MOUNT DESERT ISLAND, which to some resembles a lobster claw in shape, is the third largest island off the coast of the continental United States. Connected to the mainland by two short bridges spanning the Mount Desert Narrows, MDI is divided into four towns: Bar Harbor, Southwest Harbor, Mount Desert, and Tremont. About three quarters of the islands contains Acadia National Park. Ninety-six percent of Maine is privately owned; the 36,000 actres of Acadia National Park is the largest publicly-owned portion. There are restroom facilities at the Thompson Island information center at the head of the island. In Bar Harbor, there are facilities adjoining Agamont Park. 

Immediately after coming onto Mount Desert Island, the Bar Harbor KOA Campground is on your right. A bir further on, consider taking the right fork at Parcadia Exxon Pizza (which makes deliveries to area campgrounds. Call 288-5053) . The road to the right leads to the island's so-called backside and passes by some interesting roadside attractions. Traditionally, the folks on the "working side" of the island have been deeply involved with such pursuits as boatbuilding and fishing and haven't much hunkered into catering to tourists. This has changed to an extent, but there is still far less glitz here, and sometimes there are better values.

Rtes 102 and 198 lead to Somesville, Southwest Harbor, and Tremont. You'll go by MOHR Signs, Imported Car Service, Bar Harbor Iron Works, Bar Harbor Jam Co., EBS (Ellsworth Builders Supply), Windward Cottages, Salisbury's Organic Garden Center, Westwind Cottages, Seaside Cottages, Kitchens by Northwoods of Maine, a KOA campground, Super's Junkin Co. (antiques and old stuff), Ernie's Sculptures, a turnoff onto the Indian Point Road, Sea Change Studio Gallery, the Lake and Sea Boatworks, and Betsy's Studio and Gifts, the Collier House (bed and breakfast), and Mount Desert Granite and Brick.

This road is a designated Bike Route.


Atlantic Brewing Company-Estate Brewery/Winery on the Knox Road in Town Hill features an open air garden bistro and tavern, a tasting room, and a gift shop. It’s open daily for tastings, and on Saturday there’s a barbecue.

If you're among those who think art should be fun, you won't want to miss Ernie's. Operating from a small shop in Town Hill, Ernie Abdelnour fashions fascinating, often funny sculptures of copper and brass, odd pieces of plumbing, tools, assorted debris, and anything else that strikes his fancy. Truth be told, Ernie seems to be a bit hung up on vehicles--many of his pieces are boats, trains, cars, fire engines and wagons, although he also has done sundry buildings and much else. He does a frog series that features a piano-playing frog campaigning against gourmet food--including, of course, frog legs. Call 207-288-5337.



THE COLLIER HOUSE features a traditional Maine farmhouse and 4 distinctively different outbuildings offering accommodations from comfortable country bedrooms to luxury units with private jacuzzi and fireplaces. All of them include our delicious country breakfast.




SOMESVILLE

Somesville was the site of the first European settlement on Mount Desert Island.

Somesville One Stop, a bank, a turnoff left to Rtes 3 and 198 (the Eagle Lake Road leading to Northeast Harbor and Bar Harbor).

Watch for Pat Foster Real Estate and the Port in the Storm Book Store.

In Somesville is the Mount Desert Island Historical Society Museum, a collection of local documents and artifacts, including period clothing, pewter, and old maps. Open 2 to 5 p.m. Wednesdays and Sundays, mid-July to Labor Day. Both wild and domestic ducks swim in nearby Mill Pond. You might enjoy checking out the frequently-photographed Somesville Bridge, a graceful span over Somes Creek. In season, you'll endjoy the gardens.

At the A.V. Higgins Store, there is a pleasant conglomeration of antiques, collectibles, and deli items, including baked beans and blueberry muffins and pies. Ready for lunch? You won't find a better sandwich anywhere in the territory. Call 207-244-5401.

A small sign touts Dr. Bob's chem-free willd blueberries and pure maple syrup, sold year round.

Just down the road, the Acadia Repertory Theatre has been presenting summer theater for the past quarter century. Call 207-244-7260 for reservations and additional information.

To the right is the turn onto the Pretty Marsh Road. Near here is a canoe rental place.

Further on is the turn to the Maine Granite Industry Museum. It's a little hard to find and it's nothing fancy, but the Rocky Coast Rock Shop at 70 Beech Hill Crossroad is certainly an interesting place. Proprietors Steven Haynes and Juanita Sprague are the foremost authority on Maine's historic granite industry. They have collected specimens from over 350 of the state's abandoned granite quarries. (Steven can look a hunk of rock and tell you precisely where it came from!) Although they have many products made of granite at the shop, they are as interested in instructing folks as they are in selling them something. They will show you their extensive collection of artifacts, including blacksmith and stone cutting tools, oxen shoes, railroad cartwheels, railroad spikes, old photos and derrick parts. Studying granite has been a lifelong pursuit for Steven; nobody knows more about this somewhat ignored aspect of Maine history.
 
a bit further on the road to Hall Quarry is on the left.

