Vacation Like a Local!

Our Family’s Tips and Tricks for Bar Harbor, Acadia, and Surrounding Towns

Enjoy and Have Fun - Desiree, Jeremiah, and Sawyer

Rugosa Rentals of Bar Harbor

Online Sources of Event Information:

Bar Harbor Story: https://barharborstory.com/category/cool-things-to-do/

Mdi Islander Newspaper Calendar Online: mdislander.com

Jesup Library Homepage Events: https://www.jesuplibrary.org/

Northeast Harbor Library: https://nehlibrary.org/

Acadia National Park Website: Park and Ranger Led Programming: https://www.nps.gov/acad/index.htm

College of the Atlantic: Talks and events posted at coa.edu

Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce website: events - https://www.visitbarharbor.com/

Events on MDI: Facebook Page

Artwaves: Art classes and events - https://www.artwavesmdi.org/

Gilley Museum Southwest: Carving classes and events - https://www.wendellgilleymuseum.org/

Neighborhood House Northeast Harbor: Fitness Classes, Weekly kids art classes, Pay for the day (reservations needed) kids summer camp days.

https://www.theneighborhoodhouse.com/

Mount Desert/Northeast Harbor Chamber of Commerce Events: https://mtdesertchamber.org/

Vacation Like a Local Bar Harbor Suggestions:

Grocery Stores:

Hannaford’s Downtown Bar Harbor- Only large grocery store on island.

A and B Natural’s Downtown Bar Harbor- Only health food store on island.

Navigating Hannafords:

No grocery pickup or order ahead available.

Shop before 9:00 or After 6:00

10-12 and 4-6 are crazy wait times, lines often extending the length of the store.

Fresh Food: Gets part out every morning, the later in the day the less product. Store can get wiped out.

Saturday is crazy, and depleted, due to most popular check in day.

Paradis Hardware Downtown: The everything store in Bar Harbor. If you forgot something this is THE place to go. Other than clothes, it has almost everything you need. It is the closest to a “big box” store options we have on the island.

Restaurants and Dining Recommendations:

Bar Harbor is busy, we have so many great restaurants, and ALOT of people want to enjoy their food. We are also understaffed. We find the toast tab works great for ordering ahead (especially at places like Chocolatte, Mt. Dessert Bakery, and Thrive) It is also great for reserving seating times in advance, which we STRONGLY recommend. For example wait times for a table at dinner can be 2 hours or more, or the line at Chocolatte can take 50 minutes or more for a bagel in summer season.

Bakeries: Some great bakeries are:

- Slice of Eden: Classic pastries and treats

- Mt. Desert Bakery: Great bagels, pastries, bread and sandwiches.

- Chocolatte: Bagels, croissants, coffee

- Flowered Apron: Weekends only (in summer) homemade baked goods sold off the front porch 1 street over on Kennebec Street. Check it out!

Other breakfast spots we like:

- Thrive: Smoothies, grain bowls, etc.

- Cafe This Way: Fun and delicious. Special breakfast treat.

- Jordans / Jeannie’s: Great Maine Breakfast / Two Cat’s Cafe: Classic Maine Breakfast Spots

Good Coffee:

- The Stadium

- A and B Naturals

- Choco-Latte

-Vacationland Coffee

Pizza:

- Rosalie’s: Best pizza in town, a Bar Harbor classic. Order ahead. LONG LINE!

- Pat’s: Great for takeout, only. Great family choice. Good pricing. Ask for double crust. A couple dollars more and twice the dough.

- Pizza 131: This is our regular go to. Nothing fancy, but they deliver. Also they have a SMALL SELECTION OF ARCADE GAMES FOR KIDS if you eat there. GREAT FOR A RAINY OR COLD DAY.

-Blaze: Fancier wood fired pizza. More a sit down place.

Candy and Ice Cream:

Candy:

- Ben and Bill’s: Great fudge. Open Year Round

-Fudge at Jordan Pond house Ice Cream Shop is the best in town.

Ice Cream: We are the ice cream Capital of Maine! We have more ice cream stores than any other town in Maine.

- CJ’s: Classic soft-serve, try the blueberry soft serve. Dairy free options.

- Mount Desert Island Ice Cream: Unique flavors. ASK FOR YOUR ORDER TO BE SPLIT INTO TWO FLAVORS. * We order a small with two flavor types. Ask for samples before buying.

- Jordan Pond Ice Cream: Lesser known, but great quality small batch homemade ice cream. Has great fudge too!

- Ben and Bills: Expensive but homemade and large servings. Ask for order to be split into two cups.

