Our Acadia

There are many ways to get to Thuya Garden. Visitors by sea can tie up at Asticou Terraces Landing and walk up Asticou Terrace Trail.  Drivers can park either at the landing or at the top of Thuya Drive.  But we preferred to hike. 

The path we chose was Little Harbor Brook Trail to the top of Eliot Mountain, visiting Thuya Garden on our descent as a slight – and very worthwhile – detour.  After all, even in the most enchanted of bucolic settings, which this trail is, it is rare to come upon a wooden fence with a door that opens onto such manicured beauty.

Thuya Garden was created by Charles K. Savage in 1956 on land that was formerly the orchard of Joseph H. Curtis, who built a home on this property in Northeast Harbor in 1912.  In the style of a semi-formal English garden, it features colorful annuals, perennials, expansive lawns, and indigenous eastern Maine woodlands.   (By the way, the name Thuya is derived from Thuya occidentalis, the northern white cedar, that grows abundantly in the area.)

A special aspect of the garden is that many of its original plants and garden ornaments are from the collection of Beatrix Farrand (1872-1959), the prominent landscape architect who designed gardens for private estates, botanic reservations, college campuses, and the White House.   She worked closely with John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and designed the landscaping around Mr. Rockefeller’s granite bridges in Acadia National Park.

Thuya Garden is a lovely place to rest, contemplate, and study plantings that thrive in eastern Maine.

Come by sea, car, or hiking trail – but be sure to come.

We emerged from the woods after a 5-hour bike/hike, with no energy to prepare either food or ourselves for dinner.  The idea to go directly to Knox Road for BBQ and beer was perfect.  The dress code was flexible, ranging from the basic (Red Sox t-shirts) to the high-end (Patagonia t-shirts), and the menu fit our appetites (big).

Knox Road Grill serves Mainely Meats BBQ and specialty ales and sodas from The Atlantic Brewing Company, where it’s located.  The 15 or so tables are mostly outside under a canopy and on a terrace, from which you can see the huge stainless vats in the brewery next door.

Lunches and dinners, all served with coleslaw, potato salad, and delicious baked beans, feature your choice of pulled pork, ribs, hot Italian sausage, chicken, or a combination.  On the table there’s both a traditional sweet BBQ sauce and a hot one.  We indulged in a dinner of pulled pork and a combination platter.

There are no napkins here.  Just a big roll of paper towels on each table.

Beer is seriously satisfying.  Diners get to experience The Atlantic Brewing Company’s full line of ales, as well as seasonal specialties.  They run the gamut from light and fruity to dark and rich, extracting flavors from malts and hops imported from England and water straight from the well in Town Hill, Maine.  I’m not the only blogger raving about the ales of this micro-brewery.

So, join the locals and visitors relaxing from a day of hiking and biking.  You’ll feel satisfied, not only because Knox Road Grill doesn’t pinch your pocketbook, but also because, thanks to The Atlantic Brewery, the second or third beer might be even better than the first.

Knox Road Grill is located at 15 Knox Road, Bar Harbor.  They are open seven days a week from Memorial Day to Columbus Day.  The Atlantic Brewing Company gives free tours of the brewhouse daily at 2:00, 3:00 and 4:00 throughout the summer season (Memorial Day to Columbus Day). They also have free tastings of all of the beers and rootbeer and blueberry sodas in the gift shop. No reservation is necessary.

For more ideas on where to eat during a trip to Acadia National Park, visit OUR ACADIA.

Do you love the great views only hikers get, but you’re worried about tackling something too ambitious?  Whether kids or bad knees are slowing you down, you don’t have to sacrifice scenery and fun when you hike in Acadia National Park.  Here are five easy hikes I’ve done that delight in different ways. 

Ship Harbor Trail: 1.3 mile figure-eight

This rocky coastline is your destination for the Ship Harbor Nature Trail.

