First Look at Acadia National Park

Switching gears for a hot second away from my Adriatic Adventure vacation round up (don't worry, I'll resume the recap soon!), I wanted to share my mini vacation to Acadia National Park from Independence Day weekend.  I first got inspired to see Acadia National Park from the U.S. Interior's Instagram, which posts tons of beautiful photos from across the U.S.  Let me just say that what I saw of Acadia NP in such a short time was gorgeous and I can't wait to go back one day!  New England has some really picturesque spots, let me tell you.

We arrived the Wednesday leading up to the Fourth of July weekend.  After checking into Hanscom's Cottages, we took the free local bus to Bar Harbor, the main tourist town by Acadia NP.  There we had a delicious lunch at Galyn's.  I had the most amazing crab cakes (caught in Maine!) ever!  And we loved that the owner collected art and displayed it through out the restaurant.

Our first day there (more like half day) we didn't have time for a full on hike, so we walked the Ocean Path.  It begins at Sand Beach (pictured) and meanders along the eastern shore of Desert Island before ending at Otter Cliff.  I was exhausted from travel the day before and little sleep, so this was a perfect easy trail with which to start.


Snapping a photo of Monument Cove.

The next morning we set off for the Jordan Pond Trail that eventually lead to the Penobscot Trail.  We went counterclockwise around Jordan Pond to get to the trails that lead to Penobscot Mountain, so it wasn't as strenuous of a hike as I anticipated.  

Here we are happily on top of Penobscot Mountain, which sits at 1,194 feet.


There were some amazing views of the ocean from the summit.

Afterwards we drove and hiked a short way to Hunters Beach for a picnic lunch.  We hiked along some boulders on the water's edge and enjoyed a nice view of the waves and rising tide as we munched on some salami and crackers.


After our hike and lunch, we had some time for exploring around town.  So what better way to explore than to try some local brews?  We stopped at Atlantic Brewing Company on Knox Road and ended up trying most of what they offered on tap.  Unfortunately they don't have flights, so we just ordered a bunch of 6 oz. pours for $3 a piece (poor us).  My favorites were their Mount Desert Island Ginger, Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale, and Brother Adam's Honey Bragget. 

A snapshot of some lobster traps on a pier near our dinner spot.

Have you ever been to Acadia National Park?  What trails do you recommend?  I'd love to go back and have more time to explore more trails!

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