New England Vacation 2020 Part II: Acadia National Park

Tommy

Just a Millennial living in the real world...

Part II of our New England Vacation was visiting Acadia National Park after a stop in Portland, ME. We spent 3 days in Bar Harbor, ME and explored Acadia National Park back in early October 2020. While we were in Portland, we checked the weather forecast and it was projected to rain for most of the day on Tuesday and continuing through Wednesday morning. So we decided that we would wake up early on Monday to drive up to Acadia National Park so we would have nice weather for half of a day. Since there is so much to do in Acadia National Park, I did a lot of research on what I wanted to do along with family activities. I used EarthTrekkers and the YouTube channel America’s Parks as my sources of information, which are both great!

Day 4: Acadia National Park

We woke up early on Monday to get our things together. We packed up the car and I placed an online order for pickup at the Holy Donut. The Holy Donut is regarded as the best donuts in Maine and they are potato-based donuts, which is definitely different. Yes, these donuts are made out of Maine fresh potatoes and they try to use all local ingredients. They also offer vegan and gluten free donuts. The donuts are on the expensive side of about $3-4, but they are big donuts so they are well worth the price. The donuts were very good, but they still don’t top my favorites, which still belongs to Do-Rite Donuts in Chicago. I thought that the donuts were a little dry and I think that had to do with the potatoes, but they were still very good. My favorite was probably the Chocolate Coconut. Again, I can see why they are rated as some of the best donuts in Maine, but I am definitely spoiled with being a foodie living in Chicago.

Over 3.5 million people visit Acadia National Park per year and Acadia is ranked in the top ten for the most visited national parks. The park is open in between May and October and it’s located on Mount Desert Island. The Island Explorer Shuttle Bus runs from June 13 to early October, but it was suspended indefinitely due to COVID-19. Bar Harbor is a quaint little somewhat touristy town located right outside the park and it’s where most of the accommodations are. It definitely has a small town vibe and there are a lot of little shops and restaurants. Other places to stay are in Southwest Harbor, Northeast Harbor, or Seal Harbor, which are all farther away from the park. There are also campgrounds around the park. Also, service is very spotty and almost non-existent in some places of Acadia. I have AT&T and it was very spotty, but it was fine in Bar Harbor.

The drive to Acadia National Park was about 3 hours away from Portland, ME and we left around 8:30am. On our drive up, we had to purchase our vehicle reservations online for the Sunrise at Cadillac Mountain. This is one of the most popular things to do at Acadia National Park and they started testing vehicle reservations during the week we visited. In fact, it’s so popular that they actually sold out on the same day that the reservations went on sale for the day we were looking for. But the park issued more reservations 48 hours before the day you want to go at 10am. So we had to buy ours at 10am on Monday for Wednesday’s sunrise. The fees are a nominal $2 per vehicle per time slot and you can purchase them online. This is definitely a good thing as the park is starting to experience overcrowding like Zion National Park.

For 2021, vehicle reservation details are TBA. As of now, vehicle reservations will be required for Cadillac Mountain Summit Road during the day and sunrise hours for Summer 2021. So in order to visit Acadia National Park, you need two things: entrance fees and the vehicle reservations if you want to visit Cadillac Mountain during the day or during sunrise.

The Ocean Path Trail

My parents have the Senior National Parks pass so our entrance fees were covered and we purchased our Sand Beach Entrance vehicle reservation ahead of time. Park Loop Road is a one-way road when entering through the Sand Beach Entrance from the North traveling clockwise until you reach Jordan Pond. We arrived at Sand Beach around noon and it was packed. There was some traffic, but the parking lot was nearly full and we were lucky enough to find a parking spot outside of the Sand Beach parking lot as someone was pulling out. This just shows how crowded the park is even during non-peak times (COVID-19 and the fall foliage are also probably a reason for why it’s so crowded). So it’s best to get here early like before 10am if you want to ensure a parking spot and be around less people. Once we arrived, we walked over to the start of the Ocean Path Trail beginning at Sand Beach.