Watch for Acadia Mountain parking. Trails from here lead up the mountain.

Watch for the Echo Lake entrance to Acadia National Park. At Echo Lake, there is a man-made beach with changing facilities and lifeguard. From the parking area, a steep trail leads up the cliff face of Beech Mountain. At Ikes Point, there are boat-launching facilities (Powerboats with motors exceeding 10 hp are prohibited.)

You can get a good deal on family camping at the Appalachian Mountain Club Camp on Echo Lake. Campers live in tents that have board floors and are supplied with beds, sheets, and blankets. Hot showers are available along with three daily family-style meals, including a clambake and lobster picnic. The camp is so popular that a lottery must often be held to determine who will get in. Write Echo Lake Camp, Mt. Desert, ME 04660, or call 207-244-3747.

you'll see the parking area for Acadia Mountain, which provides a 3.5 mile round trip climb and spectacular views of Somes Sound.

you'll come upon the parking area for St. Saviour Mountain. From here you can go hiking and climbing.


On Route 102, SMUGGLER'S DEN CAMPGROUND provides 100 wooded sites for tents, pop-ups, and RVs. It's a pleasant 20-minute walk to Echo Lake Beach in Acadia National Park.


On your left will be DeMuro's Top of the Hill Restaurant.

Flying Mountain Artisans are on your right.

Westside Market Plaza (groceries, laundramat, beauty salon).

SOUTHWEST HARBOR

The Fernald Point Road, which goes by the Causeway Golf Club, takes you to Valley Cove, a scenic lookout to Somes Sound. From the Fernald Point Road, you can take a trail up Flying Mountain. It's an easy climb, said by many to provide the park's best view for the least effort (unless you count driving up Cadillac Mountain). Nearby is the Charlotte Rhodes Park.


Further on, the Seal Cove Road goes to Long Pond. From the south end of this pond, there are hiking trails providing three routes to Mansell Mountain. Look for Brandon and Laura's Cafe, the Southwest Liquor Locker, and All in One Thrift Shop. Further down this road are the offices for the Mt. Desert Spring Water Co., Pettegrow Custom Boats, and the Island Watch and Island Watch (bed & breakfasts). From the Seal Cove Road you can get onto Acadia National Park Fire Roads.



In Southwest Harbor, the Wendell Gilley Museum of Bird Carving features changing exhibits of carvings by Gilley and other artists. Gilley, author of the classic "The Art of Bird Carving," did around 6,000 wooden birds, some of which have in recent years commanded thousands of dollars. The museum is housed in a state-of-the-art solar heated building; staff is on hand to explain its workings. During the summer months, the museum has a full schedule of demonstrations and classes. Call 207-244-7555 for schedules. Low ticket prices make this a real cultural building. General admission: $3; children 5-12, $1; children under 5 free. 

Downtown you'll see Mount Desert Island Real Estate, marine brokerage and sea kayaks, Southwest Harbor Antiques, a bank, Salty Dog Gallery, Under the Dogwood Tree, Aylen & Son Jewelers, Little Notch Cafe and Bakery, and Sawyers Specialties.

If you are in the Southwest Harbor area, Carroll Drug Store will deliver your prescription. Sawyer's Specialties has the biggest selection of fine wines north of Boston. The second Saturday of every month from 2 to 6 p.m., the folks here sponsor wine tastings.


How about a nice eclectic line of gifts with an emphasis on selections for animal lovers? This is what you’ll find at COZY CAT FARM GIFTS FOR EWE at 16 Village Green Way. Especially nice are items made of hand-spun yarn from the owners' sheep. They also offer souvenirs, Maine t-shirts and sweatshirsts, and lots of gifts for cat lovers.


Nearb is the Chamber of Commerce Information Center and the Public Library.

Sawyer’s Specialties has the biggest selection of fine wines north of Boston. The second Saturday of every month from 2 to 6 p.m., the folks here sponsor wine tastings.


A left will put you on the Clark Point Road which leads to the waterfront. You'll pass Sips, the road to the Medical Center, and the Clark Point Inn, Lindenwood Inn, Southwest Lobster, Hamilton Marine, and the Coast Guard Station.