- Side Treats - Frozen yogurt and add your own toppings

Breweries:

- Atlantic Brewing: Lots of Options. Try the Blueberry soda! Great rooftop deck. Mostly Year round.

- Fogtown Brewing: Niche Brewing Company - Great live music some nights. Back patio. Pop Up events, dinners, breakfasts. Mostly Year round

Thai/Indian:

- Siam Orchid: Open year round, has a nice Tom Yum Soup.

- Royal Indian: Try the Naan made in a traditional Nepalese clay oven.

Great Outdoor Dining Options

-Terrace Grill at the Bar Harbor Inn: Tables overlooking the water and pier. We love it for a romantic lunch.

- Sweet Pea: Farm, Cafe, Wood Fired outdoor pizza in a barn and garden.

- Atlantic Brewing: In-town, has rooftop deck.

- Mainely Meat/Atlantic Brewing: Brewery, Tours, and Excellent BBQ with an outdoor garden patio. Has a KIDS PLAYSET!

- Abel’s: Northeast Harbor

- Nor’easter: Northeast Harbor

- Mckays: EXCELLENT rock Garden setting downtown.

- Project Social: Tapas and drinks

- Peekytoe Provisions: Seafood market and food.

- Deck at Kebo Golf Course: Public Invited. HIDDEN GEM.

- Ivy Manor: Drinks, music, and fire pits on the lawn. No food.

Restaurant Thoughts:

*Most Restaurants in Town are Local Family Owned.

- Annex: Part of Side Street. Has music. Similar fare, same owners, shorter wait times.

- Route 66: Kids love the milk shakes

- Thirsty Whale: Great prices. Great Haddock Sandwich

- The Stadium: Surprisingly Good Large Baked Goods, Popovers, and a great lobster roll.

- Royal Indian: Try the homemade Naan.

- Everyday Joes: Whole in the wall. Not a “looker” but surprisingly wide array of different types of foods (ramen, etc.) at fair prices.

- Lompoc Cafe: Great unique vegetarian options. Funky bookstore adjacent.

- Deck/Restarant at Kebo Golf Course: Public Invited. HIDDEN GEM. Excellent prices. Beautiful Setting.

- Mckays: We love the outdoor garden in the summer, and the cozy upstairs tables in the winter. Great pub menu and prices.

- Leary’s Irish Pub: Great Irish pub and food. Nice Indoor Space

- Chart Room Hulls Cove: Best Happy Hour. Overlooking Ocean. $2 Oysters. A bit out of town.

-Lunch: Near Village Green - We like their “Italian” Sandwich - Great for Grab and Go.

- Project Social: Great for Tapas style food and drinks.

- Havana: High end, excellent food and wine. One of the best in Maine.

- Salt and Steel: High end, emerging creative unique menu. One of the best in Maine. HIDDEN GEM

- Peeky Toe Provisions: Local seafood, fish market, nice outdoor picnic tables downtown.

- Side Street Cafe: Local go - to restaurant. Versatile, good food. VERY POPULAR.

- Geddys: Classic fun vibe restaurant. A staple in town for years.

- Galyn’s: Classy, higher end nice food.

- West Street Cafe: Nice, clean, bring restaurant with good food.

- Jordans: A Bar Harbor local institution for breakfast and lunch. Classic fare. Closest to “diner” we have.

- Cafe This Way: Great hearty fare. Awesome breakfast AND dinner! Vegetarian options. HIDDEN GEM.

-Le Brum - Where you go for a fancy meal in town. French cuisine

-Loft - Awesome happy hour specials- try the jumbo sushi roll

-Salsa Verde - Authentic New Mexican food - surprisingly good for a Maine seafood town.

Adult Clothes:

- Cadillac Mountain Sports

- Cadillac Lifestyle

- Cadillac North Face

- Acadia Climbing School

Kids Clothes:

- Only place in town that sells new kids clothes is the North Face store.

Bar Harbor Cheap Thrills, Unique Experiences, Things to Do, and Events:

- Serendipity: local thrift shop near village green

- Willis Rock Shop: Cool Maine Rocks. Kids can fill a little bag for 5$.

- Acadia Country Store: $1.00 Bags of Popcorn!!! A great surprise treat for Kids

- Open Table: Tuesday night pay what you can community dinners. Prepared by former restaurant owner and chef. EXCELLENT FOOD.

- Seaside Movie Night: Bar Harbor shows outdoor movies on some evenings at Agamont Park. Check website.

- Bar Harbor Town Band: Live Musical Performances Mondays and Thursday 8-9 PM. Village Green. MUST DO! Bring Lawn Chair or Blanket.

- Ivy Manor Inn: Drinks, music, and fire pits on the lawn. No food.