The Ocean Path Trail (4.2 miles easy round trip) starts at the Sand Beach parking lot and the trail is pretty flat with little elevation change. There are numerous scenic spots off the trail where there are less people so be sure to explore those spots. But the main scenic spots are Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, and Otter Cliffs. Unfortunately, I visited Thunder Hole when it was during low tide so there were no huge waves clashing the rocks, which is why it’s called Thunder Hole. Make sure to check the tides schedules as you have to visit during high tides to witness the spectacle. I didn’t make it all of the way down to Otter Cliffs as I wanted to go hike the Beehive Trail while my parents explored more of the Ocean Path Trail, but I heard it’s something worth doing.

The Beehive Trail

The Beehive Trail is a strenuous 0.6-mile trail that is combined with the 0.7-mile Bowl Trail that becomes a loop. If you are afraid of heights, it is recommended not to do this climb. If you have children, make sure that they are very responsible as this path is dangerous and safety is major concern. Due to climbing the iron rungs and an elevation of about 560 feet, it’s highly recommended to not climb down the Beehive Trail and it’s highly despised upon if you do as it isn’t safe for anyone. It is also advised not to climb the iron rungs when it’s rainy or shortly after rain as they are slippery. This trail is pretty popular as it’s tamer than the Precipice Trail. You can park at the Sand Beach parking lot.

The path starts out pretty flat, but there are a lot of rocks so make sure to watch your step. Then the incline with the iron rungs begin and it’s well marked with blue chalk. As you climb up, the path becomes very narrow. I overpacked as the weather changed pretty quickly from overcast to sunny and I really didn’t need a sweatshirt or my jogger’s pants. Due to the narrowness of the path, I would recommend not overpacking as the weight distribution on my back definitely affected my climbing abilities so I was extra careful. But the trail was not crowded at all around 2pm so it was really perfect timing. There was a group of three people in front of me and a couple behind me. The couple behind me was nice enough to take some pictures of me and I reciprocated the favor. There were more people at the top, but it still wasn’t overly crowded, which was a nice surprise. Angel’s Landing at Zion National Park was much more crowded and much scarier in comparison. Overall, the trail was awesome and definitely exhilarating!

Bar Harbor Inn & Spa

During our trip, we stayed at the Bar Harbor Inn & Spa, which was located right downtown. The location was amazing and it was definitely the selling point as everything was within a short walking distance. Rates were about $300/night when we went. The lobby was super nice with a big fireplace and lots of seating options. There was also refreshments like coffee, tea, and cider available in the lobby for guests. There was a nice rooftop and there were some firepits outside overlooking the bay. The Inn had multiple dining options including the Reading Room (fine dining & breakfast), Terrace Grill (fresh seafood offerings & healthy choices), and Oasis Club (extensive drink list & light fare). A daily Continental Breakfast was offered to guests in the oceanfront lodge, but we didn’t try it. We had a reservation for the Reading Room, but we decided to cancel it as we are not really into fine dining restaurants. There is a lot of history at the Reading Room and it’s rated as one of the best restaurants in Bar Harbor so you definitely need to book a reservation in advance. We had a 2 bedroom room and it was isolated in the hotel, but it was super small. There was minimal walking space in between the desks, beds, and sitting chairs. Maybe it was just our room, but it felt extremely cramped. The rooms were also pretty dated and you can tell by the hallways and carpeting, but it is an old property. Parking, WIFI, and a continental breakfast was included in the rate. Service was solid and the amenities/location were great. There is a reason why this hotel was only 3 stars as the room was small and the property was dated for $300/night. But you can’t beat the location and it had solid amenities. If I were to visit Bar Harbor next time, I would look for a hotel with bigger rooms as you could probably find better value for $300/night.

For dinner we went to Paddy’s Irish Pub & Bistro located in the West Street Hotel. It was a cool little Irish Pub that specialized in cocktails. It had outdoor seating with heaters and there were COVID-19 safety precautions in place. Patty’s was pretty crowded around 6pm on a Monday night and wait times were about an hour after we arrived. We sat inside, but the doors were open for air fluctuation. We had the pretzel with dijon mustard and beer cheese dips, which was fantastic! I had the reuben, Mom had the rotisserie steak salad, and Dad had the fish n chips. Overall, all of the food was very good!