Sips at 4 Clark point Road South West Harbor, the newest creation of the Worcester family ( Sawyer's Specialties and Sawyers Market )offers gourmet cuisine served up in an enjoyable atmosphere at affordable prices.  They have an Espresso bar and a wine bar. Open-year round for breakfast ,lunch and dinner. Sunday brunch is from 9 to 2. Reservations recommended. Bon Appetite! 207-244-4550

MDI is a leading national center for birdcarvers. Gilley was first, but Cliff Youse, who loves to talk about the intricacies of carving birds, has been a major factor in getting others interested in the art. You can see his work at the House of Youse on Clark Point Road. In Bar Harbor at MDI Woodcarvers, Wayne Edmondson is usually on hand to demonstrate how birds are carved.

The Claremont Hotel, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, holds an annual summer croquet tournament.


You can eat your lunch at an authentic Maine working wharf at BEAL'S LOBSTER PIER.





SOUTHWEST BOAT MARINE SERVICES serves the individual needs of anybody with a boat. From metal fabrications and welding to underwataer hull inspections, Southwest Boat is the company to turn to.



In Away for the Weekend: 52 Great Getaways in the Six New England States for Every Season of the Year, Eleanor Berman singled out two special, easy-to-overlook attractions in Southwest Harbor: The Gilley Museum and the MT. DESERT OCEANARIUM, which it called "a great place for kids, with its touch tanks and other hands-on exhibits, including phones for listening in to the songs of whales." In Traveling with Children in the USA, Leila Hadley applauded just one privately operated attraction on MDI: The Oceanarium. Call 207-244-7330.


Back on Main Street if you're in the mood for a good cup of espresso, check out Jumpin Java Expresso Cafe. Ready for lunch/ Nearby is the Quiet Side Café, an ice cream shop that's also a terrific place to eat. Other shops include

You can see the work of more than 50 local artisans at The Sand Castle, a very pretty shop situated downtown. There are granite carvings, ships' bells, handmade sailing vessels, pottery, blown glass, jewelry, puppets, birdhouses, the list goes on and on. Half the fun of visiting this shop is not knowing what you'll discover next. On top of it all, everything is reasonably priced.

Watch for the Cafe Drydock, Hatched on MDI (childen's clothing), the Moody Mermaid, Judy Taylor's Gallery, Southwest Cycle, and Penury House.

As you leave the downtown area, you'll see Mansell Boat Rental, Fiddler's Green Restaurant, and Head of the Harbor with its several shops.


A bit further on, the road to Seawall will be on your left. Watch for the Moorings inn and Restaurant.


The Cranberry Isles, half an hour out of Southwest Harbor, provide an experience that is distinctively Maine. These islands, home to generations of fishermen and spared commercial exploitation, are much as they were a century ago. The Cranberry Cove Boating Co. makes trips daily. Take your bike, pack a picnic lunch. There are plenty of trails for hiking, and lovely, unspoiled ocean beaches you'll long remember.

Henry R. Hinckley, noted builder of luxury yachts, has its yard in Manset. Driving past the yard and in the harbor at Northeast, you can see some of the world's most beautiful sailing vessels.

The Seawall Picnic Area on the ocean is near the Seawall Campground. Both are in Acadia National Park. Here there is a rocky shore laced with tidepools..

Manset Boat House repairs, services and sells Johnsn and Honda outboard motors. The company also repairs and sells boats.

The trail to Wonderland is an old road offering an easy walk to the shore thru a dense spruce forest and open pitch pine forest. Here there is an amazingly wide variety of habitats, making it a good birdwatching spot.

The Ship's Harbor Nature Trail runs about a mile-and-a-half thru a spruce forest and open ledgy woodlands. A self-guided brochure to the trail is available free at Seawall Campground.

Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse (1858) is often said to be the most-photographed lighthouse in the world. It has been automated, and the house is now a private residence.

The Seal Cove Road, most of which is in Acadia National Park, is a winding dirt road that takes you thru a heavy coniferous forest, providing access to Bald and Western Mountains, two of MDI's quieter hiking areas.

Roaming around these parts is a great way to avoid the crowds that flock to Sand Beach and Thunder Hole. You may meet no other hikers as you explore such places as Seal Cove and Hodgdon Ponds. Likewise is true of the Long Pond Fire Road, an unpaved loop providing access to Western Trail, which leads to a notch between Bernard and Mansell Mountains. The forests hereabouts have been untouched for decades, allowing for mature growth.

"People say we have the best lobster rolls, in Maine," says Karen Godbout of Bass Harbor's Maine-ly Delights Snack Bar. Karen, who started out serving great lobster and crab rolls from a tiny milk truck a quarter century ago, evidently hasn't heard about inflation. From day one, her lobster dinners have been as low as $6.95—depending on market price. Doughboys, the only ones on MDI, are among her specialties; they're just $1.50. Karen has other daily specials as well. If you like, you can eat outside on her deck overlooking the fishing village of Bass Harbor. No way can you beat the low prices and friendly atmosphere you'll find here.

