the accuracy nod. In any case, the island is anything but deserted today. Even as you approach it, via the shire town of Ellsworth and especially in Trenton, you’ll run the gauntlet of big-box stores, amusements, and enough high-cholesterol eateries to stun the surgeon general. Don’t panic: Acadia National Park lies ahead, and amid the thick of consumer congestion there are glimpses of the prize. Even on the most crowded days, if you venture more than a few steps into the park, you’ll find you have it nearly to yourself.
LOOK FOR M TO FIND RECOMMENDED SIGHTS, ACTIVITIES, DINING, AND LODGING.
M Park Loop Road: If you do nothing else on Mount Desert, drive this magnificent road that takes in many of Acadia National Park’s highlights (click here).
M The Carriage Roads: Whether you walk, bike, or ride in a horse-drawn carriage, do make a point of seeing Mr. Rockefeller’s roads and bridges (click here).
M Jordan Pond House: For more than a century, afternoon tea and popovers on the lawn of the Jordan Pond House have been a tradition. Make reservations for an afternoon pick-me-up, perhaps after walking or biking the many carriage roads that lead here (click here).
M Abbe Museum: The downtown Abbe Museum and its seasonal museum at Sieur de Monts Spring are fascinating places to while away a few hours and learn about Maine’s Native American heritage (click here).
M Oceanarium: A fabulous introduction to the coastal ecology is provided at this low-tech, kid-friendly site (click here).
M Dive-In Theater Boat Cruise: Got kids? Don’t miss this tour, where Diver Ed brings the undersea world aboard (click here).
M Asticou Azalea Garden and Thuya Garden: “Magical and enchanting” best describes these two peaceful gardens. Whereas Zen-like Asticou is best seen in spring, Thuya delivers color through summer and also has hiking paths (click here).
M Wendell Gilley Museum: Gilley’s intricately carved birds, from miniature shorebirds to life-size birds of prey, are a marvel to behold (click here).
M Island Cruises: Kim Strauss shares his deep knowledge of island ways and waters on the lunchtime cruise that allows time to explore Frenchboro (click here).
M Schoodic Loop: A scenic six-mile road edges the pink-granite shores of Acadia National Park’s only mainland section and accesses hiking trails and picnic spots (click here).
As you drive or bike around Mount Desert—vaguely shaped like a lobster claw and indented by Somes Sound (the only fjord on the U.S. East Coast)—you’ll cross and recross the national-park boundaries, reminders that Acadia National Park, covering a third of the island, is indeed the major presence here. It affects traffic, indoor and outdoor pursuits, and, in a way, even the climate.
The other major presence is Bar Harbor, largest and best known of the island’s communities. It’s the source of just about anything you could want, from T-shirts to tacos, books to bike rentals. The contrast with Acadia is astonishing as the park struggles to maintain its image and character. And yet, even in Bar Harbor, the park’s presence is felt.
Bar Harbor shares the island with Southwest Harbor, Tremont, and a number of small villages: Bass Harbor, Bernard, Northeast Harbor, Seal Harbor, Otter Creek, Somesville, and Hall Quarry. From Bass, Northeast, and Southwest Harbors, private and state ferries shuttle bike and foot traffic to offshore Swans Island, Frenchboro (Long Island), and the Cranberry Isles (and cars to Swans Island).
Stay on Route 1 instead of taking Route 3 to the island and the congestion disappears. The towns lining the eastern shore of Frenchman Bay—Hancock, Sullivan, Winter Harbor, and Gouldsboro—have some of the best views of all: front-row seats facing the peaks of Mount Desert Island. It’s no wonder many artists and artisans make their homes here. And at the tip of the Schoodic Peninsula, a stunning pocket of Acadia National Park sees only a fraction of the visitors who descend on the main part of the park.
So much to do, so little time—that’s the lament of most visitors. You can circumnavigate Mount Desert Island in a day, hitting the highlights along the Park Loop with just enough time to ooh and aah at each, but to appreciate Acadia, you need time to hike the trails, ride the carriage roads, get afloat on a whale-watching cruise or a sea kayak, visit museums, and explore an offshore island or two. A week or longer is best, but you can get a taste of Acadia in 3-4 days.
The region is very seasonal, with most restaurants, accommodations, and shops open mid-May-mid-October. May and June bring the new greens of spring and blooming rhododendrons and azaleas in Northeast Harbor’s Asticou Garden, but mosquitoes and blackflies are at their worst and weather is temperamental—perhaps sunny and hot one day, damp and cold the next, a packing nightmare. July and August bring summer at its best, along with the biggest crowds. September is a gem of a time to visit: few bugs, fewer people, less fog, and autumn’s golden light. Foliage usually begins turning in early October, making it an especially beautiful time to visit (the Columbus Day holiday weekend brings a spike in visitors). Winter is Acadia’s silent season, best left for independent travelers who don’t mind making do or perhaps making a meal of peanut-butter crackers if an open restaurant can’t be found.
The only way onto Mount Desert Island is Route 3. Unless you’re traveling in the wee hours of the morning or late at night, expect traffic. Avoid it during shift changes on-island, 8am-9am and 3pm-4pm weekdays, when traffic slows to a crawl. On the island, use the Island Explorer bus system to avoid parking hassles.
The punch line to an old Maine joke is “Ya cahn’t get they-ah from he-ah.” The truth is, you can’t get to Acadia without going through Ellsworth (pop. 7,741) and Trenton (pop. 1,481). Indeed, when you’re crawling along in bumper-to-bumper traffic, it might seem as if all roads lead to downtown Ellsworth. And the truth is that many do.
Although there are ways to skirt around a few of the worst bottlenecks, the region does have its calling cards. Ellsworth, Hancock County’s shire town, has mushroomed with the popularity of Acadia National Park, but you can still find handsome architectural remnants of the city’s 19th-century lumbering heyday (which began shortly after its incorporation in 1800). Brigs, barks, and full-rigged ships—built in Ellsworth and captained by local fellows—loaded lumber here and carried it around the globe. Despite a ruinous 1855 fire that swept through downtown, the lumber trade thrived until late in the 19th century, along with factories and mills turning out shoes, bricks, boxes, and butter.
These days, Ellsworth is the region’s shopping mecca. Antiques shops and small stores line Main Street, which doubles as Route 1 in the downtown section; supermarkets, strip malls, and big-box stores line Routes 1 and 3 between Ellsworth and Trenton.
Other pluses for the area include inexpensive lodging and the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce Information Center location on Route 3 in Trenton. If you’re day-tripping to Mount Desert Island, you can leave your car here and hop aboard the free Island Explorer bus, eliminating driving and parking hassles.
Very little has changed at Woodlawn (Surry Rd./Rte. 172, 207/667-8671, www.woodlawnmuseum.com, 10am-5pm Tues.-Sun., 1pm-4pm Sun. June-Sept., 1pm-4pm Tues.-Sun. May and Oct., $10 adults, $3 ages 5-12, grounds free) since George Nixon Black donated his home, also known as the Black Mansion, to the town in 1928. Completed in 1828, the Georgian house is a marvel of preservation—one of Maine’s best—filled with Black family antiques and artifacts. House highlights include a circular staircase, rare books and artifacts, canopied beds, a barrel organ, and lots more. After taking an audio tour, plan to picnic on the manicured grounds, and then explore two sleigh-filled barns, the Memorial Garden, and the two miles of mostly level trails in the woods up beyond the house. Consider timing a visit with one of the frequent events: There’s a farmers market on Sunday and on several Wednesday afternoons in July-August there are elegant teas ($25 pp) in the garden (or in the carriage house if it’s raining), with china, silver, linens, special-blend tea, sandwiches, pastries, and live music; reservations are required. On Route 172, watch for the small sign 0.25 mile southwest of U.S. 1, and turn into the winding uphill driveway.
En route to Bar Harbor, watch carefully on the right for the sign that marks Birdsacre (Rte. 3/Bar Harbor Rd., 207/667-8460, www.birdsacre.com, sunrise-sunset daily, donation), a 200-acre urban sanctuary. Wander the trails in this peaceful preserve, spotting wildflowers, birds, and well-labeled shrubs and trees, and you’ll have trouble believing you’re surrounded by prime tourist territory. One trail, a boardwalk loop through woods behind the nature center, is accessible for wheelchairs and strollers.
At the sanctuary entrance is the 1850 Stanwood Homestead Museum (tours by chance or by appointment 10am-4pm daily June-late Sept., donation appreciated), with period furnishings and wildlife exhibits. Once owned by noted ornithologist Cordelia Stanwood, the volunteer-operated museum and preserve doesn’t charge an admission fee, but donations are needed and greatly appreciated. Birdsacre is also a wildlife rehabilitation center, so expect to see all kinds of winged creatures, especially hawks and owls, in various stages of recuperation. Some will be returned to the wild, and others remain here for educational purposes. Stop by the Nature Center for even more exhibits.
Shops and restaurants line Ellsworth’s Main Street.
I can’t stress this enough: Kisma Preserve (446 Bar Harbor Rd./Rte. 3, 207/667-3244, www.kismapreserve.org, 10am-6pm daily mid-May-late fall, basic tour $14) is not a zoo; it’s a nonprofit educational facility, and everything revolves around preserving and protecting the animals, most of which are either rescues or retirees. Rules are strictly enforced—no running, loud voices, or disruptive behavior is permitted. The easiest way to view the animals is on a one-hour guided tour. Guides educate visitors about the biology of the animals, how they came to be here, and whether they’ll be returned to the wild. For serious animal lovers, the preserve offers behind-the-scenes tours and close-ups; there are even options for staying in the preserve overnight. It truly is a special place, home to more than 100 exotic and not-so-exotic creatures, with an emphasis on wolves and big cats, including one of the rarest tigers in the world. Donations are essential to Kisma’s survival, and yes, it’s pricey, but so is feeding and caring for these animals.
All aboard! The all-volunteer Downeast Rail Heritage Preservation Trust (245 Main St., 866/449-7245, www.downeastscenicrail.org) has restored a 1948 diesel engine and rehabilitated the Calais Branch Line from Ellsworth to Ellsworth Falls and then back and on to Washington Junction. Saturday-Sunday (late May-mid-Oct.) you can board the two vintage coaches, an open flatcar, or caboose for a roughly 13-mile, 90-minute scenic excursion ($15 adults, $8 ages 3-12). Work continues on the track to Green Lake, which will allow a 24-mile round-trip. Boarding takes place behind The Maine Community Foundation (245 Main St.). If you’re a train buff, ask about volunteer opportunities.
What was life like before cell phones? Find out at the Telephone Museum (166 Winkumpaugh Rd., 207/667-9491, www.thetelephonemuseum.org, $10 adults, $5 children), a hands-on museum with the largest collection of old-fashioned switching systems in the East. To find the museum, head 10 miles north on U.S. 1A toward Bangor, then go left on Winkumpaugh Road for one mile. Call for schedule.
Two businesses provide options for getting an eagle’s-eye view of the area. Both are based on the Route 3 side of Hancock County/Bar Harbor Airport, just north of Mount Desert Island.
Scenic Flights of Acadia (Bar Harbor Rd./Rte. 3, 207/667-6527, www.scenicflightsofacadia.com) offers low-level flightseeing services in the Mount Desert Island region. Flights range 15-75 minutes and cost from $46 pp with a two-passenger minimum.
Scenic Biplane and Glider Rides (968 Bar Harbor Rd./Rte. 3, 207/667-7627, www.acadiaairtours.com) lets you soar in silence with daily glider flights. The one- or two-passenger gliders are towed to an altitude of at least 2,500 feet and then released. An FAA-certified pilot guides the glider. Rates begin at $220 for a 15-minute flight for two. Or ride in a biplane: A 20-minute ride in an open-cockpit plane is $25 for two. Or for a different twist, consider experiencing a World War II-era T-6 fighter plane, with flights beginning at $275 for 15 minutes. All flights are subject to an airport fee.
Ellsworth has three free summer series (www.downtownellsworth.com). The Ellsworth Concert Band performs Wednesday evening in the plaza outside Ellsworth City Hall (City Hall Ave.). If it rains, it’s held inside City Hall. Practice begins at 6:30pm, concerts start at 8pm, and the 30-member community band even welcomes visitors with talent and instruments—just show up at practice time. Outdoor family movies are shown at sunset Thursday at the Knowlton Playground on State Street (donations appreciated). Concerts are staged at Waterfront Park at 6pm on Friday.
Ace lumberjack “Timber” Tina Scheer has been competing around the world since she was seven, and she shows her prowess at The Great Maine Lumberjack Show (Rte. 3, 207/667-0067, www.mainelumberjack.com, 7pm daily mid-June-early Sept., 4pm Sat. and 2pm Sun. early Sept.-mid-Oct., $11 adults, $10 over age 62, $7.50 ages 4-11). During the 75-minute “Olympics of the Forest,” you’ll watch two teams compete in 12 events, including ax throwing, crosscut sawing, log rolling, speed climbing, and more. Some events are open to participation. (Kids can learn some skills by appointment.) Performances are held rain or shine. Seating is under a roof, but dress for the weather if it’s inclement. The ticket office opens at 6pm.
The carefully restored art deco Grand Auditorium of Hancock County (100 Main St., 207/667-9500, www.grandonline.org) is the year-round site of films, concerts, plays, and art exhibits.
