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Eateries

Pier 1 Pizza

Located right on Pier 1 the place is small with simple inside seating or grab your pizza, sandwich, or calzone and dine outside at one of the many picnic tables on the pier. They also have a yummy selection of microbrews. Wine is also available. It is very casual and sometimes its hard to tell who works there, but the food is good, the prices are great and all the people are extremely friendly. It is a hit with the locals and that’s good enough for us.

Phone: (207) 633-5586
Address: 15 Wharf St, Bar Harbor ME 04538

Gringos

This tiny place is located on one of the less tourist frequented side streets in Bar Harbor. The food is mostly burritos and wraps but it is fresh, delicious and the portions generous. This might be one of the healthiest, fastest and cheapest options for a quick bite on the entire island and it is a rarity in Bar Harbor. They also offer tasty smoothies—yum.

Phone: (207) 288-2326
Address: 30 Rodick St, Bar Harbor ME 04609

Poor Boys Gourmet Restaurant

We had heard good things about this place and we were not disappointed although we almost didn’t get a chance to enjoy it. Silly us, we didn’t have a reservation! Thankfully, there was a table near the door that I inquired about and she gladly gave us. It was small and in a high traffic area but one taste of the food and we no longer noticed anything else. Try a “Feast”, a three course seafood dinner for under $20! There are fancier places in Bar Harbor that charge much more but why bother? We loved the homey atmosphere and the delicious yet not over-priced fare. We would happily eat there again (and again and again). Of course, next time we’ll make reservations…

Phone: (207) 288 4148
Address: 300 Main St, Bar Harbor ME 04609

Adventures

Acadia National Park

Acadia protects a delicate, rugged yet much-trampled and densely human-populated environment. Though much of Mount Desert Island is included in the Park there are numerous settlements and small towns also. The Park wraps around these areas in a crazy, patchwork pattern. There are few places in the Park where you will be able to get away from it all and find solace. But it is stunningly beautiful and we’re so glad we visited.

During the week the park is less crowded and early July is a great time to visit. The weather is warm yet the crushing crowds have not arrived. There are over 120 miles of hiking trails, 45 miles of carriage trails which are perfectly suited for biking, places to canoe, kayak, ranger-led programs and all manner of boat tours available in Bar Harbor. From late June through October the Park runs the Island Explorer bus which is a free and easy way to explore the park.

The Park has two campgrounds on MDI which do not have water or electric hook-ups but there are at least 10 private campgrounds on the island which do offer hook-ups. Start at the Hull Visitor Center to pick up your Park vehicle pass, map, brochures and the Beaver Log which lists all the events and activities in the Park.

Jordan Pond Tea House

This full service restaurant is not truly a tea house though they do serve tea. It has a great view of its namesake pond and the Bubbles rock formation. It is very busy and reservations are recommended. We arrived in the late afternoon without them and were shown to our seats within 30 minutes or so. While waiting they have a large gift shop to poke through or head upstairs and enjoy the view from the balcony. They have a large seating area on the lawn but we were glad to be on the porch that afternoon. We were there to try the famous popovers, which were served warm with strawberry jam. They were quite tasty. As could be expected, prices were high, and service was average but the food was good.

The Jordan Pond House Restaurant is located on the Park Loop Road in Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, and is about a twenty minute drive from Bar Harbor.

Bass Harbor Head Light

Though the grounds are open to the public, the small lighthouse is off limits since it is still used as housing by the Coast Guard. The lighthouse is perched on the side of a cliff and is very scenic. Late afternoon is great for pictures. Follow the trail to the left of the lighthouse, which leads down the cliff, this is good spot to take pictures of the lighthouse. The Island Explorer bus stops near the junction of Route 102A and Lighthouse Road.

Directions: Follow Route 3 onto Mount Desert Island. Bear right onto Route 102 South. Follow Route 102 through Somesville, Southwest Harbor and Bass Harbor. The road turns into Route 102A. When Route 102A turns left, continue straight onto Lighthouse Road and follow to the free parking area.

Cadillac Mountain

The top of the 1,530 foot mountain can be reached by road but we decided to hike it. The view from the top was expansive and gorgeous. Prepare for it to be crowded. There is a small gift shop up there too. There are several trail options and we made a loop out of it by hiking up the West Face Trail and down the North Ridge Trail. By continuing down the road we were able to catch the Island Explorer bus to Bar Harbor.

Bar Harbor Whale Watch Company

This company offers several different boat tours focusing on the ecology and history of the area. We opted for their Puffin and Whale tour. The first day our tour was cancelled because of thick fog. I was upset at first but then I was thankful that they didn’t take us out on a fruitless search. We rescheduled for the next morning. The day dawned sunny and warm with miles of visibility, it was perfect. The naturalist did a wonderful job narrating the tour. I was disappointed by the Puffins, they were so small and seemed so far away but at least we had the chance to watch them. The whale portion of the tour was astounding. A mother and her curious calf swam toward us and spent at least 30 minutes near the boat. The calf even spy-hopped and rolled on its back for us—it was playing! The boat ride was smooth and I had no trouble with my stomach, thankfully. The tour was well-done though I thought the boat was a bit crowded and the price was a bit high.

Phone: (207) 288-2386
Address: 1 West St, Bar Harbor ME 04609