Island Cruises, headquartered on the Shore Road in Bass Harbor, are on the inexpensive side: $12 for adults, $8 for children. Running the show is Kim Strauss, who describes his cruises as being on the mellow side. "They're definitely not cattle cruises," he promises. One cruise goes to Frenchboro on Long Island while a second one "pokes around some of the other islands looking for eagles and seals." Kim is just getting started in the business and seems eager to please.

You can get a round-trip ticket on the ferry to the Cranberry Isles for $8. The Cranberry Cove Boating Co's vessel leaves Southwest Harbor four times daily. Children under 12 pay half; those under three sail free. You can bring your bikes. Call 244-7225.

The Wharf Restaurant features picturesque Alfresco dining with views of the working harbor and mountains beyond. You’ll find traditional Downeast fare including lobsters, crabs, shrimp, clams, scallops and fish as well as unique specials served in a casual "family" atmosphere. Bring your own beer or wine.

A bit more expensive is the Bass Harbor Cruise, which leaves twice daily from the Bass Harbor town wharf. Tickets for the two-hour trips are $14 for adults, $9 for children. On board is an Acadia National Park naturalist as well as a Maine lobsterman, who will demonstrate trap hauling. Call 244-5365 for reservations.

How pervasive is the Internet? Well, when the luddites and anti-technologists feel they have to have websites, weâd say itâs mightily so. But that's the case with Nicols Fox. At her Bass Harbor shop, Rue Cottage Books, she specializes in texts for "luddites, greens and like-minded readers" and is an authority on the luddites, those single-minded folks who at the dawn of the industrial revolution felt morally compelled to demolish weaving machinery. Her business card says she's "reluctantly on the web at ruecottage.com," and she stocks a small but very interesting assortment of books, both new and used.


Back on Rte102, watch for Gott's Store and Big Al’s Pit Stop is billed as a "Convenience Super Store." It even has a Deli Express Hot Line—Just call 244-9750 for Super Fast Service.

Beach Front Cottages provide weekly rentals right on Bass Harbor harbor.


If you take the right towards Bernard, you'll come to McEachern & Hutchings, Inc. (building materials), the turn to Ann's Point Inn, Bass Harbor Boat, Sunset Cottages, the Quietside Campground, the road t o Seal Cove Potttery and Gallery, Edna's Variety Store, Butler's Lodge, the West Eden Bed & Breakfast, the Candle Closet, the road to Pretty Marsh and the road to Beech Hill Cliffs.

In Bernard, check out Nancy Neale Typecraft, Maine's only printing museum and memorabilia shop. Here you'll find one of the country's most extensive collections of wood type. Near the museum is E. & L. Higgins, Inc, Maine's largest antique wicker dealer.

On the Pretty Marsh Road, you can see one of the country's finest collections of antique cars at the Seal Cove Auto Museum. The display represents the fruits of a great deal of dedication as well as heaps of old and inherited money.

The Pretty Marsh Picnic Area, which is in the national park, provides views over bluffs to Pretty Marsh Harbor and onward to Bartlett and Hardwood Islands. Here there is a stony beach.

The Indian Point Road leads to the Blagden Conservancy, which is owned by the Nature Conservancy. The area was once home to the Passamaquoddy Indians. Now a nature preserve, trails thru the land offer views of old spruce forest, an old apple orchard, and white spruce along the coast.


BAR HARBOR

If you take the left fork at Parkadia Grocery and Lunch you'll be on Rte 3 heading towards Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park headquarters. Right quick you'll come upon the Sunnyside Motel and Cottages,

A major attraction is the OCEANARIUM, which features a lobster hatchery, a lobster museum, a marsh walk, and a seal tank. Most often there's a lobsterman on hand to explain the mysteries of his venerable trade. The Oceanariums (there is a second one in Southwest Harbor) are run by David and Audrey Mills, good people who take their roles of teachers seriously.

Watch for the Mount Desert Narrows Campground, Eden Village (lodging), Sunflower Greenhouses, the turnoff to Hadley Point Campground, and the Llanglan Inn.

The Atlantic Brewing Company of Town Hill is establishing a vineyard on Route 3 at what was Sweet Pea’s Farm. The new name is Sweet Pea’s Vineyard. It’s more than a vineyard, however; it is also an organic farm selling vegetables and flowers. It has a nice gift shop.

Keep going and you''ll see the Coach Stop Inn, the left turnoff to the Bay Meadow Cottages and Edgewater Motel and Cottages, a right turnoff onto Norway Drive and Bowden Marine Service

Bowden Marine Service can supply just about any of your boat,motor and trailer needs.  Your Mercury Outboard / Boston Whaler dealer in the Bar Harbor area. located on Norway Drive, half a mile from Route 3 in Bar Harbor. Stop by and say hi to owner Paul Bowden and let him know you saw his ad in this year’s Captain D. 207-288-5277

The Mt. Desert Island Biological Laboratory in Salisbury Cove conducts a free summer visitors' program. Scientists here are engaged in studying various aspects of cell biology, with an emphasis on rheopharmacology--they've been using sharks and dogfish to study kidney functions. Visitors can check out a touch tank, see the laboratories, and listen to scientists describe their work. The tours begin at 1:30 p.m. Wednesdays mid-June thru August. Call 207-288-3605.


