Seeking advice for ideal Bar Harbor experience over July 4th

My wife and I are looking for some insight from folks on the week of July 4th up in Bar Harbor. We have decided to take our summer vacation this year up to Maine. We have never been to Maine and wish to stay in the Bar Harbor/Acadia area.

Any insight on where to stay if we are seeking something nice, but not too expensive since we are outdoor folks and will not be in the room too much. Are the little cottages a ';Maine experience';? Are local hotels better? Or should we do B%26amp;B in the area?

How about local restaurants? It appears that Havana is a must. Any other local ';hole in the wall'; recommendations?

Lastly, any must see items in the area? We enjoy hiking, biking and kayaking. Plan to do those activities. Any insight on other tourist activites that you enjoyed are appreciated!

Thanks,

RD

Seeking advice for ideal Bar Harbor experience over July 4th

I can%26#39;t speak about 4th of July in Bar Harbor/Acadia since we are annual September visitors. All I can say is that you are headed there for one of the busiest times of the year.

Our lodging needs are pretty much the same as yours. We ended up settling in a small hotel called the Acadia Hotel for the past 7 years or so (check reviews by clicking on Bar Harbor Hotels in the strip on the left). The rooms are nice with certain caveats (small tv doesn%26#39;t matter since we%26#39;re out and about most of the time, smaller room with a king bed and limited closet space (always an issue in lodging that has been converted from a residence somewhere in its past). But we really love the place. And the location just off the village green is perfect. You are no more than a minute from the Island Explorer bus stop at the village green and the IE will be important in getting you around that time of year. It also allows for easier end-to-end hikes since you don%26#39;t have to worry about getting back to your car. Last year we used IE to get us the the Cadillac North Ridge trailhead and pick us up at Blackwoods Campground after decending the South Ridge. Same for ascending Champlain on Bear Brook Trail and descending on Bowl Trail to Sand Beach.

Regarding food. Again check some of reviews but I would recommend the following:

For breakfast try Cafe This Way just around the corner from Acadia Hotel; Jeannie%26#39;s on Cottage Street and Two Cats also on Cottage. If you find yourself over Southwest Harbor way, try Eat-a-Pita for breakfast or lunch.

For dinner, go to Maggies for the lobster crepes and Mache Bistro for the seafood stew. If you are into experimentation and willing to try vegetarian cuisine, a visit to Eden is worth your while. And if you head into Southwest Harbor again, Red Sky is great.

That should get you started.

Also if you haven%26#39;t found it yet, visit www.acadiamagic.com.

Seeking advice for ideal Bar Harbor experience over July 4th

IMHO, there is nothing more like the %26#39;Maine experience%26#39; than a cottage on the water - a cup of coffee on your private deck as you watch the tide change *and* the ability to make your picnic lunch so you%26#39;re not losing precious vacation time waiting. There are many options and acadiamagic is a great suggestion. You may try VRBO or cyberrentals for cottages in all locations in all price ranges. The Chambers of Commerce will have choices as well. If you haven%26#39;t already, check a map so that you can search the little villages like Bass Harbor (of course), Bernard, Southwest Harbor, etc - all on the quietside. It will not be high season until August so you may find friendly rates. The Island Explorer goes through out the Island and is helpful. Being out on the water is wonderful and the scenery is gorgeous - Island Cruises from Bass Harbor or the Mailboat to Cranberry Island. Sips in Southwest is new and great - open now for breakfast, lunch and dinner in an abbreviated winter schedule. Thurston%26#39;s Lobster Pound in Bernard is also recommended. Flying Mountain is an easy hike with scenic vistas from the top. Have a great time.

Fourth of July week will be a busy week- make your reservations ahead of time- we are quite happy with the Bar Harbor Motel- this was rated as one of Trip Advisor Best Hotel buys- and it is very fairly priced. It is a couple of minutes before the town of Bar Harbor, and there is a trail leading from the Motel right into the park. Try to get one of the rooms in the upper part of the motel- preferably with the big common deck.

Little cottages are definitely nice too- especially if you%26#39;d like a kitchen. To minimize driving I%26#39;d recommend staying close to Bar Harbor if you want access to restaurants.

Alternatively, there are a couple of great campgrounds! And there are definitely some nice B and B%26#39;s.

recommend AMC book on Acadia National Park- The park is great for hiking, mounatin biking and kayaking.

Check out the material in the Overview section (top of this page) on walks, hikes, restaurants, recommended reading.

To echo some of what%26#39;s already been said, the 4th is a busy day. Among the community activities in Bar Harbor are a blueberry pancake breakfast, a parade, and a lobster feed---all this before the fireworks.

I would also highly recommend using the free Island Explorer shuttle---it even has a service to transport bikes to one of the favorite carriage road access points. See:

%26lt;www.exploreacadia.com%26gt; for more details, route maps, and schedules.

To echo paflyfisher, www.acadiamagic.com is a good source for general park information, lodging, and activities. If you are interested in exploring some of the B%26amp;B possibilities, see:

%26lt;www.sleepbarharbor.com%26gt;

In terms of the type of lodging and presuming that you want to make Bar Harbor your central point,, one thing to keep in mind is that the cottages are well out of Bar Harbor.

I think a Bed and Breakfast accommodation would be the perfect thing for you in Bar Harbor. As you said, you won%26#39;t be in the room that much anyway. At a village B%26amp;B, you will be in the center of things, get a good breakfast, and be in easy walking distance of everything.