You can alternate loops on this “figure 8” trail through an evergreen forest to the postcard-perfect shoreline.  David Patterson’s photos give you a sense of the well-groomed path.  Collecting sun-bleached shells along the way can easily turn this hike into an amble, with a picnic at the outermost point where a schooner ran aground in the 1600s.  Nearby is Bass Harbor Lighthouse, a sight not to be missed. This trail and lighthouse are where the Obamas spent time during their vacation to Bar Harbor.

Bubble Rock Trail: 1 mile roundtrip

This trail, which passes through a mixed forest, is popular with families because of the photo opp at giant Bubble Rock.  What’s also great is that you get a big pay-off for a relatively easy hike.  The summit of South Bubble, at 768 feet, provides dramatic views of Jordan Pond — yet the trail’s series of crib box surfaces make it much easier than hiking over rocks or roots. 

Jordan Pond Shore Trail: 3.2 mile loop

This walk around Jordan Pond starts with a great view of The Bubbles.

Just about all of the circuit is close to the water, which can be 100 feet deep near the shoreline.  Although the terrain is flat, this hike engages my imagination because of its many charming features: a bridge of flat stones, rock-to-rock scrambling, a birch suspension foot-bridge, a section where you tiptoe over elaborate tree roots, and bogwalks.  “Chronicles of A Country Girl” offers many wonderful photos of this circuit.  Reward yourself with lemonade and popovers at Jordan Pond House when you finish.

Flying Mountain:  1.5 mile loop

Of all the trails listed here, this one probably feels the most like a “real hike.”  It’s relatively short, but there is a bit of climbing and elevation at the beginning.  The views of Somes Sound, Sargent Drive, and Norumbega and Sargent Mountains are stunning, as are  the spacious homes and lawns across the sound in Northeast Harbor. The return to the car is easy along a fire road.

Ocean Path: 4 miles round trip

Ocean Path lies in the most popular area of Acadia.

From Sand Beach to Otter Point, this flat trail takes you alongside the ocean with breathtaking views of Maine’s rocky cliffs and pink granite shoreline.  At the halfway point is Thunder Hole, a National Park attraction where the surf crashes through rock chasms.  At Otter Cliffs rock climbers rappel down the 60-foot wall with pounding waves below.  No wonder this hike is so popular! 

Want other ideas?  Kayaking trips also provide wonderful sights in close proximity to the environment.  Acadia National Park is home to several excellent kayaking touring companies that focus on different part of the islands.  Include both hiking and kayaking on your itinerary to Acadia National Park, and you’ll never be satisfied seeing a national park from inside a car again!  Read reviews of Mount Desert Island’s best kayaking tours here.

How long does it take to see Acadia?

That’s a common question among tourists and one that’s tough to answer.  You can drive the Park Loop Road, walk around the top of Cadillac Mountain, relax on Sand Beach, and visit Thunderhole in two or three days.  If you spend a week, you can see “inside” the island by biking its carriage roads and from the “outside” by taking a kayaking trip. 

But if you have a little more time, bring your imagination along and see Acadia from the vantage point of its history. 

I’m in my eighth summer now of walking and biking in the park.  Although I’ve whizzed over the carriage roads and bridges many times, I recently constructed a little tour and saw them in a completely new way.

Acadia National Park boasts 17 stone bridges, 16 of which were built by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. between 1917 and 1933.  He oversaw every element of their design and set the guiding principles for their construction:  minimal disturbance to the surrounding areas, designs to take advantage of scenic vistas and conform to the natural landscape, and use of local materials with a commitment to restore the land after construction.

 In this plan to relate to and respect the natural environment, Rockefeller demonstrated his considerable personal talent and foresight in landscape design.  Rockefeller also directed granite be quarried for each bridge close to the site for cost efficiency.  Each granite block was rough cut at the quarry and then re-shaped by a mason at the site.  One stone per day per mason was the standard.

That’s just one of the things we were thinking about as we started our first of two days visiting Acadia’s bridges by bike.  We could have covered more bridges the first day, but we combined it with a hike starting at Gatepost 22 to Long Pond in Seal Harbor to see the view that Charles Eliot, a key figure in the creation of the national park, called the most beautiful on the island.

