G6AdventuresAs part of a three-week excursion to the Northeast, we spent eight nights of our trip in Bar Harbor, Maine. We stayed at the Bar Harbor Campground. This is Part 2 of a three-part series detailing our trip to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. To read about our first few days, click here. This post covers Days 4 and 5 where we caught a Cadillac Mountain sunrise, went on a whale watching cruise, and road bikes on the carriage road trails.
Day 4: Cadillac Mountain Sunrise and Whale Watching
Are you a sunrise person? I am…to my core! I love the beauty of a sunrise. The colors that paint the sky. The serenity and the quiet. There is just a calmness that fills me as I watch the sun coming up that I can’t really compare to anything else. Life with four kids is super chaotic. Traveling the way we do with four kids is sometimes just pure insanity. But a great sunrise just gives me a peaceful Zen feeling before all that chaos erupts.
Having said all that, most of my family disagrees entirely with me! They like more sleep. I’ve always been a morning person, so getting up early doesn’t bother me at all. Generally, I lose in this vote. I’m surrounded by night owls that prefer to sleep away the morning. For this reason, I am very selective about which sunrise locations I drag them out of bed to see. And I bribe them with donuts and hot chocolate or chocolate milk. Look, I’m not above bribing my children!
From October to March, Cadillac Mountain in Acadia sees the sun rise first before anywhere else in the United States. Though that is not the case in July (when we visited), witnessing the sun rise from atop Cadillac Mountain should still sit on any sunrise fan’s list of must-do’s when visiting the area. Near the end of July, the sun rose around 5:15 a.m. So, I set our alarm for 3:40 a.m. Miraculously, we got all the kids up without too much protest, drove into Acadia, and made it to the top of Cadillac Mountain in time to easily get a parking spot in the lot. From there, we marked a fantastic spot, laid out some blankets and relaxed enjoying our sugary breakfast as we waited for the sunrise.
We have traveled quite a bit the last few years exploring over 40 states. In those travels, we have experienced quite a few sunrises – all of them beautiful. But the sunrise from Cadillac Mountain is simply just jaw dropping. I’m not even sure if that’s a fair depiction. There just aren’t words to describe how earth shatteringly gorgeous it was. Even if only for a few minutes, it erases any doubt you might have about the decision to cut short your cherub’s much needed sleep time so drastically. If ever a reason exists to get out of bed before 4 a.m., this is it!
Something to note since our visit to Acadia is that the park implemented a reservation system for Cadillac Mountain. In 2023, tentatively from late June through late October, visitors now need a reservation for the Cadillac Summit Road. 90 days in advance of a particular date, the park service will release 30% of the available vehicle reservations. They will release the remaining 70% at 10 a.m. ET two days in advance. A vehicle reservation costs $6 and are available online at recreation.gov. There are two types of vehicle reservations for Cadillac Summit Road – sunrise and daytime. For the sunrise entry, there is a 90-minute entry window within which you have access to enter. Daytime reservations have a 30-minute entry window. Once you have entered, there is no required departure time until 10 pm; however, re-entry is not permitted.
While I understand the need for the reservation system, I also find it unfortunate. Admittedly, when we left Cadillac Mountain that morning, cars were parked on side of the road for over a mile. Nonetheless, given the sheer popularity of this experience, countless people will unavoidably miss out on it. But, we will definitely try to acquire a reservation for our next trip. It was one of our favorite experiences of our last visit to Maine! And, I can’t imagine a Bar Harbor trip without a Cadillac Mountain sunrise!
After our magical sunrise experience, we drove back to the camper and settled in for a much needed nap. Then, we drove into Bar Harbor to set out on a whale watching tour through the Bar Harbor Whale Watch Co. On this several hour cruise, we rode a jet-powered catamaran 50 miles off the coast…fast! Eric insisted that we sit outside on the ride out so we didn’t miss anything. We did, and we froze! Even with being wrapped in blankets and wearing pants and sweatshirts. No joke, it felt pretty frigid. The temperature off shore dropped nearly 20 degrees and that did not take into account the wind while cruising. So, definitely prepare for it to be colder than you expect!
The captain did a great job of pointing out wildlife as we jetted out into the open ocean. During our cruise, before even finding any whales, we saw porpoises, Atlantic dolphins, ocean sunfish, and basking sharks. Eventually, we found a pod of five humpback whales. The boat followed them for probably nearly an hour. They were incredibly active and so fun to watch. There is such a peacefulness that seems to surround these massive and beautiful creatures. The way they move with the water is mesmerizing. The captain gave everyone plenty of time to truly experience these majestic animals before we headed back. On the return trip, the girls and I opted to sit inside where we stayed warm and toasty. Eric again braved the frigid outdoor deck.