Day 5: Explore Bar Harbor & Hulls Cove Visitor's Center

The next day was supposed to rain in the afternoon and evening. We woke up and headed over to Jordan’s Restaurant and arrived around 9:15am. It was about an hour wait on a Tuesday and it was a family business. You had to wait outside as the hostess would call out your name and gave you about 5 mins to claim your table. There were a couple of benches outside in front of the neighboring shop and luckily it wasn’t raining yet. It took a while as they were operating at half capacity due to COVID-19, but it was definitely worth the wait! I ordered the Blueberry Pancakes and they were definitely the best pancakes I have ever had. The maple and blueberry syrups were to die for as well. The Home Fries were amazing too! I would recommend ordering anything with blueberries in them as it’s the official state fruit and many people recommend the Blueberry Muffin. The coffee could have been better, but the prices were super cheap and it was a cozy little diner.

After Jordan’s we headed over to the Hulls Cove Visitor Center to get some information. The Park Ranger we talked to was condescending as f*** and was actually kind of rude. I’m not sure if that’s because this is the east coast or not, but he definitely made it seem like we were asking stupid questions with some eye rolls. Maybe he was in a bad mood because it was cold, rainy, and we were located outside but seriously dude… Then we went over the the gift shop and due to COVID-19, they were only allowing 5 shoppers in the shop at a time. The shop was insanely small, which was surprising since Hulls is the main visitor’s center. But I wanted to buy a patch for my backpack. The cashier was super nice and overly talkative as I waited like 15 minutes because she was trying to explain the National Parks Passport to another customer. Finally, the other person working there said she needed to get things moving as there was a huge line outside. So yeah I wasn’t too impressed overall with the staff at the visitor’s center.

Rosalie’s Pizza was rated as the best pizza in Bar Harbor so obviously I had to hit this place up. #Onebite. The place was a family-owned pizza shop and the ambience was a retro style place with a jukebox, which was pretty neat. The pizza style was NYC and they served pizza by the slice as well. They had only a few specialty pizzas, but a lot of toppings to create your own pie. This place had great value as the pepperoni pizza was huge and only $21. I rated the pizza a 6.75 in my pizza reviews as the crust was pretty mediocre, but doughy. The cheese was very good, the sauce was tangy, and the toppings were meh. But it definitely hit the spot on a cold rainy day and I see why it was rated as the best pizza in Bar Harbor!

Day 6: Acadia National Park

Like I said above, you have to reserve vehicle reservations online to view the sunrise at Cadillac Mountain. The vehicle reservations sold out on the day they went on sale, but we were able to get one 48 hours ahead of time. Cadillac Mountain is 1,530 feet and is the highest mountain peak on the North Atlantic seaboard. Also, it’s one of the first places to view the sunrise in the US.

We woke up bright and early around 4:30am on Wednesday morning. I read where we needed to get up to the top of Cadillac Mountain around 45 minutes ahead of time due to the limited parking. So we were up there around 5:15am with sunrise being at 6am. Make sure to check the time of sunrise. Unfortunately, the weather forecast wasn’t looking good for us as there was major fog, but we decided to go ahead and try anyways. It was misty and freezing as it was about 40 degrees and the winds were about 30 mph. The fog didn’t let up so we didn’t get to say we were the first people in the US to see the sunrise on 10/14/20. It was a little disappointing, but still a fun experience! I bought a day time pass as a backup so we could go when the weather improved later in the day. We went back to the hotel around 6:45am to go back to bed.

After Cadillac Mountain in the morning, we ate at Jeannie’s Great Maine Breakfast. This was another family-operated restaurant and is a good place to eat breakfast at. We arrived around 9:30am and we waited about 1.5 hours for indoor seating. It was about 40 degrees outside so we didn’t want to sit outside, which would have cut our wait time. I ordered the Egg’s Benedict, home fries, and a side of bacon. It was a-ok, but unfortunately we just ate at Jordan’s Restaurant, which was spectacular so it was hard to top. Service was solid and prices were pretty cheap as well.

