In October 2016, Debra and I took a 14-day cruise to Canada and New England. We sailed from Quebec City to Ft. Lauderdale on the Caribbean Princess, with port stops in two provinces and five states. Click HERE to read a short introduction about this wonderful cruise.
This story, which is part of a series, is about our day in Bar Harbor, Maine, the fourth port of call on our cruise.
This story, which is part of a series, is about our day in Bar Harbor, Maine, the fourth port of call on our cruise.
Bar Harbor, Maine (October 29, 2016) – Are you a fan of the movie Overboard, starring Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell? If so, you’ll remember the line uttered by Coast Guard Spotter Lucas: “It’s a helluva day at sea, Sir!” Well, we had a helluva day at sea yesterday. We were supposed to be in Saint John (New Brunswick), but a low-pressure system over Saint John made safe sailing into the Bay of Fundy problematic. It was Captain’s choice, and he chose to bypass Saint John and sail straightaway to Bar Harbor. “Good choice!” I thought.
I would really rather feel bad in Maine than feel good anywhere else.
~ American writer E.B. White
~ American writer E.B. White
Debra and I had never been to Maine, the northeastern-most state in the continental United States. We had read about the beautiful landscape in the Pine Tree State – lakes and streams, rugged coastline, mountains, and deep forests – and knew that we would see this and more in and around Bar Harbor. We were excited and looked forward to the day ahead!
We arrived in Bar Harbor early morning. The temperature was in the low 40s, the sun peeked out from behind the clouds, and it was dry. The daytime forecast was a few degrees warmer and no rain. Perfect for our day of sightseeing!
We arrived in Bar Harbor early morning. The temperature was in the low 40s, the sun peeked out from behind the clouds, and it was dry. The daytime forecast was a few degrees warmer and no rain. Perfect for our day of sightseeing!
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Bar Harbor is a small seaside resort – quite small, in fact, with no more than 6,000 residents, and fewer yet in winter. The town was founded in 1796 as “Eden,” and the name was changed in 1918. Bar Harbor is located on the eastern shore of Mount Desert Island, which is the largest island off the coast of Maine and sixth largest island in the contiguous United States. This coastal area – the eastern region of Maine – is referred to as Down East Maine, an old maritime term that refers to the direction in which ships sailed .
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The Caribbean Princess anchored in Frenchman Bay, as the water by the pier is too shallow for cruise ships to dock alongside it. Midmorning, Debra and I “tendered” to the pier on a small boat to start our day of sightseeing.
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From the town pier, we walked a short distance to Agamont Park, a green space with terrific views of the bay and ocean. There we saw two 15,000-pound cast-iron cannons, a gift from the U.S. Coast Guard. The cannons date to the French and Indian War. We followed the Shore Path to a gazebo for a photo op, and then continued walking towards a quaint looking hotel, the Bar Harbor Inn & Spa. Debra and I thought that the white trim against the gray and the railed patios gave this hotel a distinctive look.
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We followed Cottage Way west to Main Street. As the name implies, it is the principal street in Bar Harbor. Main Street is lined with shops, cafes, and restaurants – Ben & Bill’s Chocolate Emporium, Willis’ Rock Shop, The Acadia Shop, Island Artisans, Stone Soup, and more. As we strolled along Main, we wandered in and out of several shops. There was a lot of kitschy stuff for tourists to buy. Debra restrained herself, but I didn’t: I bought a ball cap with a moose on it that I am wearing in the photo below. It was the perfect addition to my ever-growing collection of souvenir caps!
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We crossed Firefly Lane (the word “firefly” brought back great childhood memories) and arrived at the Village Green. There we stopped to “be in the moment:” The trees were adorned in their multi-colored fall foliage, and the leaves that had fallen carpeted the grass beneath our feet. Debra and I live in the desert – thorny cacti rather than leafy trees – so this was a “piece of heaven” for us. We savored the moment!
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It was time for lunch. I Googled “restaurants near me” and found the highly rated Side Street Café. It was located on Roddick Street – literally around the corner from the Village Green. It was too cool to sit on the patio; instead we sat inside where it was comfortably warm. The café had an extensive menu, including – no surprise here! – many lobster dishes. We knew there was no better place than Maine to have lobster, so there really was no decision on what to eat. Debra ordered a lobster roll with chips and I ordered picked lobster with a cup of clam chowder. We shared a piece of homemade blueberry pie. The food was delicious, and the service was great!
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Acadia National Park
In the months before our trip, I researched “things to do” in each stop on our itinerary. For Bar Harbor, I focused on the outdoors – after all, we booked this cruise to see beautiful fall foliage. The number one outdoor attraction was Acadia National Park, where we were certain to see colorful trees and more.
The park encompasses nearly 50,000 acres; about one-third of the land was donated by John D. Rockefeller. It was first established as Sieur de Monts National Monument by President Wilson in 1916 and renamed Acadia National Park in 1929. The highest point is Cadillac Mountain. With an elevation of over 1,500 feet, it is also the highest point on the east coast of the United States.
In the months before our trip, I researched “things to do” in each stop on our itinerary. For Bar Harbor, I focused on the outdoors – after all, we booked this cruise to see beautiful fall foliage. The number one outdoor attraction was Acadia National Park, where we were certain to see colorful trees and more.
