East Coast Road Trip: Bar Harbor, ME

Sunrise at Acadia National Park (more on that later), where the sun first rises in the US… at 4 am

I saw a shirt in a shop that said “Bar Harbor Triathalon: Lobsta, Chowda and Beeyah.” It summed up pretty well this seaside town. It’s so cute and perfect that you almost expect the Cleavers to step out of a store and greet you.

The Thirsty Whale, the town watering hole

I could lie and say I was excited to be there, but honestly, the road trip was taking its toll on me. And since the town’s main feature is a national park and I am far from a nature girl, I wasn’t thrilled. But the truth is, it’s beautiful. My family and I stayed at Bar Harbor Motel right by the entrance to the park.

Why is Rachel always posing with something?

My parents made this same road trip together a year before I was born when my mom had just had a miscarriage. They had always talked about taking us there and we finally made it happen. I’m sure they were glad to have us there to relive this trip 23 years later, almost to the day.

What would Maine be without Lobsters

The receptionist at the hotel suggested the Thirsty Whale for lunch, so we made our way to this neighborhood pub, where people were already drinking at 11 a.m. In our walk through the “downtown” area, I stopped by Sherman’s Books for something to read on the long drive back to Georgia. Instead, I found an illustrated copy of Strunk and White’s Elements of Style, a must have for any aspiring writer.

Freeing Willy

We had dinner at Geddy’s, which seemed a lot like Bubba Gump‘s with all the random items piled onto the walls. I enjoyed my wings, but the rest of the family was unimpressed. So much for Maine lobster.

License plates at Geddy’s

But that’s not all we did in Bar Harbor. The next ECRT post will tell you all about my nature hike and my overjoyed expression on the way up.