-Sand Bar Cottage: Music Most Evenings, drinks on the lawn. Similar to Ivy Manor. No food

- YMCA Pie Sale: Tuesday’s 10:00 AM- until they run out

- Picnic at Grant Park

- Walk to Bar Island

- Compass Harbor Walk

- Fiore - Vinegar and oil tasting free

- Shore Path: Classic Bar Harbor Path alongside the ocean in town

- Deer watching: the deer epicenter on the island is the swatch surrounding Kebo and Cromwell Harbor Streets. (Drive slow, and look around during morning and dusk. Don’t be surprised to see 3 or more at a time, especially in the large field parallel to Cromwell Harbor.)

Volunteer Opportunities:

- Open-Table MDI and the MDI Food Access Project are always looking for volunteers to cook, prep, and package food. Volunteer opportunities are on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

Sign Up Link: https://signup.com/mobileweb/2.0/vspot.html?groupkey=616995329588088081#group_page

- Acadia National Park: Hosts volunteer crew days multiple times a week. Check the Acadia National Park headquarters page for information.

Kids Activities in and Around Town:

- Lakewood Swimming Hole: In Hulls Cove. Great little lake with beach.

- Most lakes are non-swimmable on the island.

Lakes you can swim in are: Long Pond at “Pond’s End” where National Park Kayak Rental’s are only, Somes Pond in Somesville, Echo Lake in Southwest (crowded), Lakewood in Hulls Cove.

- Park Street Playground: Beside YMCA, In town.

- Conner’s Emerson Elementary School: Playground available when school is not in session.

- Compass Harbor: Great little walk close to town. Has little beach.

- Public Tennis courts and basketball courts across from YMCA

- Skate Park: Nicely done. Across from YMCA

- Town hill Playground: Great PLayground. Walk to Town Hill Store and Ice Cream, Brr Harbor, and Atlantic Brewing/ Mainely Meat

- Hadley Point Beach: Great for hanging out and sunset

- Seal Harbor Beach: Quiet Beach. Better swimming than sand beach. Has float at high tide.

- Grant Park: Great park for a picnic, frisbee, and blanket. Along Shore Path in town. Quiet.

- MDI High School: Tennis courts, basketball courts, and Track open to public outside school time.

Bar Harbor Unique/ Worth a Stop Stores:

- Island Artisans

- Window Panes

- Sherman’s book store

- Cadillac Mountain Sports

- Spruce and Gussy

- A little Mad

Bar Harbor Movies/Entertainment:

- Criterion: Movie Theatre and Live Events

- Reel Pizza: One of a kind movie theatre. Locally owned. Small. Couches or stadium seating. Pizza and Food. HIDDEN GEM.

Bike Shop/Bike Rentals:

- Bar Harbor Bike Shop is THE rental spot in town.. The bikes are far superior to all other rental companies in town.

Water Sports:

- SUP: Rent a SUP from Acadia Stand Up. They will deliver to site.

- Sailing and Kayak: Chris Romero leads excellent small and personalized trips, lessons and tours for both sailing and sea kayaking. One of a kind.

- Fishing: Locals go to Hamilton’s Pond.

- Kayak and Canoe: Northeast Creek is a Local favorite. *Go in fall paddle all the way past the chair on the right, get out and go cranberrying!

Rainy Day Around Activities in and Around Bar Harbor:

- Artwaves: Community art center. Unique classes.

- Atlantic Oceanside Indoor Pool and Fitness: Off season only

- College of The Atlantic George Dorr Museum

- Northeast library: Best and largest library in town. Great children’s room. Lots of events for adults and children.

- Jesup library Bar Harbor: Historical library. Small children’s room. Some events.

- MDI YMCA: Gym, Pool, small indoor walking track.

- Abbe Museum: Excellent Native People’s Heritage Museum located downtown.

- Bar Harbor Historical Society - West Street, Bar Harbor.

- Destination Health - sauna, float, yoga

- Acadia Indoor Golf- Located at the Acadia Hotel.

- Criterion Theatre

- Reel Pizza

Rainy Day off Island:

- Ellsworth Tennis center

- Renys Shopping: Ellsworth - A Maine Adventure

- Mardens Shopping: Ellsworth - You should have bought it when you saw it!

- Bowling: D’Amandas Ellsworth

- Volta Indoor Rock Climbing: Trenton

Farmers Markets:

- Bar Harbor - Sundays Memorial Day to November 1st ish 9-12

- Southwest Harbor- Summertime only: Friday 9-12

- Northeast Harbor- Summertime only: Thursday 9-12

Other Yearly Events:

- Bar Harbor Chamber Music Festival: July and August. Check Website

- College of The Atlantic Champlain Institute: July/August. Renowned annual conference with speakers from all over the world.