All together we spent time at 11 of the 17 bridges in the areas of Upper Hadlock and Jordan Ponds, beginning both days at the Brown Mountain Gatehouse.  The photos are in the sequence of our route in case you’d like to follow in our bike tracks.

And lest we get too carried away here with history and design, let’s remember that the purpose of a bridge is to get you from here to there by going over something.  In Acadia National Park, those “somethings” are bound to be beautiful. Whether a charming little brook, steep ravine, or stunning waterfall, we took our time appreciating them.

Our starting point: Brown's Mountain Gatehouse

Hadlock Brook Bridge, 1926, which is only 40 feet long, was modeled after a bridge in Central Park NYC that Rockefeller favored

Hemlock Bridge 1924, lets bikers cross Maple Spring Brook across its 185-foot expanse and hikers pass under its 30-foot Gothic arch

The contours of Hemlock Bridge illustrate how Rockefeller's bridges conform to the natural landscape

Many larger bridges feature viewing platforms, such as this one on Waterfall Bridge, 1925

Stairs help you get down closer to the waterfall

Little Harbor Brook Bridge, 1919, provided a charming place to picnic alongside its 20-foot arch

Cobblestone Bridge, the first bridge to be built in 1917, is the only one with cobblestone facings, the idea not of the architect, but the carriage road engineer

Cobblestone Bridge is a popular attraction, including one of the tours by Carriages of Acadia

We then hiked to Long Pond in Seal Harbor. This is the view Charles Eliot thought to be the most beautiful on the island.

Looking south towards the ocean across "Little" Long Pond

Amphitheatre Bridge, 1928, is a 236-foot structure that features a flared entrance and dramatic viewing platforms

Amphitheatre Bridge's viewing platforms feel like parapets on a castle

Cliffside Bridge, 1932, is 232 feet long and with its crenulated railing resembles a medieval battlement

Even on a misty day the tall, narrow arch of West Branch Bridge, 1920, is the dramatic feature of this 170-foot bridge

Jordan Pond Bridge, 1920, 40 feet long, is at the popular point where Jordan Pond and Jordan Stream meet

Stunning triple-arched Stanley Brook Bridge, 1933, encapsulates much of what was learned in prior bridge design and construction

Jordan Pond Road Bridge, 1932, facilitates a Seal Harbor road above and carriage road underneath

The Triad-Day Mountain Bridge provided passage on our way home after our bike tour of Acadia's bridges.

In the movies the harried corporate executive buys a B&B in New England, starts a successful mail order business, and lives happily ever after. 

If you have ever visited a B&B on the Maine coast – or plan to this summer – you may wonder if innkeepers’ lives are as sweet as the chocolate-drizzled banana French toast they serve for breakfast.  For one couple, the route to Mount Desert Island, which annually lures over two million visitors to Acadia National Park, had as many switchbacks as a park hiking trail.

Alan Feuer, who today owns Ann’s Point Inn on Bass Harbor, says, “I taught computer science at Northeastern and ran a company that offers specialized search engines.  My wife Jeannette worked at the Museum of Science in Boston.  When our youngest finished college, we decided it was time to sell our 120-year-old Victorian in the city and try something different.” 

The couple commenced a nationwide search to meet an exacting set of standards for a property.  According to Alan, they wanted a spectacular setting in an interesting community with high-quality amenities like excellent grocers and restaurants.  Because they had already had an old house in Boston, they decided to look for a property of contemporary design and construction.  They focused on inns with fewer than five rooms so that they could really meet their guests.  And they wanted a seasonal enterprise that would give them time to themselves. 

The search for the ideal property took the Feuers to the central California coast, the Southwest, islands off the Southeast, and Cape Cod.  They spent a year looking, then they saw Ann’s Point Inn on Mount Desert Island.  

Sitting on two acres at the end of a peninsula on Bass Harbor, this lovely B&B had four luxurious guest rooms with water views, an indoor heated pool, a Finnish sauna, a jet-filled hot tub, and nearly 700 feet of private shoreline.  And there wasn’t a fussy Victorian wreath or lace pillow in sight.

