Bar Harbor is a quaint town in Maine that is a favorable destination for those wanting to take a relaxing land vacation but has also become a popular port stop for New England cruises. The Bar Harbor Inn is right in town and is beautiful. The lobby has a Victorian feel with a fireplace. You can get hot coffee or tea anytime of day and in the afternoon you will find a tray of cookies to snack on. There are a number of rooms you can choose from: Classic, Bay View, Luxury Suites, and Garden Views are in the main building. There are also Newport rooms which have views of the gardens, and Oceanfront Lodges. These rooms are in separate buildings.
We stayed in a Garden View Room. All of these rooms are on the first floor. There is an entrance from the inside hallway as well as a patio.
The Thirsty Whale is a pub on Main Street which is good if you want a quick bite to eat. The clam chowder, lobster roll, and fried claims is a great introduction to a Maine vacation.
Main Street (as well as the side streets) is full of different souvenir shops (handmade crafts, woodworkings, art galleries, jewelry, T-shirts, etc). You will also find a drug store, bakery, ice cream shop, a few restaurants and some pubs. If your wallet starts to get a bit thin, there is an ATM on one of the corners. Those who just want to have a nice leisurely stroll and only visit a few shops could probably be done in 30 minutes. Those who are looking to buy things and/or just enjoy window shopping might be able to spend an hour or two.
Jordan’s Restaurant is right off of Main Street and claims to be the home of Bar Harbor’s best wild Maine blueberry muffins and pancakes. My muffin was one of the driest I have had and didn’t have many blueberries. If you want a good one, skip the restaurant and head over to the Pink Pastry Bakery on Main Street. Not only are their muffins moist and full of blueberries, they have wonderful whoopie pies (which is apparently Maine’s official snack), cupcakes, pies, brownies, and other goodies. As for the blueberry whoopie pie – it is like their blueberry muffin but with a lemon icing filling.
A good choice for a seafood dinner is Stewman’s Lobster Pound. The Lobster Bake is the perfect option for any lobster lover. It is a one 1 1/4 lb lobster, a cup of clam chowder (already eaten when the picture was taken), corn on the cob, and potatoes (lobster is covering them) served in a pot. A piece of blueberry pie finishes the dinner. You can choose to remove the shell yourself, or you can ask them to do it for you.
If you want to try another Maine specialty, order a blueberry ale. It is similar to a lager but comes with blueberries floating at the top. The inn is only a five minute walk away, so there is no need to worry about drinking and driving.
Acadia National Park is about a 10 minute drive from the inn. You can choose to drive, hike, or bike around Cadillac Mountain and Jordan Pond but you will first need to buy a park pass.
You can also stop for a bite to eat at Jordan Pond House. The restaurant is open for lunch, “tea”, and dinner. There is a variety of soups, sandwiches, and salads. Dinners also include main entrees.
My husband raved about the restaurant’s popovers and told me they were a cross between a muffin and croissant. I like both, so I was looking forward to trying them. Well, I think a better description would be a hollow dinner roll. It is just a piece of bread. While there were some pieces you could peel apart like a croissant, most of it tasted like crust. I will say, however, that the strawberry jam and butter (that they automatically give you) did give it some flavor.
Along with the popovers, my husband decided to order the lobster stew. There was no shortage of lobster. In fact there were some very large pieces. You certainly get your money’s worth.
Meet Me at Geddy’s is a bright and flashy restaurant and bar with a separate gift shop.
Like the Thirsty Whale, it is very casual. There are your “standard” tables but also some high tops, and they all border a triangular bar.
Three full days should allow you to visit the heart of the city, and split your visit to Acadia National Park into two days. If you would prefer to have only one day in the park, you could always use the third day to visit neighboring towns or take one of the whale-watching or lobster bake cruises.