- Bar Harbor Pajama Sale and Bed Races: Second Saturday in November

- Village Holidays and Midnight Madness Sales: First Friday night in December

- Fourth of July: Parade, Fireworks, Daylong events

Gym/Health/Indoor Fitness:

- YMCA: Fitness Center and Classes, Indoor Pool

- Yoga: Bar Harbor Inn lawn: Outdoors every day at 9:00 AM in summer

- Kebo Golf Course: 8th oldest public golf course in the country. Excellent beautiful course

- MDI High School: Tennis courts, basketball courts, and Track open to public outside school time.

Unique Park Experiences:

- Ranger Program: Stars over sand beach

- Sunrise: Champlain Mountain Overlook on Park Loop Road

- Sunset: Hadley Point Beach

- Duck Brook Road: Let kids bike or scooter on this closed to traffic paved road.

- Lakewood: Swim in the local swimming hole in Hull’s Cove.

- Jesup Path Boardwalk: Magical walk. Turn into a. 1 mile loop by coming back hemlock path. Start at the end of Kebo Street. Great place to view owl and deer at dusk.

- Compass Harbor Trails: Great flat easy forest walk close to town. Leads to cobblestone beach at the former estate grounds of George Dorr.

Town Hill and Salisbury Cove (villages still part of Bar Harbor municipality): Dining, Activities, etc.

Town Hill:

- Playground and Town Hill Store Ice Cream

- Brr Harbor: Shaved Ice

- Mothers kitchen: Awesome sandwiches and coffee

-Sassafrass Catering - great take away food

- Mainely Meat/Atlantic Brewing: Brewery, Tours, and Excellent BBQ in an outdoor garden patio. Has a KIDS PLAYSET!

Salisbury Cove:

- Hadley Point Beach: Great spot to hang out and watch sunset

- Sweet pea pizza: Great wood fired pizza serves in outdoor garden and Barn

- Pirates Cove mini golf

- Udder Heaven ice cream hard and soft serve: Homemade ice cream. VERY good! Across from miniature Golf

Hikes and experiences in the Hulls Cove and Salsbury Cove Area:

- Trails at the Stonebarn: Maine Coast Heritage Trust: Beautiful Trails in field

- Blue Horizons: Great walking trail through woods to ocean

- Blagden Preserve: Great walking trail through woods to ocean

Off-Season, Open Year Round, Winter Fun and Tips:

- Park passes: Are sold at Park Headquarters on Eagle Lake Road. This is the seasonal headquarters for the Park:

- Cadillac Mountain Road and Park Loop Road Closure: December 1st to April 1st approximately, or until first/last snow.

*check Park Website for updated closure info.

- Loop road section between Schooner Head entrance, past sand beach to Otter Cliff Road (which includes entrances to Sand Beach and Thunder Hole) remains open year round.

- Jordan Pond can be accessed year round by taking ordan Pond Road in seal harbor.

Places Often Open Year Round:

*Most businesses take a month or so break at some point during the off season to regroup. Always check store and dining websites in the off season.

- Leary’s Irish Pub

- Two Cats Restaurant

- Ice skating: Glen Mary and Hamilton Pond

- Ben and Bill’s

- COA

- Fogtown Brewing

- Criterion

- Reel Pizza

- Sherman’s

- Mount Desert Bakery

- Slice of Eden

- Chocolatte

- Destination Health

- Mckay’s Restaurant

- Peaky Toe PRovisions

-Thirsty Whale Restaurant

- Geddy’s Restaurant

- Atlantic Oceanside: Swimming

- Jack Russell’s Steak House

- Window Panes Store

Park Loop Road and Acadia Easy Winter Fun, Accessibility and Opportunities:

- Bike or Walk The Loop Road Without Cars! So Much Fun!

* We like to walk and bike with kids the Fabris 1 Mile Loop: Park at Fabris Parking and walk the approx. one mile loop around otter cliffs.

- Jordan Pond: Walk around JOrdan Pond, and access the trails from there. You can access Jordan Pond Parking Area via the Jordan Pond Road in Seal Harbor.

- Drive Ocean Drive, and Access via Schooner Head Road: The Ocean Drive section of the Loop Road stays open year round.

- Sand Beach

- Great Head

- Thunder Hle

- Beehive

- Gorham Mountain

- Hike Cadillac via the Cadillac South Ridge Trail

- Hike Day Mountain From Day Mountain Parking Lot: A safer hike often out of the wind on cold days.

- Snowshoe the carriage roads

- XC Ski the Carriage Roads

- Walk Across Bar Island

- Walk the Shore Path

A selection collection of stays for your experience