You’re unlikely to meet a single person who has left Big Chicken Barn Books and Antiques (1768 Bucksport Rd./U.S. 1, 207/667-7308, www.bigchickenbarn.com) without buying something. You’ll find every kind of collectible on the vast first floor, courtesy of more than four dozen dealers. Climb the stairs for books, magazines, old music, and more. With free coffee, restrooms, and 21,000 square feet of floor space, this place is addictive. The Big Chicken is 11 miles east of Bucksport, 8.5 miles west of Ellsworth.
Just south of downtown, in a property listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the 1838 courthouse at the corner of Court Street and Route 1 is Courthouse Gallery Fine Art (6 Court St., 207/667-6611, www.courthousegallery.com), showcasing works by some of Maine’s top contemporary artists.
The 40-plus-dealer Old Creamery Antique Mall (13 Hancock St., 207/667-0522) fills 6,000 square feet on two jam-packed floors.
Around the corner is Atlantic Art Glass (25 Pine St., 207/664-0222, www.atlanticartglass.com), where you can watch Linda and Ken Perrin demonstrate glassblowing and buy their contemporary creations.
Don’t miss Rooster Brother (29 Main St./Rte. 1, 800/866-0054, www.roosterbrother.com) for gourmet cookware, cards, and books on the main floor; coffee, tea, candy, cheeses, a huge array of exotic condiments, fresh breads, and other gourmet items on the lower level; and discounted merchandise on the second floor, open seasonally. You can easily pick up all the fixings for a fancy picnic here.
It’s hard to categorize J&B Atlantic Company (142 Main St./Rte. 1, 207/667-2082). It takes up a good part of the block, with room after room filled with furniture, home accessories, gifts, books, and antiques.
John Edwards Market (158 Main St., 207/667-9377) is a twofold find: Upstairs is a natural-foods store; downstairs is the Wine Cellar Gallery, a terrific space showcasing Maine artists throughout the year.
Stock up on Maine-made jams, syrups, honeys, and other specialty foods at Maine’s Own Treats (68 Rte. 3/Bar Harbor Rd., 207/667-8888).
You can certainly find bargains at the L. L. Bean Factory Store (150 High St./Rte. 1, 207/667-7753), but this is an outlet, so scrutinize the goods for flaws and blemishes before buying.
Across the road is Renys Department Store (Ellsworth Shopping Center, 175 High St./Rte. 1, 207/667-5166, www.renys.com), a Maine-based discount operation with a “you never know what you’ll find” philosophy. Trust me, you’ll find something here.
Marden’s (461 High St./Rte. 3, 207/669-6035, www.mardenssurplus.com) is another Maine “bit of this, bit of that” enterprise with the catchy slogan “I shoulda bought it when I saw it.” Good advice.
These updated motels and cottage colonies along Routes 1 and 3 provide cheap sleeps, with a few frills, but fussbudgets should look elsewhere.
If all you want is a good bed in a clean room, the family-owned and operated Sunset Motor Court (210 Twin Hill Rd., Ellsworth, 207/667-8390, www.sunsetmotorcourtmotel.com, $80-125), a pet-friendly tourist court facing U.S. 1 south of town, fits the bill. It’s also well situated for exploring the Blue Hill Peninsula region. Each of the comfortably renovated rainbow-colored one- and two-bedroom cabins has heat, air-conditioning, a TV, a microwave, a refrigerator, and in-room coffee with prepackaged pastries. French and Polish are also spoken.
The Kelley family’s Isleview Motel (1169 Bar Harbor Rd./Rte. 3, Trenton, 207/667-5661 or 866/475-3843, www.isleviewmotelandcottages.com, $65-135) comprises a motel, one- and two-bedroom cottages, and a few “sleep-and-go” rooms above the office, all decorated in country style. At these prices and with this location—eight miles from the park entrance, on the Island Explorer shuttle route, across from a lobster restaurant, and just 0.5 mile from the Thompson Island picnic area—don’t go looking for fancy, but wallet-conscious travelers will be tickled with it. Although small, most guest rooms are equipped with mini-refrigerator, a microwave, Wi-Fi, a coffeemaker, air-conditioning, and a TV. Outside are picnic tables and grills. Rates include breakfast pastries, juice, and coffee.
New owners, since 2009, have been upgrading and updating the pet-friendly Acadia Sunrise Motel (952 Bar Harbor Rd./Rte. 3, Trenton, 207/667-8452, www.acadiasunrisemotel.com, $69-105), originally built in 1985 as a strip mall. All guest rooms have air-conditioning, cable TV, phones, refrigerators, microwaves, and coffeemakers; efficiency units have kitchenettes with stoves. Perks include an outdoor heated pool and a guest laundry. Ask for a room at the back, away from the street noise and overlooking the airport with the ocean and Acadia’s mountains in the distance.
Equally convenient to the Schoodic Region and Mount Desert Island is the 55-acre Lamoine State Park (23 State Park Rd./Rte. 184, Lamoine, 207/667-4778, www.parksandlands.com, day-use $4.50 nonresident adults, $3 Maine resident adults, $1 ages 5-11). Park facilities include a pebble beach and a picnic area with a spectacular view, a boat-launch ramp, and a children’s play area. Camping (mid-May-mid-Sept., $25 nonresidents, $15 Maine residents, reservations $2/night) is available at 62 sites. No hookups are available, and the minimum stay is 2 nights, with a 14-night maximum. Reserve online with a credit card, or call 207/624-9950 or 800/332-1501 weekdays within Maine. Leashed pets are allowed, but not on the beach, and cleanup is required.
Order breakfast anytime at The Riverside Café (151 Main St., 207/667-7220, www.maineriversidecafe.com, 6am-3pm Mon.-Wed., 6am-9pm Thurs.-Fri., 7am-9pm Sat., 7am-3pm Sun.). Lunch service begins at 11am. On weekend nights there’s often entertainment. And the café’s name? It used to be down the street, overlooking the Union River.
Less creative but no less delicious are the home-style breakfasts at Martha’s Diner (Renys Plaza, 151 High St., 207/664-2495, www.marthasdiner.com, 6am-2pm Tues.-Fri., 6am-1pm Sat., 7am-1pm Sun., under $10), where lunch is also served 11am-2pm Tuesday-Friday. Booths are red leatherette and Formica, and the waitresses may call you “doll.”
Big flavors come out of tiny 86 This (2 State St., 207/610-1777, 11am-8pm Tues.-Sat.), a wrap and burrito joint with a handful of tables. The flavors are rich, the portions are generous, and wraps are named after the owners’ favorite indie bands.
Jordan’s Snack Bar (200 Down East Hwy./U.S. 1, 207/667-2174, www.jordanssnackbar.com, 10:30am-9pm daily) has an almost cult following for its crabmeat rolls and fried clams. Wednesday Cruise-Ins, beginning at 6pm, usually feature live entertainment and draw up to 50 vintage cars.
Ice cream doesn’t get much finer than that sold at Morton’s Moo (9 School St., 207/266-9671), a family-run spot with a deservedly giant reputation for homemade Italian gelato, sorbetto, and ice cream in creative flavors. It’s half a block off Main Street behind The Maine Grind.
Mighty fine pizza is served at Finelli Pizzeria (12 U.S. 1, 207/664-0230, www.finellipizzeria.com, from 11am daily) where the pizza dough and focaccia bread are made fresh daily. The specialty is New York-style thin-crust pizza, but other options include calzones, pastas, subs, and salads.
The Ellsworth Farmers Market sets up in the parking lot behind the Maine Community Foundation (245 E. Main St., 2pm-5:30pm Mon. and Thurs. mid-June-late Oct.). The Woodlawn Farmers Market (11am-2pm Sun. year-round) takes place at the Woodlawn museum (Surry Rd./Rte. 172).
Cleonice at The Maine Grind (192 Main St., 207/664-7554, www.cleonice.com, 7:30am-8:30pm Mon.-Sat., 10am-5pm Sun.) is a double find. While the counter-service at this congenial spot, dubbed Ellsworth’s Living Room, operates in half of the space during the day, Cleonice operates in the other half for lunch and takes over the full restaurant, with its open kitchen, in the evening. Chef-owner Richard Hanson sources ingredients locally, including much from his own farm and seafood from local fishing coops, and he creates almost everything from scratch. At night, the Mediterranean-influenced menu includes both small and large plates, and blackboard specials are always intriguing; entrées run $18-28, but you can make a meal from the incredible tapas selections ($5-15), covering the Mediterranean circuit (spanakopita, hummus, manchego cheese with pear sauce, and even brandade de morue). The restaurant is named after Hanson’s mother, Cleonice Renzetti. (It helps if you learn how to pronounce it: klee-oh-NEESE.)
Down East meets Far East at Shinbashi (139 High St., 207/667-6561, www.myshinbashi.com, 11:30am-9:30pm daily, $8-24), serving an extensive menu of Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai specialties, including sushi and Peking duck; there’s also a children’s menu.
It’s hard to say which is better—the serene views or the tasty lobster—at Brian and Jane Langley’s Union River Lobster Pot (8 South St., 207/667-5077, www.lobsterpot.com, 4pm-9pm daily June-mid-Oct., $15-24). It’s tucked behind Rooster Brother, right on the banks of the Union River. The menu includes far more than lobster, with chicken, fish, meat, and pasta dishes, and a kids’ menu is available. Remember to save room for the pie, especially the blueberry.
Far more touristy is Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound (Bar Harbor Rd./Rte. 3, 207/667-2977, www.trentonbridgelobster.com, 11am-7:30pm Mon.-Sat. late May-mid-Oct.), on the right next to the bridge leading to Mount Desert Island. Watch for the “smoke signals”—steam billowing from the huge vats.
The Thompson Island Visitors Center (Rte. 3, Thompson Island, 207/288-3411) represents the Mount Desert Island Regional Chambers of Commerce, which includes the Trenton Chamber of Commerce. An Acadia National Park ranger is usually stationed here, and park passes are available.
The Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce (207/667-5584, www.ellsworthchamber.org) also covers Trenton.
En route from Ellsworth on Route 3, on the right shortly before you reach Mount Desert Island, you’ll see the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce (Rte. 3, 207/288-5103 or 888/540-9990, www.barharbormaine.com). You’ll find all sorts of info on the island and other locations, plus restrooms, phones, and helpful staff.
George Nixon Black, grandson of the builder of the Woodlawn Museum, donated the National Register of Historic Places-listed Federalist Ellsworth Public Library (46 State St., 207/667-6363, www.ellsworth.lib.me.us) to the city in 1897.
Find public restrooms in City Hall (City Hall Ave.) in downtown Ellsworth, open 24 hours daily, seven days a week; the library (46 State St.); the Chamber of Commerce; and the picnic area and boat launch (Water St.).
Ellsworth is about 14 miles via Route 172 from Blue Hill. It’s about 20 miles or 30-45 minutes, depending upon traffic, to Bar Harbor.
Route 1 of the Island Explorer (www.exploreacadia.com) bus system, which primarily serves Mount Desert Island with its fleet of propane-fueled fare-free vehicles, connects the Hancock County/Bar Harbor Airport in Trenton with downtown Bar Harbor. Operated by Downeast Transportation, the Island Explorer runs late June-mid-October.
Before or after visiting Mount Desert Island, if you’re headed farther Down East—to Lamoine, the eastern side of Hancock County, and beyond—there’s a good shortcut from Trenton. About five miles south of Ellsworth on Route 3, just north of the Kisma Preserve, turn east onto Route 204.
Rather like an octopus, or perhaps an amoeba, Acadia National Park extends its reach here and there on Mount Desert Island. The first national park east of the Mississippi River and the only national park in the northeastern United States, it was created from donated parcels—a big chunk here, a tiny chunk there—and slowly but surely fused into its present-day size of more than 46,000 acres. Within the boundaries of this splendid space are mountains, lakes, ponds, trails, fabulous vistas, and several campgrounds. Each year more than two million visitors bike, hike, and drive into and through the park. Yet even at the height of summer, when the whole world seems to have arrived, it’s possible to find peaceful niches and less-trodden paths.
Acadia’s history is unique among national parks and is indeed fascinating. Several books have been written about some of the high-minded (in the positive sense) and high-profile personalities who provided the impetus and wherewithal for the park’s inception and never flagged in their interest and support. Just to spotlight a few, we can thank George B. Dorr, Charles W. Eliot, and John D. Rockefeller Jr. for the park we have today.
The most comprehensive guide to the park and surrounding area is Moon Acadia National Park.
Anyone entering the park by any means should buy a pass. Entrance fees, covering pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorized vehicles, are $20 late June-early October, and $10 May 1-late June and most of October. That covers one vehicle for seven days. If you’re traveling alone, an individual seven-day pass is $5. An annual pass to Acadia is $40, the America the Beautiful pass covering all federal recreation sites is $80, a lifetime senior pass (age 62 and older) is $10, and an access pass for citizens with disabilities is free. Passes are available at the visitors centers.
The modern Hulls Cove Visitor Center (Rte. 3, Hulls Cove, 207/288-3338, 8am-4:30pm daily Apr. 15-June 30 and Oct., 8am-6pm daily July-Aug., 8am-5pm daily Sept.) is eight miles southeast of the head of Mount Desert Island and well signposted. Here you can buy your park pass, make reservations for ranger-guided natural- and cultural-history programs, watch a 15-minute film about Acadia, study a relief map of the park, and buy books, park souvenirs, and guides. Pick up a copy of the Beaver Log, the tabloid-format park newspaper, with a schedule of park activities plus tide calendars and the entire schedule for the excellent Island Explorer shuttle-bus system, which operates late June-early October. The Island Explorer is supported by entrance fees (park pass required), as well as by Friends of Acadia and L. L. Bean. If you have children, enroll them in the park’s Junior Ranger Program (a nominal fee may be charged). They’ll receive a booklet. To earn a Junior Ranger Patch, they must complete the activities and join one or two ranger-led programs or walks.