Look for the Best Western Inn, the Bar Harbor Campground, Robbins Motel, Pirate's Cove Miniature Golf, the Bar Harbor Convenience Store, the Log Cabin Restuarant, Seabreeze Motel, Hinckley's Dreamwood Cottages, Hutchin's Mountainview Cottages, Gail's Gardens, and Town and Country Dolls.

In Hulls Cove, you'll see the Chart Room on your left. To the right is the Crooked Road which will take you to Rocky Mann's Ceramic Studio. If you're into old tools, check out the Tool Barn in Hulls Cove. There's an amazing assortment.

Up a little ways is the entrance to Acadia National Park Headsquarters. You can go this way to get onto the Park Loop Road, Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, the Jordan Pond House, and the road up Cadillac Mountain.

Acadia National Park Visitor Center in Hulls Cove has printed information and a free film that'll introduce you to the park. During the summer, park naturalists conduct daily interpretive programs to help visitors understand the ecological processes at work here. Call 207-288-3338.

Back on Rte 3 you'll pass a Holiday Inn, a Days Inn, and the Bay Ferries Terminal (which operates The Cat, the fastest way to Nova Scotia) , the Altantic Oakes By-the-Sea (lodging), the Jack Russell Steakhouse, the Acadia Inn, the Highbrook Motel, the Bar Harbor Hotel-Blue Nose Inn, College of the Atlantic, and the Wonderview Inn and Suites.

The new ferry, The Cat, brought into service in the summer of 1998, is some fast boat, turning what had been a six-hour trip to Nova Scotia into one lasting two-and-a-half hours. The multi-million-dollar vessel will handle 240 vehicles and 900 passengers.

The Natural History Museum at College of the Atlantic, open daily Labor Day to Oct. 10, features children's hands-on exhibits, a 20-foot whale skeleton, and other displays of island life. There is a self-guided nature trail on the college campus and summer field studies. The price certainly is right: general admission, $2.50; seniors, $1.50; kids under 12 - 3, one dollar. 

At 8 p.m. on Wednesdays, College of the Atlantic holds a summer distinguished lecturers' series. Call 288-5015.


A left onto West Street will take you by the Maine Sea Coast Mission, the Salt Air Inn, the Bar Harbor Club, Bar Harbor Artisans, Song of the Sea (handcrafted musical instruments), Stewman's (restaurant), the Quarterdeck Restaurant, and Harbor Place, a collection of several businesses at the Town Wharf. Included here is the the Fish House Grill, Bar Harbor Whale Watch Co., and Oli's Trolley.

At Song of the Sea, Edward and Anne Damm show an assortment of unusual musical instruments, including hammered and mountain dulcimers, bodhrans, psalteries, concertinas, pennywhistles, and harps. They build many of these themselves and will provide free demonstrations on any of them. The Damms are the driving force behind the Dulcimer and Folk Harp Festival each July. The event attracts performers and spectators from around the country. Call 207-288-5653 for details

Let the Bar Harbor Whale Watch Co. be your one-stop boating company. There are four different cruises, all of which are informatively narrated. It’s both fun and educational. The folks here promise you’ll see a whale. If you don’t, the next trip’s on them.

Taking a left onto Main Street, we'll go by Geddy's Pub, My Maine Bag, Bayside Landing shops, Acadia Outdoors, Sherman's Book Store, Ben and Bill's Chocolate Emporium, Not Quite the Corner Deli, Atlantic Climbing School, Clair de Loon (gifts), a bank, the Acadia Shop, Debba's of Bar Harbor, Island Artisans, the New Engand Country Store, West End Drug, Alexander Phillips (a clockmaker), Bar Harbor Hemporium, Cool as a Moose, Scrimsaw Workshop, Big Dipper Ice Cream, and C.H. Butterfield's.

The Maine Woods Visitor Center is situated upstairs in the Bowl & Board Store on Main Street. There are exhibits about the history and future of the Maine Woods. Featured is a proposal by a group called "RESTORE: The Maine Woods " to create a 3.2 million acre Maine Woods National Park in northern Maine.

West End Drug has a 22-cent cup of coffee (27 cents if you want cream). The old-fashioned ice cream soda fountain here is one of the friendliest places in town.


