I had a road trip to remember exploring coastal Maine in November. We provide car service, private and shared shuttle services, towncars, limo transportation, SUVs. Once you complete your search, you will find the most price competitive transportation services for booking a service between Bar Harbor To Portland Maine in addition to viewing only pre-approved and highly rated ground transportation providers.
Stretch your legs with a relaxed walk along the Shore Path.On Thursday we are driving from Portland to Bar Harbor and are looking for places to stay either along the way and in the Bar Harbor surrounding area (hopefully to keep things more affordable). Unwind on the beach, and take in view of the soaring granite cliffs. New England charm, scenic vistas and outdoor adventure have kept visitors returning to Bar Harbor for over 100 years. What to ExpectCruise to Bar Harbor, Maine. Read on for a guide of what to do, where to stay, and what to eat during your next fall or winter trip to downeast Maine.
(We also popped into the Home Kitchen Café for some of their famous huevos rancheros.) I have a lot of appreciation for how serious many Maine towns take Christmas and their commitment to holiday cheer.Our brief exploration of Rockland also foreshadowed what we found to be true elsewhere in Maine – the off-season is truly the off-season. On our road trip, we spent a couple of nights there (and the food we discovered warrants its own post!) before heading a few hours further north to the cozy town of Bar Harbor.On the way up the coast, we stopped in Rockland to check out their festive lobster tree. Portland, Maine is about a nine-hour drive from D.C. - The average commute for residents of Portland is 4.0 minutes shorter than it is for residents of Bar Harbor.Maine is a much more accessible destination for East Coasters than you might expect. - Portland housing costs are 0.4 more expensive than Bar Harbor housing costs. Save.- The Median Age in Portland is 9.8 years younger than in Bar Harbor.
But I do mention this to encourage you to make plans for accommodations and restaurants before you go so you don’t have to scramble later.Acadia National Park was the biggest inspiration for our trip. On the contrary, I felt pretty dang lucky to be able to experience Maine among the locals. Some are closed October through December, others don’t re-open until “spring.” I say this not to deter you from making an off-season getaway.
One other thing worth mentioning – because of how far north Bar Harbor is, the sun rises and sets early. While it only rained one afternoon while we were there, it is not unheard of for snow to show up in early fall. But if you go, definitely keep an eye on the weather. This is not to say it was overly cold dress in layers and you will be perfectly fine. In November, the weather and scenery reminded us of a mix between North Coast California (think: Monterey) and Iceland. It is a mix of forests, rocky coastline, lakes, and mountain peaks.
Virtually every national hotel chain in city limits closes for the winter. Or to put it another way: the absolute opposite experience of visiting Yosemite on the Fourth of July (a stressful story for another time).Rolling into Bar Harbor our first night, it felt a bit like a ghost town. It was an extremely peaceful and serene way to experience nature. We saw a total of *maybe* five other cars while driving through the park and only saw another living soul when at the most popular sights. When I say, we were the only people in the park – I mean that literally. We tried to get out the door around 6 am to beat the sunset at 4 pm.Acadia in the off-season was unlike any National Park experience I have ever had.
We found a dog friendly cottage downtown that was a perfect home base. They have a variety of late season rentals around the island. We had a great experience with Bar Harbor/Acadia Cottage Rentals.
Again, many of those establishments shut down at the end of summer and most of the restaurants also have reduced winter hours. The walk-able downtown includes several city parks overlooking the water and a variety of shops for all your souvenir needs. What to EatBar Harbor is a charming little city of 5,200 people. We found Bar Harbor to be a convenient starting point to adventuring in the park. In contrast to parks in the West that can take hours to circumnavigate, Acadia is remarkably accessible. One of the unique things about Acadia is that the park virtually surrounds the town of Bar Harbor and is speckled with other little harbor towns on the southwest side of Mt Desert (pronounced like “dessert”) Island.
Havana – A gem of a restaurant with a delicious Cuban menu and upscale vibe. Try the giant fried haddock sandwich! Bonus: this is definitely the best name for a pub that I have seen in a long time. Great for a warm meal after a long day of hiking. A locals’ hangout with tasty sandwiches, salads, and fries and a good selection of beers on draft. Here are the top five places we tried and especially enjoyed during our visit to Bar Harbor.
Mount Dessert Bakery – Just gonna throw this out there – I had the best chocolate chip pumpkin bread of my life at this adorable little coffee house. I especially loved the fig and ricotta pizza! It is also a great option for takeout. While their menu offers much more, their pizzas are solid. Blaze – Wood fired everything. This would be a good special occasion spot and veers the closest to formal of anywhere we experienced in Maine.
Drive the park loop – First things first, get acclimated. Here is a list of some of the best things to do in Acadia. For dog owners, note that many of Acadia’s trails are dog friendly, which is somewhat unique for a National Park. The local blog Acadia Magic also provides some local insight into Mt Desert Island.
There’s also a lot of history to soak up. Sand Beach is close by and is an easily accessible, pretty spot to watch the waves. It takes you to some of Acadia’s most well-known sights, including the famous Thunder Hole, where waves crash into a cave in the mountainside to make its namesake thunderous noise. Coming from downtown Bar Harbor, it’s easy to jump on the one-way Park Loop Road to drive the larger, eastern side of the park.
Portland Me To Bar Harbor Me Free Routes In
The historic carriage paths are car-free routes in the interior of the park that are accessible by foot or bike. It is also easy to customize the length of your hike because many trails are interconnected. If you don’t have a fear of heights, both are must-dos. Both are strenuous, and both rely on a variety of iron rungs and ladders that have been built into the craggy rock to help adventurers scale the mountainside. Two of its most beloved hikes are the Beehive and Precipice Trails. Hike – Because Acadia is not as remote as the western Parks, it’s easy to get on the trail in no time.
The top of the mountain is all rocks and moss. Luckily, you can drive to the top. To see the sunrise from the top of Cadillac Mountain, the tallest mountain on the east coast. See sunrise at Cadillac Mountain – Another iconic Acadia moment is getting up before dawn (remember, the sun rises early here!) to be among the first in the U.S.
It feels like a step back in time. The town touts itself as “the quiet side of the Island” and that is hard to argue with. We stopped by the picturesque Café Dry Dock for a lobster roll in Southwest Harbor. Along the way you will find little towns that are built into the Park. Thankfully, you can find a historic lighthouse on the very southwest tip of Mt Desert Island. Check out the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse – Going to Maine and not seeing a lighthouse is just plain wrong.
Explore Schoodic Point – If both the eastern and western halves of Acadia are simply too hustling and bustling for your tastes, never fear. #priorities) But the views were still lovely. (Missing those was probably the one thing I regretted about visiting in November. Sadly, the historic Pond House Restaurant is closed for the winter so we missed out on their famous popovers. The two twin mountains seen by the pond are known as the “Bubbles”. It’s a serene spot with a variety of hiking trails for all levels of hikers.
It’s a 45 minute or so drive from Bar Harbor.
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