Any road trip in the Acadia region must include the Park Loop Road.
As you cross the bridge from Trenton toward Mount Desert Island, you might not even notice that you arrive first on tiny Thompson Island, site of a visitors center (8am-6pm daily mid-May-mid-Oct.) established jointly by the chambers of commerce of Mount Desert Island’s towns and Acadia National Park. In season, a park ranger is usually posted here to answer questions and provide basic advice on hiking trails and other park activities, but consider this a stopgap—be sure to continue to the park’s main visitors center.
November-April, information is available at Acadia National Park Headquarters (Eagle Lake Rd./Rte. 233, 8am-4:30pm Mon.-Fri.), about 3.5 miles west of downtown Bar Harbor.
The 27-mile Park Loop Road takes in most of the park’s big-ticket sites. It begins at the visitors center, winds past several of the park’s scenic highlights (with parking areas), ascends to the summit of Cadillac Mountain, and provides overlooks to magnificent vistas. Along the route are trailheads and overlooks as well as Sieur de Monts Spring (Acadia Nature Center, Wild Gardens of Acadia, Abbe Museum summer site, and the convergence of several spectacular trails), Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, Otter Cliffs, Fabbri picnic area (there’s one wheelchair-accessible picnic table), Jordan Pond House, Bubble Pond, Eagle Lake, and the summit of Cadillac Mountain. Just before you get to Sand Beach, you’ll see the Park Entrance Station, where you’ll need to buy a pass if you haven’t already done so. If you’re here during nesting and fledging season—April-mid-August—be sure to stop in the Precipice Trailhead parking area.
Start at the parking lot below the Hulls Cove Visitor Center and follow the signs; part of the loop is one-way, so you’ll be doing the loop clockwise. Traffic gets heavy at midday in midsummer, so aim for an early-morning start if you can. Maximum speed is 35 mph, but be alert for gawkers and photographers stopping without warning, and pedestrians dashing across the road from stopped cars or tour buses. If you’re out here at midday in midsummer, don’t be surprised to see cars and RVs parked in the right lane in the one-way sections; it’s permitted.
Allow a couple of hours so you can stop along the way. You can rent an audio tour on cassette or CD for $13 (including directions, an instruction sheet, and a map) at the Hulls Cove Visitor Center. Another option is to pick up the drive-it-yourself tour booklet Motorist Guide: Park Loop Road ($1.50), available at the Thompson Island and Hulls Cove Visitor Centers.
In 1913, John D. Rockefeller Jr. began laying out what eventually became a 57-mile carriage-road system, and he oversaw the project through the 1940s. Motorized vehicles have never been allowed on these lovely graded byways, making them real escapes from the auto world. Devoted now to multiple uses, the “Rockefeller roads” see hikers, bikers, baby strollers, wheelchairs, and even horse-drawn carriages. Fortunately, a $6 million restoration campaign, undertaken during the 1990s, has done a remarkable job of upgrading surfaces, opening overgrown panoramas, and returning the roads to their original 16-foot width.
Pick up a free copy of the carriage-road map at any of the centers selling park passes. The busiest times are 10am-2pm.
The most crowded carriage roads are those closest to the visitors center—the Witch Hole Pond Loop, Duck Brook, and Eagle Lake. Avoid these, opting instead for roads west of Jordan Pond, or go early in the morning or late in the day. Better still, go off-season, when you can enjoy the fall foliage (late Sept.-mid-Oct.) or winter’s cross-country skiing.
If you need a bicycle to explore the carriage roads, you can rent one in Bar Harbor, Northeast Harbor, or Southwest Harbor. Be forewarned that hikers are allowed on the carriage roads that spill over onto private property south of the Jordan Pond House, but these are off-limits to bicyclists. The no-biking areas are signaled with Green Rock Company markers. The carriage-road map clearly indicates the biking and no-biking areas. Bicyclists must be especially speed-sensitive on the carriage roads, keeping an eye out for hikers, horseback riders, small children, and the hearing impaired.
To recapture the early carriage-roads era, take one of the horse-drawn open-carriage tours run by Carriages of Acadia (Park Loop Rd., Seal Harbor, 877/276-3622, www.carriagesofacadia.com), based at Wildwood Stables, a mile south of the Jordan Pond House. Four one- and two-hour tours start at 9am daily mid-June-mid-October. Reservations are not required, but they’re encouraged, especially in midsummer. The best outing is the two-hour Day Mountain Summit ($26 adults, $10 ages 6-12, $7 ages 2-5) sunset ride. Other routes are around $20-26 adults, $9-10 children, $7 little kids. If you take the two-hour carriage ride to Jordan Pond House departing at 1:15pm on weekends ($20 adults, not including food and beverages), you’re guaranteed a reserved lawn chair for tea and popovers.
At the southern end of Mount Desert’s western “claw,” follow Route 102A to the turnoff toward Bass Harbor Head. Drive or bike to the end of Lighthouse Road, walk down a steep wooden stairway, and look up and to the right. Voilà! Bass Harbor Head Light—its red glow automated since 1974—stands sentinel at the eastern entrance to Blue Hill Bay. Built in 1858, the 26-foot tower and light keeper’s house are privately owned, but the dramatic setting captivates photographers.
The best way to get to—and to appreciate—history-rich Baker Island is on the ranger-narrated Acadia National Park Baker Island Tour aboard the Miss Samantha, booked through Bar Harbor Whale Watch Co. (1 West St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-2386 or 888/942-5374, www.barharborwhales.com, $46 adults, $27 ages 6-14, $9 under age 6). The half-day tours are offered mid-June-mid-September and include access via skiff to the 130-acre island with a farmstead, a lighthouse, and intriguing rock formations. The return trip provides a view from the water of Otter Cliffs (bring binoculars and look for climbers), Thunder Hole, Sand Beach, and Great Head. Call for the current schedule.
If you’re spending more than a day on Mount Desert Island, plan to buy a copy of A Walk in the Park: Acadia’s Hiking Guide, by Tom St. Germain, which details more than 60 hikes, including some outside the park. Remember that pets are allowed on park trails, but only on leashes no longer than six feet. Four of the Island Explorer bus routes are particularly useful for hikers, alleviating the problems of backtracking and car-jammed parking lots. Here’s a handful of favorite Acadia hikes, from easy to rugged.
These three easy trails are ideal for young families. Jordan Pond Nature Trail starts at the Jordan Pond parking area. This is an easy, wheelchair-accessible, one-mile wooded loop trail; pick up a brochure. Include Jordan Pond House (for tea and popovers) in your schedule. Ship Harbor Nature Trail starts at the Ship Harbor parking area, on Route 102A between Bass Harbor and Seawall Campground, in the southwestern corner of the island. The easy 1.3-mile loop trail leads to the shore; pick up a brochure at the trailhead. Ship Harbor is particularly popular among bird-watchers seeking warblers, and you just might spot an eagle while you picnic on the rocks. An even easier trail, with its parking area just east of the Ship Harbor parking area, Wonderland is 1.4 miles round-trip.
A moderate 1.4-mile loop, the Great Head Trail starts at the eastern end of Sand Beach, off the Park Loop Road. Park in the Sand Beach parking area, and cross the beach to the trailhead. Or take Schooner Head Road from downtown Bar Harbor and park in the small area where the road dead-ends. There are actually two trail loops here, both of which have enough elevation to provide terrific views.
Another moderate hike with great views is the 1.8-mile round-trip Gorham Mountain Trail. It’s a great family hike, as kids especially love the Cadillac Cliffs section. Access is off the Park Loop Road, just beyond Thunder Hole.
The moderate hike to Beech Mountain’s summit has an abandoned fire tower, from which you can look out toward Long Pond and the Blue Hill Peninsula. A knob near the top is a prime viewing site for the migration of hawks and other raptors in September. Round-trip on the wooded route is about 1.2 miles, although a couple of side trails can extend it. You’ll have less competition here in a quieter part of the park. Take Route 102 south from Somesville, heading toward Pretty Marsh. Turn left onto Beech Hill Road and follow it to the parking area at the end.
Beehive Trail and Precipice Trail are the park’s toughest routes, with sheer faces and iron ladders; Precipice is often closed (usually mid-Apr.-late July) to protect nesting peregrine falcons. If challenges are your thing and these trails are open (check beforehand at the visitors center), go ahead. But a fine alternative in the difficult category is the Beachcroft Trail on Huguenot Head. Also called the Beachcroft Path, the trail is best known for its 1,500 beautifully engineered granite steps. Round-trip is 2.4 miles, or you can continue a loop at the top, taking in the Bear Brook Trail on Champlain Mountain, for about 4.4 miles. The parking area is just north of Route 3, near Sieur de Monts Spring.
Acadia has a number of splendid sites prized by climbers: the sea cliffs at Otter Cliffs and Great Head; South Bubble Mountain; Canada Cliff (on the island’s western side); and the South Wall and the Central Slabs on Champlain Mountain. If you haven’t tried climbing, never do it yourself without instruction. Acadia Mountain Guides Climbing School (228 Main St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-8186 or 888/232-9559, www.acadiamountainguides.com) and Atlantic Climbing School (ACS, 24 Cottage St., 2nd fl., Bar Harbor, 207/288-2521, www.acadiaclimbing.com) both provide instruction and guided climbs. Costs vary on the site, experience, session length, and number of climbers.
Otter Cliffs
Slightly below the Park Loop Road (take Island Explorer Route No. 3—Sand Beach), Sand Beach is the park’s and the island’s biggest sandy beach. Lifeguards are on duty during the summer, and even then, the biggest threat can be hypothermia. The saltwater is terminally glacial—in mid-July it still might not reach 60°F. The best solution is to walk to the far end of the beach, where a warmer shallow stream meets the ocean. Avoid the parking lot scramble by taking the Explorer bus.
The park’s most popular freshwater swimming site, staffed with a lifeguard and inevitably crowded on hot days, is Echo Lake, south of Somesville on Route 102 and well signposted (take Island Explorer Route No. 7—Southwest Harbor).
If you have a canoe, kayak, or rowboat, you can reach swimming holes in Seal Cove Pond and Round Pond, both on the western side of Mount Desert. The eastern shore of Hodgdon Pond (also on the western side of the island) is accessible by car via Hodgdon Road and Long Pond Fire Road. Lake Wood, at the northern end of Mount Desert, has a tiny beach, restrooms, and auto access. To get to Lake Wood from Route 3, head west on Crooked Road to unpaved Park Road. Turn left and continue to the parking area, which will be crowded on a hot day, so arrive early.
Pick up a copy of Acadia Weekly, which details the ranger programs available. Don’t miss these possibilities for learning more about the park’s natural and cultural history.
The park ranger programs, lasting 1-3 hours, are great—and most are free. During July-August there are dozens of weekly programs, all listed in the Beaver Log. Included are early-morning (7am) bird-watching walks; moderate-level mountain hikes; tours of the historic Carroll Homestead, a 19th-century farm; Cadillac summit natural-history tours; children’s expeditions to learn about tidepools and geology (an adult must accompany kids); trips for those in wheelchairs; and even a couple of tours a week in French. Some tours require reservations, but most do not; a few, including boat tours, have fees.
Park rangers also give the evening lectures during the summer in the amphitheaters at Blackwoods and Seawall Campgrounds.
Mount Desert Island has at least a dozen commercial campgrounds, but there are only two—Blackwoods and Seawall—within park boundaries on the island; neither has hookups. Both have seasonal restrooms with no showers, dumping stations, and seasonal amphitheaters, where rangers present evening programs.
Year-round Blackwoods, just off Route 3, five miles south of Bar Harbor, has 306 sites. Because of its location on the east side of the island, it’s also the more popular of the two campgrounds. Reservations (877/444-6777, www.recreation.gov, credit card required) are suggested May 1-October 31, when the fee is $20/site/night. Reservations can be made up to six months ahead. In April and November, camping is $10; December-March it’s free. A new trail, under construction in 2013, will connect the campground to the Ocean Drive trail system.
Reservations (877/444-6777, www.recreation.gov, credit card required) are accepted for half of the 214 sites at Seawall Campground, on Route 102A in the Seawall district, four miles south of Southwest Harbor, but the rest are first-come, first-served. In midsummer you’ll need to arrive as early as 8:30am (when the ranger station opens) to secure one of the 200 or so sites. Seawall is open late May-September. The cost is $20/night for drive-up sites and $14/night for walk-in tent sites.
RV length at Seawall is limited to 35 feet, with the width limited to an awning extended no more than 12 feet. Generators are not allowed in the campground.
The only restaurant within the park is the Jordan Pond House (Park Loop Rd., 207/276-3316, www.thejordanpondhouse.com, 11:30am-8pm daily mid-May-late Oct., 11:30am-9pm late June-early Sept.), a modern facility in a spectacular waterside setting. Jordan Pond House began life as a rustic 19th-century teahouse; wonderful old photos still line the walls of the current incarnation, which went up after a disastrous fire in 1979. Afternoon tea is still a tradition, with tea, popovers, and extraordinary strawberry jam served on the lawn until 5:30pm daily in summer, weather permitting. It is not exactly a bargain at nearly $11, but it’s worth it. However, Jordan Pond is far from a secret, so expect to wait for seats at the height of summer. Better yet, plan ahead and make reservations. Jordan Pond House is on the Island Explorer’s Route No. 5. Note: The locally based Acadia Corporation managed Jordan Pond House for 80 years, but in a controversial 2013 decision, the park service awarded the contract to an out-of-state concessionaire beginning in 2014. Prices and recommendation reflect the previous operator.