A right onto Mt. Desert Street at the Village Green will take you to Benbow's Alternative Market, Evergreen Pottery, Sea of Cotton, the street to Cafe This Way, the Acadia Hotel, the Abbe Museum, the Jesup Memorial Library, a YWCA, the Thornhedge Inn, a bank, the Rockhurst Motel, the Ledgelawn Inn, Mira Monte Inn, the Primrose and Aurora Inns, Bar Harbor Manor, the Acadia Cafe, and a Quality Inn.


Benbow's, which bills itself as "New England's premier coffee roaster," has placed its product in specialty stores thruout New England. You might be interested in taking a free tour of its roasting facility. They're held from 2:30 to 3 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Reservations are necessary: Call 2888-5271. Several of Benbow's coffees are available at the Alternative Market on Main Street.

The Episcopal Church, situated on Mt. Desert St., has wonderful Tiffany windows and welcomes visitors. Performing in St. Saviour's Parish House on Tuesday and Wednesday nights this summer is Jackson & Friends, a concert series of comedy, music and new vaudeville. The shows are presented by the wonderfully talented Jackson Gillman, sometimes known as the Stand-up Chameleon. Gillman has been returning to Bar Harbor for many, many years, and couldn't be more welcome.

Bar Harbor Historical Society Museum at Jesup Memorial Library (288-4245) has a large collection of photographs of early hotels, cottages, steamers, and rusticators. There are excellent scrapbooks of the 1947 fire.

Bar Harbor has an incredible selection of accommodations. Popular ones incude The Ledgelawn Inn, Ivy Manor Inn Bed & Breakfast, Coach Stop Inn, Acadia Inn, Acadia Hotel, Atlantic Eyrie Lodge, Bar Harbor Grand Hotel, Bar Harbor Inn & Spa, Cromwell Harbor Motel, Acadia Pines Motel, Acadia Suites, Anchorage Motel, Bar Harbor Inn, Bar Harbor Manor, Bar Harbor Motel, Bar Harbor Quality Inn, Barton's Motel, Bay Meadow Cottages, Belle Isle Motel, Bluenose Inn, Cadillac Motor Inn, Chiltern Inn, The Colony, Cromwell Harbor MoteL, Days Inn Frenchman Bay, Edenbrook Motel, Edgewater Motel and Cottages, Fairfield Inn, Hanscom's Motel, Harborside Motel, High Seas Motel, Hutchins Mountain View Cottages, Inn At Bay Ledge, Isleview Motel, Maine Street Motel, Ocean Drive Motor Court, Park Entrance Ocean Front Motel, Port Atlantis, Primrose Inn, Quimby House Inn, Rockhurst Motel, Sea Breeze Motel, Seacroft Inn, Snell House, Sunnyside Motel & Cottages, Sunrise Motel, Town Motel & Moseley Cottage Inn, Villager Motel, Wonder View Inn & Suites.


MIRA MONTE INN at 69 Mt. Desert St. was built in 1861. (Mira Monte means "behold the mountain" in reference to the beautiful surrounding peaks of Acadia National Park.) Arrington's Bed and Breakfast Journal called Mira Monte "One of Top 15 B&B's with Best Gardens" and singled it out as the "Inn with the Most Privacy" and "Best Inn for Shopping.”



Downtown Bar Harbor has something for just about everybody. There are nice shops with beautiful, expensive things, shops with inexpensive T-Shirts, and shops with expensive T-shirts. There are several pretty decent restaurants. Throughout Bar Harbor, there are motel and hotel rooms aplenty, running the gamut from low cost to really expensive.Many people love Bar Harbor, although just as many hate it. The people who like it enjoy the many shops carrying quality merchandise not readily available anywhere else in the territory, the wide choice of restaurants, the high energy level, the glitz. The people who hate it point to the tackiness, the high prices, the crowdedness, the pushiness, the glitz. Whether you love it or hate it probably has more to do with you than with Bar Harbor.


Frommer's Dollarwise Guide to New England called the Thornhedge Inn “Bar Harbor's most desirable place to stay.”


We've eaten at MAMA'S DIMATTEO'S often and can recommend the food wholeheartedly. It's a family-style, casual Italian restaurant, most everything is made on the premises, and prices are competitive. Owner/chef Eric Olson accepts ITEX trade drafts.


A favorite destination in downtown Bar Harbor is Reel Pizza, the place to go for gourmet pizza. Eat pizza any way your like it, enjoy beer or wine, and watch movies ranging from current hits to cult classics.


On Rodick Street, look for Miguel's Mexican Restaurant, Bluesboy Music, Diversified Ink Tattoes, Morning Glory Bakery, the Lompac Cafe, Siam Orchid (Thai restaurant), Gringos, and Margarittas Mexican Restaurant.


