Expert: Tom Webster Date: 3/1/2006 Subject: Bar Harbor/Acadia
Question 4 couples visiting Maine and Mass in September. Appreciate info about area and must see sights and best places to stay on a budget (motels?). Also casual eating places (mainly lobster).
Will be driving and plan several days Maine.
Thanks
Answer Hi Laurie,
September is a good month to visit Acadia National Park especially after Labor Day. The lodging rates go down at that time. I would suggest you contact the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce for info on motels and restaurants as they will guide you much better than I can. They have a web-site at www.barharborinfo.com and their phone number is 207-288-5103. I can no longer keep up with all the possibilities. All dining in the Bar Harbor area tends to be casual. If it isn't, it's expensive.
Now the area that is truly my expertise -- what to see. Acadia National Park is one of the best examples of glacier country in the entire United States. It is the only place that has mountains virtually on the seashore, although they are somewhat small. You should spend two or three days here if you can afford that much time. The natural beauty of everything here is breath taking. The history behind the National Park is even more fascinating. It is the only National Park whose land was donated to the government by private citizens, one of whom was John D. Rockefeller.
Since I don't know where you will be staying, I will give you directions as if you were coming from Ellsworth, ME since in order to get to Bar Harbor you have to go through Ellsworth. Leaving Ellsworth on Route 3, you will then pass throught Trenton and cross over a small bridge to Mount Desert Island and bear left at the fork in the road. A few miles or so down the road you will see an entrance on the right to the National Park and signs leading to the Welcome Center. Take note of this while driving into Bar Harbor so you can find it when you return the next morning after getting checked-in at wherever you choose to stay. I am assuming that you might be arriving in the middle of the afternoon or later. If not, you may want to go to the Welcome Center and visit Cadillac Mountain before going to check-in.
Start at the Welcome Center and take in everything including the short 15 minute movie on Acadia. Inquire as to some things that you might like to do and get their expert advice. Important -- get a listing of the tides for the days you will be there in advance of your trip, if you can.
After you leave the Welcome Center, head for Cadillac Mountain, but stop at some of the overlooks along the way to capture some beautiful views of Frenchman's Bay. Drive to the summit of Cadillac Mountain and remember to thank John D. Rockefeller for building this road. Be sure to marvel at all the pink granite boulders which line the road. Park the car and take a leisurly stroll around the area to take in the magnificent views. Be sure your binoculars are with you.
The next portion of your visit should try to be timed to start leaving the motel around the time of low tide (which hopefully is mid to late morning) and that is the tour on Ocean Drive. Since you are going in September, please dress warmly (in layers) as it will be cooler next to the Ocean even if the temperature in town seems warm (if you are lucky). The park charges a fee per car, so you probably want to use just two cars, if you are travelling in more than two cars. Ocean Drive is also known as Park Road.
The first stop should be a Scenic Overlook which is on the left about 100 yards before the toll gate. There is a path that leads down from the parking area and stops at what seams to be the middle of nowhere but actually is on top of a large natural cave. If you care to climb down some rocks to the right side of that stopping spot as you look at the ocean, you will get to see the cave. It is called Anemone Cave but the Park decided to downplay it in recent years because they deemed the danger associated with people going into the cave fairly serious. I tend to concur.
The Precipice should be your next stop, particularly if the Peregrine Falcons are there, but even if they are not, you might get to see some bold climbers. After that, stop at Sand Beach just to feel the crushed sea anemones masquerading as sand. Next in line is Thunder Hole and hopefully you have arrived at a good time to see it working at its best, which is two hours after low tide. After that there are several stops you can take in depending upon what you might like to see. I would definitely stop at Otter Cliffs and especially stop at the Jordan Pond Tea House for either lunch or tea and popovers at precisely 4:00 PM. You should actually get there early to tour the grounds and wander down to the pond area to see why the view of the Bubble Mountains in the background make this one of the most photographed places in the world.
At this point, I have given you all the highlights of the "must see" items. There are others and you can explore those on your own. Bar Harbor offers a lot of shops and restaurants. Depending upon the tide schedule, you may need to alter the order of how you go to see things. You can always do Cadillac Mountain at almost any time you want.
