The biggest draw to Bar Harbor, Maine is the 41,000-acre Acadia National Park -- one of the smallest National Parks in the country but also one of the most heavily visited. The park offers incredible mountain, sea, lake, cliff and coastline vistas, as well as an estimated 125 miles of trails, exclusively for hiking and biking. Additional highlights include the 1,532-foot-high Cadillac Mountain and the Thunder Hole water spout.

Bar Harbor (or as the locals say it, “Bah Hahbuh”) has the charm of a quaint, New England fishing village with all the attractions of a major port, and its touristy downtown area is hard to resist. Watch the lobstermen work, browse the souvenir shops, explore a museum and, of course, enjoy a Maine lobster lunch. The town is nestled on the east side of Mount Desert Island, sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean by Frenchman Bay, and surrounded on three sides by the mountains of Acadia National Park. There are only just over ten or so Bar Harbor Cruise Port Hotels, but you can't really go wrong.

Bar Harbor welcomes more than 100 ships annually, with close to 147,000 passengers going ashore. The cruise season spans from May well into October, when the fall foliage is at its brilliant peak. You really must set up a park and cruise package, as the Bar Harbor Cruise Port Parking lies somewhere between expensive and nonexistent. Do you know how much lobster you can buy with all the money you'll save?

Long before Bar Harbor was a popular port on Canada/New England cruise itineraries, it enjoyed a reputation as a playground for the rich and famous. In the late 1800's, frequent visitors -- such as the Rockefellers, Carnegies, Vanderbilts and Fords -- grew tired of hotel living and built their own summer "cottages" (in reality, opulent estates). Many also bought and donated additional land on the island to protect it from development, leading to the creation of Acadia National Park. Then, in 1947, a fire burned nearly half of the eastern side of Mount Desert Island and destroyed many posh estates, permanent homes and more than 10,000 acres of Acadia National Park. The surviving homes have now been converted to inns, guest houses and B&B's.

The Acadia National Park is definitely a must see,offering both active and relaxed ways of enjoying the beauty of nature. Visitors can hike or drive to the Peak of Cadillac Mountain and enjoy a breath taking view from the summit; it is one of the first spots to receive sunlight in the U.S. as a new day begins. For a bit of history and the town’s culture, you can drop by Bar Harbor Society Museum. Whale watching tours are available from the Bar Harbor dock area.

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