Plan Your Escape To Maine’s Coastal Paradise

Maine has completely stolen my heart, and I can’t wait to share our adventures with you. From the breathtaking beauty of Acadia National Park to the charm of Bar Harbor and beyond, there’s so much to explore. Join me as I take you through the magic of Maine—I have a feeling you’ll be inspired to plan your very own escape to Maine.

Maine has never been on my radar as a place I’d like to visit, but now I know it should have been! Last year we began discussing vacation locations and decided Maine would be a fun place to explore. Believe me when I say, it exceeded my expectations above and beyond!

The Best Time To Go

First things first! What is the best time to go to Maine? As we researched, it became obvious that June to September would be the best time of year to visit. We ultimately decided on September. It worked for our schedules, and the weather was phenomenal to enjoy all that Maine has to offer.

We spent seven glorious days of the most perfect weather; 50s at night and 70s during the day with sunshine. September is a great time for all of you empty nesters or homeschoolers.

For my followers who want Maine to be a family vacation, I would recommend July or August. I don’t think you can go wrong with any of those months!

Lodging

We booked an Air B&B in Ellsworth. It was a little gem on a small lake surrounded by pine trees. Ellsworth is about 30 minutes outside Bar Harbor, and we loved it.

Ellsworth is also very close to amenities like shopping and restaurants, and where you will find MoMo’s Cheesecakes. The cheesecake was fabulous, but here’s the best part…MoMo’s is open 24 hours a day!! Yes, you read that right!

Seriously though, who doesn’t love cheesecake? And, to be able to go any time of day or night…wow. The owners provide a cash box with change in it. Yes, even in today’s world, this family-owned business is trusting people. I love that! Another option is to pay with Venmo.

Momo’s came as a recommendation from our lobster cruise captain. He shared this little hometown gem. Of course, we had to sample its goodness and even visited twice. Calories don’t count on vacation, right 😘

Acadia Lobster Cruise

That brings me to an adventure that makes the top of our Escape To Maine Favorite Things To Do List, the Acadia Lobster Cruise.

We could not have asked for a more delightful afternoon. From the most exquisite weather to our fun and knowledgeable cruise Captain, Jason, to the enormous lobsters we caught, everything about this experience was amazing.

The boat doesn’t look like much when you arrive. It seems a bit small. However, there was plenty of room. There was space for a picnic table, six of us, and for the captain. I don’t want to give it all away, but suffice it to say, you will LOVE this experience.

We retrieved 5 lobsters from the lobster traps, each of us getting a turn to reel a trap up. We banded the claws, bagged them, and threw them in a pot of boiling water. The lobster was served with melted butter and corn on the cob.

The lobster was exceptional. For dessert, we had the most amazing blueberry pie. Did you know that Maine blueberries are tiny, but have the most amazing abundance of sweetness? It was hands down the best blueberry pie I’ve ever had.

The lobster cruise was exactly 3 hours in length. The views of the Maine coastline were magnificent. We even passed a few lighthouses as we cruised to the lobster traps.

You must make reservations for this excursion months ahead, so don’t leave this to the last minute.

The Maine Coastline

There are 80 lighthouses along the Maine coastline. They are beautiful and exactly what you picture when you imagine a Maine lighthouse.

We only officially visited one lighthouse, but Maine does offer a lighthouse boat cruise. We would have loved this if we could have fit it into our schedule. If you have time, I recommend it. You can link to it here: Maine Lighthouse Cruise

Speaking of the coastline of Maine, it is unlike the coastlines and beaches I am familiar with, coming from the Jersey shore and south of the Jersey shore.

The lighthouses in Maine are perched on rocks and surrounded by the most gorgeous pine trees. It is sheer perfection and beauty, especially on a gorgeous sunny day where you can see for miles.

We did make a stop at the Bass Harbor Head Light Station located in Tremont, Maine. Among the 80 lighthouses across Maine, it is one of three lights managed by Acadia National Park.

You may have to wait for a parking spot, but people move in and out fairly quickly. It is worth the wait. Make sure you go to the lighthouse and then head to the path that gives you the quintessential view from the shoreline. It’s worth the trek through the woods and rocks! And don’t worry, it’s a short walk.

