With all the craziness of everyday life, sometimes it can be nice to go off the grid and back to basics for a few days. Enter Bar Harbor, Maine, where there’s always something to do or see and not enough cell service to pose much of a distraction. Even just pulling over to the side of the road might result in spotting a man playing the bagpipes on an oceanside rock formation. And if that alone isn’t a compelling reason to visit, Bar Harbor is home to Abel’s Lobster Pound, a family-owned restaurant that locals claim has the best lobster roll in the state.
Keeping with the food theme, Bar Harbor just hosted its first annual barbecue festival, and Smokin' Hoggz — one of the competition winners — stood out for its beef brisket, smoked ends, and innovative setup. Their food truck is actually a custom RV with a gourmet kitchen and external smoker, allowing chefs to live and cook on the vehicle. Definitely give them a try while looking forward to this weekend’s astonishing Arcadia Night Sky Festival, when the city goes dark and the sky is alight with stars.
Stay in nature and go out on a whale watch, rent a boat, or stop by Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park. It’s said to be the first place the sunrise can be seen in the United States, and once the sun is up, it’s a great place to go hiking and see some incredible coastline views. Be rewarded afterwards with a beer at Sea Dog Brewing Company; their seasonal Sunfish Ale with notes of grapefruit and peach is well worth the trip.
The best bag to bring along? The Tripp. Small and hands-free, it'll liberate you to explore all of Bar Harbor with nothing holding you back.
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