Leg two of our New England road trip commenced on Thursday, when we picked up a rental car (a 2027 VW Taos – a zippy thing that was a lot of fun to drive!) and started the trek to Maine. Boston > Bar Harbor isn’t a long drive (around four hours), but we made it an adventure by stopping at the Nubble Lighthouse right near the border of Maine. It was an hour and a half from Boston, so it was a great place to walk around and get some fresh air! Plus, the views were incredible. The weather was gorgeous – sunny and in the 60s – and there were a lot of people taking pictures and enjoying the view.
After that, I considered stopping in Camden to walk around, get a snack, and maybe pop into a bookstore (heh), but it would make us get into Bar Harbor pretty late. I scrapped that plan so we could get to our destination sooner.
The drive to Bar Harbor was gorgeous, too, so I wasn’t mad about staring at the view for miles and miles. I kept myself busy with podcasts and then some music when I started getting tired and needed to keep myself awake.
Eventually, we made it to the B&B, which was really adorable. It was so quintessentially New England! I felt like I was living inside Stars Hollow.
The best part about where we stayed is that we were just a short walk from downtown, which had tons of restaurants and shops, so we spent a lot of time wandering around and picking up some souvenirs. I also forced my mom into her third bookstore of the trip – Sherman’s Book Store. Such a great shop!
We only had one full day in Maine, and we tried to make the most of it with a visit to Acadia National Park! I purchased a vehicle pass for Cadillac Mountain because your girls are not hikers, and I was trying my best not to injure myself on this trip. We got to enjoy the beauty of Cadillac Mountain and then eventually started driving through the park, stopping at little lookouts here and there. I was really looking forward to going to Sand Beach/Thunder Hole, but just as we were in line to pass through, they shut down this entrance due to a medical emergency.
A bummer for us, but much more so for whoever was dealing with the emergency. I couldn’t find anything online about what happened, so I hope it wasn’t too serious. Anyway, we made the best of it and went the other way, eventually ending up at Schooner Head Overlook.
I’m proud to say that nobody was hurt on this trail, so success! We took our time, let the more athletic people pass us, and enjoyed being surrounded by nature. And we were definitely treated to a beautiful view! We opted not to be too adventurous here by climbing on too many rocks, but it was a great stopping point.
We meandered around the rest of Park Loop Road, stopping here and there, and eventually making our way back to our B&B. We parked the car and then headed out for a delicious lunch (below). Afterward, we took it relatively easy! We meandered around the shops for a while, then went back to the B&B where we napped, read, and lazed around until dinnertime. We went for a super delicious dinner at McKay’s Public House to cap off our time in Maine!
It was a great introduction to Maine, but there is so much more to explore. I definitely need to go back!
Maine Quick Facts
- When we visited: Thursday, October 8th – Friday, October 9th
- Steps taken: 14,909 (over two days)
- Pictures taken: 54
- Best sleep: Friday (8 hours)
- Favorite experience: Seeing all of the fall colors on our way to Bar Harbor
- Favorite restaurant: Blaze (where the pizza above was from – so damn good!)
- Favorite little moment: Listening to a conversation between two middle-aged friends while we were at Nubble Lighthouse. One of the friends said, “This is such a beautiful day!” And the friend responded, “Every day is a beautiful day when I’m spending it with you.” Corny, yes, but it melted my heart!
- Souvenirs bought: two magnets (Nubble Lighthouse and Maine), a lighthouse print, a long-sleeved Acadia National Park shirt, an ornament, and two books
What kind of hiker are you: the kind who climbs on rocks like it ain’t no thing, or someone who is a bit more cautious like me?
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