In 1996, Bar Harbor (pop. 5,235) celebrated the bicentennial of its founding (as the town of Eden). In the late 19th century and well into the 20th, the town grew to become one of the East Coast’s fanciest summer watering holes.
In those days, ferries and steam yachts arrived from points south, large and small resort hotels sprang up, and exclusive mansions (quaintly dubbed “cottages”) were the venues of parties thrown by summer-resident Drexels, DuPonts, Vanderbilts, and prominent academics, journalists, and lawyers. The “rusticators” came for the season with huge entourages of servants, children, pets, and horses. The area’s renown was such that by the 1890s, even the staffs of the British, Austrian, and Ottoman embassies retreated here for the summer from Washington DC.
The establishment of the national park in 1919 and the arrival of the automobile changed the character of Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Island; two World Wars and the Great Depression took an additional toll in myriad ways; but the coup de grâce for Bar Harbor’s era of elegance came with the Great Fire of 1947, a wind-whipped conflagration that devastated more than 17,000 acres on the eastern half of the island and leveled gorgeous mansions, humble homes, and more trees than anyone could ever count. Only three people died, but property damage was estimated at $2 million. Whole books have been written about the October inferno; fascinating scrapbooks in Bar Harbor’s Jesup Memorial Library dramatically relate the gripping details of the story. Even though some of the elegant cottages have survived, the fire altered life here forever.
The Abbe Museum is a superb introduction to prehistoric, historic, and contemporary Native American tools, crafts, and other cultural artifacts, with an emphasis on Maine’s Micmac, Maliseet, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot people. Everything about this privately funded museum, established in 1927, is tasteful. It has two campuses: The main campus (26 Mt. Desert St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-3519, www.abbemuseum.org, 10am-5pm daily late May-early Nov., call for off-season hours, $6 adults, $2 ages 6-15) is home to a collection spanning nearly 12,000 years. Museum-sponsored events include crafts workshops, hands-on children’s programs, archaeological field schools, and the Native American Festival (held at the College of the Atlantic, usually the first Saturday after the Fourth of July).
Admission to the in-town Abbe also includes admission to the museum’s original site in the park, about 2.5 miles south of Bar Harbor, at Sieur de Monts Spring, where Route 3 meets the Park Loop Road (10am-5pm daily late May-mid-Oct.). Inside a small but handsome National Historic Register building are displays from a 50,000-item collection. Admission to only the Sieur de Monts Spring Abbe is $3 adults, $1 ages 6-15; admission here can be credited to main museum fees.
While you’re at the original Abbe Museum site, take the time to wander the paths in the adjacent Wild Gardens of Acadia, a 0.75-acre microcosm of more than 400 plant species native to Mount Desert Island. Twelve separate display areas, carefully maintained and labeled by the Bar Harbor Garden Club, represent native plant habitats; pick up the map-brochure that explains each.
At the northern edge of Mount Desert Island, 8.5 miles northwest of downtown Bar Harbor, is this understated but fascinating spot, also called the Maine Lobster Museum and Hatchery (1351 Rte. 3, Bar Harbor, 207/288-5005, www.theoceanarium.com, 9am-5pm Mon.-Sat. mid-May-late Oct.). This low-tech, high-interest operation awes the kids, and it’s pretty darn interesting for adults too. David and Audrey Mills have been at it since 1972 and are determined to educate visitors while showing them a good time. Visitors on tour view thousands of tiny lobster hatchlings, enjoy a museum, finger sea life in a touch tank, and meander along a salt marsh walk, where you can check out tidal creatures and vegetation. All tours begin on the hour and half hour. Allow 1-2 hours to see everything. Tickets are $15 adults, $10 ages 4-12, covering admission to the lobster hatchery, lobster museum, and touch tank; an expanded program includes a 45-minute Marsh Walk for $17 adults, $11 children.
St. Saviour’s (41 Mt. Desert St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-4215, 7am-dusk daily), close to downtown Bar Harbor, boasts Maine’s largest collection of Tiffany stained-glass windows. Ten originals are here; an 11th was stolen in 1988 and replaced by a locally made window. Of the 32 non-Tiffany windows, the most intriguing is a memorial to Clarence Little, founder of The Jackson Laboratory and a descendant of Paul Revere. Images in the window include the laboratory, DNA, and mice. In July-August, volunteers regularly conduct free tours of the Victorian-era church, completed in 1878; call for the schedule or make an appointment for an off-season tour. The church is open for self-guided tours 8am-8pm daily—pick up a brochure in the back. If old cemeteries intrigue you, spend time wandering the 18th-century town graveyard next to the church.
The Bar Harbor Historical Society (33 Ledgelawn Ave., Bar Harbor, 207/288-0000, www.barharborhistorical.org, 1pm-4pm Mon.-Sat. mid-June-mid-Oct., free), in a Jacobean Revival-style building listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has fascinating displays, stereopticon images, and a scrapbook about the 1947 fire that devastated the island. The photographs alone are worth the visit. Also here are antique maps, Victorian-era hotel registers, and other local memorabilia. In winter it’s open by appointment.
For a sample of Bar Harbor before the great fire, wander over to upper West Street, which is on the National Register of Historic Places thanks to the remaining grand cottages that line it.
A museum, a gallery, and a pleasant campus for walking are reasons to visit the College of the Atlantic (COA, 105 Eden St./Rte. 3, Bar Harbor, 207/288-5015, www.coa.edu), which specializes in human ecology, or humans’ interrelationship with the environment. In a handsome renovated building that originally served as the first Acadia National Park headquarters, the George B. Dorr Natural History Museum (10am-5pm Tues.-Sat., donation) showcases regional birds and mammals in realistic dioramas made by COA students. The biggest attraction for children is the please-touch philosophy, allowing them to reach into a touch tank and to feel fur, skulls, and even whale baleen. The museum gift shop has a particularly good collection of books and gifts for budding naturalists.
Ask locally about the Bar Harbor Whale Museum, operated by research associates affiliated with the college’s Allied Whale program. It closed for construction, but was expected to reopen in a new downtown location in 2014 or 2015. In the meantime, some exhibits have been relocated to the Dorr Museum.
Across the way is the Ethel H. Blum Gallery (207/288-5015, ext. 254, 11am-4pm Mon.-Sat. summer, 9am-5pm Mon.-Fri. during the academic year), a small space that hosts some intriguing exhibits.
Also on campus is the Beatrix Farrand Garden, behind Kaelber Hall. The garden, designed in 1928, contained more than 50 varieties of roses and was the prototype for the rose garden at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington DC. Both are known for Farrand’s use of garden rooms, such as the walled terraces in this garden.
The first floor of The Turrets, a magnificent 1895 seaside cottage that’s now an administration building, can be explored. Don’t miss Turrets Sea Side Garden, fronting on the ocean, which was restored by a student in 2005. The central fountain, created by alumnus Dan Farrenkopf of Lunaform Pottery, was installed in 2009.
The college also offers excellent and very popular weeklong sessions of Family Nature Camp (800/597-9500, www.coa.edu/summer, July-early Aug., $900 adults, $460 ages 5-15 covers almost everything). It’s essential to register well in advance; ask about early-season discounts. Families are housed and fed on the campus, and explore Acadia National Park with expert naturalist guides.
Check the college’s calendar of events for lectures, conversations, and other events.
The college and its museum are 0.5 mile northwest of downtown Bar Harbor; take Island Explorer Route No. 2 (Eden Street).
Fans of landscape architect Beatrix Farrand will want to visit Garland Farm (475 Bayview Dr., 207/288-0237, www.beatrixfarrandsociety.org), the ancestral home of Lewis Garland, who managed her Reef Point property. When Farrand dismantled that property in 1955, she moved here with the Garlands, engaging an architect to build an addition to the original farmhouse and barn using architectural elements from Reef Point. The property was sold a few times, and greatly reduced in size, until the Beatrix Farrand Society was formed in 2002 and purchased it in 2004. The society’s goal is to restore Garland Farm to its Farrand-era design and condition and create a center for the study of design and horticulture. The property, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, hosts special events and programs. Garland Farm is open for visits one or two days per week and tours by appointment.
Some of the world’s top scientists live year-round or come to Bar Harbor in summer to work at two prominent scientific laboratories.
World renowned in genetic research, scientists at The Jackson Laboratory for Mammalian Research (600 Main St./Rte. 3, Bar Harbor, 207/288-6000, www.jax.org) study cancer, diabetes, muscular dystrophy, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease, among others—with considerable success. The nonprofit research institution, locally called JAX or just “the lab,” is also renowned for its genetics databases and for producing genetically defined laboratory mice, which are shipped to research labs worldwide. Free summer public tours (limited to 15 people; preregistration required) begin in the lab’s visitors lobby and visit the lab’s three main research wings. These show the evolution of facilities over the decades, beginning with the 1980s, and the guide discusses the genetic research occurring in each. The lab is 1.5 miles south of downtown Bar Harbor.
No less impressive is the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory (MDIBL, 159 Old Bar Harbor Rd., Salisbury Cove, 207/288-3605, www.mdibl.org), one of the few scientific research institutions in the world dedicated to studying marine animals to learn more about human health and environmental health. It is the only comprehensive effort in the country to sequence genomes. Tours are offered by advance reservation, with at least one week’s notice. Science Café is a comfortable community science forum offered every other week at an off-site location. Family Science Night, held once or twice each summer, is an interactive program of performances, demonstrations, and hands-on science; reservations are recommended. In 2012, the lab won a $250,000 grant to work with the National Park Service and the Schoodic Education and Research Center to create a Pathway to BioTrails, a hands-on program to involve park visitors in scientific research. The program will monitor park flora and fauna using a genetic technique called DNA barcoding. Ultimately, the program will offer a range of citizen science projects organized around hiking, cycling, and sea-kayaking trails, allowing visitors, research scientists, and park staff to work together to assess the effect of environmental changes. The lab is six miles north of Bar Harbor off Route 3.
The veteran of the Bar Harbor-based bus tours is Acadia National Park Tours (tickets at Testa’s Restaurant, Bayside Landing, 53 Main St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-0300, www.acadiatours.com, $30 adults, $15 under age 13), operating May-October. A 2.5-3-hour naturalist-led tour of Bar Harbor and Acadia departs at 10am and 2pm daily from downtown Bar Harbor (Testa’s is across from Agamont Park, near the Bar Harbor Inn). Reservations are advised in midsummer and during fall-foliage season (late Sept.-early Oct.); pick up reserved tickets 30 minutes before departure.
If you have a time crunch, take the one-hour trolley-bus tour operated by Oli’s Trolley (ticket office at 1 West St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-9899 or 866/987-6553, www.acadiaislandtours.com), which departs from the West Street boardwalk five times daily in July-August, and includes Bar Harbor mansion drive-bys and the Cadillac summit. Purchase tickets at Harbor Place (1 West St.), next to the town pier on the waterfront. Dress warmly if the air is at all cool; it’s an open-air trolley. Cost is $15 adults, $10 under age 12. Reservations are advisable. The trolley also does 2.5-hour park tours two or three times daily May-October. Tickets are $29 adults, $15 under age 12. The bus and trolley routes both include potty stops.
Clip clop through downtown Bar Harbor in the same manner of those during the gilded age on a half-hour horse-drawn carriage ride with Wild Iris Farm ($25 adults, $12.50 children, departing from the Harborside Hotel on West St.).
Although the Island Explorer buses do reach a number of key park sights, they are not tour buses. There is no narration, the bus cuts off the Park Loop at Otter Cliffs, and it excludes the summit of Cadillac Mountain.
For private tours of the park and other parts of the island, contact Michael Good at Down East Nature Tours (150 Knox Rd., Bar Harbor, 207/288-8128, www.downeastnaturetours.com). A biologist and Maine Guide, Good is simply batty about birds. He has spent more than 25 years studying the birds of North America, and he has even turned his home property on Mount Desert Island into a bird sanctuary. Good specializes in avian ecology in the Gulf of Maine, giving special attention to native and migrating birds. Whether you’re a first-timer wanting to spot eagles, peregrine falcons, shorebirds, and warblers or a serious bird-watcher seeking to add to your life list, perhaps with a Nelson’s sharp-tailed sparrow, Good’s your man. Prices begin at $75 pp for four hours and include transportation from your lodging; kids are half price. Bring your own binoculars, but Good supplies a spotting scope. A two-hour wetland ecology tour is $40 adults, $20 kids.
The Bar Harbor Town Band performs for free at 8pm Monday and Thursday evenings July-mid-August in the bandstand on the Village Green (Main St. and Mt. Desert St., Bar Harbor).
You never know quite what’s going to happen at Improv Acadia (15 Cottage St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-2503, www.improvacadia.com, $17 adults, $12 under age 11). Every show is different, as actors use audience suggestions to create comedy sketches. Shows are staged once or twice a night late May-mid-October. Dessert, snacks, and drinks are available.
The Bar Harbor Music Festival (207/288-5744 in July-Aug., 212/222-1026 off-season, www.barharbormusicfestival.org), a summer tradition since 1967, emphasizes up-and-coming musical talent in a series of classical, jazz, and pop concerts and even an opera, usually Friday and Sunday early July-early August, at various island locations that include local inns and an annual outdoor concert in Acadia National Park. Tickets are $25-40 adults, $15 students, and can be purchased at the festival office building (59 Cottage St., Bar Harbor). Reservations are advised.