On Cottage Street, you'll find Rosalie's Pizza, All Fired Up, National Park Sea Kayaks, Thirsty Whale Tavern, Eden Rising, Rite Aid Pharmacy, Cafe Milagro, Criterion Theatre, The Spot Grill, Cadillac's, the Opera House Internet Cafe, Harbor Wear, Bubba's, Cadilac Mountain Sports, Route 66 Restaurant, Jeannie's Breakfast, and EPI Subs.

The Bayside Landing has several shops, including Bayside Liquors, Maine Artist, Pretty Marsh Gallery, Maine Nature Photos, and Testa's Restaurant.


On Main Street, you'll see Bayside Traders, Sherman's Book Store, Bay Ferries, Ben and Bill's, Jeckell & Hyde, Atlantic Climbing School, Christmas Spirits, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, Clair de Loon, Acadia Shop, Debbahs, Native Arts Gallery, Island Artisans, Our New England Country Store, Bar Habor Savings & Loan, West End Drug, Alexander H. Phillips Clockmaker, Katahdin Photo Gallery, Argosy Gallery, Art and Soul, Bar Harbor Hemporium, Cool as a Moose, Stone Soup, Rupununi's American Bar & Grill, Acadia Country Store, Del Sol, Joe's Smoke Shop, Get Clocked, Bark Harbor, T-Shirt Express, Scrimshaw Workshop, C.J.'s Big Dipper Ice Cream, J. H. Butterfield Co., In the Wood, Walking the Dog, Psychic Reader, Window Panes, Parkside Restaurant.


On Mount Desert Street, there's the Village Green (a lovely park), the Bar Harbor Tea Co., Bright Sparkle Studio, the Evergreen Pottery, Argosy II Gallery, Bar Harbor Brewing Co., Eclypse Gallery, Sea of Cotton, the turnoff to Cafe This Way, the Alternative Community Market, Acadia Hotel, Abbe Museum.

From the pier, you can see Bar Island, which is connected to Bar Harbor by a sand bar when the tide is out. Half of Bar Island is national park and you're free to explore the whole place. Take care not to let the incoming tide strand you there. 

On Monday and Thursday evenings at 8 during July and August, the town band plays at the Village Green. Concerts are free. 

Ms. Thompson of Art by Thompson give a five percent discount to honeymooners. (Or those who say they're honeymooners; Ms. Thompson knows that frequently she's hoodwinked, a situation she accepts with graceful good cheer.

Few small towns boast as many nice parks as Bar Harbor. There is the Village Green on Main St., Agamont Park down by the pier, and Grant Park, an under-utilized resting spot at the end of Albert Meadow Ave. From Grant Park, you can see some of Bar Harbor's fine old homes by following the Shore Path. 

Fast food franchises have pretty much avoided MDI. Things slow down too much in the wintertime for this place to be attractive to the McDonald's of the world.. The sole exception is Bar Harbor's Subway Sandwich Shop, which shuts down when the going gets slow.


The original art deco style has been preserved at Bar Harbor's Criterion Theatre. The unusual balcony configuration has the upper level, called the loge, split into many compartments. Everything is original, including the two projectors, which go back sixty years. The Criterion was built in 1932 by George McKay, a local legend who is said to have gotten his considerable fortune running rum. In the early days, live vaudeville was spotlighted on the Criterion's stage. Shown now is a wide variety, including recent releases, art films, and foreign language films.

At the New-Old Lompoc Cafe, Doug Maffucci brews his own fresh unpasteurized beer and at 4:30 each day conducts a free tour of the brewery. At the cafe, there is a wide variety of free entertainment nightly. (The place is named after the Old Lompoc Hotel in California. That place burned down: thus the New-Old Lompoc.)



If you keep going straight on Main Street (passing through Otter Creek Village, Seal Harbor and, Finaly, Northeast Harbor, you'll pass Window Panes, the Ivy Manor Inn, climbing lessons, Bar Harbor Villager Motel, Lynam"s Real Estate, J.B. Atlantic Co., Macey's, Bar Harbor Grand Hotel, Island Card & Gift, Chowdah's (restaurant), Tapley's, Mt. Desert Ice Cream, the Cadillac Motor Inn, Cromwell Harbor Motel, Compass Harbor Village, and the Ocean Drive Restaurant.

A turn to the left here will take you to an entrance to Acadia National Park.


Just about no other place offers so much value for the money as Poor Boy's Gourmet Restaurant on Lower Main Street. Dinner prices begin at $8.95, making it the only place this inexpensive to be featured in leading gourmet guides.

Bark Harbor has much more than a cute name. It is loaded with gifts, jewelry, accessories for cats and dogs, and much more.

Abbe Museum, celebrating Maine's Native American heritage, has two locations: the new museum 26 Mount Desert St. in downtown Bar Harbor, open year-round, and the historic, trailside museum at Sieur de Monts Spring, open May-October. At the downtown site there are programs for children and adults including workshops with Native American craftspeople. 207-288-3519.