 Not only did it meet all of their criteria, but, as Alan said, “MDI had always been in the back of our minds.  We’d been going there on and off for 30 years.  Acadia is one of our favorite places.” 

Finding the property was only the beginning.  Alan’s dream was “luxury with a low-carbon footprint.”  That meant adding a solar pool heater and 3500 watts of electricity generation using solar panels.  They also redesigned their central courtyard and built three new decks and patios. 

The Feuers approached innkeeping with confidence because they’d always done a lot of entertaining.  Alan hooked up a Quickmill espresso machine to perfect his cappucino technique.  Jeannette began preparing breakfast not once, but three times a day to test recipes. 

Foodies flock to Mount Desert Island because of its inventive restaurants that focus on seasonal ingredients, seafood, and local produce. Jeannette started experimenting with some of these for her three-course breakfasts, which include herbs and produce from her garden as well as local eggs and seafood. Alan has added a refreshment hour in the late afternoon featuring Seal Cove goat cheese, a favorite mead from Bartlett Winery he pairs with roasted apricots, and honey ale from Atlantic Brewing.   

Does Ann’s Point Inn attract any particular type of visitor?  “Many are celebrating some special occasion.  That puts them in a wonderful state-of-mind.  I think everyone is enchanted by the beauty of the island. Hiking, kayaking, and eating lobster are among the most popular activities.” 

With satisfied guests and the perfect setting, it seems the one final element of the equation for innkeeper happiness is the mail order business.  “I still run the search engine business that I started in Boston,” Alan grins, “I guess that qualifies as Web mail order.”

To learn more about things to do in Acadia National Park and the best times to visit Mount Desert Island, visit OUR ACADIA.

I’m a lobster fanatic.  I do side-by-side taste tests in search of the perfect lobster roll.  I comb scientific research to find a hypothesis for why soft shell lobsters are sweeter than hard shell.  And every New Year’s Eve I pay four times the market price in New York City to get lobsters shipped overnight from Maine.

That’s why I was so interested in New York Magazine’s recent feature “On a Roll” about how a lobster glut in Maine has spawned a new class of New York entrepreneurs selling lobster rolls out of their apartments and at flea markets, pop-up stands, and storefronts.  As a business venture, it’s seems particularly to have caught the attention of frustrated young lawyers and i-bankers who see a new “buy low-sell high” opportunity here.

Their business case centers on how two “E’s” – environment and economy – dramatically impacted the supply of and demand for Maine lobster.  As New York Magazine writer Benjamin Wallace aptly explains, an over-fishing of cod diminished one of young lobsters’ key predators and strict fishing limits on the size of each lobster taken defeated another. 

As the supply of lobster reached historic levels, demand for it was dealt a double blow.  The first hit is easy to guess – diminished orders from recession-hit restaurants.  But what Wallace also tells us is that more than half of Maine’s catch had been sold to Canadian processors who lost their credit lines in 2008 when the Icelandic banking system crashed.  According to New York Magazine, “The price of Maine lobster at the dock dropped from $5 to $2.50 a pound.”

In stepped the NYC lobster roll entrepreneurs.  They saw the opportunity to buy lobster meat at affordable prices and then sell it in sumptuous rolls that appeal “to the foodie trend of wanting to get back to artisanal food and its source.”

Now here’s the sad truth. 

New York foodies love the lobster roll debate: what type of roll, should it be toasted, the merits of celery, how much mayonnaise, the sinful deception of using lettuce as a filler.

But it’s all about the flavor of the lobster meat.  And lobster never tastes as good in New York as it does in Maine.

Talk to Dane Somers, Executive Director of the Lobster Council of Maine about why even live lobster from, say, Fairway doesn’t taste as good as what you get in Maine. “Everyone thinks that if it’s alive, you can’t get any fresher than that.  But there is a subtle difference.  It’s like fresh-cut flowers.  One-day-old flowers are not as fresh as those cut this morning.”

