Getting here:
From Boston, I took the I-95 north towards Portland, ME. At Portland, I decided to use Maine's Route 1 instead of the usual I-495 north. Route 1 passes through small coastal New England towns such as Wiscasset, Rockland, Camden, Belfast, Bucksport and Ellsworth. From Ellsworth, take the Maine Route 3 south into Mount Desert Island where Acadia National Park is located. As soon as you cross the bridge into the island, follow the signs to Bar Harbor downtown.

Description:
While Bar Harbor, ME itself does not constitute the designated area of Acadia National Park, it is one of the most popular towns on Mount Desert Island. To me, the town gave me a mouth-watering preview of what was in store in this trip. Serene rocky shores, ample greenery, distinguished coastal New England characters and well-heeled community that is still preserved in its old world's charm.

Bar Harbor hosts a number of luxury hotels, rustic inns and taverns, gift shops and sidewalk café. I had the chance to taste the sumptuous New England fried fish filet along with french fries at one of the restaurants.

A quick stroll away brought me to the famous Shore Path. The walking path started a little bit on a high slope from Bar Harbor down to the rocky beach. The view was simply outstanding - beautiful marina, a public park with cut grass and lush green trees, and the superb view of Frenchman Bay to match. The path led me to Bar Harbor Inn, an up-market hotel overlooking the bay. Near the hotel's café was a clearly marked trail to the eastern shore of Mount Desert Island. The four Porcupine Islands were clearly visible from here. The rocky shore was deserted and peaceful. The mixture of fir and spruce forest by the coast really complemented the deep blue ocean. Occasionally I stumbled across several beautiful mansions with huge manicured lawns right by the shore.

I didn't get the chance to walk to Bar Island which fronts the Bar Harbor Inn. While it is theoretically an island, one could easily walk across the water channel during low tide. The timing has to be correct in order to cross into the island and return back to Bar Harbor before the high tide sets in. If you get the chance to visit Bar Island, you will be treated with spectacular view of Mount Desert Island and the rustic Bar Harbor town.