Bar Harbor, ME recommendations
Sep 17, 2010, 11:19 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: HNL
Programs: UA platinum, HA platinum, Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, Priority Club, SPG
Posts: 377
Bar Harbor, ME recommendations
Will be in area on Oct. 11-13. Looking for hotel/B&B preferably under $150/night for two women, close to restaurants/shops/etc. Probably won't spend much time in the room, but want something clean/safe/relatively quiet/easily accessible.
Are any of these are worth doing if we only have one full day in the area (other recommendations welcome)?
Nature Cruises on the Acadian
Lulu Lobster boat ride
Oli's Trolley tour
Will it be safe to leave Bar Harbor about 7:30 am on the 13th (Wednesday) to be at the Portland airport by noon? Google map says, yes, but would appreciate local knowledge. Thanks!
Are any of these are worth doing if we only have one full day in the area (other recommendations welcome)?
Nature Cruises on the Acadian
Lulu Lobster boat ride
Oli's Trolley tour
Will it be safe to leave Bar Harbor about 7:30 am on the 13th (Wednesday) to be at the Portland airport by noon? Google map says, yes, but would appreciate local knowledge. Thanks!
Sep 18, 2010, 6:31 am
#2
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 55,189
The time you'll be going is toward the end of leaf-peeping season. I've never stayed in B&Bs in Bar Harbor (we prefer Northeast Harbor on a quieter part of the island) so maybe others can help there. But there are many, many possibilities. I suggest doing some research (online and guide books) and then read reviews of them in tripadvisor.com. For your price range, you should do quite well as it will be at the end of Columbus Day weekend. Prices will plummet.
Boat rides on Frenchman Bay are a GREAT thing to do. Bring your sweaters/jackets. If they have whale watching, it's a lot of fun.
As for the Trolley tour, well, if you have your own car, I would just get a map of Acadia National Park (at any visitor's center) and go off on your own so you can spend as much time (or as little time) as you like. Also, you and your friend will enjoy the peace and quiet of the park. You can't have that on that tour bus. They'll be on a schedule and when you're still enjoying the area (maybe you'll want to take a walk), they'll make you leave for the next spot. So that's up to you.
To get info about foliage, check http://www.maine.gov/doc/foliage/. It is updated on Wednesdays.
If you leave Bar Harbor at 7:30am, you should arrive at the airport around 11am. So no problem. It takes about 45 minutes to an hour to get from Route 3 (2 lane road) to 395. Once you're on the interstates, you're fine.
Boat rides on Frenchman Bay are a GREAT thing to do. Bring your sweaters/jackets. If they have whale watching, it's a lot of fun.
As for the Trolley tour, well, if you have your own car, I would just get a map of Acadia National Park (at any visitor's center) and go off on your own so you can spend as much time (or as little time) as you like. Also, you and your friend will enjoy the peace and quiet of the park. You can't have that on that tour bus. They'll be on a schedule and when you're still enjoying the area (maybe you'll want to take a walk), they'll make you leave for the next spot. So that's up to you.
To get info about foliage, check http://www.maine.gov/doc/foliage/. It is updated on Wednesdays.
If you leave Bar Harbor at 7:30am, you should arrive at the airport around 11am. So no problem. It takes about 45 minutes to an hour to get from Route 3 (2 lane road) to 395. Once you're on the interstates, you're fine.
Aug 31, 2011, 9:18 am
#3
Join Date: May 2009
Location: BOS
Programs: US CP, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 90
I'm looking for recommendations for places to stay in or around Bar Harbor for a weekend in October. I've done a lot of searching but haven't been to impressed with anything I've come across so far. Bass Cottage Inn (http://www.basscottage.com/) has been one exception to that, but unfortunately they do not have any rooms available for the time that we want to be there. Is there a great place out there that I'm overlooking?
Aug 31, 2011, 4:04 pm
#4
Ambassador, New England
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Maineiac, USA
Programs: Amtrak, WN RR, Choice
Posts: 2,655
With the disclaimer that I've never stayed there, The Bayview seems to get absolutely nothing but glowing reviews on TripAdvisor. Out of 233 reviews posted, 227 of them fall into "Excellent" or "Very Good". Must be an amazing place!
Aug 31, 2011, 8:24 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: HNL
Programs: UA platinum, HA platinum, Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, Priority Club, SPG
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We ended staying at the Moseley Cottage Inn based on Trip Advisor reviews and pricing/availability. It was a very quaint place. Their website gives a good description of the rooms. They are all different. We had the Cadillac Room on the 3rd floor. The bed took up most of the room. There was a flat-screen TV mounted to the wall. Most of the rooms were larger, but it was one of the few left when we booked.
I needed to do some work; ended up sitting in the bathroom, which was very spacious as there was no room in the bedroom. The toilet was an old fashioned chain-flush wooden unit.
Breakfast comes with the unit; there was homemade pastries and lots of hot foods. We thought we needed to leave before breakfast began, and they offered a breakfast sandwich. We decided to eat a quick breakfast before heading out.
The cottage is within walking distance to the town. there was a hot water machine with coffee and tea pods in the entry way along with homemade cookies and bread. There is a living room, but they close it at 9 pm, when the office closes.
I needed to do some work; ended up sitting in the bathroom, which was very spacious as there was no room in the bedroom. The toilet was an old fashioned chain-flush wooden unit.
Breakfast comes with the unit; there was homemade pastries and lots of hot foods. We thought we needed to leave before breakfast began, and they offered a breakfast sandwich. We decided to eat a quick breakfast before heading out.
The cottage is within walking distance to the town. there was a hot water machine with coffee and tea pods in the entry way along with homemade cookies and bread. There is a living room, but they close it at 9 pm, when the office closes.