A Down East weekender
It took me a while to figure out why, if I was heading to the north east of the contiguous United States to visit Maine, everyone was referring to my trip as Down East. Surely it should be Up East? Or were the Canadians exerting some kind of hold over their neighbour’s tourist literature? Well, neither, as it turned out. The name originated from the time when ships used to sail from Boston. With the wind at their backs – down wind – they would head along the coast to Maine, hence the term Down East. As Boston was up wind, many Maine residents say they are going “up to Boston” when in fact they would be travelling south.
Sand Beach, Acadia National Park
Geography settled, let me tell you why, if you haven’t been here already, you should book a holiday to Maine as soon as you can. Specifically, plan a trip for Mount Desert Island and base yourself in Bar Harbor. This quaint little town, named after the sandbar that links the island to its smaller neighbour Bar Island, is the kind of place that on a sunny day you could easily see yourself staying for good. I’m reliably informed that last winter I’d have thought differently given that they had 130 inches of snow. My southern England brain cannot compute such weather statistics but I’m pretty certain that visiting between June and September is the way to go. I was there in mid-June, when enough tourist facilities were open to make it a pleasant vacation, but to take advantage of sunset tours and Acadia shuttles you should leave it until July.
On board the Miss Samantha with the other Julia
As we basked in temperatures in the mid-twenties under blue skies, Julia, our guide on the Miss Samantha Lobster and Seal tour, told us that this was the best weather they’d had this year after a wet spring. The water was calm enough for the skipper to cut the engine while we took a closer look at the harbour seals on Egg Rock and the sea flat enough for the mums and dads on board not to have to fret when their kids got near the sides when peering into the lobster traps.
Harbour seal at Egg Rock
At a little under two hours, this tour doesn’t head out into the open water like the four-hour whale watching trips do, but there haven’t been many sightings recently. In fact, we got to see an 11 year old dead specimen being towed back to the lab for an autopsy; this particular humpback had become entangled not once but three times in nets and lobster pot lines, so it was likely this may have at least contributed to her death.
Dead humpback whale being towed in for an autopsy
The humpback had been found washed up on Sand Beach, Acadia National Park’s longest stretch of sand, a week or so earlier. Acadia may not have the wow-factor of parks like Yosemite or Yellowstone, but its granite coastline has been eroded into blocky cliffs and fringed by evergreens, provides picture postcard views to show the folks back home. A short distance further on from Sand Beach was the park’s show stopper: Thunder Hole. There, the sea has eroded a narrow crack into a cave. As the tide enters, air is trapped in the cave and later forced out with a boom. It’s worth hanging around as the sight can vary from a bit of white water to a full on wave explosion.
Thunder Hole
A little further on, round Otter Point, hides a tiny cobble beach called Little Hunter’s Beach. It isn’t signed, so most people drive right by it, but if you know to look out for it, you won’t be disappointed. The cobbles are a pretty sight, ranging in colour from white to pink through to ochre and grey. Take a cushion and the bay is the perfect place to linger, though a sharp undertow makes it unsafe to swim.
Little Hunter’s Beach
Continuing on Acadia’s Loop Road, another must-stop is Jordan Pond House. Backing onto Jordan Pond, its cafe on the lawn has a view of North and South Bubble, two rounded peaks that look like a woman’s chest. It’s also the place to try a popover, a kind of cross between a sweet Yorkshire pudding and unfilled choux bun. Served warm, with butter and strawberry jam, they are deliciously more-ish. Of course, you can buy a packet of the mixture to recreate the moment back home.
Popovers at Jordan Pond House
Having rented a hire car with less power than a solar light in an Arctic winter, I pondered the wisdom of driving to the top of Cadillac Mountain. A Model A Ford rally was taking place, and seeing an 85 year old classic safely back down, I decided to give it a go. I needn’t have worried. The road was an easy climb and the views from the top over Frenchman Bay and the Atlantic were splendid. There was something wonderfully American about building a car park at the top of a mountain.
The view from the top of Cadillac Mountain
Back in Bar Harbor, I was happy to browse the gift stores, especially the excellent Bark Harbor pet shop. There was no hiding the fact that I was an out of towner in my Cool as a Moose T-shirt, never more so when I ate my first whole lobster. Diane, my server, was patient as she showed me where to twist and what to crack. The lobster was sweeter and juicier than anything I’d ever tasted before, though admittedly that amounted to lobster tails in chain restaurants. Butter dripping off my fingers, I washed it down with glasses of the local ale and stout on the verandah of the West Street Cafe. Did I really have to leave in the morning?
West Street Cafe
Need to know how to keep your costs down?
I travelled from Boston to Bangor with Concord Coach Lines, whose return ticket including free WiFi onboard cost $73. I stayed at the very central Mount Desert Street Motel in Bar Harbor at $87 per night for a room sleeping up to four. A budget but brand new rental car from Alamo via rentalcars.com worked out at £23 per day including recovery. A one day vehicle pass for Acadia NP cost $25 and the Lobster and Seal Tour was $29. Most places in Bar Harbor do early bird discounts if you eat before 6pm, meaning you can eat a lobster dinner for less than $20.
Julia's Travels 