Bar Harbor
The magic of Bar Harbor…romance, adventure, the rock-bound coast and soaring granite cliffs. From the stonewall-lined and tree-covered road leading you into our village, to the sweeping vistas from atop Cadillac Mountain, there is a special mystique to Bar Harbor. Nestled on the east side of Mt. Desert Island, surrounded by Acadia National Park. Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park have a wide variety of offerings for visitors. There truly is something for everyone.
Bar Harbor offers a wide array of activities from the most relaxed to the most rigorous, dining for all tastes and budgets and shopping in our unique shops and galleries. Be sure to plan enough time to enjoy our area and consider using us as a base of operations to see all of Downeast Maine. We are only a short distance to other famous attractions such as Campobello Island, Franklin Roosevelt’s summer home, the Schoodic Peninsula, the mainland part of Acadia National Park, and other islands, coastal attractions and nature based attractions. Once the summer playground of wealthy and famous Americans, Bar Harbor was celebrated throughout the world as a quiet, beautiful resort village, worlds away from the hustle and bustle of New York, Boston, and Paris. Today, the “summer people” still come to our island paradise, but many visitors also arrive for the brilliant fall foliage.
Saco/Portland
Why are New England’s hottest chefs heading to Portland? Maybe it’s that dash of big-city chic combined with the classic allure of coastal Maine. Check out the retro amusements at Old Orchard Beach, known as the “Coney Island of Maine.” For great photo ops, head north to Cape Elizabeth to see Portland Head Light, Maine’s oldest lighthouse. Poke around Portland’s unique shops and eateries, housed in renovated warehouse spaces. And who can resist a boat cruise (perhaps with an island clambake) offered by captains along Commercial Street in Portland’s Old Port district?
Augusta
Maine’s gold-domed state capitol building is the elegant centerpiece here, made of native granite and designed by noted architect Charles Bulfinch. Tour the flag-bedecked rotunda and drop by the Maine State Museum for a peek at the Pine Tree State’s past and present. A short drive south, to Freeport, will get you to another Maine institution, L.L. Bean’s flagship store.
Skowhegan
Get ready to see the sights! Skowhegan is centrally located between the Appalachian Mountains and the beautiful Atlantic seacoast where you can enjoy fishing, white water rafting, boating, hiking and biking. There is a swinging footbridge that leads to an island in the middle of the Kennebec River, offering spectacular views of the river as well as the nearby falls. A short drive away is the scenic coastal town of Camden. There are many shops, galleries and restaurants just steps away from the harbor. Belfast and Rockland also just a short drive away – don’t miss the many lighthouses, antique shops and railroad museums located there. Then stop at the Shore Village Museum in Rockland to see working foghorns, flashing lights, search and rescue gear, Coast Guard buoys, bells and boats.
Old Canada Road, a National Scenic Byway in the area, is a one of the most beautiful places in the northeast. For great views of Attean Lake and adjoining lakes and ponds, stop at the rest area between the towns of The Forks and Jackman. Near The Forks is Moxie Falls, one of the highest waterfalls in Maine. Get on the trail and hike through the woods to the falls. Just south of Jackman is the beautiful Moosehead Lake where you can swim, fish or go boating. You can also go on a Moose Safari, which is a scenic cruise around the lake to see moose and other wildlife and to Mt. Kineo where you cruise under the 700′ overhang of this island like mountain.