Bar Harbor Off The Beaten Path

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I recommend taking this drive instead of entering Acadia National Park directly from Bar Harbor as you will get to see lots of shoreline and you can stop along the way and enjoy the scenery BEFORE entering the park from what seems like the back side.
When you are walking in the green seaweed you must be careful as it is very slippery and you will be falling on rocks, not sand. OUCH!
Below are some photos I took along the way.

We discovered the Morning Glory Bakery on our last day in BH, and we were so sad that we didn't find it sooner. It is right in downtown, but it is easy to miss on the little side street. If you can find it, it is a great place to grab some great baked goods and check out the local flavor, we went there three times on our last day, we couldn't get enough!

As I was researching this trip, I came across day trips to Nova Scotia that left from Bar Harbor. I thought about it briefly but then decided it was too much for this trip and really wouldn't do the area justice. But should I ever return to this area I will definitely be looking into taking The Cat ferry to Nova Scotia, with our rental car if possible, and driving up to Halifax.

The Cat ferry takes about 3 hours to cross from Bar Harbor to Yarmouth, around 5 1/2 from Portland to Yarmouth.

Maine Estate Winery
Open Memorial Day through Columbus day, Mon-Sat 10-17
(closed Holidays and Sundays)
P.O. Box 275
Gouldsboro, Maine 04607

The Bartlett Maine Estate Winery is situated just off of U.S. Route 1, twenty-three miles east of Ellsworth, in Gouldsboro, Maine. Maine State directional signs point the way to the winery.

Bar Harbor sits at the doorway to Acadia National Park, and perhaps the majority of people who come here do so in conjunction with a visit to the park. Be sure you don't miss it.

Acadia, established in 1919, was the first National Park in the eastern United States. Before visiting Acadia for the first time I had read numerous reports that it does not have the jaw-dropping grandeur of many of the western national parks. However, we found it to be beautiful and interesting - even magnificent - in its own way. In Acadia you will find an awesome rugged coastline, pristine lakes, impressive rocky-top mountains, hiking and bike trails, sites for camping and picnicking, historical sites and much more.

Karen and I spent three days exploring Acadia and wish we had had more time. don't even think about coming to Bar Harbor without taking time to see Acadia National Park.

Most activity in Bar Harbor are on Main and Cottage Street. The Whale Museum is located on West Street about a block down from the main harbor. There was no charge, and the museum had some interesting exhibits. Maybe around a 10-15 minute visit to walk through and look at the exhibits. In the same general area is a nice art store and the Irsih music store.

Actually this is the Beaten Path. We were Geocaching (www.geocaching.com) and chose this site along the coast to find our treasure. The trail was classic woods. Lots of roots, a creek, wood bridges and opening to the rocky coast. This hike can be as short or as long as you want to make it. Look for Hunter's Beach Trail associated with Acadia National Park. The entrance is on a side road off of Hwy 3 near Seal Harbor. I think the side road was called Cooksey Road.

This guy Tom St. Germain, who is a marathon runner and a local, wrote this hiking guide called "A Walk in the Park." It is a very unique guide that has a whole lot of information about the trails and Acadia National Park history.
He sells the book, and many other Acadia National Park books and Maps locally, and he owns Jack Russell's BrewPub & the Maine Coast Brewing Co.
He loves to chat about abandoned trails and their respective GPS Coordinates over one of his homemade beers. Seek the book. I promise you will find it handy. Almost every home on the Island has a copy.

Take some time to visit the other small villages on Mount Desert Island. There are several small coastal towns all over the Island:Otter Creek, Seal Harbor, Bass Harbor, Northwest Harbor, Somesville and Southwest Harbor. I thought Southwest Harbor is particularly cool with bookstores, antique shops, bars and restaurants . Much smaller than the already small size of Bar Harbor. Check out my Southwest Harbor page for more details.

just stop for a second, get out of your car, walk around Arcadia and listen to the song birds. Totally relaxes you and puts you in a better frame of mind.