Hiking Jordan Pond

After breakfast, we headed back to the room and prepared to drive over to Jordan Pond. We arrived at the Jordan Pond parking lot around noon and it was a zoo. My Dad was nice enough to let me off while he looked for a parking spot. Service was extremely spotty around Jordan Pond so we set a meet-up time of 4pm at the Jordan Pond House.

So my plan was to hike north on the east side of the Jordan Pond Path (3.4-mile easy/intermediate loop) heading towards the Bubbles Trail (about 3.8-miles strenuous round trip) up to Bubble Rock, and continue on the Bubbles Trail to the North Bubble and Eagle Lake. Then I would backtrack south on the Bubbles Trail, hike west on the Bubbles Divide Trail (0.5-miles intermediate one way), and hike the west side of Jordan Pond Path back to the Jordan Pond House.

But I got lost as I misread the sign below… I got confused as the sign did not say anything about the Bubbles Trail. I knew I didn’t want to go to the north end of Jordan Pond directly so I took a right on the Jordan Pond Carry (about 0.4-miles easy/intermediate one way to the Bubble Rock parking lot).

Once I got on the Jordan Pond Carry, I was supposed to take a quick left to the Bubbles Trail, but I ended up missing that and I walked to the Bubble Rock parking lot. I knew I messed up as I didn’t have to climb any rocks with blue chalk markers (like the Beehive Trail) as seen in the America’s Parks video. Once I got my bearings, I took the Bubbles Divide Trail west to the north side of Bubble Rock and hiked south on the Bubbles Trail towards Bubble Rock. This path ended up being the Bubble Rock Trail (1.2-miles intermediate/strenuous round trip) from the parking lot.

The Jordan Pond Carry towards the Bubble Rock parking lot was rocky with a moderate incline so you have to watch your step. The east side of the Bubbles Divide Trail had a paved moderate incline. Hiking south on the Bubbles Trail up to Bubble Rock had a steep incline and you had to climb some rocks, but it nowhere near as steep as what the south side of the Bubbles Trail would have been.

Once I got to the top, there were some pretty fantastic views! There were a decent amount of people sitting up top near Bubble Rock taking pictures. And it’s a great spot to rest and eat some lunch. I was about to go down the other side of the Bubbles Trail, but I decided against it because of safety and I went down the way I came up heading back north towards the Bubbles Divide Trail.

Once I got to the Bubbles Divide Trail, I headed west to the north side of Jordan Pond. This was a pretty fun path and it had a steep decline as it was very rocky. So you definitely had to watch your step and I was literally jumping down rocks. I took pictures looking back up to show the steepness of the trail and I was glad I was not going up. Like most other trails in the park, there were blue chalk markings showing the way.

Once I got down the Bubbles Divide Trail, I was pretty exhausted and happy that I decided not to ascend the trail. But the clouds went away and it ended up being a beautiful day and I got an amazing view of Jordan Pond on the north side. After I rested, I started to head back towards the Jordan Pond House on the west side of the Jordan Pond Trail.

Deer Brook Trail

Almost immediately after heading my way back to the Jordan Pond House, I discovered the Deer Brook Trail (0.8-miles intermediate/strenuous one way). I had some time to kill so I decided to spontaneously explore the path. The path had a moderate partially-paved incline with a couple of switchbacks and it eventually led me to one of the carriage road bridges. The carriage roads were gifted by John D. Rockefellar Jr. and they were built from 1913 to 1940. So there’s a lot of history and they are pretty cool looking. I only saw two other people on this trail and we took each other’s pictures in front of the bridge so it was nice to escape the crowds as this trail was not heavily trafficked. The trail continues onwards to the Penobscot Mountain Trail, but I decided to turn back towards the Jordan Pond Path so I wouldn’t get lost.

After the Deer Brook Trail, it was a long 1.5 mile hike back to the Jordan Pond House. The west side of the path was completely different from the east side. The northwest portion started with a paved path, quickly changing terrain as it turned into numerous rock paths and eventually turned into narrow boardwalks as you head south. It was really cool and it was fun rock-hopping. Again you need to watch your step on the rock portion and beware of slippery rocks/boardwalks after rain.

