We chose such a great time to visit Bar Harbor, Maine. The summer crowds were gone; the leaves were gorgeous reds, oranges, and yellows. Many of the more touristy spots had already closed up shop for the season. It was cool, but not yet cold. There was still enough open downtown, because the cruise ships continue to come into the area until the end of October. The national park wasn’t crowded. Enough lobster pounds and good seafood restaurants were still open for us to get our fill. It worked out well.
Several RV parks close up shop after Columbus Day weekend, but we managed to find one that stayed open until October 22, which was exactly when we planned to be heading out of town. It was in a great location, so we were pretty happy with that find.
We spent a week in Southwest Harbor, which is on Mount Desert Island, which is the largest island off the coast of Maine. There are four townships on the island: Bar Harbor, Mount Desert, Southwest Harbor and Tremont. We were less than 20 minutes from downtown Bar Harbor and even less than that to the national park. Also, Southwest Harbor has its own quaint downtown area with restaurants and shopping.
We rolled into town on a Sunday night, and after setting up, we went right on out in search of lobster rolls. The closest place to our campground was Beal’s Lobster Pier. The place was packed. It turned out that it was their last night of the season, and they are a favorite in the area. We got some lobster rolls and sat inside a screened-in dining area near the pier. Ray had the hot roll (lobster and drawn butter), and the girls and I had cold rolls (cold lobster and mayo). It was all delicious.
That was one of about half a dozen lobster meals we had during our week’s stay. We had early-bird lobster dinners downtown by the water, lobster rolls and bisque at Bar Harbor’s Thirsty Whale Tavern, some rolls at a local spot in Southwest Harbor’s cute downtown area, some take out lobster from a nearby pound, and our own camp-side lobster dinner (prepared by Chef Ray). The girls, who really enjoy lobster, have even commented that they are getting tired of it at this point.
Aside from eating, we spent a lot of our time at Acadia National Park. I had been once before in August, but I have to say it’s even prettier in the fall. The colors are stunning. Since we were so close to the park, and we had multiple days to check it out, we didn’t rush through. It’s a smaller national park, but we took our time checking things out.
There are definitely some must sees at Acadia, and we hit the big ones. Park Loop Road has lots of gorgeous overlooks, where drivers can stop and take in some breathtaking views. Sand Beach is a highlight, as it is a pretty, little beach between mountains and enormous rocks. The girls enjoyed climbing the rocks and checking out the tide pools for sea life.
Otter Cliff was a hit with the girls, too, because there were more jagged, dangerous rocks to climb around on. It’s a beautiful area, but the rocks can get slippery, and it’s important to be extremely cautious (especially with kids, who are brave when it comes to climbing around on deathtraps). The height of the rocky cliff is 110 feet above the water, making for a gorgeous vista for anyone sitting up there.
Thunder Hole is another have-to-see spot in Acadia National Park. A small inlet, naturally carved out of rocks, where the waves roll in, Thunder Hole has a small cavern at its end. There the rush of the waves causes air and water to force out like a clap of distant thunder. Water has been known to spout as high as 40 feet, making a thunderous sound that can be heard on down road.
Little Hunters Beach is another small beach area, but unlike Sand Beach, the shore is made up of lots of small rocks (rather than the light-colored sand). It’s a great place to visit during low tide to look for sea life.
Jordan Pond is a stunning sight at sunset, and as we walked up to take a closer look at the clear water, we saw a slew of photographers waiting for that perfect lighting, just as the sun is easing down. My IPhone 7 probably didn’t capture anything close to what they got with their fancy cameras and tripods, but it’s pretty hard to take a bad picture of something so beautiful.
We took a short, but strenuous hike up to Bubble Rock one afternoon, which is only a mile or so round-trip, but the uphill climb makes it a workout. The view at the top is worth the effort. Again, if there is rock climbing involved, the girls are into it. So, part of the challenge is not letting them jump from one large rock to another and busting their faces open. We have to each grip a girl’s hand pretty tightly as we climb. I enjoyed the bright colors once we reached the top.
Finally, I would say that Cadillac Mountain is the Number One stop in Acadia. Ray drove to the summit one morning to view the sunrise, as this is where one can see “the nation’s first sunrise,” during the fall and winter months, when the sun rises south of due east. The girls and I did not get out of bed for that, but we did go to the top during a particularly windy day and walked around through the clouds. It was a pretty cool experience.
While Acadia National Park is probably the most beautiful thing to see in Bar Harbor, the town itself (and all of Mount Desert Island, for that matter) is quite scenic. From the beautiful Bass Harbor Light House, to the countless lobster boats dotting the waters, to the inviting parks nestled in the few townships on the island, it’s definitely one of the prettier places I’ve been. While I want to get out of Maine before Winter, I’m so glad we got to visit in the Fall.
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