I’ve never visited New England, and with good friends summering in Maine and many recommendations to visit Acadia National Park, we decided that family travel this summer should land us in the middle of Mount Desert Island, Maine. (That’s where Acadia is, for those of you, like me until this spring, who don’t know.)
Planning for the trip and finding lodging was super easy. We reserved a great house via Air BNB on the west side of the island, away from the crowds of Bar Harbor. Getting to Maine was more painful. I live in Virginia, a solid 15-hour drive away from Acadia that would include venturing on I-95 through DC, Baltimore and New York. Yuck. Despite my mishaps on the Amtrak this spring, we decided to take the train up to Boston (and squeeze in a tour of another city we’ve never visited) and take a rental car up to Acadia.
No matter how you get there, (many I’ve spoken to fly to Portland, ME) I highly recommend a visit to Acadia. And if you can, take a bike. Here’s why.
Majestic views
The geography of Maine is different from, but as beautiful as, the mountains of southwest Virginia. Maine boasts smaller mountains, but also tons of trees and a crisp freshness in the air. One morning of our trip, we drove the Loop Road around the island that encompasses most of Acadia National Park, and the views were gorgeous. Along the coast, deep green blue waters of the Atlantic crashed against rocks, while pine trees stretched up toward the blue sky. The variety of textures is breathtaking.
Upon the request of child #4, who loves orcas, we booked a whale watching tour that took us over 50 miles off of the coast. The four-hour adventure was worth the time, money, and mild queasiness. We didn’t spot orcas, but eventually we saw a huge basking shark and several humpback whales splashing their flukes on the surface of the water and showing off with partial breaches. Seeing those giant creatures, and hearing the depth of their blows, filled me with wonder. No pics. I chose to live in the moment.
Cleansing of the mind and spirit
The open air and open space of Acadia cleansed my mind and spirit. The wind rushing through the pines reminded me of water rushing through river rock, clearing debris out of my thoughts. While in Acadia Park, we biked the gravel carriage roads and enjoyed paddling on Long Pond. As I age, I appreciate more and more how time in green, outside, improves my mental health. Acadia was the perfect place for restorative rest.
There are many, many hiking trails in the park. Sadly, we only visited one. Guess we will have to go back!
New adventures
I’m so glad we invested in a trip to this part of the United States, and the family agreed we’d like to return. Preferably, with our own bikes. (How we will get them up there is a problem for another day.) While visiting, we took a bike tour guided by a National Park Ranger. The Ranger offered more education than biking opportunities (Fortunately, Acadia Bike, the rental company we booked with, allowed us to keep our bikes for the rest of the day) but we learned much about the native people who have lived near Acadia for hundreds of years. Our guide pointed out how the development of the park has changed the landscape (for the good and the bad), and how important it is to preserve such a beautiful space.
She posed an interesting question to our group: What can the park service do to maintain public access to this national treasure while still preserving its natural beauty and resources? That is quite a conundrum. I thought the park felt crowded, especially in Bar Harbor and along the Loop Road (which we didn’t visit until 11am), but apparently it wasn’t peak season yet. The park now requires visitors who want to travel to the Cadillac Mountain Summit to purchase a timed admission pass. That’s one way to ease traffic. Island Explorer provides free bus shuttle service (with financial support from LL Bean) around the island. Riders just need to show proof of purchase of a park pass. However, the stops are spread far apart and parking at the stops is limited. We only used the shuttle once because it was too far to walk to a stop.
People should visit Acadia to appreciate natural beauty and relax in nature. However, the millions of visitors to Acadia also deplete resources and bring trash and car exhaust. Maintaining access to parks while protecting nature is a tricky problem for the National Park Service. Our tour group didn’t have any viable solutions, but it’s something I’d like to learn more about.
Word Nerd Recommendations
Maine is gorgeous, and Acadia is worth the trip. I recommend venturing out to hiking trails or bike paths early, as things get crowded after 11am. My son biked the carriage roads all the way down to Jordan Pond, one of the popular destinations in the park. “Too touristy” he declared upon return. HE much preferred Bubble Pond.
These pictures are gorgeous! Hopefully, I can be in some if you go again (hint hint).