The nonprofit, community-based Harborside Shakespeare Company (207/939-6929, www.harborsideshakespeare.org) performs one of the bard’s works each summer.
Built in 1932 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the beautifully refurbished Criterion Theatre and Arts Center (35 Cottage St., Bar Harbor) is an 877-seat art deco classic, with an elegant floating balcony. In 2007 it gained nonprofit status, with a mission to make arts and theater more accessible through diverse programs, but financial pressures caused it to close. It’s occasionally open for films or special events.
Combine pizza with your picture show at Reel Pizza Cinerama (33 Kennebec Pl., Bar Harbor, 207/288-3811 for films, 207/288-3828 for food, www.reelpizza.net). Two films are screened nightly on each of two screens. All tickets are $6; pizzas start at $9. Doors open at 4:30pm; get there early for the best seats.
Bar Harbor is home to numerous special events; here’s just a sampling. For more, call 800/345-4617 or visit www.barharbormaine.com.
In early June, the annual Acadia Birding Festival (www.acadiabirdingfestival.com) attracts bird-watchers with guided walks, boating excursions, tours, talks, and meals.
In late June, Legacy of the Arts is a weeklong celebration of music, art, theater, dance, and history, with tours, exhibits, workshops, concerts, lectures, demonstrations, and more.
The Fourth of July is always a big deal in Bar Harbor, celebrated with a 6am blueberry-pancake breakfast, a 10am parade, an 11am seafood festival, a band concert, and fireworks. A highlight is the Lobster Race, a crustacean competition drawing contestants such as Lobzilla and Larry the Lobster in a four-lane saltwater tank on the Village Green. Independence Day celebrations in the island’s smaller villages always evoke a bygone era.
The Abbe Museum, the College of the Atlantic, and the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance sponsor the annual Native American Festival (10am-4pm first Sat. after July 4, free), featuring baskets, beadwork, and other handicrafts for sale as well as Indian drumming and dancing, held at College of the Atlantic.
In even-numbered years, the Mount Desert Garden Club Tour (www.gcmdgardenday.com) presents a rare chance to visit some of Maine’s most spectacular private gardens on a Saturday in late July.
The Directions Craft Show fills a weekend in late July or early August with extraordinary displays and sales of crafts by members of the Maine Crafts Guild. You’ll find it at Mount Desert Island High School (Rte. 233/Eagle Lake Rd., Bar Harbor).
The mid-September Acadia Night Sky Festival (www.acadianightskyfestival.com) celebrates Acadia’s stellar stargazing with arts and science events, presentations, and activities.
Bar Harbor’s boutiques—running the gamut from attractive to kitschy—are indisputably visitor oriented; many shut down for the winter.
Downtown Bar Harbor’s best fine crafts gallery is Island Artisans (99 Main St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-4214, www.islandartisans.com). More than 100 Maine artists are represented here, and the quality is outstanding. You’ll find basketwork, handmade paper, wood carvings, blown glass, jewelry, weaving, metalwork, ceramics, and more.
For more than three decades, Alone Moose Fine Crafts (78 West St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-4229, www.finemainecrafts.com) has lured collectors and browsers with its selection of sculpture, pottery, jewelry, and other works.
Toys, cards, and newspapers blend in with the new-book inventory at Sherman’s Book Store (56 Main St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-3161). It’s just the place to pick up maps and trail guides for fine days and puzzles for foggy days.
A real treat is a stroll along downtown Bar Harbor’s Shore Path, a well-trodden granite-edged byway built around 1880. Along the craggy shoreline are granite-and-wood benches, town-owned Grant Park (great for picnics), birch trees, and several handsome mansions that escaped the 1947 fire. Offshore are the four Porcupine Islands. The path is open 6:30am-dusk, and leashed pets are allowed. Allow about 30 minutes for the mile loop, beginning next to the town pier and the Bar Harbor Inn and returning via Wayman Lane.
Check local newspapers or the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce visitor booklet for the times of low tide, then walk across the gravel bar to wooded Bar Island (formerly Rodick’s Island) from the foot of Bridge Street in downtown Bar Harbor. Shell heaps recorded on the eastern end of the island indicate that Native Americans enjoyed this turf in the distant past. You’ll have the most time to explore the island during new-moon or full-moon low tides, but no more than four hours—about 1.5 hours before and after low tide. Be sure to wear a watch so you don’t get trapped (for up to 10 hours). The foot of Bridge Street is also an excellent kayak-launching site.
About a mile from downtown along Main Street (Rte. 3) is Compass Harbor, a section of the park where you can stroll through woods to the water’s edge and explore the overgrown ruins of Acadia National Park cofounder George Dorr’s home.
Five trails wind through The Nature Conservancy’s forested 110-acre Indian Point-Blagden Preserve, a rectangular parcel with island, hill, and bay vistas. Seal-watching and bird-watching are popular, and there are harbor seals on offshore rocks as well as woodpeckers and 130 other species in blowdown areas. To spot the seals, plan your hike around low tide, when they’ll be sprawled on the rocks close to shore. Wear rubberized shoes. Bring binoculars or use the telescope installed here for the purpose. To keep from disturbing the seals, watch quietly and avoid jerky movements. Park near the preserve entrance and follow the Big Woods Trail, which runs the length of the preserve. A second parking area is farther in, but then you’ll miss much of the preserve. When you reach the second parking area, just past an old field, bear left along the Shore Trail to see the seals. Register at the caretaker’s house (just beyond the first parking lot, where you can pick up bird and flora checklists), and respect private property on either side of the preserve. It’s open dawn-6pm daily year-round. From the junction of Routes 3 and 102/198, continue 1.8 miles to Indian Point Road and turn right. Go 1.7 miles to a fork and turn right. Watch for the preserve entrance on the right, marked by a Nature Conservancy oak leaf.
Walkers on Bar Harbor’s Shore Path have views of the Porcupine Islands.
With all the great biking options, including 33 miles of carriage roads open to bicycles and some of the best roadside bike routes in Maine, you’ll want to bring a bike or rent one here.
The Minutolo family’s Bar Harbor Bicycle Shop (141 Cottage St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-3886, www.barharborbike.com), on the corner of Route 3, has been in business since 1977. If you have your own bike, stop here for advice on routes—the Minutolos have cycled everywhere on the island and can suggest the perfect mountain-bike or road-bike loop based on your ability and schedule. The shop has rentals varying from standard mountain bikes to full-suspension models and even tandems as well as all the accessories and gear you might need; rates begin at about $25/day. Hours in summer are 8am-6pm daily, 9am-5pm spring and fall. The shop also can give you the schedule for local rides organized by the Downeast Bicycle Club (www.downeastbicycleclub.ning.com).
National Park Kayak Tours (39 Cottage St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-0342 or 800/347-0940, www.acadiakayak.com) limits its Registered Maine Guide-led tours to a maximum of six tandem kayaks per trip. Four-hour morning, midday, afternoon, or sunset paddles are offered, including shuttle service, a paddle and safety lesson, and a brief stop, for $48 pp in July-August, $44 off-season. Most trips cover about six miles. Multiday camping trips also are offered. Try to make reservations at least one day in advance.
Excursion boats and sea-kayaking trips depart from the piers in Bar Harbor.
Duffers first teed off in 1888 at Kebo Valley Golf Club (100 Eagle Lake Rd./Rte. 233, Bar Harbor, 207/288-5000, www.kebovalleyclub.com, May-Oct.), Maine’s oldest club and the eighth-oldest in the nation. The 17th hole became legendary when it took President William Howard Taft 27 strokes to sink a ball in 1911.
You don’t have to go diving in these frigid waters; others will do it for you. When the kids are clamoring to touch slimy sea cucumbers and starfish at various touch tanks in the area, they’re likely to be primed for Diver Ed’s Dive-In Theater Boat Cruise (207/288-3483 or 800/979-3370, www.divered.com), departing from the College of the Atlantic pier (105 Eden St., Bar Harbor). Ed Monat, former Bar Harbor harbormaster and College of the Atlantic grad, heads the crew aboard the 46-passenger Starfish Enterprise, which goes a mile or two offshore where Ed, a professional diver, goes overboard with a video camera and a mini-Ed, who helps put things in proportion. You and the kids stay on deck, all warm and dry, along with Captain Evil, who explains the action on a TV screen. There’s communication back and forth, so the kids can ask questions as the divers pick up urchins, starfish, crabs, lobsters, and other sea life. When Ed resurfaces, he brings a bag of touchable specimens—another chance to pet some slimy creatures (which go back into the water after show-and-tell). It’s a great concept. Watch the kids’ expressions—this is a big hit. The two-hour trips depart three times daily Monday-Friday, twice daily Saturday, and once on Sunday early July-early September; fewer trips are made in spring and fall. The cost is $40 adults, $35 seniors, $30 ages 5-12, $15 under age 5. Usually twice weekly there’s a park ranger or naturalist on board and the tour lasts for three hours—check the park’s Beaver Log newspaper or Diver Ed’s website for the schedule and reservation information—these trips cost an additional $5. Advance reservations are strongly recommended.
Whale-watching boats go as far as 20 miles offshore, so no matter what the weather in Bar Harbor, dress warmly and bring more clothing than you think you’ll need—even gloves, if you’re especially sensitive to cold. I’ve been out on days when it’s close to 90°F on the island but feels more like 30°F in a moving boat on the open ocean. Motion-sensitive children and adults should plan in advance for appropriate medication, such as seasickness pills or patches. Adults are required to show a photo ID when boarding the boat.
Whale-watching, puffin-watching, and combo excursions are offered by Bar Harbor Whale Watch Company (1 West St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-2386 or 800/942-5374, www.barharborwhales.com), sailing from the town pier (1 West St.) in downtown Bar Harbor. The company operates under various names, including Acadian Whale Watcher, and has a number of boats. Most trips are accompanied by a naturalist (often from Allied Whale at the College of the Atlantic), who regales passengers with all sorts of interesting trivia about the whales, porpoises, seabirds, and other marine life spotted along the way. In season, some trips go out as far as the puffin colony on Petit Manan Light. Trips depart daily late May-late October, but with so many options it’s impossible to list the schedule—call for the latest details. Tickets are around $60 adults, $33 ages 6-14, $9 under age 6. A portion of the ticket price benefits Allied Whale, which researches and protects marine animals in the Gulf of Maine.
Trips may extend longer than the time advertised, so don’t plan anything else too tightly around the trip.
Scenic Nature Cruises (1.5-2 hours) and kid-friendly Lobster and Seal Watch Cruises (1.5 hours) are also offered. Rates for these are around $30 adults, $25 children, $18 ages 6-14, and $5 or less for little kids.
Captain Steve Pagels, under the umbrella of Downeast Windjammer Cruises (207/288-4585 or 207/288-2373, www.downeastwindjammer.com), offers 1.5-2-hour day sails on the 151-foot steel-hulled Margaret Todd, a gorgeous four-masted schooner with tanbark sails that he designed and launched in 1998. Trips depart at 10am, 2pm, and around sunset daily mid-May-mid-October (weather permitting) from the Bar Harbor Inn pier, just east of the town pier in downtown Bar Harbor. You’ll get the best wildlife sightings on the morning trip, but better sailing on the afternoon trip; there’s live music on the sunset one. A park ranger narrates some morning sails. Buy tickets either at the pier, at 27 Main St., or online with a credit card; plan to arrive at least half an hour early. The cost is $38 adults, $35 seniors, $28 ages 6-11, $5 ages 2-5. Dogs are welcome on all sails.
Captain Winston Shaw’s custom boat tour by Sea Venture (207/288-3355, www.svboattours.com) lets you design the perfect trip aboard Reflection, a 20-foot motor launch. Captain Shaw, a Registered Maine Guide and committed environmentalist, specializes in nature-oriented tours. He’s the founder and director of the Coastal Maine Bald Eagle Project, and he was involved in the inaugural Earth Day celebration in 1970. He’s been studying coastal birds for more than 25 years. You can pick from 10 recommended cruises lasting 1-8 hours, or design your own. In any case, the boat is yours. The boat charter rate is $100/hour for up to two people, $120 for three or four, and $150 for five or six. Captain Shaw can also arrange for picnic lunches. On longer trips, restroom stops are available. The boat departs from the Atlantic Oakes Motel pier, off Route 3 in Bar Harbor.
When you’re ready to learn the truth about lobsters, sign up for a two-hour cruise aboard Captain John Nicolai’s Lulu (56 West St., Bar Harbor, 207/963-2341 or 866/235-2341, www.lululobsterboat.com), a traditional Maine lobster boat that departs up to four times daily from the Harborside Hotel and Marina. Captain Nicolai provides an entertaining commentary on anything and everything, but especially about lobsters and lobstering. He hauls a lobster trap and explains intimate details of the hapless critters. Reservations are required. Cost is $30 adults, $27 seniors and active U.S. military, $17 ages 2-12. Free parking is available in the hotel’s lot.
Unless otherwise noted, these properties operate seasonally; most are open May-October. Rates listed are for peak season.
