My wife and I will be in BH at the Mira Monte Inn for 4 nights in mid-July. We typically avoid fancy dining, opting instead for more relaxed and casual fare. I would appreciate answers to the following questions (I realize that some of this is very objective):
1) What is the typical dinner dress attire in BH?
2) What are 3-4 good, casual restaurants for lunch or dinner?
3) Considering that we will spend a lot of time in ANP, are there any daytrips away from BH that are worthwhile, such as Baxter State Park?
4) Will insects be a probelm in mid-July?
5) What is the one specific must-see/do thing in the area?
6) What is the most overrated thing to see/do in the area?
Bar Harbor Questions
1. Casual. I%26#39;m not aware of any place that has a specific dress code, although the Bar Harbor Club mentions ';business casual,'; whatever that is. Probably at the better places, you would feel out of place in a tank top and flip-flops, but slacks or shorts and a polo/golf shirt would be fine.
2. I will give you my opinion, for what it%26#39;s worth. You might also check the Overview section at the top of this page for other choices.
For me, it is Red Sky in Southwest Harbor, Town Hill Bistro in Town Hill, and Mache Bistro and McKay%26#39;s in Bar Harbor. This does not come close to exhausting the possibilities---just the places that I like to go.
3. Baxter is a day trip plus, i.e., a long day. A shorter away-from-the-island trip would be to Schoodic Peninsula, much of which is also part of Acadia National Park. Beautiful scenery and a chance to see MDI and the mountains of ANP from another perspective.
4. It seems that the blackfly season is approaching the end now. There still will be a few mosquitoes, but nothing to worry about.
5. I tend to pass on the ';must see/must do'; thing. Certainly, sunrise and/or sunset atop Cadillac is a unique experience. The views from the tops of any of the mountains are gorgeous. Popovers on the lawn at Jordan Pond House are a favorite.
6. In my view, it is Thunder Hole---which is dramatic if the sea and tide are exactly right but otherwise is pretty much just a place that the waves hit and slosh around. To me, watching the surf at Schoodic Point or at Great Head from the trail on top are usually better.
Bar Harbor Questions
1) As cw has pointed out, most places are pretty casual. We are annual September visitors and often dining in a nice pair of jeans and a polo shirt. A pair of khakis will serve just about anywhere.
2) For dinner, cw%26#39;s list is good. I would add a couple of others. One is Maggie%26#39;s in Bar Harbor. Try the lobster crepes. They are excellent. Another, if you are into trying inyeresting cuisines, is Eden also in Bar Harbor. Eden is a vegetarian restaurant.
For a casual lunch, we enjoy eating outside at Rupunini%26#39;s or the Parkside, both on Main Street in Bar Harbor. We also enjoy eating outside at the somewhat quirky and anything but fast Eat-a-Pita in Southwest Harbor.
3) Schoodic is beautiful. It is the next peninsula up across Frenchman%26#39;s Bay. You would have two choices. Either drive which means leaving the island, returning to Ellsworth and then up Rt 1 to the next peninsula and down into Winter Harbor or take the Winter Harbor ferry from Bar Harbor with bikes or you can pick up the free Island Explorer bus over in Winter Harbor.
Two other trips I would consider: 1) take the car ferry from Bass Harbor on the other side of Mount Desert Island over to Swan Island for the day. 2) Drive down to the next peninsula to the south (back to Ellsworth and hang a left on Rt 1), go to Stonington and take the mailboat over to Isle au Haut for the day. As with Schoodic, there is part of Acadia NP on Isle au Haut.
4) I defer. As I said we are September visitors.
5) Ah, there are so many. Try not to leave without stopping by Jordan Pond House for Lemonade and Popovers. Sit at a table out on the lawn overlooking the pond and the Bubbles and just enjoy. It is actually the perfect topper after a day of hiking.
Also I would recommend taking the hike/walk over to Bar Island crossing the sandbar which is only exposed at low tide. Take the trail up to the lookout and enjoy the view of the village of Bar Harbor with the mountains of Acadia in the background. This is my favorite view and a great place for photographing the village and mountains.
6) At the serious risk of incurring the wrath of many of my fellow Bar Harbor and Acadia lovers (see the ';Rejoice'; thread), I would say eating lunch at Epi%26#39;s which we really did not like. Beyond that I would second Thunder Hole as cw mentioned.
Hope this helps.
Hi Ame,
First of all, I just wanted to say that my husband and I love the Mira Monte. We have stayed there 4 times (went twice last year). The staff is great and so is the breakfast. We really feel at home there, and it%26#39;s a nice walk to the downtown. Hope you like it, too.
