Beauty of Acadia - Bar Harbor, Maine

Bar Harbor is a town on Mount Desert Island in Hancock County in the state of Maine.

Established by individual donations, Acadia National Park is a stunning intersection of sea-scoured shores, towering cliffs, and forested mountains. Mount Desert Island had been a resort destination well before the establishment of Acadia National Park in 1919. The wealthy flocked to Bar Harbor at the turn of the century, building Newport-style "cottages" that turned the quaint New England town into a fashionable summer resort. It was the efforts of these wealthy vacationer's, including John D. Rockefeller, which led President Woodrow Wilson to establish Acadia as the first national park east of the Mississippi. Many of Bar Harbor's great houses are a memory. A catastrophic fire in 1947 ravaged the town and the surrounding forest. But Acadia National Park survived, and today it is one of the most visited national parks in America. Acadia's 35,000 acres are studded with natural wonders: In addition to the stunning landscape, some 50 species of mammals including moose, black bear and white tail deer roam the park.

The Biggest draw to Bar Harbor, Maine is the 41,000 acre Acadia National Park, one of the smallest National Parks in United States but one of the most heavily visited. The Park offers incredible mountain, sea, lake, cliffs and coastline vistas and has an estimated 125 miles of trails exclusively for hiking & biking.

Bar Harbor (or ‘Bah Hahbuh’ as the locals call it) has the charm of a quaint New England fishing village. The beautiful town is nestled on the east side of Mount Desert Island, sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean by the Frenchman Bay and surrounded on 3 sides by the mountains of Acadia National Park which includes the 1,500 foot high Cadillac Mountain. Standing atop Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, it is easy to see why individuals like John D. Rockefeller felt so strongly about preserving this area's natural beauty.

General Information: Bar Harbor, Maine:-

Time:  -5.00 GMT (EST - Eastern Standard Time followed in Boston)

Currency: USD – United States Dollar ($) (1 USD = 0.63 GBP / 1.14 CAD / 0.80 EURO)

Dialling Code: (1)

Airport: Hancock County - Bar Harbor Airport (BHB) in Trenton, Maine.

Port: Cruise Ships coming to Bar Harbor are anchored in Frenchman Bay & Ship Tender Service takes the passengers to the Town Pier, located in the heart of down-town, off West and Main Street in Bar Harbor.

Caribbean Princess anchored at Bar Harbor, Maine

Star Princess at Bar Harbor, Maine with Tender Service in Operation

To go around the town I would personally advise people to Walk through the beautiful town pier. The Chamber of Commerce is located close to the town pier & open during season from May to October. Here you can collect free copies of ‘Acadia Weekly’ & ‘Acadia Visitor’ which contains Maps & general information. There are quite a few ATM’s located in the vicinity & Bar Harbor Bank, where you exchange currency in USD. To go to Cadillac Mountain you will require transportation. A Free Shuttle Bus called Island Explorer is available which takes you to Cadillac Mountain & departs every 30 mins from the Village Green.

Whilst, travelling to Cadillac Mountain, it’s advisable to carry Jackets & a Rain Poncho as it’s gets very cold and windy on top and there are occasional uninvited showers.

 Major Points of Interest in Boston:

Acadia National Park

Cadillac Mountain

Thunder Hole

·         Acadia National Park

Acadia National Park is a national park in Maine & reserves much of Mount Desert Island. Composed of 47,000 acres, much of the area was once the home of the wealthy such as Rockefeller, Vanderbilt and the Morgan's. Today it's the travel destination of hikers, rock climbers, campers and adventurers. The Park includes mountains, an ocean shoreline, woodlands & lakes. The park is also home to over 40 different species of mammalian wildlife like Red & Gray Squirrels, Chipmunks, Beaver, Moose, Coyote, Foxes, Black Bears etc. During the summer several trails are closed to protect the nesting Peregrine Falcons.

The Beauty of Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine 

·         Cadillac Mountain

Cadillac Mountain is located on Mount Desert Island within the Acadia National Park. At 1,532 feet, Cadillac Mountain is the tallest point along the eastern coast of the United States. From October to March, it's the first spot in the U.S. to see the sun rise. It was named after Sieur de la Mothe Cadillac who migrated from France and settled in Maine during the 17^th century. The road “Loop Road” to the summit of the majestic Cadillac Mountain is a breath-taking drive. Composed of pink granite millions of years ago when the earth's tectonic and volcanic forces pushed the land upward to form the island's mountains, the summit offers awe-inspiring views of Bar Harbor, Frenchman Bay, and the Cranberry Islands. There are various challenging hiking trails to the Summit as well.

