- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Winter Olympics
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
Bar harbor Maine question
Posted on 2/1/25 at 5:33 pm
Posted on 2/1/25 at 5:33 pm
Thinking about going to this area for 3-5 days for mine and wife's 30 year anniversary. Appears to be a beautiful place for short trip.
Anyone been there? I have never been in this part of the U.S. Looking for ideas.
Anyone been there? I have never been in this part of the U.S. Looking for ideas.
Posted on 2/1/25 at 7:49 pm to MsandLa
Honestly, it is beautiful, and I won't make the mistake of going to Bar Harbor/Acadia NP again. At least I won't go there again in peak tourism season. I was there last June and the crowds were just crazy. Drove the loop in Acadia NP, and there was just no parking. And I mean that literally, for miles of the road. There is a crazy number of people who live within driving distance of Bar Harbor, and they flock in when the weather is good. If you are going at a fairly low tourism season, then by all means go.
I did like Maine a lot though. Machias up to Lubeck was a good area. And I really liked the hiking trails from Rangely down to the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
I did like Maine a lot though. Machias up to Lubeck was a good area. And I really liked the hiking trails from Rangely down to the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
Posted on 2/1/25 at 7:55 pm to MsandLa
Beautiful and loads of fun. Acadia is great. Lots to do. We went in May which is just before the start of tourist season.
Posted on 2/1/25 at 9:29 pm to MsandLa
I’m not a fan of BH. Very touristy. It rivals Gatlinburg in the number of souvenir shops. Don’t get me wrong the surrounding area is beautiful but cruise ships unload and the town is full of tourists scurrying around
I love Portland and the surrounding smaller coastal towns
ETA: I was there the first week of October several years ago
I love Portland and the surrounding smaller coastal towns
ETA: I was there the first week of October several years ago
This post was edited on 2/1/25 at 9:31 pm
Posted on 2/1/25 at 10:21 pm to MsandLa
I have been there.
The thing I remember most is that I was standing on top of Cadillac Mountain in the Acadia National Park admiring the beautiful view when everyone started calling and texting me to tell me that Les Miles had been fired.
It is a nice little town to spend a few days in, especially if you can enjoy the park.
The thing I remember most is that I was standing on top of Cadillac Mountain in the Acadia National Park admiring the beautiful view when everyone started calling and texting me to tell me that Les Miles had been fired.
It is a nice little town to spend a few days in, especially if you can enjoy the park.
Posted on 2/2/25 at 1:46 pm to Coater
quote:
It rivals Gatlinburg in the number of souvenir shops
That’s unequivocally false
Posted on 2/2/25 at 6:00 pm to Paul Allen
Thank yall for responses. I was looking at doing a trip in October.
My youngest is getting married in June. They were looking at Bamf(?) Canada but very expensive. Also, us gringos might not be welcome now.
My youngest is getting married in June. They were looking at Bamf(?) Canada but very expensive. Also, us gringos might not be welcome now.
Posted on 2/2/25 at 7:06 pm to MsandLa
Wife and I did a Boston/Maine trip in October of '22 and had a great time. We decided against going all the way to Bar Harbor, but we did stop at a number of the coastal towns on the way to Bar Harbor and throughly enjoyed them.
Camden stands out as being our favorite - we stayed for 3-4 nights and it was just very idyllic. We also enjoyed Kennebunkport and Ogunquit (had a really cool walkway along the ocean that my daughter and I did while my wife shopped thats a core memory for me). The lighthouses and park on Cape Elizabeth also stands out. Wife enjoyed shopping in Freeport.
We also stayed in Portland for a few days, cool city, but my wife and I definitely prefer smaller towns, so we didn't enjoy as much as others.
Camden stands out as being our favorite - we stayed for 3-4 nights and it was just very idyllic. We also enjoyed Kennebunkport and Ogunquit (had a really cool walkway along the ocean that my daughter and I did while my wife shopped thats a core memory for me). The lighthouses and park on Cape Elizabeth also stands out. Wife enjoyed shopping in Freeport.
We also stayed in Portland for a few days, cool city, but my wife and I definitely prefer smaller towns, so we didn't enjoy as much as others.
