Recap:
Just to recap, we are now moving into part three of a 10-day vacation that spanned across Maine and Prince Edward Island. Part 1 – After leaving our home in the National Capital Region (NCR), we drove to my hometown in western Maine; Bridgton. Part 2 – After a few days in Bridgton, we traveled to Prince Edward Island (PEI) for roughly five days. Now, we move into the last major stop of our vacation.
Next Stop – Maine (again)
On our way home to the NCR, we made a stop in Bar Harbor, Maine. Here we experienced the iconic seaport and one of the most beautiful U.S. National Parks: Acadia. We drove approximately seven hours from our rental home in PEI to the Bar Harbor Hampton Inn (https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/bhbnrhx-hampton-bar-harbor/). A quick reminder: our blog entry, titled “The PB in the Peanut Buttler Sandwich Vacation-Prince Edward Island” (reflectionsbykj.com/the-pb-in-the-peanut-butter-sandwich-vacation-prince-edward-island/) will serve as a reminder about the lack of pit stops on the journey from the Canadian border until you reach civilization in Bar Harbor, Maine.
Where We Parked Our Suitcases & Enjoyed Morning Coffee:
A few comments about our stay: I chose the Hampton Inn after I couldn’t find the right rental location. The Hampton Inn was literally the only major hotel that looked nice online and fell within my choice major hotel brands. If you don’t mind staying in a smaller, non-major brand hotel, there are plenty of beautiful little hotels and resorts in Bar Harbor. Most were around the same price as the room I booked at the Hampton Inn. While there were cheaper rooms at the Hampton Inn, I opted to pay extra for a room with a balcony. My biggest piece of advice regarding the Bar Harbor Hampton Inn is to pay the extra for the balcony room and try to book the fourth floor. The views are worth the extra cost. I spent every morning enjoying the harbor view and the fresh ocean air from the balcony. I found the hotel to be nice, and the location was almost perfect. Downtown Bar Harbor was within walking distance, and Acadia National Park was practically in the hotel’s backyard. There are also beautiful places to stay in downtown Bar Harbor, some even right on the seaport or with direct seaport views. However, the Hampton Inn allowed us to avoid the downtown traffic and hustle and bustle. The Hampton Inn has two pools, one indoor and one outdoor, an exercise room, and free breakfast between 7-10 am. One of my favorite benefit….free coffee available all day.
Places to Eat:
Bar Harbor is a prime destination for Maine seafood restaurants. If a lobster roll is what you desire, there is no better place to find one. As a self-proclaimed lobster expert, I can confidently say there is no better lobster in the world than true Maine lobster. Trust me! It has a signature sweetness and delicious taste that can only be found in Maine. We typically only eat one major meal out when we stay somewhere, and since we were only in Bar Harbor for two nights, we had two great meals.
Our first dinner was at the Terrace Grill (https://barharborinn.com/dining/terrace-grille-restaurant/terrace-grille-menu/). The food here was almost as amazing as the view from this outdoor location. For an appetizer, I highly recommend the clam chowder, but my husband would argue that the lobster bruschetta was even better. His bruschetta had more lobster meat than a typical lobster roll! For our main course, I indulged in the lobster roll and was elated at the taste of my favorite home state meal. My husband, on the other hand, had the Downeast Shrimp and Haddock Grits, and it’s no exaggeration to say he still dreams of that meal. For my Southern boy, it was the best version of shrimp and grits he has ever had, which is saying a lot. To finish off the meal, the cookie dough cheesecake will leave you wishing you were the Bar Harbor Inn’s resident cookie monster and able to enjoy in this delight every day. On a side note, the Bar Harbor Inn, where the Terrace Grill is located is beautiful. The rooms looked nice online, with some offering great balcony views of the seaport. It will be a consideration for our next stay in Bar Harbor.
The Chart Room (https://www.chartroombarharbor.com) served our second main meal. This Chart Room was very different from the fancier Chart House restaurants found in coastal towns across the U.S. Bar Harbor’s Chart Room is located on the main route between Acadia National Park (ANP) and Trenton, Maine. It’s nothing fancy, but the food is good. Dining on the deck as the waves roll in around you is a wonderful way to enjoy a nice afternoon meal in coastal Maine. We enjoyed another seafood chowder and lobster roll meal after a day of walking and hiking through ANP.
Bar Harbor Activities:
We only had roughly one evening and one full day in Bar Harbor, and there are so many places to hike, walk, or explore in Acadia National Park (ANP) that I would recommend allocating more time. Extra time could provide a great opportunity to rent a bike and ride the carriage paths throughout ANP. The beauty of ANP is unparalleled among national parks. Whether you want to hike among the pine trees, stroll around a lake, or explore areas where the Atlantic Ocean meets the rocky coast of Maine, ANP offers it all.
We visited ANP in early fall, so the tourist levels were lower than in summer; however, we still encountered lines of cars driving through the park and a lack of parking at key locations. You need to make a reservation if you want to drive up Cadillac Mountain, as we did. Sunrise trips to the top of Cadillac Mountain are particularly hard to book, so I recommend doing your research and reserving as early as possible. Thirty percent of Cadillac Summit Road sunrise vehicle reservations are released 90 days in advance, while the remaining 70% are released at 10 a.m. two days before the reservation date. Even at 10 a.m. two days prior, I couldn’t secure a sunrise reservation, so we opted for a sunset reservation instead. A little-known fact is that sunset can be just as beautiful and is often easier to book. Plus, it doesn’t require waking up super early! More information on Cadillac Mountain and summit reservations can be found here: https://www.nps.gov/acad/planyourvisit/vehicle_reservations.htm.
A Word of Caution:
If you find driving on steep heights a bit nerve-wracking, the three-mile drive ascent to the top of Cadillac Mountain and back down may not be for you. Alternatively, you might let someone else drive while you lie down in the backseat of the car.
Final Recommendations:
Another recommendation I stumbled upon during an early morning run was a crowd heading down a side street that led to the bay right in the center of Bar Harbor. Bridge Street, starting from West Street in downtown Bar Harbor, leads to a low tide “land bridge.” If you follow this path during low tide, you can walk across to Bar Island, where you can hike and enjoy views of Bar Harbor and Frenchman Bay. I didn’t venture to the island as I was unprepared during my morning run, but this is something I would do on our next trip to Bar Harbor. More information on this hike can be found here: https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/hike-bar-island-trail.htm. I highly recommend reading up on this hike and being aware of the tide schedule, as the “land bridge” will disappear during high tide, potentially stranding you on the island for roughly nine hours.
Finally, downtown Bar Harbor offers a quintessential tourist shopping experience. The town has everything from warm hoodies to magnets that make perfect souvenirs to remember your trip. While strolling through town, be sure to grab some ice cream or a delicious treat from the Pink Pastry Shop. If you need snacks, a bottle of shampoo, or a six-pack of beer, there’s a Shaw’s Grocery Store down Cottage Street where you can find anything you might need.
The Last Bite of the PB Sandwich Vacation
The mere 36 hours we spent in Bar Harbor was not enough, but visiting in September was much better than mid-summer, as the crowds felt significantly lighter compared to what I remember from my teenage trips with my parents. Bar Harbor is an iconic Maine destination, and it’s absolutely worth the trip, the crowds, and any traffic to experience everything the town and the surrounding area have to offer.