One of the town’s best-known, most visible, and best-situated hotels is the Bar Harbor Inn (Newport Dr., Bar Harbor, 207/288-3351 or 800/248-3351, www.barharborinn.com, $209-385), a sprawling complex on eight acres overlooking the harbor and islands. The 153 rooms and suites vary considerably in style, from traditional inn to motel, and are in three different buildings. Continental breakfast is included (Wi-Fi is extra), and special packages, with meals and activities, are available—an advantage if you have children. The kids will appreciate the heated outdoor pool; adults might enjoy the full-service spa. Also under the same management and ownership (www.bar-harbor-hotels.com) is the family-oriented Acadia Inn (98 Eden St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-3500, www.acadiainn.com, $190), located between the park entrance and downtown Bar Harbor. Facilities include an outdoor heated pool, whirpool tub, and laundry. Rates include continental breakfast, Wi-Fi, and in-room fridge.
The appropriately named Harborside Hotel & Marina (55 West St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-5033 or 800/238-5033, www.theharborsidehotel.com, from $290) fronts the water in downtown Bar Harbor. Most of the 187 guest rooms and suites have a water view and semiprivate balcony. Some have large outdoor hot tubs. A full-service spa is located in the beautifully restored Bar Harbor Club. An Italian restaurant is in the hotel. Facilities also include an oceanfront outdoor heated pool, a hot tub, and a pier. Sharing use of those facilities is its sister property, the West Street Hotel (50 West St., 877/905-4498, www.theweststreethotel.com, from $289), a new and tony spot with a rooftop pool (ages 18 and older, only) overlooking downtown, harbor, islands, and ocean. Rooms have a nautical vibe, and those on the West Street-side have nice views. All have Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, and in-room fridge.
On the edge of downtown, across from College of the Atlantic, are two adjacent sister properties tiered up a hillside: Wonder View Inn & Suites (55 Eden St., Bar Harbor, 888/439-8439, www.wonderviewinn.com, $110-260) and the Bluenose Hotel (90 Eden St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-3348 or 800/445-4077, www.barharborhotel.com, $220-540). The pet-friendly ($20/pet/night) Wonder View comprises four older motels on estate-like grounds with grassy lawns and mature shade, an outdoor pool, and a restaurant. Guest rooms vary widely, and rates reflect both style of accommodation and views; all have refrigerator, TV, Wi-Fi, and air-conditioning. The Bluenose, one of the island’s top properties, comprises two buildings. Mizzentop is newest, and its guest rooms and suites are quite elegant, many with fireplaces, all with fabulous views and balconies. Also here are a spa, fitness center, indoor and outdoor pools, and a lounge with live music every evening. Stenna Nordica guest rooms, accessed from outdoor corridors, are more modest, but still have views.
On the edge of town, the Cromwell Harbor Motel (359 Main St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-3201 or 800/544-3201, www.cromwellharbor.com, $130-170) is set back from the road on nicely landscaped grounds with an outdoor pool. All guest rooms have air-conditioning, phones, TVs, microwaves, and refrigerators. The location puts all of downtown’s sights within walking distance.
On the lower end of the budgetary scale are two neighboring motels: Edenbrook Motel (96 Eden St./Rte. 3, Bar Harbor, 207/288-4975 or 800/323-7819, www.edenbrookmotelbh.com, $80-120), with panoramic views of Frenchman Bay from some rooms, and the wee bit fancier Highbrook Motel (94 Eden St./Rte. 3, Bar Harbor, 207/288-3591 or 800/338-9688, www.highbrookmotel.com, $109-169), with Wi-Fi, in-room mini-fridge, and continental breakfast. Both are about 1.5 miles from Acadia’s main entrance, one mile from downtown.
Clean and affordable, the Belle Isle Motel (910 Rte. 3, Bar Harbor, 207/288-5726, www.belleislemotel.net, $79-89), a vintage mom-and-pop roadside motel, delivers on both counts. Darren and Camille Taylor purchased the Belle in 2011 and have spruced it up. The rooms are small, but all have air-conditioning, TV, free local calls, Wi-Fi, and refrigerators; deluxe rooms are more spacious, but closer to the road. Also on the premises are a heated pool, playground, picnic area, and guest laundry. A microwave is available for guest use.
If all you want is a room with a bed, Robbins Motel (396 Rte. 3, Bar Harbor, 207/288-4659 or 800/858-0769, www.robbinsmotel.com, $65), an older motel, has 30 small, unadorned (some might call them dismal) but clean, pine-paneled, queen-bed guest rooms. All have air-conditioning and TV; some have Wi-Fi. There is no charm and it’s not quiet, but it’s cheap. Off-season rates are as low as $36.
Few innkeepers have mastered the art of hospitality as well as Roy Kasindorf and Hélène Harton, owners of M The Ullikana (16 The Field, Bar Harbor, 207/288-9552, www.ullikana.com, $185-355), located in a quiet downtown location close to Bar Harbor’s Shore Path. Roy and Hélène genuinely enjoy their guests. Hélène is a whiz in the kitchen; after one of her multicourse breakfasts, usually served on the water-view patio, you won’t be needing lunch. She’s also a decorating genius, blending antiques and modern art, vibrant color with soothing hues, and folk art with fine art. Roy excels at helping guests select just the right hike, bike route, or other activity. Afternoon refreshments provide a time for guests to gather and share experiences. Alpheus Hardy, Bar Harbor’s first cottager, built the 10-room Victorian Tudor inn in 1885. The comfortable rooms all have private baths (although two are detached); many have working fireplaces, and some have private terraces with water views. The innkeepers also speak French.
Right next door is the gorgeously renovated and rejuvenated M Bass Cottage (14 The Field, Bar Harbor, 207/288-1234 or 866/782-9224, www.basscottage.com, $230-380). Corporate refugees Teri and Jeff Anderholm purchased the 26-room 1885 cottage in 2003 and spent a year gutting it, salvaging the best of the old, and blending in the new to turn it into a luxurious and stylish 10-room inn. It retains its Victorian bones, yet is most un-Victorian in style. Guest rooms are soothingly decorated with cream- and pastel-colored walls and have phones, Wi-Fi, and flat-screen TVs with DVD players (a DVD library is available—valuable on a stormy day); many rooms have fireplaces and whirlpool tubs. The spacious and elegant public rooms—expansive living rooms, a cozy library, porches—flow from one to another. Teri puts her culinary degree to use preparing baked goods, fruits, and savory and sweet entrées for breakfast and evening refreshments. A guest pantry is stocked with tea, coffee, and snacks.
Even on a foggy morning, most guests dine on the harbor-view patio of The Ullikana.
Situated on one oceanfront acre in the West Street Historical District, The Saltair Inn (121 West St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-2882, www.saltairinn.com, $195-370) was originally built in 1887 as a guesthouse. Innkeepers Kristi and Matt Losquadro and their young family now welcome guests in eight guest rooms, most of which are quite spacious, and five of which face Frenchman Bay. Frills vary by room but might include whirlpool tubs, fireplaces, and balconies. All have TVs and Wi-Fi. A full breakfast is served either in the dining room or on the water-view deck. It’s steps from downtown, but really, with a location like this, why leave?
Outside of town, in a serene location with fabulous views of Frenchman Bay, is Jack and Jeani Ochtera’s M Inn at Bay Ledge (150 Sand Point Rd., Bar Harbor, summer 207/288-4204, www.innatbayledge.com, $175-400), an elegant, casual retreat tucked under towering pines atop an 80-foot cliff. Built in 1800 as a minister’s home, it’s been expanded and updated in the intervening years. Terraced decks descend to a pool and onto the lawn, which stretches to the cliff’s edge. Stairs descend to a private stone beach below. Almost all guest rooms have water views; some have whirlpool tubs and/or private decks. A sauna and a steam shower are available. In the woods across the street are cottages, which lack the view but have use of the inn’s facilities. Also on the premises is the Summer House ($475), a shingled cottage with a deck 25 feet from the edge of Frenchman Bay.
Much less pricey and a find for families is the Seacroft Inn (18 Albert Meadow, Bar Harbor, 207/288-4669 or 800/824-9694, www.seacroftinn.com, $109-149), well situated just off Main Street and near the Shore Path. All rooms in Bunny and Dave Brown’s white multigabled cottage have air-conditioning, phones, TVs, refrigerators, and microwaves; a continental breakfast is available for $5 pp. Housekeeping is $10/day. Some rooms can be joined as family suites.
Marian Burns, a former math and science teacher, is the reason everything runs smoothly at Mira Monte Inn (69 Mount Desert St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-4263 or 800/553-5109, www.miramonte.com, $190-260), close (but not too close) to downtown. Born and raised here, and an avid gardener, Marian’s a terrific resource for island exploring. Try to capture her during wine and cheese (5pm-7pm), and ask about her experience during the 1947 Bar Harbor fire. And don’t miss her collection of antique Bar Harbor hotel photos. The 13 Victorian-style rooms have air-conditioning, cable TV, and either a balcony or a fireplace, and some have whirlpool tubs. Also available are four suites, some with kitchen or kitchenette. Rates include an extensive hot-and-cold breakfast buffet.
Not officially a hostel, but with a hostel-style atmosphere, and only for women, the MDI YWCA (36 Mount Desert St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-5008, $25-40/night; $75-100/week) has second- and third-floor single and double rooms, as well as a seven-bed solarium (dorm). Located in a historic downtown building next to the library and across from the Island Explorer bus hub, “the Y” has bathrooms on each floor, as well as a laundry room (coin-operated machines), a TV room, and shared kitchen facilities. There’s zero tolerance for smoking, alcohol, and drugs (you’ll need to sign an agreement). For summer and fall reservations, call way ahead, as the Y is popular with the island’s young summer workers.
You won’t go hungry in Bar Harbor. The island’s best collection of good, inexpensive restaurants are along Rodick Street, from Reel Pizza down to Rosalie’s, which actually fronts on Cottage Street. You’ll find a good ethnic mix. For sit-down restaurants, make reservations as far in advance as possible. Expect reduced operations during spring and fall; few places are open in winter.
Free tastings are offered daily at Bar Harbor Cellars (854 Rte. 3, Bar Harbor, 207/288-3907, www.barharborcellars.com). The winery is in the early stages of using organic techniques to grow hybrid grapes. In the meantime, it’s making wines from European and California grapes. Also here is a Maine chocolate room and a small selection of complementary foods, such as olives, cheese, and crackers.
Only a masochist could bypass Ben and Bill’s Chocolate Emporium (66 Main St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-3281 or 800/806-3281), which makes homemade candies and more than 50 ice cream flavors (including a dubious lobster flavor); the whole place smells like the inside of a chocolate truffle. It opens daily at 10am, with closing dependent on the season and crowds, but usually late in the evening.
That said, the most creative flavors come from MDI Ice Cream (7 Firefly Ln., Bar Harbor, 207/288-0999, and 325 Main St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-5664, www.mdiic.com). It’s made in small batches, just five gallons at a time, using the finest ingredients. We’re talking creamy, rich, delicious, and wild flavors.
Probably the least-expensive lunch or ice cream option in town is West End Drug Co. (105 Main St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-3318), where you can get grilled-cheese sandwiches, PBJ, and other white-bread basics as well as shakes, egg creams, and sundaes at the fountain.
Equally inexpensive, but with a healthful menu, is the Take-A-Break Cafe (105 Eden St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-5015, www.coa.edu) in Blair Dining Hall, at College of the Atlantic. If you find yourself on the college campus, perhaps for a boat tour or museum visit, consider eating here. The cafeteria-style café serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner on most weekdays, and although there are individual choices, the best deals are the all-you-can eat meals ($5-10). There are always vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and meat choices, and the selection is organic and local whenever possible. Even better, the food is excellent.
When it comes to pub-grub favorites, such as burgers and fish sandwiches, The Thirsty Whale Tavern (40 Cottage St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-9335, www.thirstywhaletavern.com, 11am-9pm daily, $6-12) does it right.
Combine a pizza with a first-run or art flick at Reel Pizza Cinerama (33 Kennebec Pl., Bar Harbor, 207/288-3811 for films, 207/288-3828 for food, www.reelpizza.net), where you order your pizza, grab an easy chair, and watch for your number to come up on the bingo board. Most films are screened twice nightly. Pizzas ($12-20 or by the slice) have cinematic names—Zorba the Greek, The Godfather, Manchurian Candidate. Then there’s Mussel Beach Party—broccoli, tomatoes, goat cheese, and smoked mussels. You get the idea. Reel Pizza opens daily at 4:30pm and has occasional Saturday matinees; closed Monday in winter. Arrive early; the best seats go quickly.
For breakfast or brunch, you can’t beat 2 Cats (130 Cottage St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-2808 or 800/355-2828, www.2catsbarharbor.com, 7am-1pm daily). Fun, funky, and fresh best describe both the restaurant and the food ($8-12). Dine inside or on the patio. Dinner is also served at 2 Cats—call for nights and hours. Three upstairs guest rooms are available for $165-195, less in winter—with breakfast, of course.
Escape the downtown madness at Tea House 278 (278 Main St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-2781, www.teahouse278.com, 11am-7pm Wed.-Sun.), a traditional Chinese teahouse offering Gaiwan service, along with light fare, and even Mahjong.
Between Mother’s Day and late October, the Eden Farmers Market operates out of the YMCA parking lot off Lower Main Street in Bar Harbor, 9am-noon each Sunday. You’ll find fresh meats and produce, local cheeses and maple syrup, yogurt and ice cream, bread, honey, preserves, and even prepared Asian foods.
Although a few of these places have some seating, most are for the grab-and-go crowd.
For a light, inexpensive meal, you can’t go wrong at Morning Glory Bakery (39 Rodick St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-3041, www.morningglorybakery.com, 7am-5pm Mon.-Fri., 8am-5pm Sat.-Sun.). Fresh-baked goodies, breakfast and regular sandwiches, soups, and salads are all made from scratch.
