"YOU HAVE TO GO TO BAR HARBOR!"

or… “YE GATTA GO TA BAW HAWBAW.”  We’ve heard this a lot since we’ve been in New England.  So DUH… we head to Mount Desert Island and visit Acadia National Park and the town of Bar Harbor.  There are quite a few campgrounds in this area and we choose Bar Harbor Campground.  It’s unique in that they take no reservations and no credit cards.  We get a full hookup site at the back with decent WIFI close to the office and bus stop.

View of Bar Harbor from
Cadillac Mountain

The year round population of Mount Desert Island is about 10,000 but it is estimated that two and a half million tourists visit the island each year. A FREE bus line, The Island Explorer is available to get onto and around the island. These busses are equipped with bike racks and there is also a Bicycle Express trailer that carries overflow bikes along the route. With crowded streets and limited parking on the Island, this is not a luxury it’s a necessity… plus… did I mention? It’s FREE!

The Solitude of Cadillac Mountain

In the Acadia National Park visitor center we catch a film about the park. It touts the reasons folks come to Acadia: the views, the trails and the solitude.  We’ll give them the views and the trails, but those 2.5 mil. visitors kinda mess with the solitude during the summer months. We hike to the top of Cadillac Mountain. At 1,528 feet it is the highest point along the eastern seaboard.  

Views from Schoodic

Although most of the park is on Mount Desert Island, there is a small section on the Schoodic peninsula.  On our way to this section of the park, we stop and check out the MainStay Cottages and RV Park in Winter Harbor. (Someplace we may stay in the future.) The owner encourages us to visit the Wharf Gallery & Grill in Corea for lunch and to be sure to drive to Grindstone Neck to see the cottages of the rich and famous.  We then drive into the park stopping to hike to Schoodic Head for views of Frenchman’s Bay and Cadillac Mountain.  And then proceed to Schoodic point and find granite outcroppings, pounding surf, spruce, jack pines and the solitude of Acadia.

An Unlikely Lunch Spot

Corea

Next on the agenda is lunch in Corea, a classic Down East fishing village.  We follow the hand made cardboard signs with “Warf Grill Open” written in black sharpie, to a dirt lane with a small group of ramshackle fish shacks perched over the harbor to The Wharf Gallery and Grill.  The Gallery displays some wonderful vintage photographs (1940-1960) by local photographer Louise Z. Young.  The outdoor kitchen serves up Whole Lobsters and a limited menu.  We try the Lobster Grilled Cheese Sandwich:  chunks of Lobster and cheese between thick Texas Toast style bread smothered in butter and toasted to perfection.  The Haddock Chowder is flavorful with plenty of fish and potatoes, although it could be better if the stock was reduced and thickened a bit.  The best part is the ambiance, a sunny deck with picnic tables amongst the lobster pots, with harbor views.

In the town of Winter Harbor we stop at the Five and Dime, this packed-to-the- rafters emporium is reminiscent F.W. Woolworth and other Dime Stores of the mid-twentieth century.  There’s everything from hardware to gardening to craft supplies, fabrics and patterns and tons of great tchotskies.  While sitting on a bench outside the store admiring our purchases, a local man stops to chat.  He recommends we drive to Grindstone Neck to see the cottages.  Since this is our second local recommendation we head off to check it out.  This summer colony was established in 1889. These vacation getaways sport upwards of 7-12 bedrooms and acres of manicured grounds.  Some of the roads dump into private circular driveways. (oops!)   The residents here share in an association that includes a yacht club, nine-hole golf course, tennis courts and a footpath.  The beach at Grindstone Neck is rocky and great for beachcombing small shells, rocks and sea-glass.

The town of Bar Harbor is aptly named. Seems like there is a bar, pub or tavern on every block or so.  We stop at the Bar Harbor Brewing Co. and order up a tasting flight.  IMPRESIVE! Their Cadillac Mountain Stout kicks ass! Right up there with the Rogue brews from Oregon and the Polygamy Ale in Utah.  Too bad BH Brewing only produces 260 barrels of bottled conditioned brew a year… this is one major reason to visit Maine!!!

Great Drinks Here!

The Cottage Street Pub is a great place to stop for an afternoon or after dinner draft or one of their signature cocktails.  Four chalk boards line the wall behind the bar: One with an extensive selection of local beers on tap, one with bottled brews, another with a selection of vintage cocktails and a third with concoctions created on site.  It’s a perfect blend of a local dive bar and tourist friendly watering hole with a selection of adult beverages to please the most discriminating palate.  They pour a mean Remember the Main cocktail and after an afternoon or evening here,  the Island Explorer becomes the “Designated Driver.”

Ok so there is more to Bar Harbor than BARS,  but MUSEUM Harbor or TCHOTSKIE Harbor just lacks that certain cache…  Mixed with the standard tourists shops are upscale boutiques and galleries.  There is a significant absence of national chains, franchises and fast food outlets. (Refreshing!)

The Abbe Museum, affiliated with the Smithsonian Museum, exhibits the native perspective of the region.  Twelve thousand years of history are compacted in a few thousand square feet and their gift shop sells some of the finest modern baskets, jewelry and other art by native artists from Maine and the Maritimes. Well worth the price of admission.

Lucky Day!

Fee Gee Mermaid

Although Tchotskies abound there is one shining spot: The Rockand Art Shop offers fun art, great mineral specimens, fossils and a bit of the weird. They also have a Fee Gee Mermaid on display. (A distant relative of Jake the Alligator Man.)

There are lots of choices when it comes to dining in Bar Harbor.  A couple of the locals recommend the Cottage Street Restaurant & Bakery as the best (and least expensive) for lobsters.  (Lobsters in a bakery???)  It’s a small place with alfresco dining. We order a couple of Boiled Lobster Dinners and are surprised when the waiter delivers our meals dons a pair of plastic gloves and proceeds to shell the lobsters for us.  They are perfectly cooked and come with a tasty corn muffin and an exceptionally good Cole slaw. Had to go inside to pay the bill. The cash register is cleverly located next to the baker case.  Walked out with a bag of scrumptious baked goods. (They didn’t last the night LOL)

2 lobster dinners
served family style

Another great spot for lobster is the Bar Harbor LobsterPound. It is right across the highway from the campground.  No ocean views and it’s right on the highway, but the prices aren’t too bad and the screened dining room is mosquito free on a summer evening.  They offer a couple of options for lobster dinners so we order one with steamed mussels and another with corn and slaw. For desert: it’s blueberry pie a la mode.  Probably one of the best fruit pies ever, crust was flakey and the bottom crust was not soggy, fruit filling not overly sweet. They also serve wine and beer and since we’re walking we can have a couple of adult beverages to accompany this great meal.

We originally planned to stay in Bar Harbor for only a week but at the end of the week Dave threw a DEF Sensor error message.  Fortunately there is a GMC dealer nearby, and Dave is still under warranty, so Dave went to the doctor and had his number one DEF sensor replaced.  While Dave was out of commission, we were still able to get around on the Island Express.  Not a bad place to be stuck for a few extra days…