The boat has plenty of restrooms and seating. You can bring food onboard (but no glass, alcohol or hard coolers). Concessions do have plenty of snacks and drinks, but they take cash only. They also sell various merchandise, such as hats, sweatshirts and the like. We think this is a really fun way to experience the Maine coast. It is a bit pricey and not something we would do every trip. If you go, make sure to bundle up. Also, take sunglasses due to the severe glare from the sun on the ocean waters. And prepare for seasickness. Thankfully, our family did not experience this, but we saw others that did. If you’re able, we highly recommend this cruise for your trip to Bar Harbor!
After returning from our cruise, we walked a little over a block up the street to West Street Cafe for dinner. Over the course of this trip, we enjoyed a lot of great New England seafood, but West Street Cafe was another level. From the lobster roll to the New England clam chowder to the haddock and even the kid meals, everything tasted amazing. Perfectly sized portions. Delicious, flavorful entrees. Lobster mac n’ cheese. Need I say more??
Day 5: Carriage Road Bike Trails; Junior Ranger; Otter Point
After our insanely early morning the day prior, we decided to sleep in and try to catch up on sleep. Once up and ready, we took our bikes to the Hulls Cove Visitor Center. From there, we rode the 4.7 mile Witch Hole Pond Loop. John D. Rockefeller gifted 45 miles of these rustic carriage roads to the park. From 1913 to 1940, he had them constructed to provide motor-free roads around the mountains and around Mount Desert Island. Initially built specifically for horse and carriage travel, today they are used by pedestrians, bicyclists and horse-drawn carriages. Class 1 e-bikes are permitted, but all other motorized vehicles are prohibited, including Class 2 and 3 e-bikes, Segways, and hoverboards.
Before we headed out on the trails, we explored the Hulls Cove Visitor Center. When visiting a national, or sometimes even a state, park we try to stop at the Visitor Center. It helps give you a sense of the park. Plus, it gives you an opportunity to talk to the rangers, who can provide a wealth of information. They know the park inside and out and typically love sharing their knowledge and admiration for their park with anyone willing to take a moment to listen. After talking to the rangers at the Visitor Center, our 6-year-old decided she wanted to become a ranger too. So, she used her souvenir money to buy a ranger vest and hat. Then, she grabbed a map and informed us that she would be our guide for the day.
With kids ages 1, 6, 10, and 12, at the time, this nearly 5-mile loop worked perfectly for us. The initial stretch from the visitor center parking lot to the first marker on the loop is pretty steep. The parks recommends dismounting from your bike whether you are headed up the hill or on your way back down. Our Junior Ranger guide led us around the loop stopping to point out birds and matching them up to her ranger guide. Part of the beauty of the carriage roads is that they let you get super close to the gorgeous views entrenched between the Acadia mountains.
After finishing up our incredible ride, we ended up back at the Visitor’s Center. Having completed her Junior Ranger program, she was “officially” sworn in as a Junior Ranger. This was our first experience with the Junior Ranger program, and we immediately became hooked. Olivia seeks out the program in every national park we visit. Some state programs have them as well. It is such a fun way to engage kids in these magical parks we get to enjoy across the country. Plus, Olivia loves collecting the badges. We’ve just about ran out of room on her vest. And now our youngest has started to participate. We cannot say enough about this program.
We drove back to the camper for lunch and to rest up a bit. Then, we rode our bikes from the campground to Udder Heaven Ice Cream Retreat. Conveniently, a path connects the campground to Udder Heaven and Mainely Meats BBQ. The ice cream is made with milk from cows raised in Maine and is unbelievably fresh and delicious. In addition to over 65 flavors of ice cream, they also have homemade whoopie pies, blueberry pies and ice cream pies. You seriously cannot go wrong here. And, they even have offer a “Make Your Own Ice Cream” program where they teach you how they make ice cream. You even get the opportunity to make ice cream the “old fashioned way” using ice and rock salt. We unfortunately discovered this program too late and weren’t able to get an appointment before we left.
Then, we topped off our night with a gorgeous sunset at Otter Point in Acadia National Park. This is an incredibly popular sunset spot, so we recommend getting there a bit early to snag a spot. It’ll be worth it. As the sun sets, it makes the rocks almost appear to glow. As much as I love a great sunrise, it’s easier to convince my family to watch sunsets. And, to be honest, they are often just as beautiful. The sunset at Otter Point definitely did not disappoint. Bonus, the kids loved climbing across the rocks. It proved to be a perfect ending to an already pretty fantastic day.
As you can tell, we packed so much into these two days. And, we still have a couple days left in the Bar Harbor leg of our trip!! But, to be honest, I think we could stay here for weeks and weeks and continue to fill our days. Our next post will detail our last couple days in the area. Then, we will conclude with a summary of our itinerary, including our must-do’s, what we’d do again on our next Bar Harbor trip, and what we think we missed. Check out all of our Maine posts here. Or, to read about the rest of our adventures, click here. Stay tuned to see our “Where To Next?”