Another good choice for take-out fare is Downeast Deli (65 Main St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-1001, 7am-4pm daily). You can get both hot and cold fresh lobster rolls as well as other sandwiches, soups, and salads.
At Adelmann’s Deli (224 Main St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-0455, 11am-8pm) build-your-own lunch sandwiches are $9. Choose from a variety of breads, Boar’s Head-brand meats and cheeses, veggies, condiments, and more.
If you happen to be on Route 102 in the Town Hill area around lunchtime, plan to pick up picnic fare at Mother’s Kitchen (Rte. 102, Town Hill, Bar Harbor, 207/288-4403, www.motherskitchenfoods.com, 9am-2pm Mon.-Fri.). The plain, minuscule building next to Salsbury’s (look for the Real Good Food sign) is deceiving—it has been operating since 1995 and turns out 20 different sandwiches as well as deli salads, scones, breakfast sandwiches, great cookies, and pies.
Bar Harbor’s longest-lived brewpub is the Lompoc Cafe (36 Rodick St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-9392, www.lompoccafe.com, 4:30pm-9:30pm daily late Apr.-mid-Dec.), with brews on tap. Go for pizzas, salads, and entrées ($8-21), along with boccie in the beer garden and live entertainment on weekends. After 9pm there’s just beer and thin-crust pizza until about 1am.
Lompoc’s signature Bar Harbor Real Ale and five or six others are brewed by the Atlantic Brewing Company (15 Knox Rd., Town Hill, in the upper section of the island, 207/288-2337, www.atlanticbrewing.com). Free brewery tours, including tastings, are given daily at 2pm, 3pm, and 4pm late May-mid-October. Also operating here in summer is Mainely-Meat Bar-B-Q (207/288-9200, 11:30am-7pm daily, $8-16), offering pulled pork, chicken, ribs, and similar fare for lunch and dinner.
Sip beers and sodas produced by Bar Harbor Brewing Company (8 Mt. Desert St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-4592, www.barharborbrewing.com) as well as wines from Bar Harbor Cellars.
An unscientific but reliable local survey gives the best-pizza ribbon to Rosalie’s Pizza & Italian Restaurant (46 Cottage St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-5666, www.rosaliespizza.com, 4pm-10pm daily), where the Wurlitzer jukebox churns out tunes from the 1950s. Rosalie’s earns high marks for consistency with its homemade pizza, in four sizes or by the slice, along with calzones and subs; there are lots of vegetarian options. If you need something a bit heartier, try the Italian dinners—spaghetti, eggplant parmigiana, and others—all less than $10, including a garlic roll. Beer and wine are available. Avoid the downstairs lines by heading upstairs and ordering at that counter, or call in your order.
Efficient, friendly cafeteria-style service makes EPI’s Pizza (8 Cottage St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-5853, 11am-7pm daily Sept.-June, to 9pm daily July-Aug.) an excellent choice for subs, salads, pizzas, and even spaghetti. If the weather closes in, there are always the pinball machines in the back room.
Route 66 Restaurant (21 Cottage St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-3708, www.barharborroute66.com, 7am-about 8pm daily, $9-25), filled with 1950s memorabilia and old toys, is a fun restaurant that’s a real hit with kids (check out the Lionel train running around just below the ceiling). The wide-ranging menu includes sandwiches, burgers, pizza, steak, chicken, seafood, and kids’ choices. No raves here, just okay food in a fun atmosphere.
Good food at a fair price reels them into Poor Boy’s Gourmet (300 Main St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-4148, www.poorboysgourmet.com, from 4:30pm daily). Until 6pm it serves an early-bird menu with about nine entrées and again as many seconds-on-us pasta choices for about $11. The price jumps just a bit after that, with most entrées running $12-20. There’s even a relatively cheap lobster feast.
Savor the panoramic views over Bar Harbor, Frenchman Bay, and the Porcupine Islands along with breakfast or dinner at the Looking Glass Restaurant (Wonder View Inn, 50 Eden St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-5663, www.wonderviewinn.com, 7am-10:30am and 5:30pm-9pm daily, $11-38). It’s quite casual, with choices ranging from sandwiches to rack of lamb. There’s a children’s menu, and the deck is pet-friendly.
You can’t go wrong at Galyn’s Galley (17 Main St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-9706, www.galynsbarharbor.com, 11am-9pm daily Mar.-Nov., dinner entrées $12-31). Once a Victorian boardinghouse and later a 1920s speakeasy, Galyn’s has been a popular restaurant since 1986. Lots of plants, modern decor, reliable service, a great downtown location, and several indoor and outdoor dining areas contribute to the loyalty of the clientele. Reservations are advisable in midsummer.
When you’re craving fresh and delicious fare but not a heavy meal, the Side Street Café (49 Rodick St., Bar Harbor, 207/801-2591, www.sidestreetbarharbor.com, 11am-midnight daily, $8-26) delivers. It’s a cheerful place with a relaxed demeanor combined with good service and a friendly attitude. The lobster roll and the crab melt earn high fives, as do the burgers.
Set back from the road behind a garden is the very popular McKays Public House (231 Main St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-2002, www.mckayspublichouse.com, 5pm-10pm daily, $11-26), a comfortable pub with seating indoors in small dining rooms or at the bar, or outdoors in the garden. The best bet is the classic pub fare, which includes shepherd’s pie, burgers, and fish-and-chips. Fancier entrées, such as seafood risotto, are also available.
Casual, friendly, creative, and reliable defines Cafe This Way (14 Mt. Desert St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-4483, www.cafethisway.com, 7am-11:30am Mon.-Sat., 8am-1pm Sun., and 5:30pm-9:30pm daily, $16-25), where it’s easy to make a meal out of the appetizers alone. Vegetarians will be happy here, and there’s a gluten-free menu too. The breakfast menu is a genuine wake-up call ($5-9). It’s not a choice for quiet dining.
Chef-owner Karl Yarborough is putting M Mache Bistro (321 Main St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-0447, www.machebistro.com, from 5:30pm Tues.-Sat., $17-28) on the must-dine list. His interpretations of “French flavors with local flair” are creative without being over the top. This place is justifiably popular, so do make reservations.
For Thai food, Siam Orchid (30 Rodick St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-9669, www.siamorchidrestaurant.net, 11am-11pm daily) gets the locals’ nod, although it’s a bit pricey. House specials run $14-20; curries and noodle dishes, such as pad thai, are $12-17. There are plenty of choices for vegetarians. Siam Orchid serves beer and wine only.
Sharing the same building is Gringo’s (30 Rodick St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-2326, 11am-10pm daily), a Mexican hole-in-the-wall specializing in take-out burritos, wraps, homemade salsas, and smoothies, with almost everything—margaritas and beer included—less than $8. For a real kick, don’t miss the jalapeño brownies.
For “American fine dining with Latin flair,” head to M Havana (318 Main St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-2822, www.havanamaine.com, 5pm-10pm daily May-Nov., call for off-season hours, entrées $19-35), where the innovative Cuban-esque menu changes frequently to take advantage of what’s locally available. Inside, bright orange walls and white tablecloths set a tone that’s equally festive and accomplished. Outside, a wood-fired grill and open-air bar offer a tapas menu.
Five miles south of Bar Harbor, in the village of Otter Creek, which itself is in the town of Mount Desert, is the inauspicious-looking Burning Tree (Rte. 3, Otter Creek, 207/288-9331, 5pm-10pm Wed.-Mon. late June-early Oct., closed Mon. after Labor Day, $19-30), which is anything but nondescript inside. Chef-owners Allison Martin and Elmer Beal Jr. have created one of Mount Desert Island’s better restaurants, but it can get quite noisy when busy, which it usually is. Reservations are essential in summer. Specialties are imaginative seafood entrées and vegetarian dishes. The homemade breads and desserts are delicious. At the height of summer, service can be a bit rushed and the kitchen runs out of popular entrées. Solution: Plan to eat early; it’s worth it.
Local fare gives a decidedly Maine twist to chef-co-owner Josh Heikkinen’s creative entrées at Fathom (6 Summer St., 207/288-9664, www.fathombarharbor.com, 5:30pm-9pm daily). Depending on the season, you might find local halibut with fiddleheads, seared duck breast with rhubarb, drunken shrimp in tequila cream, grilled salmon with a Maine chimichurri, or his intriguing red snappah rolls, made with lobster and red hot dogs. Most entrées run $24-32.
Nearly every restaurant in town serves some form of lobster (my top choice for a lobster roll is the Side Street Café).
Dine inside or on the dock at Stewman’s Lobster Pound (35 West St., 207/288-0346, www.stewmanslobsterpound.com, 11am-10pm, daily), where the menu ranges from burgers to lobster.
Although it lacks the oceanfront location, West Street Café (76 West St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-5242, www.weststreetcafe.com, 11am-8pm daily) is a fine spot for a lobster dinner at a fair price. Dine before 6pm for the best price. There are other items on the menu, but the reason to go here is for the lobster (market price). A kids’ menu is available.
The Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce (1201 Bar Harbor Rd./Rte. 3, Trenton, 207/288-5103, www.barharbormaine.com) operates a seasonal info center at the corner of Main and Cottage Streets.
Once you’re on Mount Desert, if you manage to bestir yourself early enough to catch sunrise on the Cadillac summit (you won’t be alone—it’s a popular activity), stop in at the chamber of commerce office later and request an official membership card for the Cadillac Mountain Sunrise Club (they’ll take your word for it).
Jesup Memorial Library (34 Mount Desert St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-4245, www.jesup.lib.me.us) is open all year. The library holds its annual book sale on the third Saturday in August.
Find public restrooms at the park visitors centers, and in downtown Bar Harbor in Agamont Park, Harbor Place at the town pier, the municipal building (the fire and police station) across from the Village Green, and on the School Street side of the athletic field.
Bar Harbor is about 20 miles or about 30-45 minutes, depending upon traffic, via Route 3 from Ellsworth; about 45 miles or 75 minutes via Routes 1A and 3 from Bangor; and about 275 miles or five hours via Routes 195 and 3 from Boston. It’s about 12 miles or 20 minutes via Routes 233 and 198 or 20 miles/35 minutes via Route 3 to Northeast Harbor.
Make it easy on yourself, help improve the air quality, and reduce stress levels by leaving your car at your lodging (or if day-tripping, at the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce on Route 3 in Trenton) and taking the Island Explorer bus.
RVs are not allowed to park near the town pier; designated RV parking is alongside the athletic field, on Lower Main and Park Streets, about eight blocks from the center of town.
Ever since the late 19th century, the upper crust from Philadelphia has been summering in and around Northeast Harbor. Sure, they also show up in other parts of Maine, but it’s hard not to notice the preponderance of Pennsylvania license plates surrounding Northeast Harbor’s elegant “cottages” mid-July-mid-August.
Actually, even though Northeast Harbor is a well-known name with special cachet, it isn’t even an official township; it’s a zip-coded village within the town of Mount Desert (pop. 2,053), which collects the breathtaking property taxes and doles out the municipal services.
The attractive boutiques and eateries in Northeast Harbor’s small downtown area cater to a casually posh clientele, and the well-protected harbor attracts a tony crowd of yachties. For their convenience, a palm-size annual directory, The Redbook, discreetly lists owners’ summer residences and winter addresses—but no phone numbers.
Except for two spectacular public gardens and two specialized museums, not much here is geared to budget-sensitive visitors—but there’s no charge for admiring the spectacular scenery.
Although all of Mount Desert Island is seasonal, Northeast Harbor is especially so, and it has a tiny and decreasing year-round population. Many businesses don’t open until early July and close in early September.
As you head toward Northeast Harbor on Route 198 from the northern end of Mount Desert Island, you’ll begin seeing cliff-lined Somes Sound on your right. Experts disagree as to whether Somes is a true fjord, but in any case it’s a lovely chunk of real estate. The glacier-sculpted sound juts five miles into the interior of Mount Desert Island from its mouth, between Northeast and Southwest Harbors. Watch for the right-hand turn for Sargent Drive (no RVs allowed), and follow the lovely granite-lined route along the east side of the sound. Halfway along, a marker explains the geology of this spectacular natural inlet. There aren’t many pullouts en route, and traffic can be fairly thick in midsummer, but don’t miss it. Suminsby Park, off Sargent Drive, 0.8 mile from Route 3, is a fine place for a picnic. The park has rocky shore access, a hand-carry boat launch, picnic tables, grills, and an outhouse. An ideal way to appreciate Somes Sound is from the water—sign up for an excursion out of Northeast or Southwest Harbor.
If you have the slightest interest in gardens, allow time for Northeast Harbor’s two marvelous public gardens, both operated by the nonprofit Mount Desert Land and Garden Preserve (207/276-3727, www.gardenpreserve.org).