Acadia National Park

Let’s move on to the hiking portion of our trip. The views we experienced from our hikes were spectacular. The combination of rock, pine trees, water, and blue sky was breathtaking. Eastern White Pine is the official Maine state tree, and it is everywhere!

A hike in Acadia offers a different experience and view than your average hike through the Pennsylvania, Virginia, or Tennessee mountains. I’ve had the pleasure of hiking all of them.

We did two big hikes on our Maine vacation: the Beehive Trail and the Jordan Pond Bubbles.

The Beehive Trail

The Beehive Trail was where we found ourselves on the first day of hiking. This trail is ranked “Hard “by All Trails.

AllTrails says about the Beehive Trail: “The Beehive Trail Loop is one of the most popular hikes in Acadia National Park. This popular loop offers incredible views, with some challenging rung and ladder sections.

This loop starts at the Sand Beach parking lot, traverses over the Beehive, and then ends at Champlain Ridge.

The Bee Hive was challenging in spots, especially when we encountered small ledges to walk on and needed the rungs to help us climb. The entire hike took us about 5 hours with stops along the way to enjoy the views and eat lunch.

The descent was tough, with plenty of rocky steps along the way. By the time we reached the bottom, our knees were definitely feeling it—but honestly, that’s probably to be expected at our age! 😘.

That being said, nothing worth doing is easy. No pain. No gain. I am a little scared of heights so this hike was challenging in one or two spots where you were literally on the edge of a cliff. However, the feeling and exhilaration of completing it made it all worth it.

The Precipice

There is another fairly significant hike, and what they ranked as “hard”, called The Precipice Trail. We considered doing this hike but opted to forego it because of danger warnings. Perhaps if we were younger, we would have attempted it. I’ve heard it is amazing.

Jordan Pond Trail: The Bubbles

The Jordan Pond Trail was not as intensive as the Beehive, but still challenging, and we had a blast. I loved this hike! We were pretty spent as we arrived back at the Jordan Pond House, but were very excited about what awaited us.

The Jordan Pond Path trail hike consisted of two bubbles: The North Bubble and the South Bubble. You finish by completing a walk around the “pond”. This was not a small pond, by the way.

You can link to all the available trails in Acadia at All Trails. There are plenty more to experience!

Jordan Pond House

The Jordan Pond House is a restaurant at the base of the Jordan Pond Trail. We made reservations, which I highly recommend. You don’t have to, but it will alleviate a long wait.

We arrived back from our hike earlier than expected and they graciously accommodated us anyway. This was wonderful because we were all tired and very hungry.

It had been suggested to us by locals not to order from the extended menu but to enjoy the popovers, which is exactly what we did.

The cost of two popovers served with butter, strawberry jelly, and coffee or tea is $13.00. For popovers with lemonade, the cost is $15.00. They offered an iced coffee as well, which was my drink of choice and, in my opinion, complemented the popovers beautifully.

At the Jordan Pond House, you will find rows of picnic tables on the lawn and a gorgeous view of Jordan Pond. I felt like I was in a scene from a movie.

Oh, and by the way, the popovers were amazing! I loaded mine with all the butter and jelly and savored every last bite.

I want to caution you to arrive early. As we were leaving, we encountered cars of people driving around for an hour waiting for a parking spot.

Cadillac Mountain

Viewing the sunrise at Cadillac Mountain was another highlight of our trip. “Cadillac Mountain is a mammoth mountain home to the first rays of daylight to touch the United States”. It is the perfect location to catch the sunrise.

You can get to Cadillac Mountain by hiking or by car. If you opt for the hike to see the sunrise, you should begin your journey around 3:00 AM. You can also do what we did: drive your car and park.

I recommend getting there at least 30 to 60 minutes before sunrise. There are two reasons for this. One, the parking lot fills up, and two, the beauty of the sunrise starts way before you see the sun.

Be sure to check out the time of the sunrise for the day you plan on going and then get there early! It will be worth it.

It is a calm and peaceful experience. I could not help but worship and thank God as I sat there, enamored by His magnificent creation. I think you will feel the same!

Maine Lobster

You cannot escape to Maine without getting lobster. I have already introduced you to the Acadia Lobster Cruise, but there is lobster at every restaurant. Maine is the lobster capital of the world.

On our drive to our Airbnb, after we picked up our friends at the Portland Airport, we made a delightful stop in Camden.