Others have already made good suggestions on other questions. We tend to try different restaurants each time we visit, tending to go for a mix of seafood and everything else. Here%26#39;s some thoughts on some casual, casual eating. We love Rosalie%26#39;s pizza on Cottage Street. We go there at least once per trip; it%26#39;s just really good. I am also one of the EPI fans; it%26#39;s nothing fancy, just typical subs, etc., but I always look forward to getting a sandwich to take to the rocks to read a book and watch the waves while my husband is tackling some hiking trail I%26#39;m not adventurous enough to do. For after-dinner ice cream, there%26#39;s two spots we hit throughout our nights there. Ben and Bills (where my husband loves the lobster ice cream) and the ice cream shop down the street right across from the town green.
Hope you enjoy your trip to Bar Harbor. I%26#39;m counting the weeks till our October visit.
Chalupamom
Must see/do: You must see Acadia from the water. Take the mailboat to the Cranberry Isles or the Islesford Historical Cruise offered by the Park Service.
Overrated IMHO: Whale Watching trips.
Dress code is casual unless you are ';fine dining';. We ate at McKays and wore jeans and it was just fine. All the restaurants listed are really good. We personally like Geddys. They have really good pizza and drinks and it can be a lot of fun. Schoodic is a great off-island day trip. Hardly any crowds and it really is beautiful. The one must thing to do can also be the most difficult; Ocean Drive...driving and walking. It%26#39;s drop dead beautiful and magical and amazing! It%26#39;s also a killer when there are lots of people. Suggestion...drive/walk later in the day or early in the morning. You%26#39;ll get a wonderful flavor for it but you won%26#39;t be competing with cars and RVs etc. Most overrated, in my opinion, is the shopping in Bar Harbor. While it%26#39;s a lot of fun to go into town it%26#39;s very touristy and there are many better ways to spend your time.
Thanks to all for the helpful responses.
You have some really good replies to your specific questions, and I dont think you need my answers as well, but for numbers 5 and 6, for what it is worth, remember while you are there that the area you are about to visit is going to be an experience. There are many things to ';do';, no question about that. But, when you are up there, try to take a minute and, for instance, while you are walking along the Ocean Path, take a moment and watch how the ocean seems to be alive along the coast. Watch the swells and power the water possesses. When hiking, instead of going from the starting point to the end point, take a moment and look around. Notice how clear the air is, how a lot of times there is a lack of clouds, and how the sun can be so intense that it seems to bleach everything out. Watch the sunrise from anywhere, Cadillac Mountain or along the Ocean Path, and watch how the sun seems to just ';pop up'; from the horizon. The whole area is beautiful, and a lot of people only stick to the main parts of the park and see stuff. But do some hikes, get away from the crowds, and just take a couple of seconds every now and then to think about what you are looking at and appreciate your surroundings. And most of all have a great time.
Crash 758: ';But do some hikes, get away from the crowds, and just take a couple of seconds every now and then to think about what you are looking at and appreciate your surroundings.';
Couldn%26#39;t have said it better, myself.
We loved the Mira Monte!! Especially that it%26#39;s walking distance to all of the shops and restaurants. Excellent choice :)
1) What is the typical dinner dress attire in BH? Hmm...I would say nothing too fancy. Khakis for gentlemen, a skirt possibly for ladies. Nothing more than that.
2) What are 3-4 good, casual restaurants for lunch or dinner? West Street Cafe definitely. Beal%26#39;s Lobster Pier in Southwest Harbor (kind of hard to find, but never crowded). For a nice night out, try Galyn%26#39;s on Main St in BH; we love their blueberry margaritas and eating on their porch--make a reservation!
3) Considering that we will spend a lot of time in ANP, are there any daytrips away from BH that are worthwhile, such as Baxter State Park? I%26#39;m not sure how far away you mean but...we always make our annual drive to Schoodic. It%26#39;s probably about an hour from BH. You take Rte 3 back to Ellsworth, and jump onto Rte 1. It%26#39;s a very scenic drive, lots of restaurants/shops/ icecream spots on the way. And when you get there, it%26#39;s absolutely beautiful.
4) Will insects be a probelm in mid-July? I have been to Acadia at all different times in the summer and mosquitos seem to always be a problem.. not so much near the water (and never in BH) but very bad in wooded areas.
5) What is the one specific must-see/do thing in the area? Jordan%26#39;s Pond Tea House!!!!!!!!! My husband and I crave their popovers and lobster stew all year long. It%26#39;s so nice to sit out on the lawn at their tables if you can get a seat, much better than eating inside or on the porch. I highly recommend making a reservation (207-276-3316) because the wait-time can get a bit much. There%26#39;s tons of trails and bike paths nearby, including a very flat one that goes all around the pond. http://www.jordanpond.com/
6) What is the most overrated thing to see/do in the area? It%26#39;s hard to say, because I%26#39;m not sure what kinds of things you enjoy doing..but I guess I would say Cadillac Mountain. It%26#39;s a long drive up and can be very, very windy. It is a beautiful view, though.
Have an awesome trip!!!!!!!!!
