One day while Craig was away doing pilot things he flew a trip to Maine and in conversation said to me, “Bar Harbor is a really cool place we should go there sometime.” Unless you are really serious about planning a trip with me you should never say the words “we should go there sometime” because it will happen. I also know that many pilots don’t actually enjoy traveling especially after being on the road for weeks at a time so any glimpse of a trip must be planned immediately. Which is exactly what happened. Within a few short weeks we had a plan to go visit Bar Harbor and hike around Acadia and decided to just figure it out as it happened.
We went in July which to my surprise was still a bit chilly. I wore a light jacket almost everyday and never actually swam in the water because it was only around 50 degrees. We were in Maine for four-ish days which had a lot of daylight and the best weather we could have hoped for. It wasn’t apparent to me how long the days actually were until we planned to watch the sunrise on Cadillac Mountain. I figured we would have to be up at maybe 5:30am, no big deal. I talked to the Concierge and she recommended that since sunrise is officially at 4:50am that really means it starts at 4:30am so with traffic getting onto the mountain we would want to be on the road by 4:00am. Oh, about that. So long story short I set my alarm for four o’clock in the freaking morning and drug my butt with Craig up the the mountain to see the sunrise. I thought I might be the only crazy on the island until we turned a corner and saw every single person in the city on top of that mountain too. People were camping in their cars overnight for that moment. I think that was a little extreme and well over my amount of crazy, but overall a lovely sunrise and a moment you should experience at least once.
Below is a detailed list of what we did during our trip. If you’re planning a long weekend of your own you can check out this list for some fun tips. I have also listed the reasons you may want to consider Bar Harbor as a destination wedding or honeymoon location. Keep scrolling for photos from our trip and a short home movie I put together at the end!
Bar Harbor, Maine
Food
Cafe This Way – I am not exaggerating when I say these are the best griddle pancakes. With the addition of local maple syrup or fresh sweet blueberries we were in heaven. We went here two days in a row because the pancakes are bomb and for my health conscience friends they had some nice vegetarian options as well.
Travelin Lobster – My search for America’s best lobstah roll may have come to an end. There is a shack on the roadside on the outskirts of Acadia National Park where a family sells freshly caught lobster. You can do a traditional boil or go for the classic roll. The meat was literally falling out of our rolls and so tender freaking tender. This is a must if you’re traveling in the area. If you don’t like Lobster eat it anyway I bet it will change your mind.
Project Social – We wanted something different and stumbled upon this fun little tapas place. It has a really chill vibe with some unique flavors and pairings. We tried the roasted red pepper soup, sautéed long stem artichokes with parmesan, trio of mediterranean dips, and chef’s fish of the day.
Thrive Juice Bar – I’m glad many places are now offering options for those of us that like the healthy route. The juice bar itself is kind of a cool concept and reminded me of sitting in a tree house. They have all the good standard options and I’d recommend it for a pre hike snack.
Fun
Acadia Stand Up Paddle Boarding – You have the option to take a two hour tour around the harbor or snag the board and go off to the local lakes without a guide. We really wanted to paddle in the harbor, but since it is against policy to go alone because of strong tides you can only go with a guide present. A bit of a bummer, but our guide was cool and told us a lot of Bar Harbor history.
Sand Bar of Bar Harbor – At low tide the water recedes so much that a giant sandbar appears in the middle of the harbor. This area can be used as a foot bride to Bar Island or to launch paddle board or kayak. Many people walk around on the sand bar to find crabs, shells, sea glass, starfish and other creatures living beneath the water. The sand bar is only accessible a few hours before and after low tide and can be accessed through Bridge Street.
Acadia National Park
Cadillac Mountain Sunrise – a gorgeous sunrise experience, but make sure to get there early. You don’t want to miss the first moments of the sun coming up over the horizon and it wouldn’t be a special moment unless everyone else knew about it too, and they do. You and every other person staying on the island will have the same idea and parking is very limited. We had to park in a random lot and walk about 10 minutes to get to the car. If you don’t care to deal with the traffic there are busses that also shuttle people up to the lookout area. Also, wear warm clothes because the wind makes the chilly weather more apparent.
Anemone Cave – as cool as this is be very careful because the cave floods during high tide and you won’t get out. Anemone Cave was one of the best moments of our trip. At the bottom of Schooner Overlook you can climb down the jagged rocks to the mouth of the cave. There are tide pools inside of the cave with tons of little creatures and vibrant rocks that have colorful algae growing all over.
Bee Hive Hike – if you are mildly afraid of heights be warned that this climb will bring them out. I think this hike brought me to a minor panic attack because of three things: high cliffs, once you start you have to finish there is no easy way out, my palms were so sweaty I had a hard time holding onto the iron rungs to pull myself up. Motivational talks and a good travel buddy help a lot in these situations. I did think this hike was really cool overall in-between moments of anxiety. After you get up the vertical climbing portion the hike down is fairy easy and has a ton of great overlook points to take in the view of Acadia.
Jordan Pond Popovers – A good place to grab a bite and rest for a few minutes while taking in the nature of Jordan Pond. We had to order popovers because when you’re in the area do as the tourists do. They’re a good snack and are served warm with raspberry jam. It’s easy to eat more then expected because the staff will bring you all of the gooey buttery popovers you can eat. Really, they don’t stop bringing them even when you say no that basket keeps finding it’s way to your table. At $4 each you can build up the bill pretty quickly. Once you’ve filled yourself you can work off the calories by hiking the Jordan Pond trail. This trail is very easy and has a peaceful view of two mountains known as “the Bubbles.” You may even see some Salmon, Lake Trout, and giant green frogs swimming around.
Bangor, Maine
Wicked Brew – another place we went twice because it was just so good. Go here to get a blueberry latte that is like a dream. They make their blueberry simple syrup in house with organic blueberries from a local market.
Nocturnem Draft Haus – we went here because it was one of three places open past 9:00 p.m. Luckily, Nocturnem happened to be be a pretty happening spot with house music and some decent beers. Food recommendations: beer pretzel, buffaque chicken, black bean burger.
Bar Harbor as a Great Destination Wedding or Honeymoon Location
Whether you’re looking for an adventure, non-traditional event or an elegant get away Bar Harbor is a beautiful option for your wedding or honeymoon. A perfect location for an spontanious couple looking for a mini adventure or a relaxing long weekend by the sea. Bar Harbor has the quaint New England fishing town charm of Cape Cod without the major price tag. With gorgeous views for miles you are far enough off the grid that you feel secluded without being so far that no one will come to your wedding. There are plenty of things to keep your wedding guests occupied during the day and getting around is very easy. Also, wedding season weather is gorgeous which would make for killer wedding photos.
This is a trip you could easily do in four to five days and have time to do everything you’d like.
Bar Harbor & Acadia 2018 from Joy Hmielewski on Vimeo.
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