A Quick Escape to Bar Harbor
Sometimes the best trips start with a change of plans.
We’d originally planned a quick weekend getaway to Bar Harbor, but after checking the Allegiant standby availability, it was clear that flying out a day earlier gave us the best shot at actually getting there—and as a bonus, we could travel with Kurt. So we pivoted, headed to Sanford Airport, and ended up catching our standby fligh to Bangor without any issues.
Trish was there waiting for the three of us, and before heading to their Acadia adjacent cottage near Bar Harbor, we stopped in downtown Bangor for dinner. The city was buzzing with concertgoers heading to the Five Finger Death Punch show that night. We found a great spot, High Tide, overlooking the Penobscot river where I had a basket of fried clams—classic Maine. The real surprise was the garden salad. It was so fresh I joked they must’ve picked it right out of the garden the second I ordered it.
From Bangor, we made the scenic hour-long drive to Bar Harbor, where Kurt and Trish welcomed us to their cozy summer cottage tucked right up against Acadia National Park. Honestly, it was the perfect home base for the next few days. Cozy, comfortable and calm.
The whole visit was really about visiting dear friends, hiking, and hiking with said dear friends.
Hiking on day one, we did Cedar Swamp Mountain—about five miles through the woods before popping out at some incredible overlooks where Acadia’s mountains just drop right into the Atlantic. Those views are amazing and quite the contrast from the Florida coast that we are accustomed to .
The next day was a bigger push as we climbed Dorr Mountain. It was steeper, longer, and had some fun scrambling over multiple flights of granite boulders. Along the way we passed tons of blueberry bushes, and the wild blueberries were perfectly ripe for snacking. Certainly the original “trail mix”
One of the best parts of the trip was seeing Rebecca back in her hiking groove. It was amazing watching her confidently handle the climbs, boulders, and miles of trail without missing a beat. Seeing her out there enjoying the mountains again made everything even better.
Evenings were all about Bar Harbor seafood. One night we went to the iconic Beals Harbor Pier, and tried a flight of lobster rolls while sitting right over the water. Great seafood just hits different with salty air and a view of the harbor.
On our final evening in Bar Harbor, we kept things simple and wandered into town for dinner at the Black-Friar Pub. It was the perfect sendoff—warm, lively, and full of that easygoing coastal energy. After dinner, we strolled through the streets as the sun dipped low and the town came alive in a different way. Musicians were set up along the sidewalks and in the small squares, playing everything from acoustic folk to Grateful Dead covers, and people were just meandering from shop to shop, ice cream in hand, soaking in the last light of the day. It felt like the whole town was outside together, not in a rush to be anywhere else, and it was the kind of evening that makes you already start thinking about when you’ll come back. Blessed to have friends: Kurt and Tricia.
