Mount Desert Island consists of Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Southwest Harbor, Northeast Harbor and is a ferry away from Little Cranberry Island
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Evan and I decided to travel the east coast since we had such a great trip last year driving highway one from San Francisco to Santa Barbara.
We started out flying into Bangor, Maine. We had a late flight, so we stayed the night in Bangor before getting our rental car in the morning. Little did we know that Bangor would provide so much excitement for such a quick stint of time there. We stayed at the Hollywood Casino, and what a treat, and the casino was about 15 min from the airport. Once we checked in, we immediately hit the blackjack table. Highly recommend staying at the Hollywood Casino if you find yourself in Bangor. Well priced, large beds and provides excellent entertainment. In Bangor, we learned a lot about Stephen King. Little did we know he lived in Bangor. He is a local celebrity. Our Uber driver told us tales that he used to have a haunted house over Halloween. If you made it through without screaming, he would apparently pay you $100. We stopped at Stephen Kings' home on the way to the airport. His house had a black gate with bats on it, and there was a tree carved out in the front lawn with owls, books, and bats! The road trip began once we got our car the following day. We were heading for Acadia National Park. Things we learned while in Acadia, it is unnecessary to buy the day pass for Cadillac mountain for yourself and /or the vehicle pass if you don't plan to drive to the top of Cadillac mountain. However, if you plan to drive up to the top, make sure you make a reservation at recreation.gov. There are plenty of trails that don't require a vehicle pass, so make sure you read the website to find out where the checkpoints are. Evan and I bought every pass being the newbies we are! The second thing we learned, Acadia is actually a "smaller" national park- small but mighty, we called it. On the island that is Acadia, bar harbor, northeast harbor, and southeast harbor exist. These are gorgeous towns, and a lot of people have vacation homes here. The third thing we learned, if you plan to hike or adventure, be prepared to drive a lot in Bar Harbor/Acadia. Evan and I stayed at Under Canvas Acadia, which was across the island from the national park. It took us about 45 min to get to the actual park. We knew what we were getting ourselves into, but we would not stay that far looking back. We had such a great experience at Under Canvas, South Dakota, we had to go back. We were not disappointed. The facilities here are stunning and right on the water. The food is top-notch. Breakfast and lunch are served on-site and are a must. The camp also has a fun selection of wine and beer. The first day, Evan and I drove straight to Acadia National Park. Our first hike was Jordan Pond. Note, if you want to eat at the Jordan Pond House, which I highly recommend, it opens at 11 am. It is first-come, first-serve, so I highly recommend putting your name on the list before hiking the pond if you can time it right. Jordan Pond House is known for its popovers and great views. What a treat to have a post-hike glass of wine and great lunch. Jordan Pond was our first taste of lobster in Maine, and it did not disappoint. A second hike right next to Jordan Pond is the South Bubble Loop; it is a little more intermediate than Jordan Pond and came highly recommended to us. Post our lunch break, Evan, and I drove around Acadia. We stopped and got out to take in the beaches and cliffs. Two stops worth walking or parking and enjoying: Thunderhill and Sandhill Beach. Before we headed back to our hotel, Evan, I decided to take one shorter but intermediate hike with some great views, Gorham Mountain Hike. The hike is approximately two miles. Around four, we headed back to Under Canvas since we had our first adventure. We booked a bioluminescent kayaking tour in Castine, which we knew would be a drive. The kayaking tour is about a 45 min drive from Under Canvas and is a four-hour adventure. We had dinner at Under Canvas, which is always excellent- their catch of the day hit the spot! We found out the chef was also the chef that had cooked for us at the Mount Rushmore location. The bioluminescence tour was fabulous, but I would say it was super long. We spent about an hour out of the water setting up our kayaks and learning how to kayak. Understable since we were kayaking very late at night in an ocean but set your expectations that it is a long night. Also, dress in layers because it gets chilly. Pants and jackets are highly recommended. The adventure was a highlight for sure. Just kayaking on an ocean in the dark is an experience, but seeing the marine life light up in the water was truly special. The kayaking adventure was in Castine, through Castine Kayak Adventures. The next day, Evan and I had our longest hike planned, Cadillac Mountain. This is the hike that you should purchase your pass in advance. The walk was longer than expected and wiped out us, but it was beautiful. People recommend doing a sunrise hike, maybe next time! I can imagine the sunrise views are out of this world since there are 360 views of the whole island from up top. Post-hike, we were starving and dead! Knowing we had a quick turnaround time before our sailing trip took off, and I wanted to stop and get cleaned up + grab wine, we stopped for a quick lunch in the town by Under Canvas. Ellsworth was the town, and the place we stopped was called Steamy Buddha. The sailing was out of the Northeast Harbor- Sail Acadia. That evening, we booked a private sale which was on a smaller boat with two crew members. They were very experienced and from the island, which made it fun to learn more about them. I highly recommend booking a charter through them. The instructions were clear, and it was a highlight of our trip. After the sale, we drove over to Bar Harbor and had dinner at Havana! It was super lively; the patio and bar were popping. The fires were going outside, and it had a festive atmosphere. I am glad we booked this spot. Evan was told by a guy before the trip that Obama had visited Bar Harbor and ate at Havana- fun fact! We ordered oysters & garlic shrimp. Evan wasn't thrilled by the garlic shrimp, and given the other items on the menu, I would probably say we would pass on that appetizer next time. For entrees, a must order was the lobster moqueca, it has the best flavoring and seafood! It almost has a cinnamon sweetness to it. It was fabulous. I actually ended up ordering the spaghetti and meatballs because it was different! Evan thought he wasn't going to enjoy it and gave it an a+ rating. See below for more recommendations for the island and surrounding areas! Acadia Hotels: Under Canvas Acadia- outdoor glamping. great facility. no plugs but has great bathroom facilities and showers, bedding from crate and barrell. the hotel has fires for all the tents in case its cool at night. The onsite restaurant serves and breakfast and dinner. The food is fabulous! The camp is located right on the water and has its own beach. Highly recommend staying here for a fun glamping experince. Terramor - Outdoor Resort featuring tents, on site restuarant and a pool. This outdoor resort is similar to under canvas but closer to Acadia National Park although still a drive. Restaurants near Under Canvas/Ellsworth: Provender Kitchen & Bar Steamy Buddha Acadia Provisions Bar Harbor Hotels: Bar Harbor Inn Bayview Hotel Balance Rock Inn Bar Harbor Restaurant Recomndations: Havana- Super great vibe inside and a lively outdoor patio. Must order the lobster moqueca! Mothers Kitchen- coffee, breakfast and lunch spot CIAO - small plates in a cute neighborhood restaurant. Features seafood and seasonal vegetables. McKays Public House Side Street Cafe Reading Room- located at the Bar Harbor Inn. Veranda- restaurant at Balane Rock Inn Northeast Harbor: Claremont Hotel Little Fern Asticou Hotel Restaurant Acadia Hikes:
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