Jordan Pond Recap

So to recap my Jordan Pond experience. I ended up hiking the east side of Jordan Pond Trail to the Jordan Pond Carry to the Bubbles Divide Trail. Then I hiked west on the Bubbles Divide Trail to the north side of the Bubble Rock. I hiked south on the Bubbles Trail to Bubble Rock and back down the same way north towards the Bubbles Divide Trail. Then I hiked west on the Bubbles Divide Trail to the north side of Jordan Pond. Then I hiked part of the Deer Brook Path. Lastly, I returned to the Jordan Pond Path hiking back to the Jordan Pond House on the west side of the pond. In all, I hiked about 5.3 miles with a 288 feet incline so I was pretty beat. This was not the most efficient way, but again I got lost.

I used numerous links to the Hiking Project website showing the hiking trails. I didn’t know of this website before I visited Jordan Pond, but it nicely lays out the hiking trails and it’s a great resource!

Cadillac Mountain & Stewman's Lobster Pound

Since we didn’t get to see the sunrise at Cadillac Mountain, we decided to drive back up around 5pmish as it ended up being a beautiful day. There are several scenic spots on the way up where you can pull over your car and check out. Like most of Acadia, the views were incredible! But it was definitely windy at the peak of the mountain so make sure to dress warm. You can also hike to the summit, but I was too lazy after a long day.

After a long day of hiking, we decided that we wanted to stay in town for dinner. I found Stewman’s Lobster Pound after watching the America’s Park video and it had good reviews on Google & Yelp. We arrived around 6pmish as we were starving and there were not many people there on a Wednesday. Stewman’s has a giant outdoor patio with nice views of the harbor, but we opted to seat inside as it was cold.

We ordered the Spinach Artichoke dip as an appetizer and it literally tasted like it was the frozen package from TGI Fridays. But they gave you plenty of chips. I ordered the Downeast Lobster Experience as I have never eaten a full lobster before. It was a bunch of food as it came with a small cup of clam chowder, 1.25 lb lobster, local mussels, sweet corn on the cob, potatoes, and slice of blueberry pie for about $40. So ok value. Unfortunately, the clam chowder literally tasted like a microwaved version of Progresso soup. The lobster and mussels were good, but the lobster had little meat. I am definitely a lobster roll guy! The corn and potatoes were ok. The butter was lukewarm. The blueberry pie had a super dry crust and the scoop of vanilla ice cream helped bail it out slightly. Of course the blueberries were solid with us being in Maine!

This was definitely the worst meal of the trip, but that also shows how good all of the other restaurants were. Prices were kind of expensive and our waiter was bad. But the lobster experience was fun as I got to wear the bib, but I’m sure you could definitely find better options elsewhere in Bar Harbor. Stewman’s Lobster Pound was definitely a tourist trap and as long as you are ok with that then you will be a ok, but it’s not my cup of tea.

Overall Experience:

Acadia National Park was amazing and I would love to visit again as it was a hiker’s paradise! Maybe I’ll come back and run the MDI Marathon too. The next time I visit, I would want to do more hiking, bike ride the carriage roads, see the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse at sunset, and explore Southwest Harbor and Schoodic Point.

My favorite hike was the Beehive Trail, but Jordan Pond was very cool. I enjoyed the Bubbles Trail, but Bubble Rock was a little underwhelming with the crowds and it’s literally just a rock. The next time I visit, I would want to do the Precipice Trail, Penobscot Mountain Trail, and explore Eagle Lake and Echo Lake.

Bar Harbor was a cute little town with lots of restaurants and shops. Some of the places were super touristy like Stewman’s Lobster Pound, but that’s ok. I would probably look to stay at a place with a bigger room next time. But Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park is definitely worth visiting!

Other Things to Do:

Watch the sunrise on Cadillac Mountain.
Watch the sunset at the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse.
Rent a bike and ride the Carriage Roads.
Go hiking.
Explore Eagle Lake.
Explore Schoodic Point.
Explore Southwest Harbor.
Eat at the Reading Room.

Best Lobster: Thurston’s Lobster Pound or C-Ray Lobster.

Best Breakfast: Jordan’s Restaurant or Cafe This Way.