Cadillac Mountain Summit

·         Thunder Hole

Nothing symbolizes the power of Acadia National Park as Thunder Hole does. When the right size wave rolls into the naturally formed inlet, a deep thunderous sound emanates. The cause is a small cavern formed low, just beneath the surface of the water. When the wave pulls back just before lunging forward, it dips the water just below the ceiling of the cavern allowing air to enter. When the wave arrives full force, it collides with the air, forcing it out, resulting in a sound like distant thunder. Water may splash into the air as high as 40 feet with a roar! This is a beautiful spot to view some of the most striking features within Acadia.

Cuisine Delights in Bar Harbor, Maine

Bar Harbor is the place to have the world famous Maine Lobster. Lobsters were so once plentiful in Maine's coastal waters that Native Americans used them to fertilize their fields and to bait their hooks for fishing. Until the early 1800's, lobstering was done by hand along the shoreline. Today, Maine is the country's largest lobster-producer with 100 million pounds of lobster caught each year. In Bar Harbor it’s all about Lobster.

There is a Chinese Place which I visited (can’t re-collect the name), where I would have takeaways back to the ship. It was shown to me by my Filipino friends on my first visit in 2006 and I have often gone back there, for their Fried Rice & Pork Ribs (cheap & amazing).

The Lobster can be enjoyed the Maine way or the famous Lobster Roll. I would advise people to try Grilled Maine Lobster Tail with Chive Ricotta Gnocchi and Maine Lobster Benedict. Maine is the only state that certifies the quality and origin of its lobster, and restaurants throughout Bar Harbor serve it up fresh. From a classic lobster roll to a 1 ¼-pound steamed lobster, there is no shortage of restaurants that offer the popular crustacean. If you're not a lobster fan, don't worry -- restaurants offer plenty of delicious options that don't involve the state's signature shellfish. 

Asticou Inn

Marcin & I outside the Chinese Restaurant at Bar Harbor

Shore Excursions Team on their FAM Lunch

Shorex Guest enjoying Lunch on the tour

Some of the good restaurants you might want to visit would be:

·         Asticou Inn (Lobster Bake Lunch with the beautiful Bar Harbor View)

·         Michelle’s Fine Dining

·         The Pier Restaurant

·         Havana

·         The Quarterdeck

Do not forget to try the Ice-Cream Flavours of Bar-Harbor at Mount Desert Island Ice-Cream, Ben & Bills Chocolate Emporium (Try their Lobster Ice-Cream) or CJ’s Big Dipper, try CJ’s ‘Magic Wand’ (Magic Wand is dipped in each batch of Ice-Cream). You are bound to become Kids with the Kids here. Well, my special favourite has always been the Oreo Cookie Ice Cream (The best Oreo Cookie I have had till date). Also please try the Blueberry Pie’s at any of the local coffee shop.

Ben & Bills

Shopping in Bar Harbor:

Bar Harbor is a good place to collect small souvenirs & post cards. Most of them would be Acadia National Park, Cadillac Mountain, Bar Harbor etc. There are quite a few shops near the town pier itself like Cool as a Moose, House 114, Sea of Cotton etc.

Bar Harbor is a beautiful place for naturalists & for people who want to try some adventure fun. There are several mountains trails for Hiking & Cycling. There are other water sports like sailing, canoeing, sea kayaking etc. Always advisable to venture the Maine Waters with proper equipment & proper guidance and experience as weather changes were quickly and a bright sunny day can turn into intense fog with surging sea storms in matter of seconds.

It’s a beautiful fishing village & my personal advice would be to roam and explore on foot. Please do avoid littering this beautiful place on the land & even the water.

Lobster Pots & Buoy

Whale Watching Boats

We will continue on this Journey with our next port of call The Fundy City & experience the Reversing Rapids of the beautiful renaissance city of Saint John, New Brunswick.

P.S.:- Please leave comments & please let me know if you need any additional information. Also if you require information on any other destination, please let me know i would be glad to share it as soon as possible.

Kinny31