I don’t want to sound like rotten tomatoes, but that’s the analogy that comes to my mind: the flavor of tomatoes shipped from another continent versus picked from your garden. 

Before you agree with the “artisanal food” label, you have to ask how the lobster roll entrepreneurs get their lobster from Maine to New York.  One cooks the lobster in Maine and ships it down in pre-portioned 4-ounce Saran-wrapped packets.  Another bought a van for better conduct of live lobsters that had been dying on the BQE during the weekly trips in the back of his Chevy Avalanche 

Even lobsters transported live for high-volume seafood enterprises deteriorate in flavor. In transit and then in tanks for two or three days, they are not fed and obviously under stress.  Believe me, it affects the flavor.

Now we shouldn’t deny ourselves a good lobster roll here in NYC.  I’ll have mine at Pearl’s or the Mermaid Inn with a gin and tonic and praise the fries.  But I’ll recognize that, unfortunately, a lobster roll in New York is more about summoning summertime’s consummate symbol.  Not flavor.

If you are truly interested in food and want to taste the real thing, you have to haul yourself up to Maine.

It’s a long haul.  That’s why everyone defaults to the Hamptons or Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.  But those in search of the perfect lobster roll will go to Maine.

Right now you can get a round-trip ticket from JFK to Portland for about $300.  From Portland drive 3-hours-plus to Mount Desert Island, which has been ranked by both Travel and Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler as one of the most beautiful islands in the world.  About the same size as Martha’s Vineyard, but with 24 mountain peaks, it has the mesmerizing scenery of where the mountains meet the sea.  In addition to scouting your personal favorite among the lobster pounds, you can visit Acadia National Park.

Watch the sunrise from Cadillac Mountain, the first place from which to witness dawn in the United States.

Drive the Park Loop Road, the 27-mile masterful collaboration between John D. Rockefeller Jr. and Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.

Bike some of the 57 miles of car-free carriage roads…or explore them as originally intended, on a horse-drawn carriage.

Stroll, hike, or climb among the park’s 130 miles of hiking trails that present unsurpassed views of a fiord, glacial lakes, and mountain peaks that repeat to the horizon.

Visit Sand Beach, a sandy crescent with cliffs rising on each side.  The views won’t disappoint, even if the chilly water does. 

You may go to Maine with the intention of eating lobster rolls every day, but be prepared to be tempted otherwise.  A group of creative restaurateurs take true pride in their craft and will offer you the best in seafood, locally grown produce, and local cheeses.  You’ll also find French bistro, authentic Mexican, tapas and Cuban cuisine – all influenced by local ingredients.  Three award-winning micro-breweries, a shop featuring tastings of artisanal vinegars and olive oil, and an organic farm run by the local college round out the itinerary for foodies.

For the best places to eat on a visit to Mount Desert Island, the Web site OUR ACADIA offers detailed reviews.  You’ll also find tips on the best times to visit, the best kayaking guides, and eco-friendly inns.

But if you go, remember this warning: lobster in New York will never be the same.

From trip mementos for yourself to special gifts for others, from the simple to the spectacular, Bar Harbor and the neighboring villages on Mount Desert Island have lots to keep shoppers entertained…at least until the skies clear and we’re back on the hiking trails. 

Cool As A Moose^®
118 Main Street, Bar Harbor
288-3904

The iconic vacation souvenir is a T-shirt, and there are lots to choose from here.  Cool As A Moose even has its own line, reprieving a psychedelic design.  My favorites are downstairs in the Life is Good collection.  But why not branch out to, say, their Gluteus Maximoose boxers? 

Fiore
8 Rodick Place, Bar Harbor
801-2580

A relative newcomer to Bar Harbor, Fiore doesn’t have a shop; it’s a tasting room lined with mini stainless steel canisters of extra virgin olive oil and aged balsamic vinegars from which you sample blends and infusions of different flavors.  Then they pour and bottle it for you.  Although the traditional 18-year balsamic vinegar is most popular, I couldn’t pass up a fig-flavored balsamic.    

