Hidden Gems in Maine
One of my favorite parts of traveling has always been taking photos. This started even before I was officially a “professional photographer”. So of course I snapped away during our recent getaway “Down East.” I actually brought along my medium format film camera and used it the most during this trip. This trip served as a great time to “play” with photography. (The majority of these images are film.) Along with sharing my favorite images, I thought it would be fun to share info about some of the hidden gems of Maine that we were introduced to!
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An Almost Free Trip!
Before I jump into our favorite hidden gems of Maine, I should probably note that I didn’t plan this trip. We’ve been burned in the past when attempting to plan getaways without our three little girls. I also tend to get too attached to my high expectations. Therefore, when my husband, Ben, started talking about planning a trip, I gave him my blessing but told him that this was going to be his project. He was happy to oblige as he had recently taken a deep dive into credit card travel points hacking.
Believe it or not, Ben booked our flights from Nashville to Portland and our rental car for free. (We only had to pay taxes). He did it by leveraging the sign-on bonus points and points from our general spending through the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. (Granted, this only works in your favor if you are the type of household that never carries a credit card balance, but instead pays it off each month. Travel points don’t outweigh credit card debt!) I was quite thrilled to go on a getaway to a new place and do it with minimal financial investment!
A Note About the Weather
If you are exploring hidden gems in Maine, plan on packing and wearing layers! For our trip at the end of July, the forecast was sunny with a high in the 80s. Most days actually ended up being a little rainy and cool. We found that even the hourly forecast could not really be depended on. If you visit Maine in the summer, just plan on packing layers that will give you options and keep you comfortable in the hot sun and cool fog.
1. Hidden Gems in Maine: Acadia Bay Inn
As Ben was researching places to stay, he looked at a few bed and breakfasts in Bar Harbor, but eventually settled upon Acadia Bay Inn. I’m so glad he did! We enjoyed visiting Bar Harbor, walking around for a few hours one morning and returning to get ice cream at Ben & Bill’s Chocolate Emporium. However, we quickly tired of the hustle and bustle of the summer crowds. (If you’re from the Southern USA, you’ll know what I mean when I say it reminded me of the touristy nature of Gatlinburg, TN.) I was so glad that Bar Harbor was not our home base for this trip.
Acadia Bay Inn is located in Sullivan Harbor, ME, about a 30 minute drive to Mount Desert Island. The victorian cottage was built in 1880 and offers stunning view of Frenchman Bay and Cadillac Mountain. (I’m still kicking myself for not pulling out my camera on our first evening when we had clear skies and a perfect sunset view. The clouds rolled in the rest of our evenings there and I struggled to do the view justice.) Our room, which was immaculately clean, was attached to a little second story balcony that was a perfect spot for reading, drinking coffee, and enjoying the view. Acadia Bay Inn served as a comfortable, quiet, and charming home base.
Getting perfect recommendations from our Innkeepers Matt and Nicole proved to be one of the major benefits of staying at Acadia Bay. Every morning after a yummy breakfast, Matt would come to our table with a map and a fantastic list of sights to see. He prevented us from wasting hours on Google and sent us to places we probably wouldn’t have found on our own. We’ve stayed at bed and breakfasts before (some out of the country), but our stay at Acadia Bay Inn has probably been our favorite to date.
2. Schoodic Peninsula
Turns out, the Acadia Bay Inn in Sullivan Harbor is nestled midway between Mount Desert Island and the lesser known Schoodic Peninsula. The Schoodic Peninsula is part of Acadia National Park. However, with the drive from Bar Harbor to the peninsula taking over an hour, this section of the national park is less visited. Read = much less crowded.
We ended up visiting this area twice during our short stay. It perfectly provided the beautiful, rugged coastline I came to Maine to see. We briefly visited the Schoodic Institute, mainly to admire the architecture of Rockefeller Hall. Rockefeller originally built this structure to serve as a naval base. Our truly favorite spots were Ravens Nest and Schoodic Point. The views were so picturesque. Watching and listening to the powerful Atlantic waves beat onto the rocky shore was both mesmerizing and awe inspiring. Schoodic Peninsula is a must see.
3. Lunch on the Wharf
After our visit to Schoodic Peninsula, we stopped for a late lunch at Corea’s Lunch on the Wharf. We giggled as we followed handwritten signs for the restaurant along the road. In our normal daily life, we probably wouldn’t have been brave enough to seek out this type of “hole in the wall” experience. However, our Innkeepers highly recommended getting a meal at Lunch on the Wharf so we persevered.
We literally felt like we parked in someone’s driveway. I’m pretty sure the food truck and picnic tables are set up in the owners yard. But the food tasted so good! Ben satisfied his craving for clam chowder. My lobster tacos won the designation of the best meal I ate all week! The restaurant has picnic tables set up on a deck overlooking the harbor. We loved the uniqueness of the view and the entertainment of watching boats coming in and out. In our opinion, Lunch on the Wharf is a must do if you find yourself in this part of Maine.
4. Otter Cliffs
You must walk the Ocean Path Trail when visiting Mount Desert Island. It’s an easy and iconic trail that gives you perfectly “Maine” views. However, the trail is very crowded. Sand Beach, where the path begins, really suffers from congestion. Once again, our Innkeepers saved the day by recommending driving past the first several parking lots. Instead, we parked at Otter Cliffs (basically the end of the trail) and walked in the opposite direction of most visitors. In my opinions, the best views were at this part of the path near Otter Cliffs anyways.
We ended up re-visiting Sand Beach around sunset that evening for a photography session with Christine Renee Photography. By that time of the day, the parking lot had emptied. She explained that she tells her family and friends to visit this part of the national park in the late afternoon and evening to avoid the crowds. Christine also took us to lovely Schooner Head Overlook, another hidden gem in Maine.
5. Southwest Harbor
While we did some strolling around Bar Harbor, we truly got more enjoyment out of driving around the island outside of the main tourist areas. The homes in Northeast Harbor lovely to see as we drove through. We also enjoyed the more “working class” feel of Southwest Harbor, seeing how the locals live and work. We stopped for a late lunch at Peter Trout’s Tavern and Inn, another recommendation from our Innkeeper. Ben liked our meal of fried chicken more than I did. Nevertheless, this location makes it on the list because of its interesting view. From the window we again enjoyed watching ships coming in and out of the harbor.
A Recommended Trip
Overall, we had a fantastic trip! We enjoyed a nice balance of adventuring and also relaxing at our charming bed and breakfast. Our only real hiccup came traveling back. Both of our flights were severely delayed. But honestly, I’ve decided that being at the airport with no children basically feels like a vacation. No one needed me. There were no chores to do. I had a book to read and coffee could be easily found around the corner. I even walked some laps around the terminal to pass the time and get my steps in. Really, all I lacked was a comfy place to take a nap. Indeed, jumping back into parenting with only two hours of sleep proved a bit of a challenge. Nonetheless, if you are considering a getaway, I highly recommend visiting some of these hidden gems in Maine.
Do you have plans to visit any Hidden Gems in Maine?
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