2 days in Bar Harbor

Dawn at Bar Harbor

 

 

In 2019, the NewYork Times published one of its “what to do if you have a day and a half in…..” columns featuring Bar Harbor, Maine. So, on me recent visit, I once again used their column as inspiration, searching out its recommendations.

Bar Harbor Eating and Shopping

 

The Times suggested several places in town to eat and shop, and they were all great choices. Geddy’s offers a sports pub vibe, while serving great seafood and a wide variety of locally brewed beers. I had their lobster roll combo with clam chowder. The Wicked Maine Blueberry Ale was an excellent pairing.

Wicked Maine Blueberry Ale

Lobster Roll Combo

The Reading Room, at the Bar Harbor Inn, offers fine dining with a great view of Frenchman’s Bay. My meal started with warm challah bread and blueberry infused butter. The main course was seared scallops with potato hash. The scallops were perfectly cooked, and the potatoes were delicious.

Challah with Blueberry Butter

Scallops and Potato Hash

 

If you are looking for something to read, or a gift that is not a t-shirt, stop in to Sherman's Maine Coast Book Shop. They have a great selection covering local history, fiction by local authors, national best sellers and children’s literature. They also carry note and post cards, puzzles, and other Maine-made souvenirs.

 

The Cranberry Islands

Bouy Tree

If you want to get off of Mount Desert Island, there are some nice places to visit. Head to Northeast Harbor and take The Mail Boat to the Cranberry Islands. There are five islands in this township with a year-round population of about 160 people. The Mail Boat will take you to the biggest two islands - Great Cranberry Island and Little Cranberry Island. Each of these has a historical museum and hiking trails, and they offer great views of Acadia National Park across the water. Little Cranberry Island also is home to the Isleford Dock Restaurant, which offers a seafood menu with views of the fishing harbor and Acadia National Park. The mail boat runs four to six times a day, depending on the season, and costs $30 round trip.

Marina at Northeast Harbor

Marina at Northeast Harbor

The Mail Boat

Schoodic Point

 

Norris Island, Mosquito Harbor

Four miles due east of Bar Harbor, across Frenchman’s Bay, is the town of Winter Harbor on Schoodic Peninsula. This is where you will find one of the most fascinating parts of Acadia National Park - Schoodic Point. At the southern tip of the peninsula is a place where the granite rocks of Maine’s shore meets the Atlantic Ocean. It is famous for the shelf of granite that juts out into the water, and for the basalt dikes that have pushed up through the rocks. 

Getting to Schoodic Point is a 45 mile drive from Bar Harbor. However, during the summer there is a ferry that will take you directly across the bay, and a free shuttle bus around the peninsula.