Bar Harbor June 2024
We visited Bar Harbor, Maine for the first time in June of 2024. It was a wonderful long weekend trip that was packed with hiking, exploring, eating, and shopping.
We decided to stop at the Boothbay Bay Botanical gardens in Boothbay, ME on our drive up north. The gardens are absolutely stunning and the trolls are so fun to walk around and check out.
You could really spend a lot of time walking around here checking out the different gardens. They had a play area for kids to get some energy out as well as a butterfly house. I loved visiting here and think it is definitely worth the stop either on your way up north or make it its own adventure, Boothbay is a beautiful area of Maine!
We arrived in Bar Harbor in the afternoon, the timing was perfect for a trip to Bar Island. This island and little hike is only accessible 1.5 hours before and after low tide. If you plan to visit here pay attention to the tide! You could be stuck out here for hours if you are not watching the tide chart. The island/town gets its name from the long sand bar only accessible around low tide. Once you have made it to the island you can enjoy a short hike around for great views of the town of Bar Harbor.
After a long car ride and stretching our legs around Bar Island, it was time to check into our Airbnb. We found a cute condo to rent for the few days in Southwest Harbor, about 30 minutes from Bar Harbor. This was a great spot to stay a littler farther away from town, but so peaceful and worth the drive. We brought our own breakfast and lots of snacks and enjoyed the full kitchen and coffee on the deck each morning.
At this point of the day it was rainy and humid we wanted to grab some dinner, but not drive back to Bar Harbor. We found a fun spot close by called The Upper Deck. On nice days you can sit out on their deck and enjoy the views which are only what I can describe as idilic Maine coastal views. It seemed to be a place locals or seasonal folks come often, we loved the vibe inside but thought the food was not the best of the weekend. We would definitely go back, but maybe order something different next time.
Hiking day!
Our first full day on Mt Dessert Island we got to spend it hiking. We decided to check out Jordon Pond and South Bubbles. To hike just Jordon Pond we found a parking spot (luckily). We followed signs to Jordon Pond, which was a different parking spot than the Jordon Pond House. With water and snacks packed up we hit the trail. We walked counter clockwise around the pond until we got to the South Bubbles trail. We did not get to hike both peaks as Bubbles divide was closed for repairs. The hike along Jordon Pond is gorgeous and perfect for people of all abilities. Once we got to the Bubbles Trail, which is not perfect for all abilities. Most of this was like your typical mountain hike, but as we get closer to the peak of South Bubble it got steep like really really steep. At once point they had what I called an OMG bar where you are pulling yourself up. If you can make it past the scary rock climbing the views from the top are totally worth it. 10/10 recommend, I hope when we do this again the bubble divide is open so we can complete the hike. Becuase part of the trail was closed we went back down the way we came up and finished walking around Jordon Pond. Enjoyed a picnic lunch and decided to head back to the Airbnb for showers and some rest before we go into Bar Harbor for dinner and shopping.
After the hike, shower & some rest we were ready to head to Bar Harbor. This town is a fun spot to wonder around checking out the local shops & restaurants. We enjoyed a drink at Paddy’s Bar which had a great vibe, excellent service and nice views. Dinner tonight was at Geddy’s, which was fantastic from the food to the service to the vibes, this is a must go to spot when in Bar Harbor. If you have any good recommendations please let me know for my next trip up here.
Explore Acadia National Park day!
Today was a little cooler, still humid but also rainy. We decided to get in the car and see as much as we could today. We started at Bass Harbor lighthouse. We walked around the actual lighthouse and then drove a little but to hike and get the iconic picture of the lighthouse.
It was cloudy and drizzling a drive around Park Loop road was a great way to see a lot and stay dry. It is a beautiful road around a big part of Acadia National Park. We stopped at Sand Beach & Thunder Hole. Both spots are beautiful even though Thunder Hole had no thunder, the ocean was very calm. It is recommended to visit Thunder Hole 1-2 hours before high tide, which is when we were there, But I have a feeling, correct me if I am wrong, but if the ocean is calm the thunder does not show, like for us this day.
Travel day
Check out day is never fun & the rain was coming in so we decided to hit the road a little earlier so we could get ahead of the weather. It was a fairly easy drive other than the few downpour moments. We of course had to stop in Freeport at LLBean. Is any trip to Maine complete without stopping at the flagship store? In my opinion no. We love shopping here and poking around Freeport. Maine has so much to offer and some absolutely beautiful vacation spots. Guess that is why they’re called the Vacationland. We love the coast but also have been to Baxter and Moosehead. Do you have a favorite spot? Or a spot you want to check out? We can’t wait to go back to Acadia and hike and explore more!
