As the sun rises on another year, it might be the perfect time to start dreaming of a fresh adventure for 2025. My husband and I started planning the trip we took in the fall of 2024 with a cycling group to Maine about a year before it happened, and it was worth the wait. We were reminded that one of the greatest joys of traveling is connecting with others. I’m excited to share about the places we went with you — and I hope it will inspire you to start planning a trip, whether it’s to Maine or another place on your bucket list.
Bar Harbor, Maine
Bar Harbor is a town of about 5,500 on Mount Desert Island along Maine’s Frenchman Bay, and it serves as the gateway to Acadia National Park. The town was settled in 1763 and incorporated in 1796. La Rochelle, a 1903 shorefront estate and one of the best preserved Gilded Age “cottages” in northern New England, is home to the Bar Harbor Historical Society. With three floors of exhibits, La Rochelle displays the history of Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Island.
The Abbe Museum in downtown Bar Harbor highlights the history of the island’s original inhabitants, the Wabanaki people. The museum encapsulates Wabanaki art, culture, and stories within its exhibits.
Bar Harbor’s Shore Path is an easy trail along the coastline of Frenchman Bay. It starts at the Town Pier, leads past the historic Bar Harbor Inn, and follows the eastern shore of Mount Desert Island, making it the perfect spot to catch the morning sunrise.
The namesake of Bar Harbor is the sandbar that connects the town to Bar Island, part of Acadia National Park. Visitors can walk across the sand and gravel path, also known as the Land Bridge, for only about two hours throughout the day, before and after low tide. Otherwise, the path will be underwater. Visitors are cautioned to know the tide schedule to avoid incurring a water taxi fee, or being stranded on Bar Island!
Our final night in Bar Harbor consisted of a farewell dinner with our bike group, featuring Maine lobster, of course! This group of strangers had become friends over the last five days. As people shared their stories of what prompted them to make the trip and what they had gained from being there, we learned of retirements, health challenges, and hurricane devastation left behind. For many, this cycling trip was a personal challenge, a gift to themselves — which led to the gift of connection with each other.
Story and photos by Patti Hartog
P.S. Check out more adventures taken by Patti here.
Leave a Reply