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?
GAAAHHH!!!! You got the fall colors! AND you got beautiful weather- you couldn’t ask for anything better than 60s and sunny. Acadia looks so, so beautiful. And this seems like the perfect time of year to go. My only complaint is, I want more details about this bookstore and the books you bought!
That is a really sweet conversation between those two friends! Okay, it’s a little corny but people don’t say things like that out loud often enough.
I was really bad about getting pictures at the bookstores I visited! And I need to do a roundup of the books I bought.
We got the BEST fall colors and I loved Acadia. I need to go back!
What a beautiful place! I’m in awe! The B & B looks so adorable. *Wistful sigh*
I love the overheard conversation. Yes, let’s all be like that with our friends!
I am a very careful “hiker.” Ha! There’s NO hiking happening here these days.
I’m a very careful walker. I’m glad you were careful and no injuries occurred!
I am a very careful walker, too! I hurt myself far too easily just WALKING. What can I say, I have weak ankles!
Oh, this is so beautiful. What incredible views. I don’t mind a bit of rock clambering but I hate heights, so I won’t do anything that has the chance of falling off. I also hate watching people do stupid things on rock ledges and cliffs. I run away quickly so I don’t have to deal with it.
I am always so impressed (and frightened) by people who are a lot more adventurous in their rock clambering than I am! But I also do not like being near people who are goofing off near rock ledges/cliffs. That’s not good for my anxiety!
Ships that pass in the night! I stopped at Nubble a few days after you did on the road from Augusta to Concord. I was focused on capitals for this trip, so that kept me limited to Augusta/Portland for my time in Maine. I’m not done though! I will go back to take on Acadia and Bar Harbor.
We were so close! Dammit. I would go back to Acadia in a heartbeat. It was such a great park!
What a beautiful day to visit the Nubble Lighthouse!
Did you do all the driving? Does your mom listen to your podcasts with you? I ask because I never play my podcasts or books when I am driving with Steven but it would be nice 😂 We usually talk most of the time and I don’t play on my phone except to look things up 🫣
Yay! I am so glad no one got hurt on the trail!
Every day is a beautiful day when I’m spending it with you 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹 how sweet!
Yes, I did all the driving and yes, I made my mom listen to my podcasts, muahahaha. I’m always of the opinion that the driver gets to choose the entertainment, but I tried to pick podcasts that wouldn’t annoy her (aka, nothing political or too raunchy). We did a LOT of Stuff You Should Know, is what I’m saying.
Those views are spectacular!!!
I’m a cautious hiker these days because of bad knees, but as a kid I would have been all over it!
What a great day! I went to Maine for the first time in May for a work trip. I flew into Portland which was a cute city. It’s a bit seedier since the pandemic apparently, though. I would love to go to Acadia someday! That bookstore looks so charming! 10/10 for the vibes at the entrance.
I love to hike but am not a big fan of scrambling on rocks. I leave that to my kids usually. I don’t want to fall and twist an ankle or something!!
Love that you were able to spend some time in Bar Harbor, which is one of my Happy Places (see also: Seattle, San Diego, north shore of Lake Superior). I’ve spent time there alone and with family and every trip has been special in its own way. I haven’t been there since pre-COVID, though, and I suspect many things have changed. It’s on my list of “trips I need to take” (really, all of New England is on that list), so thank you thank you thank you for sharing these wonderful posts. <3