{"id":5909,"date":"2015-04-06T15:10:39","date_gmt":"2015-04-06T19:10:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coreyann.com\/blog\/?p=5909"},"modified":"2015-04-06T22:00:43","modified_gmt":"2015-04-07T02:00:43","slug":"bar-harbor-maine-acadia-national-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coreyann.com\/blog\/travel\/bar-harbor-maine-acadia-national-park","title":{"rendered":"Bar Harbor, Maine and Acadia National Park"},"content":{"rendered":"

The morning after my day in Bath<\/a> I left the <\/span>Cod Cove Inn<\/a> and headed towards Bar Harbor after a quick stop at my favorite place for breakfast in Maine, Tim Horton’s<\/a>. \u00a0The tree in front of the Inn may have been one of the most beautiful I saw on the entire trip. \u00a0It was raining and dreary but you can still see how pretty it was. \u00a0This is why I go to New England in the fall!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Autumn<\/p>\n

Instead of the quicker route to Bar Harbor, I opted for the slightly longer route that took me along backroads and rural routes to Acadia National Park, which is about a 3 hour drive from Edgecomb. \u00a0I’m glad that I opted for the longer drive as the rain moved out and I was able to stop and take pictures along the routes whenever the views took my breath away. \u00a0It was a beautiful drive even if I think I ended up there just a tinge past peak leaf season. \u00a0I never seem to time my trips perfectly but any leaves are better than no leaves!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"autumn-maine2\"\"autumn-maine\"<\/p>\n

Eventually after winding my way around mid-Maine, I wound up at Mount Desert Island. \u00a0I had no idea it was the same day as the MDI Marathon<\/a> so that was an adventure to drive around! \u00a0It was just about lunchtime and sadly my favorite place on Mount Desert Island, Cap’n Nemo’s<\/a>, burned down not long after my visit the year before<\/a> so I followed the signs to the Lighthouse Inn & Restaurant<\/a> in Seal Harbor for lunch. \u00a0The waiter was so nice and the burger hit the spot. \u00a0The other guests there were also very kind and everyone was chatting with each other which was nice. \u00a0The restaurant got slammed after the race ended and a few people got upset but there was one cook and one waiter and I didn’t mind relaxing while waiting. \u00a0I’d definitely visit here again in the future and would recommend it to others!<\/p>\n

After lunch I FINALLY entered Acadia National Park<\/a>. \u00a0I was in love as soon as I saw my first carriage road bridge<\/a> that I didn’t have to trespass to see!<\/p>\n

\"carriage<\/p>\n

I hopped on the Loop Road and stopped at the first place I saw – Jordan Pond House<\/a>. \u00a0The place was busy and I was lucky enough to nab a spot when someone pulled out in the adjacent parking lot. \u00a0The skies were a bit ominous and the temps were cool but people were still all over the lawn enjoying the day with kites and picnics. \u00a0I spied a few of the famous popovers but since I’d just finished up lunch, I vowed to return the next day to see what that was all about.<\/p>\n

\"Kite<\/p>\n

Once I was done exploring a bit of the area around Jordan Pond I hopped back in the car and drove on and up… and up… and up until I was finally on top of Cadillac Mountain<\/a>! \u00a0Another check off the to-see list! \u00a0I kept stopping at the various pull offs along the road and every single time I was in awe of the views despite the clouds. \u00a0Here you can see downtown Bar Harbor and the Queen Mary 2<\/a> to the left – the first is from just below the top and the second is from the top of Cadillac Mountain (note the top is with the iPhone, bottom with the D4).<\/p>\n

\"Queen<\/p>\n

\"bar-harbor-cadillac-mountain\"<\/p>\n

Here’s a view of the other side of the mountain facing the cranberry islands. \u00a0While it was busy up there, it wasn’t really too packed of people (probably due to the chilly temperatures and winds) and it was nice to not have to fight crowds to see the views or to have a clear shot of the landscape without people.<\/p>\n

\"cadillac-mountain\"<\/p>\n

On the way back down I stopped at a couple pull offs again and turned back to look at my rental car and was laughing at how it looked like an ad for the car so I snapped a shot of it. \u00a0On my last trip out<\/a> I had an Infiniti G37x as a rental which I fell in LOVE with and ended up buying when I got home. \u00a0This time I ended up with an Infiniti QX60 and while I enjoyed it, I’m glad that I went with the car instead of another SUV. \u00a0If you are looking for an SUV though, I definitely recommend it. \u00a0It was fun to drive and had way more pep than most SUVs AND was awesome on gas.<\/p>\n

\"infiniti-qx60\"<\/p>\n

From there I continued around on Loop Road which really is a beauty in itself. \u00a0The road was pretty much deserted by this time as the cruise travelers had to head back to their ship and the weather wasn’t so hot so I was able to stop for a few pictures while driving around.<\/p>\n

\"Loop<\/p>\n

My next stop was one I had looked forward to for a while – <\/span>Thunder Hole<\/a>. \u00a0Since I’d heard from friends that it’s rare to hear the thunder due to conditions having to be JUST right, I wasn’t expecting much but I was surprised to hear the thunder rolling as I crossed the road to the area! \u00a0I hung out here for the longest of most of my stops that day just because you keep thinking each wave will be bigger and better. \u00a0I also admit, I kept expecting the waves to wash away the people who climbed over the gates and went down below to get better pictures of Thunder Hole. \u00a0I also ended up taking some video as well because this is truly a spot where you must see it moving to really appreciate tit.<\/span><\/p>\n