The Pandemic Trip
Maine
York, Ogunquit, Bar Harbor
Acadia National Park
August 28, 2020-September 5, 2020
Just when I changed, the world did too.
How ironic to fall in love right before Covid was born, essentially barricading me from the very thing I fell in love with, Travel. After visiting Maui, Hawaii in April of 2019 I knew I had to see the world one trip at a time. (Click here for Maui, Hawaii blog).
Where can we go in the middle of a pandemic? Home base is in Virginia and flying isn’t an option. Our conclusion was Bar Harbor, Maine. Since we were driving we added a few short stops along the way in some of Maine’s most charming towns! There were some hoops to jump through like covid testing and some extra paperwork but standing among the summits and shorelines of Acadia National Park proved to be well worth it! Let me tell you all about it
First Stop: The Nubble Lighthouse in York, Maine
1 Hour
My philosophy is take the scenic route, always! Even if it is longer. So we road along route 1A absorbing the ocean breeze infused with salt and relaxation. We stopped to take in the iconic views of what you could consider to be the face of Maine. The Nubble Lighthouse.
Second Stop: Ogunquit, Maine 1.5 Days
Our second stop and one I will never forget! I absolutely LOVED Ogunquit, Maine. It provided a sophisticated small town charm that hit just right. With tons of mom and pop shops and restaurants all with in steps of the water’s edge. The pictures will speak for themselves. This town is so charming I could see myself living here, and I don’t say that often.
Ogunquit, Maine Must See and Eats:
Shoreline Walks, Unique Restaurants, Mom and Pop Shops
To Bar Harbor or Bust, but..... lets stop real quick to see another Lighthouse!
Third Stop: Portland Main Lighthouse in Cape Elizabeth, Maine
(1 Hour)
Fourth Stop Camden, Maine (2 Hours)
Our last stop before Bar Harbor! Yet another cute and charming town full of unique shops and restaurants.
Final Stop: Bar Harbor, Maine!! 7 Days
Oh sweet wonderful Bar, Harbor. This destination had some big shoes to fill being it was the next trip after our Hawaii trip. Admittedly I expected to be disappointed slightly. After all it was the same ol’ east coast just 13 hours north of where I lived my entire life. I was proven wrong! Oh so wrong, to have such little expectations, shame on me! This destination swelled my heart each day I was there. I still think about returning often. It has lingered on my mind and heart since visiting. Downtown Bar Harbor is one of those pristine adorable Hallmark movie towns. So many unique shops on the water’s edge all filled with blueberry everything tempting your taste buds. Agamont Park’s lush green grass propped adjacent to the shops overlooking Frenchman Bay is the perfect place to picnic and enjoy all things blueberry!
Nearby is Acadia National Park with safe, well marked and maintained trails. Filled with rewarding summits, unforgettable views of the Atlantic and the ever so sweet smell of hemlock trees, you are sure to love your trip as much as we did! Let’s dive into some of the highlights of our trip!
Lodging
We stayed in the Atlantic View section. Below are some sunrise captures.
Passes and Vehicle Reservation Information
Required Year Round.
Must be displayed on your dashboard at all times while you are inside the park. Be sure to secure it before you head out on a hike.
Must See and Do's
Cadillac Mountian
Cadillac Mountain Sunrise gets a lot of hype and for good reason! The sunrise’s are beautiful! It does require a very early arrival. We went before the vehicle registration was in place and it was pretty crowded. It was EXTREMELY cold so dress warm if you go. I suggest riding up to the top and have a look around before you go for sunrise. It is very dark and we had no idea where we were going stumbling around with our phone’s flash light. We were clueless on where the best place to sit and watch was until the sun started to come up. Any seat in the house is great for the record! Or drop the yellow google maps guy down and have a quick look around.
Bass Harbor Lighthouse
Bass Harbor Lighthouse located on the southwest part of Mount Desert Island. It is a great place to watch the sunset but often times parking can be hard to snag.
Jordon Pond
At Jordon Pond you will find Jordon Pond House Restaurant that you can’t leave with out trying their famous Popovers! I suggest eating it out on the lawn overlooking Jordon Pond . Once you are fueled up head down to the pond for a casual stroll around Jordon Pond working your way toward South Bubble Trail where you will be rewarded with amazing views and the infamous Bubble Rock!
Swimming and Kayak Rental
One of our favorite memories was renting Kayaks from National Park Canoe and Kayak Renal at Long Pond and jumping off the jumping dock! There are few bodies of water that are permitted for swimming since they help provide drinking water for the local communities but you can find the short list here
Whale Watching
On our last day we had a whale watching trip booked with Bar Harbor Whale Watching Company but it got canceled due to weather. They are great about refunding in the event it has to be canceled ,which happens often. However, don’t let that deter you from trying we heard lots of people talking about the Whales they saw as they got off their trip before ours.
Ride Around!
Explore all of Mount Dessert! We enjoyed getting away from the common areas and explored the Island. One of my favorite drives was riding along Sargent Road.
Restaurants
We didn’t explore many restaurants but we LOVED the ones we did eat at! First up is the one conveniently located across the street from our hotel Jack Russels Steak House and Brewery. After a long day of hiking this place hit the spot with their fresh steak and cold beer. Their exposed wood on the interior put off a warm mountain town vibe.
Our hotels restaurant called The Bistro was my favorite place to dine. Food ALWAYS taste better with a view! Their beet salad was refreshing and was exactly what I was craving!
I am not quite sure what it is about this small and simple cafe that makes me consider driving 13 hours north just for their food every so often, but I tell ya, I DO! They offer bagged lunches, which is great for the hiking days! My suggestion is to eat here EVERY day ordering something different each time, especially their crepes!
Trails
I think it is fair to say Acadia National Park is what made me truly appreciate seeing the world by foot I have a whole blog post called Why The Trails! Click here to read. There are so many wonderful trails in Acadia that it nearly made it impossible to narrow down a list! Below are our top choices all found on AllTrails.com
Remember Acadia National Park like most national parks is extremely busy during certain times of the year. During our stay it was essential for us to his the trails by 6AM-7AM in order to get parking and avoid large crowds. We found hiking in the early morning and finishing by early afternoon was most enjoyable. We used our evenings to relax and shop in downtown.
The Don'ts!
Don’t sleep in when exploring Acadia National Park, parking is hard to come by when the rest of the world is awake too!
Don’t forget to display your park pass on your dashboard, we saw people getting tickets for this.
Don’t only explore the main tourist spots, get off the beaten path!
Don’t abbreviate this destination, give yourself plenty of time to enjoy all it has to offer!
Summary
In Summary you absolutely MUST put Bar Harbor, Maine / Acadia National Park on your bucket list! It is a special place full of charm, love, beauty and well blueberries! It will forever hold a special place in my heart even as I see so much more of this vast world.
Happy Travels,
Emily