Spruce & Gussy
12 Mount Desert Street, Bar Harbor
669-5309

If your tastes run more toward the contemporary, you’ll want to check out this new shop run by two local women.  They’ve brought together the work of artisans from throughout the U.S. and Mexico that convey color, craftsmanship, and whimsy.  From leather-bound journals to bibs to hand towels, something will catch your eye as an “adornment for self or space.” 

Kimball Shop & Boutique
135 Main Street, Northeast Harbor
276-3043

I can never get enough of ferns and scallop shells, so the barware, table linens, and serving pieces at the Kimball Shop hold endless appeal for me.  Furnishings range from elegant tableware to rugs and floor cloths that epitomize traditional summer style.  Their tent sale in the fall allows me to afford some of it! 

Hatched on MDI
360 Main Street, Southwest Harbor
244-9800

A native of Mount Desert Island, Heather Brown has a flourishing shop, with expanded quarters, that is as much a community center for year-round parents as it is the perfect spot to find a baby gift.  From “super cute” bathing suits to toys and books to the best Anti Bug Balm Stick by Badger, you won’t be disappointed, especially if you then pop in next door at the Quiet Side Café for a piece of blueberry pie. 

Old Red Store
129 Bernard Road, Bernard
244-0240

This is what every antique shop in Maine should look like, but during my last visit I was equally delighted with what I found inside.  I bought a wonderful old watercolor of loggers loading cargo on to sailing ships for $36 framed, a fabulous tote bag made of recycled sail cloth, and very nice stationery.   Call before you make the trip and combine it with dinner at Thurston’s Lobster Pound. 

Judy Taylor Studio & Gallery
1517 Tremont Road, Seal Cove.
244-5545

The western side of Mount Desert Island is blissfully undeveloped, with beautiful ponds, rolling meadows, and deep coniferous forests.  Here you can visit the studio of Maine artist Judy Taylor – by chance or appointment.  She works in oils, gouache, watercolor, and oils.  Although some formats are smaller (24″ x 18”), there’s always an iconic strength in her work that makes her appealing Maine landscapes remarkably distinctive.

Imagine: 24 mountains on an island the size of Martha’s Vineyard.  That’s Mount Desert Island in Maine, and it should be your destination if you want to hike where the mountains meet the sea.

I’m now on my seventh summer of hiking Acadia National Park’s trails, marveling at each experience and recording it in my copy of A Walk in the Park by Tom St. Germain.  This small volume has been my indispensable guide and should be yours.

When I started hiking in Acadia, I’d always ask locals and people I’d meet on the trails, “What’s your favorite hike?”  Now that I’ve covered 32 of the 59 Tom St. Germain lists, I’ll share my favorites.

Jordan Cliffs & Bluffs to Penobscot Mountain

This 4.3 mile loop, sections of which were constructed before 1900, makes me feel like a kid.  Stone steps, iron rungs and railings, ladders, and bridges over ravines combine with great views of Jordan Pond on the ascent.  That alone would make this a spectacular hike, but the 360-degree views atop Penobscot deliver sheer bliss.

Giant Slide Trail & Grandgent to Sargent Mountain

Also in the Jordan Pond area, I like the Giant Slide Trail along Sargent Brook and the steep Grandgent climb.  You get two peaks for the price of one: first, spectacular views from Gilmore Peak and then from Sargent Mountain.  I make the 5.4 mile loop by descending on the North Ridge Trail, which Tom St. Germain recommends for its excellent views of Somes Sound.

The Precipice to Champlain Mountain

This short, but exhilarating hike deserves its notoriety.  It’s a 1,160 vertical gain or loss, depending on how you look at it, but I don’t recommend you look down.  After all, this trail takes you up the sheer east face of Champlain Mountain.  Rungs and ladders help, but some ledges have no protection.  At the top the views of the Atlantic and Frenchman Bay are equally breaktaking.

