An Unexpected Love Affair with Coastal Maine and Acadia National Park

As a heat wave hits Texas earlier than usual this year, it makes me think fondly of huddling down behind a large rock, trying to stay out of the wind so my daughter and I could withstand the cold long enough to watch the sunset from Cadillac Mountain.

The highest point on the Atlantic coast of America, Cadillac Mountain is inside Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, Maine, and is more well-known as the first place in the U.S. to see the sun rise (in the winter, at least). But we were there in August, and despite tossing a flannel over my t-shirt before heading up the mountain, we were freezing.

Maine had not been my first choice for vacation, mostly because I didn’t know that much about it. But my daughter had read a book that took place there and wanted to see it in person. Since I’d picked our previous vacation location, she won this decision.

So we headed north to the land of blueberries, lobsters, and lighthouses, first flying into Portland. When you say Portland, the city people tend to think of is the one on the west coast, but Portland, Oregon, reportedly took its name from Portland, Maine, which took its name from the Isle of Portland off the coast of England in 1786.

Visit Portland describes the town as “a place where grey flannel and plaid flannel can coexist,” which is to say it has both the sophistication of a metropolitan town and the working-class aesthetic of an active seaport. One good example of that mix was the delicious and surprisingly upscale brunch we had at the casual Irish pub Rí Rá, where we went on the recommendation of a local – one of many friendly people we encountered in a town that we noticed was also very dog-friendly.

Based on another recommendation that I got from a friend back home, we booked a two-hour sunset sail at Portland Schooner to take in the city view from Casco Bay. You can bring your own food and beverages on board their Maine-built wooden windjammers, some of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Another historic place we visited was the Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth, just south of Portland. This lighthouse has provided navigational aid and ensured safety for ships in Portland and the surrounding area since 1791. Today, local residents maintain the lighthouse, adjacent buildings, and the surrounding land, which is free to enter, although you have to pay to park.

The next day, we turned north on Route 1 for a road trip up the coast to Bar Harbor. Of course, we stopped at the L.L. Bean flagship store in Freeport to take pictures with the giant boot (currently undergoing renovation). But there were plenty of other cute little towns with antique and souvenir shops, and restaurants with lobster rolls, to stop in along the way.

Once in Bar Harbor, we easily found our cozy Airbnb rental, which remains one of my favorites I’ve stayed in – which is saying something since I’m currently up to 31 Airbnb stays over the past 13 years. The charming efficiency apartment carved out of a larger house offered off-street parking while being close to Main Street, and was an easy walk to all its clapboard storefronts and the harbor itself. Our host, Michael, was a Maine native and carpenter doing all his own work restoring and reviving the house. When I checked to make sure the listing was still up, I saw that he’s now got a second apartment ready to book.

The town of Bar Harbor offers many shopping options, delicious dining, and tasty treats such as ice cream. You can find just about everything possible to make with blueberries, from baked goods to soap. There are also bike rentals, boat tours, and many outfitters offering adventures like the kayak tour we did one afternoon.

It was exciting to take in Frenchman Bay and the Porcupine Islands while so close to the water and wildlife, but Bar Harbor is probably most known as the gateway to Acadia National Park, so we set aside a good bit of time to explore there.

Acadia is home to more than 20 mountains and 150 miles of hiking trails. More than we had time to visit, so it was a toss of a coin type decision to pick where to go. We decided on the 3.5-mile Gorham Mountain Loop trail because it promised a variety of what Acadia has to offer, including great views of the rocky coastline and ocean drive, and Cadillac Mountain, which we opted to drive up for sunset to avoid the potential sunrise crowds.

Cadillac Mountain was originally called Wapuwoc, meaning appropriately "white mountain of the first light," by the Wabanaki People who first inhabited the area. Today, it has become so popular with Acadia’s 4 million annual visitors that a reservation is required to drive up. You need to buy them on the Recreation.gov site if you want to take a vehicle up, but there’s no reservation required to go up on foot or by bike. There is no reservation required to enter the park, either, although you know I highly recommend the America the Beautiful pass, which will cover entry fees.

When it came time for us to leave Mount Desert Island and head back toward Portland for our flight home, despite having planned a stop in Old Orchard Beach to see more of Maine’s coastline, I found I wasn’t ready to go. I now understood why my daughter had been so drawn to Maine through the pages of her book.

This rugged northeastern corner of the country offers a perfect blend of natural beauty, small-town charm, and unexpected adventures. My initially reluctant journey north had become one of our most treasured vacations, proving once again that when we are open to go where the wind blows, we can find some of the best destinations.