The “Crown Jewel” of the Maine Coast…….Bar Harbor

   We said good- bye to the Bangor, Maine area and headed for the so called “crown jewel” and tourist trap area of Maine; Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park.

   It is a short drive (only 55 miles south) from Bangor to Bar Harbor. Since we had plenty of time we added about 50 extra miles and went down the Schoodic Peninsula side of Acadia National Park. It is far less crowded with very pretty scenery. We drove through Prospect Harbor, Birch Harbor, and Winter Harbor. These are all unique in their own way, with their own different charm, and are all small fishing villages and working harbors.

   We ate lunch at Chase’s in Winter Harbor. We shared Seafood Chowder, Haddock Chowder, and a fried Scallop Roll. The roll was good and the chowders were full of seafood and fish. However it did not taste as fresh or as good as other restaurants we had chosen. We then drove a little further south to Schoodic Point; the southernmost part of the peninsula. I was struck by how clear the water was. You could easily see the bottom, even at 4 and 5 feet deep. There were several gulls and they have been around people before, because they seemed to pose for pictures 

   We went back up the peninsula and headed to Bar Harbor on the Mt Desert Island (pronounced deSerrt) part of Acadia National Park. We checked into The Acadia Inn in Bar Harbor. This was a very nice hotel with a very accommodating staff. This was a great value and I highly recommend staying with these good folks.

   We got checked in and drove around town looking at a few of the sights and getting our bearings since we would be here the next four days. We went into downtown and stopped in The Thirsty Whale for a drink and the friendly bar tender talked us into eating there. Darlene got her third lobster roll of the trip and a cup of lobster bisque. I had smoked trout dip and a fried haddock sandwich with french fries. The meal was very good. We drove around the harbor looking at the night lights.

 

   The next morning was a chill day as we had been kind of on the road for the last three days. So we slept late and were ready for the whale watching tour we had reserved for that afternoon. However neither us nor the company controls the weather. Our trip was cancelled due to dense fog at sea. We would not have been able to see anything anyway. So they rescheduled us for Monday morning. That left us the afternoon to walk around the docks and the town across from them. Bar Harbor is very clean and the people take a lot of pride in their community. We visited several unique shops and watched the boats in and around the harbor

  The day did not go as planned, but still a good day and one we enjoyed. This area is a great spot to just kick around in. The late afternoon brought dinner thoughts. I knew Stuman’s Lobster Pound was famous and supposed to be really good, but one of the desk clerks at the hotel had suggested Fish House Grill. Both restaurants overlooked the harbor, so we went with what the local recommended. Wow, it was outstanding. We got raw oysters. They were very good, but also very different from our southern gulf oysters. These had a little more briney taste but you could tell so very fresh. Darlene had the Clam Linguine and I opted for the Grill Plate; lobster tail, lobster claw, shrimp, scallops, oysters, potatoes and corn. We topped it off with coffees and homemade wild blueberry cobbler. This was the best meal of the entire trip and we had several good ones. As I stated before, I am a foodie and like trying local places. If you are in Bar Harbor, this is a must!

  

   The next day we drove 19 miles to Ellsworth, Maine which is a small, quaint town known as the rail hub to Bar Harbor back in the 1930’s thru 1950’s.  We took a ride on The Downeast Scenic Railroad. It is a 1953 engine and crosses the Union River with a look at the Union River Wetlands. It was very interesting and inexpensive ( $18 each in June of 2023). The ride lasted about an hour and forty five minutes. I learned about the “wye.” It is a way to turn an engine 180 degrees without ever uncoupling it from the train. We saw many deer, squirrels, and rabbits along the way. When we crossed the wetlands, we saw many Osprey and Eagle nests.

   The train ride ended and we stopped at a shop or two in Ellsworth before going to Helen’s Diner of Ellsworth. They have been open since the 70’s. Darlene had fried coconut shrimp and I had hamburger steak. The meal was good but the chocolate cream pie was the best part! Homemade and they bragged on it, on the menu and in their advertisement. They did not brag enough. It was excellent!

Homemade Chocolate Cream Pie at Helen’s of Ellsworth

   We headed back to Bar Harbor. I will save the next day of our trip for the next writing. Our whale watching trip was cancelled again due to rough seas. However we spent the entire day in Acadia National Park. What a 27 mile loop! Join me in a few days to conclude our wonderful trip to Maine.