Acadia Mountain

I’ve done this hike again and again, not only because it is my favorite way to introduce new people to Acadia hiking, but I just love it.  Both on the trail and at the peaks (two of them), there are superior vistas.  In fact, the steep descent down the eastern side of Acadia Mountain offers some of our most-photographed views of Somes Sound.

Beech Mountain

Atop this 849’ mountain is a fire tower that boosts your viewing pleasure.  And at its base is wonderful Long Pond that affords the opportunity to combine this hike with a little kayaking.  My preferred route for this hike is to go up the West Ridge and descend on Valley Trail, which is thickly wooded and covered in moss and lichen.  Another option is to descend to Echo Lake Beach, where you can leave your bikes for the trip back to Long Pond, making this a hiking/biking/kayaking triathalon.

Next to water and great hiking boots, the necessity I also recommend for hiking in Acadia is the trail map of Mount Desert Island published by Map Adventures.  It clearly shows the 110 miles of hiking trails, as well as 57 miles of carriage roads, signpost numbers included.  Believe me, though Acadia’s trails are well marked, you can take wrong routes and end up well out of your way, exhausted.  Last weekend I was stopped twice by people with less detailed maps who were quite confused.

The five hikes I’ve recommended here are all moderate to challenging.  You’ll definitely get some exercise as well as spectaculars views of Acadia National Park’s mountains, lakes, islands, bays, and, of course, the Atlantic Ocean.  The good news is that you’ll be guilt-free when you indulge later in lobster and blueberry pie!  So, after you’ve planned your hike, take a look at the exciting array of restaurant possibilities on Mount Desert Island.

Ken Burns’ new series “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea” may have piqued your interest about Acadia, the easternmost park in the system.  It’s where the mountains meet the sea, and a desire to “do everything” co-exists happily with a sense of calm contemplation. 

Acadia National Park is about third hours north of Portland, in relatively easy proximity to the metropolitan areas along the eastern seaboard.  It occupies about two-thirds of Mount Desert Island, the most well-known town of which is Bar Harbor.  The village where I live was founded in 1761.  Acadia’s boundaries are intermingled with the communities of this New England island. This adds considerably to the charm that captivates park visitors.

Here are some favorite things to do both in and around the park.

1. Watch the sunrise from Cadillac Mountain.   At some 1500 feet, it is the first place from which to witness dawn in the United States, and it is breathtaking.  Make sure you wear a warm fleece even if it’s August.
2. Drive the Park Loop Road.  You can get your best overview of Acadia by driving these 27 miles of unsurpassed beauty, created in part through the masterful collaboration of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr.  There are many lookouts so have your camera ready for this drive.
3. Eat lobster.  Whether you want a lobster roll, lobster stew, or a two-pounder steamed, you can find a wide range of topnotch restaurants, harbor-side lobster pounds, and quaint cafes to serve you.  Our favorite is Thurston’s in Bass Harbor.
4. Go biking.  Thanks to John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Acadia offers 57 miles of car-free carriage roads for cycling.  There is plenty of parking at Hull’s Cove Visitor Center.  Or, if you prefer, you can take a horse-drawn carriage drive from Wildwood Stables and see the park the way Mr. Rockefeller intended.
5. Stroll, hike, or climb.  The park boasts 130 miles of well-maintained hiking trails that appeal to all levels of fitness.  The most exciting trails, such as the Precipice and Jordan Cliffs, feature rungs and ladders.  A beautiful moderately challenging hike is Acadia Mountain, overlooking Somes Sound, the only fiord in North America.  If you’re looking for easier strolls, consider Asticou Trail and Wonderland – they’re lovely.
6. Have lemonade at Jordan Pond House.  Select a biking or hiking route that stems from behind Jordan Pond House so that you can conclude your afternoon with lemonade and popovers on the lawn looking towards the Bubbles, a sight that has mesmerized visitors at teatime since 1896.  It’s a favorite destination for everyone, but worth the wait.
7. Visit Sand Beach.  This sandy crescent has cliffs at each side and the Beehive Trail behind it.  The views won’t disappoint, even if the chilly water does.  Another option for a swim is the beach at Echo Lake on the island’s “Quietside.”
8. Touch nature – literally.  There are several enterprises, including Mount Desert Biological Laboratories, The Dive-In Theatre, and the Mount Desert Oceanarium, that feature touch tanks full of lobsters, crabs, and sea cucumbers. I always end up liking this stuff just as much as the kids do.
9. Learn from a park ranger.  The National Park Service offers very entertaining talks and walks on subjects ranging tidal pools to birds of prey to the stars over Sand Beach.  Scan The Beaver Log to figure out how you can fit in more than one.
10. Get out on the water.  This great national park is on an island so you must see it from the vantage point of the sea.  Whether you’re powering yourself in a sea kayak or the wind is propelling you forward on a Downeast Friendship Sloop or the Margaret Todd, being on the water is a special part of a trip to Acadia National Park. 