The Jackson Laboratory, the world's largest center for the study of mammalian genetics, is home to some of the world's foremost genetic researchers. The laboratory also is something of a factory, producing millions of mice used by scientists throughout the world. Many of these mice are unique in that they are genetically destined to have certain traits, including particular diseases.

If you keep going past the lab, you'll get to the Tarn, a shallow, steep-banked mountain pond between Dorr Mountain and Hugenot Head. The far end of the Tarn is a favored habitat for beavers.

The Precipice is MDI's toughest climb. Many of the island's mountains have hiking trails; they are tailored for all levels of energy and ability. Consult a park ranger for a hike you'll find suitable.

We are firm believers in the idea that America's national parks belong to the people, all of the people, even people who can't spare $5 to get in. Consequently, we were unhappy when in the late 80s most parks, including Acadia, began charging user fees. The good news locally is that you can legally avoid paying the fee for entering the Park Loop Road, if you don't mind missing Sand Beach and Thunder Hole. From Route 3, turn left onto the Otter Cliff Road. This road leads to public restroom facilities from which you can get onto the Park Loop Road free of charge.

Blackwoods Campground, one of two national park campgrounds, has inexpensive sites, although reservations are required well in advance. At Blackwoods, there is an amphitheater where free naturalist talks are conducted. 

You'll like the guys at the Otter Creek Inn and Market. The place is noted for its friendliness and the eagerness of staff members to help visitors.


The Burning Tree Restaurant in Otter Creek is a bit out of the way, but well worth the trip.

Once thru Otter Creek, you come upon the road to Hunter's Beach. There is a small packing area from which a park trail takes you down to an uncrowded cobblestone beach.

Keep going and you'll reach Seal Harbor, summer home to people in control of some of the country's historic fortunes. Fords, Vanderbilts, Astors, Mellons--people like that. Here and in nearby Northeast Harbor you can see their vast, rambling cottages. You can hobnob with some of them at the Northeast Harbor Golf Course, a strange, but beautiful, semi-secret 15-hole layout that accepts greens fee players.

For lunch hereabouts, we recommend the Lighthouse Inn and Restaurant on Main Street. You can get anything from a simple sandwich to a four-course lobster dinner.

As you leave Seal Harbor, note that on your left is; a public sand beach and on your right a pleasant park. Beyond the park is the Stanley Brook Road, from which you can get onto the park Loop Road without paying a fee.

If you continue thru Seal Harbor, you'll reach Little Long Pond. The Rockefellers own the land around the pond, but they let people use it. Beyond this,you come to the Thuya Gardens and Asticou Terraces, an endowed municipal park containing an English formal garden, a waterfront mountainside trail, and a rare historical book library, Thuya Lodge. A walking trail begins a little farther down the road.

Watch for the Asticou Inn.

Keep going, and you'll come to Rtes 198/3. Turn right and you'll find the entrance to the formal Azalea Gardens. Down the road is the Brown Mountain Gatehouse, one of two lovely carriage road English Tudor-style gate houses built in 1932 by John D. Rockefeller Jr. (Rockefeller helped local folks weather the Great Depression with work projects, the fruits of which we continue to enjoy. He was the driving force behind MDI's wonderful carriage roads and marvelous stone bridges.)

A left turn will take you into Northeast Harbor. Check out the marina; there are some impressive yachts moored there. The Great Harbor Collection Museum in the Old Town Hall on Main Street has exhibits representing all facets of early Maine coastal life. Donations are suggested. Nearby, there is a nice assortment of shops and galleries. Prices here aren't necessarily cheap, but browsers are tolerated nicely.

Watch for the Grey Rock Inn on Harborside Road, the turnoff to the Main Sail Restaurant and the Kimball Terrace Inn, the Knowles Co. (real estate), a hardware store and a bank, the Holmes Store, Island Artisans, Pine Tree Market, Northeast Fine Art & Design, Shaw Jewelry, the Romantic Room, the Kimball Shop, Smart Studio and Gallery, The Colonel's Delicatessen, and the Turtle Tavern.

A right will take you down to Sargeant Drive and the Northeast Harbor Golf Club.

Five times a day, Beal and Bunker takes passengers on the mailboat to Little Cranberry Island. Round trip tickets are $4. Here the Islesford Historic Museum is open daily thru Labor Day. Admission is free.

Sargent Drive skirts Somes Sound from Northeast Harbor. The sound constitutes the only natural fjord on the Atlantic coast. At Somes Sound lookout, you'll gaze upon Acadia Mountain. You may see porpoises frolicking in the sound. Further on, the Somes Sound Picnic Area hugs the shore.


Questions or comments? Send them along to Captain D.

HOME