The park encompasses nearly 50,000 acres; about one-third of the land was donated by John D. Rockefeller. It was first established as Sieur de Monts National Monument by President Wilson in 1916 and renamed Acadia National Park in 1929. The highest point is Cadillac Mountain. With an elevation of over 1,500 feet, it is also the highest point on the east coast of the United States.
There was a devasting fire in 1947 – “the year Maine burned.” More than 10,000 acres of the park was destroyed, along with many of the mansions on Millionaires Row in Bar Harbor. As we soon learned, that was then and this was now: Acadia National Park was vibrant – beautiful lakes and ponds, thick forests of evergreens and other trees, a range of wildlife, and more.
After lunch, Debra and I walked to the corner of Main and West, where we meet two couples from our cruise who joined us on a three-hour tour. Our tour guide was Woody, who owned Bar Harbor Coastal Cab. Woody offered several tours – we opted for the “Park Loop Road” tour, which was a 31-mile scenic drive through Acadia National Park. Woody was a great guide – laid back, affable, and a fount of knowledge. He is the one waving in this photo. As we left Bar Harbor, he told us that we would “experience the best of Acadia National Park.” He set the bar high, and he delivered!
After lunch, Debra and I walked to the corner of Main and West, where we meet two couples from our cruise who joined us on a three-hour tour. Our tour guide was Woody, who owned Bar Harbor Coastal Cab. Woody offered several tours – we opted for the “Park Loop Road” tour, which was a 31-mile scenic drive through Acadia National Park. Woody was a great guide – laid back, affable, and a fount of knowledge. He is the one waving in this photo. As we left Bar Harbor, he told us that we would “experience the best of Acadia National Park.” He set the bar high, and he delivered!
We picked up Park Loop Road a few miles outside of town. This road twisted and turned its way up Cadillac Mountain. Woody made several stops along the way – “Kodak moments,” if you will. Debra and I loved this spot, where we had a view of a reed-lined pond set against fall-colored trees and the gray granite mountain. It was breathtaking!
We reached the summit, where Woody parked so that we could enjoy a panoramic view of the forest and bay. We could see several small islands in the bay, as well as the Caribbean Princess at anchor. The views were spectacular! Debra and I used our free time to walk around a short, paved pathway.
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Woody followed Park Loop Road down Cadillac Mountain to Sand Beach, which is located on a small inlet on the southeast corner of Mount Desert Island. This was nearly the end of tourist season, so there were only a few hardy souls (and us) at the beach this day. “The sand,” Woody said, “was made of fine shell fragments created by the pounding surf.” I scooped up a handful and let it run slowly through my fingers, and then I dipped my hand in the water. It was cold. Woody told us that water temperature rarely exceeded 55 degrees – IN THE SUMMER!
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From the beach we drove to Thunder Hole, which is located on another small inlet carved by the force of waves against the rocky coast. Mother Nature at work over the millennia! We walked along a path to the observation deck that overlooked the inlet. At the end of the inlet is a small cavern. The ocean water, pushed by waves, rushed into this cavern. Air and water were forced out of the hole with a sound reminiscent of a far-off clap of thunder. The spout can be as high as 40 feet. We didn’t see any large water spouts this day, and I was too slow to capture a photo of even a small one – but it was quite a sight to see.
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We left the beach on our way to our last stop, Jordan Pond. Along the way, Woody found a couple more photo-ops for us – a carriage house and a stone bridge set among the autumn-colored leaves on the trees and on the ground.
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I took this photo of Jordan Pond from an observation point on the mountain. The pond is actually a small lake (187 acres) that was formed in the last glacial period in North America, which ended about 10,000 years ago.
We had a half-hour of free time at Jordan Pond – time enough for Debra and me to get a closer look at the lake and take a leisurely stroll through the woods. We loved the views as we walked – pine trees to either side of us, two hills at the far end of the lake, and beautiful colored foliage all around us. We found a couple of Adirondack chairs to sit in as we neared the lake. It was soooooo relaxing!
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There is a three-mile path that goes around the lake, but we didn’t have time to walk it this day. Instead, Debra and I followed a shorter loop trail through the woods (and back out again). We loved the smell of the forest and the crunch of the leaves under our feet!
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When I first contacted Woody, I asked if we might see a moose on the tour. “Why a moose?” you might ask. Because Debra was dying to see one – a bucket list animal for her – and she figure that this cruise, with port stops in Canada and upper New England, was her best near-term chance to see one. Woody promised that we would. And as you can see in this photo, he made good on his promise (in a way, that is)!
We were back on board the Caribbean Princess late afternoon, and a couple of hours later we headed to dinner in the Coral Dining Room. As Debra and I walked hand-in-hand to dinner (we’re just a couple of lovebirds!), we noticed that there was an orange haze on the horizon. We stepped on deck and realized that the clouds had given way to a partly blue sky, and that the orange haze was a beautiful sunset!
Debra and I had quite the day – sightseeing the quaint town of Bar Harbor in the morning and the scenic beauty of Acadia National Park in the afternoon. We made new friends and created wonderful lasting memories!
Tomorrow we will be in Beantown. See you there.
Debra and I had quite the day – sightseeing the quaint town of Bar Harbor in the morning and the scenic beauty of Acadia National Park in the afternoon. We made new friends and created wonderful lasting memories!
Tomorrow we will be in Beantown. See you there.