While there we stopped at an outdoor eatery called The Waterfront. It was located on an inlet with a gorgeous view of the water and boats. It was here that we tasted our first lobster roll of the week. And wow, was it delicious!

By the end of the week, we had tried lobster at 4 different locations. We had whole lobster, lobster rolls, lobster bisque, and lobster grilled cheese.

The lobster grilled cheese was my final lobster meal on the last evening of our vacation. We dined at Beals Lobster Pier, a famous spot in Maine and a great place to go! I had never tried lobster grilled cheese before but, WOW! Delicious!

As far as lobster rolls, you can get two kinds. One is cold with a mayo base, and one is warm with a butter base. Both are good, but my favorite is the cold with a mayo base.

Whale Watching Cruise

The whale-watching cruise was at the top of the list of our favorite adventures from the week. The cruise lasted 5 hours and was with Bar Harbor Whale Watch Co.

Our boat had three decks to choose from. It traveled out into the ocean about 50 miles. We even crossed into Canadian waters. Our tour guide was fabulous and very knowledgeable.

This particular cruise company offers a voucher for an additional cruise if, by chance, they don’t encounter any whales. They assured us that it doesn’t happen very often. Fortunately for our excursion, we did encounter whales, and it was exhilarating.

We began our trip on the top deck, but the view was not as good as expected, and it was quite chilly. Be sure to dress in layers! You might think it is warm enough, but you would be surprised at how cold it gets.

After about 30 minutes, we ventured down to another deck and out to the front of the boat. Best. Decision. Ever. We experienced the most amazing views from this new location. I’m so glad we took a chance and ended up there!

We had the joy of encountering two whales separately. They were magnificent. I was mesmerized by the sheer enormity of their stature and their beauty. It is an incredible experience you won’t soon forget.

Firepit Love

If I could give you a word of advice, find lodging complete with a fire pit. We enjoyed fires in the mornings and evenings. It kinda feels like the Maine thing to do!

Sitting by the fire was a great place to unwind after a full day exploring or to relax with breakfast before your adventures begin.

Bar Harbor

Bar Harbor will forever have my heart. It is as picturesque as you can imagine. I felt like I was in a Hallmark movie. The sights and views were just what you would picture in a Hallmark movie town.

There were gorgeous flowers everywhere. They were adorning the landscape, window boxes, and planters. I’m a flower lover so as you can imagine this made me smile, and grab lots of pictures…lol

We perused Main Street and shopped all the shops, picking up souvenirs. We had dinner at a local restaurant called Paddy’s Irish Pub & Restaurant where we ate the most delicious cheeseburger. The Stout Burger is the way to go!!!

At the base of the harbor, you will find a beautiful lawn on a hill where you can sit and take in the view. Bring a blanket and have a picnic.

While sitting on a bench at the top of the hill, we watched the sun go down, ate ice cream from Ben & Bill’s Chocolate Emporium, and gazed out over the harbor. This was a moment to remember!

Ben & Bill’s Chocolate Emporium ice cream is delicious and there are so many flavors. While there, you can pick up some yummy chocolates.

On one of our walks along the harbor, we witnessed a wedding. I can’t begin to imagine getting married at such a stunning location.

We visited one of the many coffee shops in Bar Harbor and enjoyed a delicious iced coffee. It was called The Stadium and it is on Main St close to the Harbor.

On our last evening in Bar Harbor, we were walking the streets trying to decide where to eat. We had plenty of lobster for our week, so we opted for an American Bistro and landed at the Route 66 Restaurant.

Wow, we hit the jackpot! This restaurant had a great atmosphere and terrific service. The food did not disappoint and we were all full when we left. If you like pulled pork I highly recommend getting one of their pulled pork meals!

We ended our last day with Mini Golf at Pirates Cove. It was a great miniature golf course and we had a blast!

Below you will find a complete list of our itinerary. There is more to see, but this was all we could squeeze into our seven days there. If you did all of these things, your week would be complete!

Enjoy your trip to Maine and if you plan a trip be sure to let me know if this post helped you via Instagram or Facebook. See a complete list below of everything I mentioned in this blog post.

Plan Your Escape To Maine’s Coastal Paradise

The Best Time To Go

Lodging

Acadia Lobster Cruise

The Maine Coastline