Maine Family Vacation: Acadia, Bar Harbor & Coastal Maine
Our first time in Maine, and it did not disappoint! 🦞
We started our trip with a flight into Portland and spent the night there before hitting the road the next day for our first stay in Bar Harbor.
We spent two days exploring Acadia National Park, and I honestly didn’t expect my kids to love it as much as they did. It ended up being such a gem and one of the highlights of our trip.
A few other things we loved in Bar Harbor:
Exploring the Sand Island Land Bridge
Watching the sunset from a public beach we happened upon by chance
Picking out our own lobsters at Parson’s
Having our very own lobster bake at the cottage
After Bar Harbor, we took our time making our way back to Portland. This part of the trip was planned loosely on purpose, which gave us the freedom to explore several of the little coastal towns along the way.
Two of my favorites were Camden and Stonington.
Stonington is straight out of a Hallmark movie. You know the one—the girl meets a small-town boy, falls in love, and suddenly she’s questioning her whole life back home. 😂 It’s that kind of charming.
Camden was quintessential Maine, with beautiful harbor views, tons of little shops, and plenty of touristy spots to wander through. Of course, we hit all the shops and then grabbed lunch on the hill at Camden Harbor Park, overlooking the water.
This part of the trip ended up being one of my favorites because we didn’t have a strict itinerary. We could just drive, stop when something caught our eye, explore a little, and enjoy the ride.
I lost count of how many lobster rolls we ate on this trip, but honestly, I have zero regrets. 🦞
The kids especially loved the Lobster Pound in Bar Harbor. It was clean, colorful, and had cornhole to keep everyone entertained while we waited. And, of course, there was delicious ice cream for something sweet after dinner—which may have been their favorite part! 🍦
Between the fresh lobster, laid-back atmosphere, and all the little treats along the way, Maine definitely kept everyone happy and well-fed!
We stayed at several cottages throughout our trip, but Bar Harbor Cottages was by far our favorite.
The manager was incredibly attentive and helpful with anything we needed—even finding us a large pot so we could cook our own lobsters! 🦞
The property itself was immaculate and charming as heck. There were so many things for the kids to do, including a large community fire pit where they could roast marshmallows at night.
The kids absolutely loved having their own little adventures around the property, while my husband and I got to kick back, relax, and actually enjoy some downtime. It was the perfect combination of fun for the kids and relaxation for the adults—which, if you’re traveling with kids, is a pretty big win!
Bar Harbor Cottages
Stonington
Bar Harbor
Camden
Acadia National Park
