I took my wife and toddler up to visit Maine a few weeks back, and we spent half our time in and around Acadia National Park. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this particular national treasure, Acadia is the oldest national park east of the Mississippi river. The park shares an island that sits just off the coast of Maine in the north Atlantic Ocean. The port town of Bar Harbor, a cruise ship destination, is at the north part of the island, while a few smaller towns and private residences dot the rest of the land. The Rockefeller family financed a large part of the park, including much of the restoration efforts after a huge fire burned down most of the island in 1947.
Acadia is a perfect park to drive through. There is a road that snakes it's way through the park, and you can stop pretty much wherever you want along the shoulder and get out to enjoy the many trails, view, and adventures. The shoreline is extremely rugged and rocky in most places, leading to some breathtaking sights as the surf pounds rock.
My family and I enjoyed the beach, a tide pool, the views, eating at Jordan Pond House, and a whole lot of driving and gawking at the scenery and the vistas. It's the type of place where you can have a meaningful experience while only spending a few hours, or you can take days and really dig in to what the park has to offer.
Cadillac Mountain, the tallest point on the island at over 1,500 feet, is easily accessible via a road which leads all the way to the summit. The views from the top are incredible. See for yourself. No seriously, go there and see for yourself in person! I'd highly recommend the park to anyone and everyone. It was well worth the drive, and I can't wait to go back and get into some hiking and other adventures when I don't have a toddler and a pregnant wife to worry about!
I'll post some more about what we did outside of Acadia later. If you'd like to read about my budget for the trip, I wrote about that here. Thanks for reading!