Posted on 2/3/25 at 9:09 am to TheJunction
We've done BH and Acadia. We might go back to Maine this Summer, but if we do we probably won't do BH. I wouldn't do 3-5 days there TBH. I wouldn't steer someone away from a couple of nights, but there are some other cool coastal Maine towns you could split time with. Of course, if you really wanted to max out the areas surrounding Acadia (instead of just hanging out in BH) - that's a different story.
Almost everyone I know (including us) who've driven to BH from Portland says the same thing, along the lines of "loved Acadia, BH was cool, wish we'd spent more time exploring the areas we passed on the way."
Almost everyone I know (including us) who've driven to BH from Portland says the same thing, along the lines of "loved Acadia, BH was cool, wish we'd spent more time exploring the areas we passed on the way."
Posted on 2/3/25 at 9:28 am to Pettifogger
Marginal Walk Walkway is the walk you can do along the coast in Ogunquit
Awesome views
The Nubble Lighthouse is also a neat stop very close
Awesome views
The Nubble Lighthouse is also a neat stop very close
Posted on 2/3/25 at 9:50 am to nicholastiger
quote:
Marginal Walk Walkway
Yes, this is it. Core memory for me (daughter won't remember it haha). Town seemed neat as well, my wife really window shopping, but I spent most of my time slowly doing the walk.
quote:
Nubble Lighthouse
This was very cool as well and worth the stop.
quote:
"loved Acadia, BH was cool, wish we'd spent more time exploring the areas we passed on the way."
This is why we decided against going all of the way to Acadia - would have loved to see it, but we didn't have the time to see everything along the way and then also enjoy Acadia - would have been to rushed of a trip.
My personal opinion would be to choose one or the other (unless you have a couple of weeks) that way you're not rushing them both and not really enjoying either.
This post was edited on 2/3/25 at 9:54 am
Posted on 2/4/25 at 11:51 am to MsandLa
Oct, gonna be chilly. Ignore the below if you’re park people.
I lived in NH. Road tripped up the coast a lot. Drives are very short compared to TX. Portland was a great town with relatively short drives to other places.
I lived in NH. Road tripped up the coast a lot. Drives are very short compared to TX. Portland was a great town with relatively short drives to other places.
Posted on 2/4/25 at 2:57 pm to MsandLa
Piggy-backing on this post. We have friends in South Thomaston, Castine, Boothbay Harbor, and Georgetown, Maine. Hoping to finally make it up there in 2026 to visit them all, as well as other friends in MA and RI. Suggestions on how to structure our trip, as well as beauty spots/foodie joints are welcome. It will be my first trip to NE since college; Mr. Cyclist has never been. Thanks for your thoughts!
Posted on 2/5/25 at 6:13 am to MsandLa
All of Maine is wonderful. Restaurants and shops start to close for the season in October. There’ll be things available, but just not as much. Throw a dart at a map of Maine and it’ll be a great trip. Don’t worry about the name places. The further north you go, the more you get away from Boston area folks, especially on weekends.
Posted on 2/5/25 at 11:10 am to 257WBY
quote:
All of Maine is wonderful
People don’t realize how big it is and how much there is. Mountains, hiking, lakes, and of course the beautiful coast. You can only scratch the surface in a short trip.
Posted on 2/6/25 at 5:11 am to MsandLa
We flew into Bangor and drove a rental to BH and Acadia NP for 4 days. Stayed at the Bar Harbor Inn, which was nice but expensive. Early June, just before the season kicks off, and it was still cool and uncrowded. They said that mid-June is like a switch flips, and the crowds flock in. We toured the park a couple of times but also took day trips to explore the area.
Headed south and checked out towns along the way. Camden, Rockland, Portland, etc. After Kennebunkport, we headed to NH and the White Mountains for a couple of days. Went to the summit of Mount Washington. Drove back to Portland to catch a flight home. It was a great trip.
Headed south and checked out towns along the way. Camden, Rockland, Portland, etc. After Kennebunkport, we headed to NH and the White Mountains for a couple of days. Went to the summit of Mount Washington. Drove back to Portland to catch a flight home. It was a great trip.
Popular
Back to top
8