That last thing will be important on the 4th of July. You will very definitely want to park your car at your lodging and walk to the festivities! All week long, you won%26#39;t have to hunt for a parking spot in the busy village center because you can park it at your B%26amp;B and leave it there to walk to dinner or to walk to the Village Green where the free Island Explorer buses will take you into Acadia where you can do a one-way hike and another bus will bring you back.

I%26#39;d recommend, in no particular order, The Hearthside, Aysgarth Station, Anne%26#39;s White Columns, the Primrose, and Cleftstone Manor. The Hearthside and Aysgarth are on quieter side streets. White Columns and the Primrose are on busy Mount Desert Street. The Cleftstone is on a hill just a half mile out of the village center.

As for restaurants, Havana%26#39;s is a bit tired. There are some new restaurants coming to town this year. Your best bet is to ask your Innkeeper what has been getting good reviews as the season gets underway. One of the big benefits of staying in a B%26amp;B is the good information you will get from the Innkeeper.

Bar Harbor is a WONDERFUL place to visit in maine. My wife and I traveled there a few years ago and are trying to plan another trip back! As far as a place to stay...

Acadia Hotel - Luxury on a budget

Primrose B%26amp;B - A beautiful little B%26amp;B

you can find a complete guide to lodging (and attractions) at a website called NEgetaway.com www.negetaway.com/maine/staydowneast.html

If you like the outdoors... Acadia National Park is the Best outdoor destination in NE. The mountains meet the sea. Wait until you see the view atop Catilac Mountain!

ENJOY!

All of the above. The AMC guide is a must if your are interested in hiking, biking and kayaking. The Moon Handbook for Acadia National Park is also a must for its info on loding and dining. Rely on the Island Explorer for your transportation needs. Be warned that the Island Explorer basically does not run on the morning of July 4th. All their routes run through Bar Harbor, which closes its streets for a fabulous parade.

Cafe This Way and 2 Cats, as well as Sips in Southwest Harbor are great places for breakfast. There are way too many great places to go for dinner in Bar Harbor - one of our favorites is Lompoc Bar and Grill, and I second the recommendation for for Eat a Pita in Southwest Harbor. The above recommended lobster pounds are good, as is the Trenton Bridge lobster pound. Our particular favorite is Abel%26#39;s lobster pound between Somesville and Northeast Harbor. In my opinion, avoid the restaurants right on Main St., with the exception of Galyn%26#39;s.

If you want a seaside cottage experience at a relatively (we%26#39;re talking July in Bar Harbor) modest price - modest accommodations too, try Emery%26#39;s Cottages on the shore. Some of the campgounds, all served by bus, are near the water as well. In particular I can think of KOA right off the bridge, Mt. Desert Narrows, Mt. Desert at the head of Somes Sound, and Blackwoods and Seawall, which are in the Park.

As for hiking and biking, the Island Explorer provides access to just about all the hiking trails and carriage roads. The carriage roads will be crowded in July, so get an early start. There are about 45 miles of car-free carriage roads for your biking pleasure. You can get to the carriage roads from Bar Harbor by biking up West St. Ext. or by putting your bike on one of the shuttle buses, which start running around 8 o%26#39;clock. An 11 miles long, very scenic, and strenuous ride is Around the Mountain.

Cadillac Mtn. will be crowded Champlain and Dorr Mtns. would be a little less crowded. Try the Beehive for a short but precipitous hike. Sargent Mtn. (the mountain of the Around the Mountain bike ride) is a fabulous hike. A great loop hike from Jordan Pond is to walk norh along the pond%26#39;s shore trail, ascend the Deer Brook trail, turn right on the Sargent Mtn. East Face trail to Sargent Mtn., head south to Sargent Mtn. pond, and then descend the long, open ridge of Penobscot Mtn. back to Jordan pond. Pemetic Mtn. lies between Cadillac and Sargent with great views but not much crowding.

If you like biking, I would highly recommend taking the island explorer to Eagle Lake - you can ride the south side of Eagle Lake to Jordon Pond and stop there for tea and popovers. Then continue around Jordon Pond to Bubble Pond and finish on the other side of Eagle Lake. It takes a few hours and parts are strenuous but it%26#39;s one of my favorite routes.

Also, for ice cream you should check out Mount Desert Island Ice Cream on Firefly Lane (next to the police station and across from the gazebo in the village green.) although I have to disclose that I own the place so I%26#39;m a bit biased!

My husband and I are not from Maine we are from New Hampshire but we go to Bar Harbor all the time we went there for our honeymoon goto www.hinckleyscottages.com they ar e cabins with a kitchen porch and they are only ten minutes from downtown bar Harbor. They are really nice people and there cabins are very affordable and cozy.

-- New Hampshire Couple

Couple of notes: Acadia Hotel is the nice smaller place close to town. The ACADIA INN is a bigger place, looks relatively new, near Jack Russells and College of the Atlantic about a mile outside of town. I noticed the difference today. ANyone headed into the Acadia Hotel, is likely to find the Acadia INN first and could get confused not knowing the difference.

July 4th is a killer week. I stay clear. But, if you want a quiet place, very ';mainey'; , other cottage options are at the campgrounds. Commonly known, my fav is at Bass Harbor Campground. Not everyones taste. But clean, comfortable beds and cottages. Bring your own pillow and sleeping bag or bedding for the beds. Clean bathhouses and the place is really inexpensive. Like 40-60 a night or something like that. It%26#39;s a bit outside of town too. Like I said, not everyones kinda place, but I love to wake up with the ocean breeze. (not far from teh Seawall campground). I think smugglers and maybe Hadleys has cottages for the week also.