Summer: Everyone knows that Bar Harbor is the place to go if you want to experience the sea and the mountains. From whale watching to hiking and biking, Bar Harbor has been a destination spot for many! While you are there you should take some time to explore Bar Harbor’s first winery, Cellars at Sweet Pea Farm. Located on Mount Desert Island, visitors will find a wonderful varieties of some of the most interesting and native selections around. Every day you can enjoy wine tasting so that you can choose the right wine for you. I fell in love with the Cotes du Maine which is the smoothest Pinot Noir I have ever tasted. They also have a wonderful selection of fruit wines like apple raspberry which make great hostess gifts. After enjoying the winery, make sure to stop in at Beal’s Street Lobster Pound where you can enjoy lobsters on the docks and straight off the boats. After you are done, you can visit the Abbe Museum to learn about the first settlers in the Mount Desert Area. This museum is dedicated to the Native American tribes that settled in the Acadia region and is a good way to learn how they lived. The grounds of the Abbe Museum are beautiful and full of trails to hike as well as quiet places to rest in take in the natural beauty around you. Next time you decide to visit Bar Harbor take a different route and discover all the new things there are to do.
Tag: Summer
Bar Harbor: By Sea Or Land, It’s Very Grand!
Summer: Bar Harbor is the perfect summer thing to do in Maine. It’s a quaint oceanside town with a great mix of shops, art galleries and restaurants. There are camping, hiking, biking and boating options close by, whale and seal watching cruises, sea kayaking tours and of course the Cat, which is a great way to get to Nova Scotia in a hurry. With so much to do in one area it can be hard to choose something to do. If you love jazz, a great time to visit Bar Harbor is during the Bar Harbor Jazz Festival which is a seven day event in August. The town comes alive with jazz duo’s, vocalists and more doling out this sweet and sultry music. The Village Green is the focal point for the happenings and many of the area restaurants offer dining with live jazz music during the week. Bar Harbor has something to do for everyone! The kids will love the beach and the Mount Desert Island Oceanarium. Your teens will love the Atlantic Climbing School where they can strap on the gear and explore the granite cliff along the coastline. There’s plenty to do for the over 21 crowd with Leary’s Landing Irish Pub, Lompoc Café and Brewpub and Geddy’s. At any one of these, you’ll find a lively crowd, great music and cold drinks to keep you entertained throughout the night! Bar Harbor should be one of your destinations this summer in Maine and with so much to do you may want to plan more than one trip!
Antiquing By The Dozens: Follow The Downeast Trail
Summer, Fall & Spring: Maine is a great spot to spend some time popping into the many antique shops that line the Route 1 corridor. With so many places to choose from a great way to spend a day trip is to visit what is known as the “Downeast Trail”. The trail begins in Ellsworth which is a beautiful coastal town near Bar Harbor. The scenery along this route makes for great photo opportunities of the coastline and wildlife of the area. Heading toward Surry you will eventually find yourself in Blue Hill. Between Ellsworth and Blue Hill the antique shops line the roadway. Be sure to stop into the Big Chicken Barn Books and Antiques which is choke full of furniture, glass, china and over 150,000 books! You could literally spend an entire afternoon just exploring the 20,000sf of antiques that fill every square inch of the building. Once you enter Blue Hill village you will find Blue Hill Antiques. This is a great place to find authentic French antiques as the owners travel there and shop personally for their store’s goods. Hop back in your car and keep your eye out for Sargentville on 175, there are a few smaller antique stores along the way. This is a popular route as it leads directly into Deer Isle and Stonington which is known for the specialty antique shops and restaurants. Make sure to stop in at the Maritime Café on Main St. Enjoy lunch or dinner on their waterfront deck and enjoy the view. A trip on the Downeast Trail makes for a great way to spend a day enjoying great antique shops and the gorgeous coastline of Maine.
Bar Harbor: Five Fun Things To Do
Winter, Spring, Summer & Fall: Bar Harbor is the place to be no matter what season. Looking for the freshest lobster dinner, why not go out and catch your own. Check out Lulu’s Lobster Boat Ride where you can spend some up close and personal time seeing what it is like to work on a real lobster boat. The cruises are small and last a couple of hours so you can spend some time checking out what life as a fisherman is all about. After your boat cruise head over to the Oceanarium and Lobster Hatchery where you will learn all you could know about Maine lobsters. The guided tours are informational and visitors can also explore a salt marsh with many hands-on exhibits. The kids will love seeing the baby lobsters being hatched right before their eyes. If you are really looking for adventure than you should check out the Acadia Mountain Guide Climbing School where you will find customized climbing instruction based on your skill level all done on the rocks of Acadia. These breathtaking experiences are perfect for the adventure seeking soul. Whether you decide to attend a full or half day session, you will not be disappointed scouring the edges of Acadia’s sea cliffs with competent guides instructing you each step of the way. Another great thing to do while you are in Bar Harbor is to take your bikes and take a ride on the Carriage Trails. These trails weave their way through Acadia National Park. They are well marked, well groomed and make for a great ride whether you spend the day or just a couple of hours exploring, you will become entranced by the views and the fresh ocean air. Finally, if you just want to take a relaxing stroll, I highly recommend you do so by taking a walk on the Shore Path. This gently winding pathway follows the sea edge along the fringe of the busy, tourist filled town. The pathway borders some of Bar Harbor’s privately owned mansions, the rocky coast and some amazing tidal pools. Shore Path is free to the public and is certainly a gem that is hidden from the hustle and bustle of the center of town. Bar Harbor has plenty of fun things to do, come check it out today!
Maine Coast: Tips To Help You Get The Most!
Spring, Summer & Fall: Maine’s rocky coastline draws tourist from all over with dreams of exploring all it has to offer. Instead of hitting the southern coast and following Route 1 the whole way up the coast, where you will end up missing some really great spots, head to the authentic “Downeast” Maine. If you head to the eastern most point of the US, Eastport, you will be able to be one of the first in the country to see the sun rise. Watching the sunrise over the horizon of this small coastal town is magical. Winter Harbor is another great little coastal town that is not filled with traffic and tourist. You will hear about Bar Harbor and the Acadia area and Winter Harbor although is part of the area is not as well known as some of the other towns. Winter Harbor is part of the famous Schoodic Scenic By-way and one trip along 186 will tell you why. It is absolutely breathtaking and although the town is tiny, there is a great restaurant in town, the Fisherman’s Inn, where you will find the freshest seafood around. Stonington will give you a real view of life in a working fishing community. Be sure to head down Sand Beach Road and check out the sweeping views of Penobscot Bay and Mark Island Lighthouse while you are there. Continue your way down the coast and you will end up in the Searsport and Belfast area, both which have great places to stop in and check out. Searsport has a great marine museum which visitors of all ages will enjoy learning more about Maine’s maritime history. This place has some great exhibits and a wonderful hands on section and the buildings on the grounds are all part of the National Historic Registry. There are so many places to go along the Maine coast, why not make it an authentic Maine coast tour by hitting the Downeast region.