Bar Harbor

I hope you all had a lovely holiday weekend! It’s been a little while since I’ve done an ‘out and about’ post so I thought I’d share a recent trip taken with my girlfriends! Since we’re all nearing the big 3-0, we thought it would be fun  to get away for the weekend for a girls’ trip while we still can! Meaning, it will probably be a lot harder to take one of these weekend trips if one of us has, say, a baby or something (leaving the fur babies was hard enough).

Since everyone in and around Massachusetts seems to flock to Cape Cod at every opportunity throughout the summer months, we decided to avoid the hoards of people and and experience something new!

Bar Harbor - Tulips and a Terrier

I’m not sure how I originally stumbled upon Bar Harbor, but a quick Google search later, I was sold. Bar Harbor is a town on Mount Desert (pronounced like dessert) Island along the coast of Maine. We actually thought people were mispronouncing the name of the island they inhabit until our trolley tour guide explained otherwise. Oops!

Bar Harbor - Tulips and a Terrier

A quick 6-ish hour drive from Boston (which included multiple pit stops), the town kind of sneaks up on you. After a long stretch of road during which you’re thinking ‘where the hell am I?!’ as you drive by countless gun shops, you arrive at this adorable gem of a town!

Bar Harbor - Tulips and a Terrier

All picturesque rugged shorelines and a quaint coastal New England vibe. It was absolutely perfect! Quiet enough to give us the break we all needed and had enough going on to keep us from getting bored. And breathtaking ocean views everywhere you look.

Bar Harbor - Tulips and a Terrier

One of my favorite things to do on vacation (and I understand this makes me sound like a total weirdo) is to venture out on my own first thing in the morning to explore and take photos. So, at 6 am on Saturday morning, I grabbed my Nikon and headed out to capture Bar Harbor. Before you write me off as completely insane, I have some valid points..  1. minimize the amount of time your travel companions have to stand around rolling their eyes as you snap 20 photos of the same thing. 2. Most everyone is still sleeping and there are less people walking into your pictures.

Plus, the lighting. By no means am I pretending to be some photography expert, but you can get some awesome pictures when the sun is sill kind of low on the horizon. I’m quite proud of my first successful silhouette shot..

Bar Harbor - Tulips and a Terrier

The rest of the weekend was a total blast too! Hanging by the pool, spa treatments, shopping, and remembering how fun it is to just hang out with your friends without a million things to worry about.

Bar Harbor - Tulips and a Terrier

We did manage to squeeze in some nature/history with a trolley tour to Acadia national park which took us all the way  to the summit of Cadillac mountain!

Bar Harbor - Tulips and a Terrier

We’d heard that watching a sunset from the top of Cadillac mountain was kind of amazing. And seeing as how we were there on the longest day of the year, it promised to be a good one. Obviously, there was no way we were going to miss it.  With dinner and shopping taking a little longer than expected, we had to literally race to the top of a mountain to catch the sunset. Ever thought you would be in such a situation? No, neither did I.

Well, it certainly didn’t disappoint. I mean, is this for real?!

Bar Harbor - Tulips and a Terrier

I know that my fondness for sunsets/sunrises is greater than the average, so I’ll refrain from bombarding you with 75 sunset photos. Last one, I promise..

Bar Harbor - Tulips and a Terrier

Overall, we had an amazing time! I would totally recommend Bar Harbor to anyone considering a vacation in the New England area and really look forward to visiting again in the future! Like I said, there’s plenty to keep you occupied but it wasn’t at all packed with tourists or overwhelming.

Bar Harbor - Tulips and a Terrier

In  case you are planning a visit to Bar Harbor at some point, I thought it would be helpful to include some of the details of our trip!

We stayed at the Harborside Hotel which had a great location! It was literally on the water (above picture was taken somewhere on the hotel property) and a quick walk from where most of the shops and restaurants were located. The room was very comfortable and had a balcony with an incredible view! My favorite meal of the trip was seafood risotto at McKay’s which was incredible. Coffee Hound was our coffee spot for the weekend and featured a large variety of yummy flavors. If you are a dog lover (or are buying a gift for one), Bark Harbor has some great stuff and a big selection of breed-specific gifts (because I totally needed more Boston Terrier stuff).

I hope you enjoyed reading about our fantastic weekend! I’d love to hear what you think! Ever been to Bar Harbor? Planning any fun trips this summer?