New England 2015: Portland to Bar Harbor

Thursday, July 30, 2015

As we researched the best route from Portland to Bar Harbor, we got this advice:  If you take the Interstate, it will take about 3 hours, if you take the coastal route, it will take about 5 days!  Of course, we decided to take the coast roads.

First, we had to go to Freeport Maine to pay a token visit to the flagship LL Bean store.  I guess it's an experience, but we mostly did it in honor of Lisa Maggiore, for whom it was a pilgrimage 4 years ago!  Pretty impressive compound!

As Ed Sullivan said, "That's a really big shoe!"

Then we spent about 5 hours driving up the coast.  Despite the fact the the road was right on the coast on the map, it was usually behind giant homes.  So, the long, scenic route was just slightly more scenic than the shorter route!  In any case, we arrived in Bar Harbor at the BayView Hotel.  Beautiful bay-front room.

We took the shuttle into town and I swear our driver was hired right out of central casting to make the tourists feel they were really in Maine.  He answered every question with "Ayuh" or "Yessuh."  We tried to ask him questions about the island, but he was a little taciturn, to say the least.  When we commented on the traffic and asked if it was busier on the weekends.  He said, "Nah.  It's just the same every day of summer.  Course, I don't work weekends so I wouldn't really know."  After a stroll around town, we ate on the ocean front & walked back to the hotel.  This fabulous place puts out a selection of fresh cookies every day for the guests!  I want to stay forever.