Every year my husband, Will, and I try to take our kids to a national park. Our goal: to hit most, if not all, the national parks before our children graduate high school. So far, we've been to the Smoky Mountains, but next year we plan on heading west!
Here are a few things I wish we knew before we took our trip:
Crowds
We were on vacation from July 11 to July 25. Acadia in July is BUSY. So if your family doesn't care about large crowds of people and finding parking, especially within the park, then feel free to go during the summer months. We are more accustomed to a smaller crowd and being able to explore more freely. I think we would have had an even more fun time in the fall or spring.
Driving
We probably drove an hour to get anywhere from our cabin in Prospect Harbor. Maine is heavily wooded and the population density is low, so you do have to drive a bit to get to the different areas. Our kids did great in the car, but I can see how it might get monotonous. Thankfully, the scenery is breathtaking that you don't mind the drive.
Acadia National Park Pass
A one week pass to the park is $30 USD. It covers the cost of one vehicle. It was well worth it because we went to the park almost every day! It is a large park, expanding 74 square miles. And it does take time to explore and give the beauty of the abundant forested area justice. You can purchase a pass at the Welcome Center. They have more maps and an information desk.
Hiking & Biking
There are no shortages of trails to hike or bike throughout the park -- as well as the whole state! There were a ton of bike tours, which is great if you and your family are avid bikers. The coolest place, in my opinion, is to bike/hike the carriage trails, designed and built by Rockefeller himself! And there is plenty of freedom to explore! We found a random spot which had a gazebo set in the middle of the woods, and after our picnic lunch, we followed a path to a downward staircase that eventually led to a rocky beach. It was a happy surprise and we spend awhile there enjoying the serenity that comes with nature.
Here are some things we did and places we visited:
Carriage Rides
Wildwood Stables, within the national park, offers carriage rides for you and your family to travel the carriage trails that Rockefeller built. You do have to make an appointment ahead of time, so please keep that in mind. We had a wonderful carriage ride led by horse buddies Boo and Yogi! They also give the option to board your horse here and you can camp out here as well.
Schoodic Peninsula
This was my favorite place we visited! We traversed large slabs of rock that overlooked the gleaming blue ocean. The sun was setting and the coveted golden hour would have made any photographer drool. Definitely a must see!
Thunderhole
This is a place in the park where there is a cave where the hide tide causes water to flow into and it makes a loud thunder sound. We went during low tide, but you could still hear the deep echo that the water created in the cavern.
Cadillac Mountain
This was probably Lucy's favorite spot! It is a big deal to hike this great mountain, but there is a road that you can drive up and take in the gorgeous views of Maine. If you head up to the top of the mountain before the sun rises, you can be the first people to see the sunrise in the United States!
Jordan Pond House
Looking for a yummy pop over and amazing chicken salad? (That's what I ordered at the restaurant located near the expansive pond.) We did visit during one of the hotter weeks in Maine and not every place has air conditioning, so I was a bit hot -- but the refreshing iced coffee was perfect and the view of the pond is beautiful. You can choose to eat inside or outside al-fresco.
Common Good Popovers
If you want to see a positive community, visit Common Good for popovers and coffee. The cost of your breakfast is donation based and they have AMAZING honey cinnamon butter for the delicious popovers! While we were there, they had live music.
Smokey's BBQ
You know how you can tell a place has good barbeque no matter how fancy or run down it looks? That it's busy every time you drive by - which Smokey's BBQ was. We just HAD to stop and try it, and I'm so glad we did! We ordered the clam chowder, smoked mussels (definitely order these!), smoked lobster, pulled pork, bakes beans, coleslaw (which had pineapple in it and it was amazing), and more!
Morton's Moo Homemade Ice Cream
We tried going to as many local ice cream shops while on vacation, and this was our favorite! I mentioned that my son loves the color yellow and the server gave us a cup filled with every yellow topping they had! They also have a triple chocolate ice cream that I devoured and an iced coffee that kept me going! Inside you'll find a train track suspended from the ceiling that my kids loved watching. There are some kid chairs outside on the wrap around porch that the girls sat at and ate their ice cream.
Lobster
It's a given that you have to eat lobster if you're in Maine. There was a small learning curve when it came to de-shelling the meat (I watched a Gordon Ramsey video two times), but it was worth it! We bought them live from a local market and then put them in the crisper until dinnertime. We had a large pot that we filled with about 5-6 inches of water and then placed the lobsters in once it was boiling. 10 minutes later they were done!
Every evening we would see all the buoys from the fishermen who set their lobster traps from our deck and every morning we would take the binoculars and watch the boats slowly come and check on them. Sometimes there would be lobsters and sometimes not. The kids especially loved to witness the fresh catches. And the buoys are all so colorful and it became a symbol of Maine.
Lighthouses
There are a lot -- there was even one in view of our backyard! We visited: Portland Headlight, and the path to the lighthouse was along the water.
Seal Cove Auto Museum
A bit off the beaten path, this was a diamond in the rough. It is such a cool building filled to the brim with antique cars, which will inspire any motor-loving child or adult's eyes to widen. There wasn't anyone else there while we there and the kids had a blast exploring. There is a car in the middle where they encourage you to sit and take pictures -- so Levi had a blast "driving". Every car had more information about when it was made, who made it, and more. You can see the historical significance that advertising had on the car industry throughout the posters and museum.
Questions? Comment below!
And if you've been to Acadia National Park and have another place you recommend, please comment below to add to the list!