Evenings will keep you on the run as well as you explore Mount Desert Island’s restaurant scene.  Many specialize in seafood and locally grown produce, but you’ll also find French bistro, authentic Mexican, tapas, and Cuban cuisine.  And what if it rains?  There are local breweries, bookstores, antique shops, movies, repertory companies, museums, and fashion purveyors that are sure to keep you entertained.  In fact, after a few days of hiking, biking, and kayaking, you might hope for a slight drizzle and an afternoon in the rocking chair of a local Maine library.

For specific recommendations and contact information for guides, tours, restaurants, and inns, visit OUR ACADIA – a perfect practical companion for a visit to Acadia National Park. You can find special tips for when to visit, what to do on a rainy day, and how to pack.  It also features tips for fall trips and sample itineraries.

Check out the posts on TripAdvisor about whale watching, and you’ll find a lot of negatives – no whales, long trips, cold weather, and sea sickness.  Still want to take your kids on a boat ride when you visit Acadia National Park?  The Dive-In Theater gets rave reviews.

This five-star cruise leaves from a pier at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor on the aptly christened Starfish Enterprise.  Last week we embarked upon our two-hour trip into Frenchman Bay, a body of water so deep and cold that it provides a rich habitat for an array of sea life.  The bay is spotted with small islands, which further enrich the environment. 

Suddenly the boat began to circle a small rock outcropping and there on the top sat a large bald eagle.  Lying on rocks below and swimming in the area were about twenty harbor seals.  Minutes of leaving this sighting, we spotted harbor porpoises gracefully creating arcs in the water. 

But this was only the beginning of the show. 

We moored at a dive site and Diver Ed suited up with considerable fanfare.  Fanfare isn’t really the right word.  It’s more shtick.  (Clearly, only his love of Maine and kids has kept Ed from stand-up.)   

With a little help from his friends, Diver Ed took the plunge with a collection bag, real-time video and sound equipment, and Mini Ed, his action figure alter ego, who would provide scale for the adventures on the ocean floor.  We then learned that this was Mini Ed #104.  (The prior 103 had been unsuccessful in their battles with lobsters and crabs from the deep.) 

Sitting comfortably on our benches, we watched on a large projection screen as Mini Ed began to explore.  I glanced away only occasionally to see such sights as the Margaret Todd sailing by.

What happened when Diver Ed returned with critters in tow?   We touched them, of course. 

Whether a beautiful sea star (starfish to the uninitiated), slimy sea cucumber, or angry lobster, these creatures of Frenchman Bay were taken into temporary (and protective) custody in touch tanks, as we learned more.  Did you know that sea stars can not only regenerate lost arms, but themselves be regenerated from a single arm?

We gently probed their varied surfaces.  (I will not say the same for the four-year-olds who thrilled to the chaos of the touch tanks and, inhibition abandoned, initiated some aggressive dive-bombing with the lobsters.)

Most of the families on the cruise seemed to have four-year-olds in tow, but the three eighteen-year-olds who came with me were pretty enthusiastic.  But I surpassed them all. 

For more information, visit www.divered.com.