Green islands and white sailboats dot the water. Dogs frolic along the rocky beach. Children sit on benches with their feet dangling above the ground, licking ice cream cones as big as their heads. This is Bar Harbor, a quaint town on Mount Desert Island off the coast of eastern Maine, and a comfortable base camp from which you can explore the surrounding Acadia National Park. Once an exclusive summer destination for wealthy families like the Vanderbilts and the Astors, Bar Harbor is now a popular destination for backpackers and resort seekers alike.
Friday
When you arrive in Bar Harbor, walk along the Shore Path, which begins at the Town Pier and follows the water for about a mile. The path permits views of the few historic mansions (called "summer cottages" no matter how grand) that survived the fire of 1947, which destroyed some 17,000 acres and 100 homes.
Enjoy dinner at Side Street Café, where True Blue Blueberry Ale is served with floating blueberries and the lobster rolls are made simply with heaping portions of lobster, minimal mayonnaise and a little Old Bay spice. The full bar offers several local beers and blueberry margaritas at only $3 before 6 pm.
Saturday
Begin by driving around Park Loop Road, a 27-mile road through the park with several lookout points where you can pull over and take photographs. Park at Jordan Pond House, so famous for its popovers and strawberry jam that the wait for a table can be over an hour, and make reservations for lunch. While you're waiting, walk around the scenic Jordan Pond, a peaceful lake flanked by mountains. Walk the dirt path, make your way over the rocks, and traverse the boggy area by navigating the long wooden planks.
If you're feeling adventurous after lunch, hike the 520-foot high Beehive Mountain along the Beehive Trail. Though less than a mile long, the hike is strenuous, taking you up exposed cliffs, with only iron rungs drilled into the stone to pull yourself up on. Enjoy the view over Sand Beach from the summit and then head back down the mountain along the Gorham Mountain Trail, a less difficult route that offers views of the ocean.
Drive to Southwest Harbor for fresh lobster at Beal's Lobster Pier, where you can revel in the restaurant's motto: Eat, Drink and Be Messy. Beal's catches lobsters and delivers them to restaurants across the island and around the world. The lobsters are cooked in large steamers in salt water pumped in from the ocean. If you're not in the mood to crack a lobster open and work for your meal, try a hamburger topped with lobster meat and finish with a slice of blueberry pie.
Sunday
Acadia National Park, an archipelago of islands, encompasses about 50 square miles and opportunities for hiking abound. The longest hike is up Cadillac Mountain, whose peak at 1,530 feet is the highest point along the North Atlantic seaboard. For less challenging hikes, explore the network of carriage paths through the woods. The crushed-stone covered paths were financed by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. in the early 20th century so he could travel by horse and carriage without encountering motor vehicles.
When you've had your fill of hiking, try rock climbing and rappelling in one of several locations in the park, like Otter Cliffs, a sheer rock face overlooking the ocean. Experienced climbers take to the cliffs on their own, but others with little to no experience can sign up with an adventure company like Acadia Mountain Guides, which offers half-day and full-day guided climbing experiences and provides climbing shoes, harnesses, and helmets.
For dinner, walk down Main Street to McKay's Public House, one of the town's more upscale restaurants, housed in an old Victorian bed and breakfast. If it's warm enough, sit outside in the romantic garden seating area, amid flowers and hanging lights. To start, try the pairing of scallops and pork belly or the homemade pretzels and beer cheese, made with local beer. The restaurant offers an extensive beer menu, including several local beers on tap and bottled craft brews from New England. If you have the appetite, indulge in the rich seafood risotto or lobster mac n'cheese.
After a weekend of strenuous activity, soothe your sore muscles at Bar Harbor Body Shop, which offers traditional massages, Thai massages, and intense sports therapy. If you don't have a lot of time or money, try a 10-minute chair massage for $15. Afterwards, walk down Bridge Street to the water where, when the tide is low enough, you can traverse the natural land bridge that connects the harbor to Bar Island, and gives the town its name.
Where to Stay
The Inn at Ullikana, a Tudor-style mansion built in 1885, is an elegant bed and breakfast nestled between the town center and the water. It is one of the town's oldest and most charming summer cottages. The inn's owners, Roy and Helene, serve breakfast on the terrace overlooking the harbor and are happy to share their knowledge of the park in front of a large map hanging on the wall. Rates start at $170.
If you prefer camping, the park currently has two campgrounds - Blackwoods and Seawall - and will open a third on the Schoodic Peninsula in the fall, with room for almost 100 R.V. and tent sites.