One of Maine’s best spring showcases is the Asticou Azalea Garden, a 2.3-acre pocket where about 70 varieties of azaleas, rhododendrons, and laurels—many from the classic Reef Point garden of famed landscape designer Beatrix Farrand—burst into bloom. When Charles K. Savage, beloved former innkeeper of the Asticou Inn, learned the Reef Point garden was being undone in 1956, he went into high gear to find funding and managed to rescue the azaleas and provide them with the gorgeous setting they have today, across the road and around the corner from the inn. Serenity is the key—with a Japanese sand garden that’s mesmerizing in any season, stone lanterns, granite outcrops, pink gravel paths, and a tranquil pond. Try to visit early in the season and early in the morning to savor the effect. Blossoming occurs May-August, but the prime time for azaleas is roughly mid-May-mid-June. The garden is on Route 198, at the northern edge of Northeast Harbor, immediately north of the junction with Peabody Drive (Rte. 3). Watch for a tiny sign on the left (if you’re coming from the north), marking access to the parking area. A small box suggests a $5 donation, and another box contains a garden guide ($2). Pets are not allowed in the garden. Take Island Explorer Route No. 5 (Jordan Pond) or Route No. 6 (Brown Mountain) and request a stop. Note: The Asticou Stream Trail, a lovely meander through fields and woods and down to the shoreline, connects the garden to the town. Look for a small signpost just north of the Asticou Inn and across from the Route 3 entrance to the garden.
Behind a carved wooden gate on a forested hillside not far from Asticou lies an enchanted garden also designed by Charles K. Savage and inspired by Beatrix Farrand. Special features of Thuya Garden are perennial borders and sculpted shrubbery. On a misty summer day, when few visitors appear, the colors are brilliant. Adjacent to the garden is Thuya Lodge (207/276-5130), former summer cottage of Joseph Curtis, donor of this awesome municipal park. The lodge, with an extensive botanical library and quiet rooms for reading, is open 10am-4:30pm daily late June-Labor Day. The garden is open 7am-7pm daily. A collection box next to the front gate requests a $5 donation per adult. To reach Thuya, continue on Route 3 beyond Asticou Azalea Garden and watch for the Asticou Terraces parking area (no RVs; two-hour limit) on the right. Cross the road and climb the Asticou Terraces Trail (0.4 mile) to the garden. Allow time to hang out at the three lookouts en route. Alternatively, drive 0.2 mile beyond the Route 3 parking area, watching for a minuscule Thuya Garden sign on the left. Go 0.5 mile up the steep, narrow, and curving driveway to the parking area (but walking up reaps higher rewards). Or take Island Explorer Route No. 5 (Jordan Pond) and request a stop.
Note: It’s possible to connect Asticou and Thuya Gardens by walking the Asticou Hill Trail, which follows an old road, or hiking the moderately difficult (lots of exposed roots) Eliot Mountain Trail. From the Asticou, the Asticou Hill Trail road across from the Asticou Inn provides access to both; it’s a private road, but foot traffic has a right of way.
The private Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden (207/276-3330 in season, www.rockgardenmaine.wordpress.com, free) was created in 1921, when the Rockefellers turned to renowned garden designer Beatrix Farrand to create a garden using treasures they’d brought back from Asia. The enclosed garden is a knockout, accented with secret passages, a sunken garden, English floral beds, Korean tombstone figures, a moon gate, and even yellow roof tiles from Beijing. It’s open only one day a week from late July to early September, and numbers are limited, so reservations are vital; check the website for current details. A garden guide with map is provided, but you’re free to explore at your own pace.
On Northeast Harbor’s quiet South Shore Road, Petite Plaisance is a special-interest museum commemorating noted Belgian-born author and college professor Marguerite Yourcenar (pen name of Marguerite de Crayencour), the first woman elected to the prestigious Académie Française. From the early 1950s to 1987, Petite Plaisance was her home, and it’s hard to believe she’s no longer here; her intriguing possessions and presence fill the two-story house, of particular interest to Yourcenar devotees. Free hour-long tours of the first floor are given in French or English, depending on visitors’ preferences; French-speaking visitors often make pilgrimages here. The house is open for tours daily June 15-August 31. No children under 12 are allowed. Call 207/276-3940 at least a day ahead, between 9am and 4pm, for an appointment and directions, or write to Petite Plaisance Trust, P.O. Box 403, Northeast Harbor, ME 04662. Yourcenar admirers should request directions to Brookside Cemetery in Somesville, seven miles away, where she is buried.
Annual exhibits focusing on the maritime heritage of the Mount Desert Island area are held in the small, eclectic Great Harbor Maritime Museum (124 Main St., Northeast Harbor, 207/276-5262, www.greatharbormaritimemuseum.org, 10am-5pm Tues.-Sat. late June-Labor Day, $3), housed in the old village fire station and municipal building. (“Great Harbor” refers to the Somes Sound area—Northeast, Southwest, and Seal Harbors, as well as the Cranberry Isles.) Yachting, coastal trade, and fishing receive special emphasis. Look for the canvas rowing canoe, built in Veazie, Maine, between 1917 and 1920; it’s the only one of its kind known to exist today.
Since 1964 the Mount Desert Festival of Chamber Music (207/276-3988, www.mtdesertfestival.org) has presented concerts in the century-old Neighborhood House on Main Street at 8:15pm Tuesday mid-July-mid-August. Tickets ($25 general admission, $10 students) are available at the Neighborhood House box office Monday-Tuesday during the concert season or by phone reservation.
Upscale shops, galleries, and boutiques with clothing, artworks, housewares, antiques, and antiquarian books line both sides of Main Street, making for intriguing browsing and expensive buying (check the sale rooms of the clothing shops for bona fide bargains). The season is short, though, with some shops open only in July-August.
One must-visit is Shaw Contemporary Jewelry (100 Main St., 207/276-5000 or 877/276-5001, www.shawjewelry.com, year-round). Besides the spectacular silver and gold beachstone jewelry created by Rhode Island School of Design alumnus Sam Shaw, the work of more than 100 other jewelers is displayed exquisitely. Plus there are sculptures, Asian art, and rotating art exhibits. It all leads back toward a lovely light-filled garden. Prices are in the stratosphere, but appropriately so. As one well-dressed customer was overheard sighing to her companion: “If I had only one jewelry store to go to in my entire life, this would be it.”
If you’re traveling with children or if you have any interest in art, science, or nature, don’t miss The Naturalist’s Notebook (16 Main St., Seal Harbor, 207/801-2777, www.thenaturalistsnotebook.com) a shop and exploratorium. Owned by artist-photographer Pamelia Markwood and her Sports Illustrated writer/editor husband, Craig Neff, the shop has three stories full of engaging exhibits, books, and treasures. A branch operates at 15 Main St. in Northeast Harbor.
Northeast Harbor is the starting point for a couple of boat services headed for the Cranberry Isles. The vessels leave from the commercial floats at the end of the concrete municipal pier on Sea Street.
The 75-foot Sea Princess (207/276-5352, www.barharborcruises.com) carries visitors as well as an Acadia National Park naturalist on a 2.5-hour morning trip around the mouth of Somes Sound and out to Little Cranberry Island (Islesford) for a 50-minute stopover. The boat leaves Northeast Harbor at 10am daily mid-May-mid-October. A narrated afternoon trip departs at 1pm on the same route. Other trips operate, but not daily. These include a scenic 1.5-hour Somes Sound cruise, a three-hour sunset dinner cruise to the Islesford Dock Restaurant on Little Cranberry (Islesford), and a 1.5-hour sunset cruise of Somes Sound. Fees range $23-28 adults, $18 ages 5-12, $7 under age 5. Reservations are advisable for all trips, although even that provides no guarantee, since the cruises require a 15-passenger minimum.
The Helen Brooks, built in 1970, is one of two traditional Friendship sloops operated by Downeast Friendship Sloop Charters (Northeast Harbor Municipal Marina, 41 Harbor Dr., 207/266-5210, www.downeastfriendshipsloop.com); the other one sails out of Southwest Harbor. Private charters start at $250 for a two-hour sail, covering up to six passengers and including an appetizer and soft drinks; shared trips are $50/person for two hours, $75/person for three hours. A sunset sail is a lovely way to end a day.
For more than 100 years, the genteel Asticou Inn (Rte. 3, Northeast Harbor, 207/276-3344 or 800/258-3373, www.asticou.com, $195-380) has catered to the whims and weddings of Northeast Harbor’s well-heeled summer rusticators. She’s an elegant old gal that seems right out of a Hollywood romance movie set in the 1950s: Hardwood floors are topped with Asian and braided rugs, rooms are papered with floral or plaid wallpapers, and gauzy ruffled curtains blow in the breeze. It’s all delightfully old-fashioned, and most guests would have it no other way. But it’s not for everybody. The one nod to modern times is free Wi-Fi. There’s no air-conditioning, no in-room phone or TV, and no soundproofing. The inn tops a lawn that slopes down to the yacht-filled harbor, and cocktails and lunch are served daily on the porch overlooking the heated pool, tennis court, and water. Accommodations are spread out between the main inn, three cottages, and four funky Topsiders, which seem inspired by the old Jetsons TV show. The nicest accommodations, a mix of rooms and suites, face the harbor. The inn’s restaurant, Peabody’s, serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. Try to plan a late-May or early-June visit; you’re practically on top of the Asticou Azalea Garden, Thuya Garden is a short walk away (or hike via the Eliot Mountain Trail), and the rates are lowest. Asticou is a popular wedding venue, so if you’re looking for a quiet weekend, check the inn’s event schedule before booking a room.
In 1888, architect Fred Savage designed the two Shingle-style buildings that make up the three-story Harbourside Inn (Main St., Northeast Harbor, 207/276-3272, www.harboursideinn.com, mid-June-mid-Sept., $150-250). The Sweet family has preserved the old-fashioned feel by decorating the 11 spacious guest rooms and three suites with antiques, yet modern amenities include some kitchenettes and phones. Most rooms have working fireplaces. A continental breakfast is served. Trails to Norumbega Mountain and Upper Hadlock Pond leave from the back of the property.
The new in 2009 Colonel’s Suites (143 Main St., Northeast Harbor, 207/288-4775, www.colonelssuites.com, $149-219), above the bakery/restaurant of the same name, provide comfortable accommodations with modern amenities. Every suite has a separate seating area, refrigerator, and flat-screen TV. Rates include a full breakfast in the restaurant.
The classic Asticou Inn overlooks the yacht-filled Northeast Harbor.
Three miles from Northeast Harbor, in equally tony Seal Harbor, is a true bargain, the Lighthouse Inn and Restaurant (12 Main St./Rte. 3, Seal Harbor, 207/276-3958, www.lighthouseinnandrestaurant.com, $75-125). Sure, the three guest rooms (one small, one very large with a kitchenette, one two-room suite with a kitchenette) are a bit dated and dowdy, but at these prices, who cares? Downstairs is a restaurant (11am-8pm daily) with equally reasonable prices. It’s a short walk to Seal Harbor Beach and the Seal Harbor entrance to the Park Loop Road.
Although it’s long overdue for an overhaul—every guest room has two double beds, towels are tiny, and the decor is uninspired—you can’t beat the location of the Kimball Terrace Inn (10 Huntington Rd., Northeast Harbor, 207/276-3383 or 800/454-6225, www.kimballterraceinn.com, $190-230). The three-story motel faces the harbor, and every guest room has a patio or private balcony (ask for a harbor-facing room). Bring binoculars for yacht-spotting. The motel has a small pool, a restaurant, and a lounge, and is a short walk from Northeast Harbor’s downtown. It is a popular wedding venue, so if that’s a concern, ask if there are any groups in-house before you book.
Hours listed are for peak season, early July-early September. At other times, call, most restaurants are open fewer days and hours.
In the Pine Tree Market (121 Main St., Northeast Harbor, 207/276-3335), you’ll find gourmet goodies, a huge wine selection, a resident butcher, fresh fish, a deli, homemade breads, pastries, sandwiches, and salads. The market offers free delivery to homes and boats.
Pop into Full Belli Deli (5 Sea St., Northeast Harbor, 207/276-4299, 8am-8pm daily) for soups, fat sandwiches, pizzas, and breakfast fare.
A seasonal branch of Little Notch Bakery (Main St., Northeast Harbor, 207/276-5556) sells their famous breads and premade sandwiches.
From June well into October, the Northeast Harbor Farmers Market is set up each Thursday, 9am-noon, across from the Kimball Terrace Inn on Huntington Road.
The homemade doughnuts are reason enough to visit The Colonel’s Restaurant and Bakery (143 Main St., Northeast Harbor, 207/288-4775, www.colonelsrestaurant.com, 7am-9pm daily), but tucked behind the bakery is a full-service restaurant, serving everything from burgers to prime rib, as well as the usual seafood musts ($10-20). It draws families, thanks to a kids’ menu and a casual atmosphere. It can be quite boisterous inside. There’s also a deck out back and a separate bar area, which often is the quietest spot with the fastest service.
Peabody’s at the Asticou Inn (Rte. 3, 207/276-3344 or 800/258-3373, 7:30am-10am, 11:30am-9pm daily) is open to nonguests for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner ($28-40). When the weather cooperates, lunch and dinner are served on the deck, with serene views over Northeast Harbor. A lighter menu is served in the lounge.
The harbor-front information bureau of the Mount Desert Chamber of Commerce (18 Harbor Rd., Northeast Harbor, 207/276-5040, www.mountdesertchamber.org) covers the villages of Somesville, Northeast Harbor, Seal Harbor, Otter Creek, Pretty Marsh, Hall Quarry, and Beech Hill.
Find public restrooms at the end of the building housing the Great Harbor Maritime Museum, in the town office on Sea Street, and at the harbor.
Northeast Harbor is about 12 miles or 20 minutes via Routes 233 and 198 or 20 miles/35 minutes via Route 3 from Bar Harbor. It’s about 13 miles or 25 minutes to Southwest Harbor.
Northeast Harbor is served by Route No. 5 (Jordan Pond) and Route No. 6 (Brown Mountain) of the Island Explorer bus system.
