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May 12, 2026

One Day In Acadia With Dogs: A Local’s Itinerary

Heading to Acadia with your dogs and only have one day? Don’t panic. Here’s the exact hour-by-hour itinerary I plan for friends — sunrise on Ocean Path, house rolls at Bar Harbor Lobster Pound, the Quiet Side trails, and a real sit-down dinner with your pup. Updated for 2026.

April 14, 2026

The Complete Guide to Schoodic Peninsula in Acadia National Park

Schoodic Peninsula sunset in Acadia National Park Maine - wide panoramic view of orange and lavender sky over the Atlantic Ocean from pink granite ledges, with windswept spruce trees and the silhouette of Mount Desert Island on the horizon, capturing the stunning coastal scenery of the Schoodic District and why the Schoodic Peninsula is one of the most beautiful and least crowded areas of Acadia National Park

The Schoodic Peninsula is the only mainland section of Acadia National Park — and one of the most overlooked destinations on the entire Maine coast. Just 45 miles from Bar Harbor, Schoodic receives only about 8% of Acadia’s total visitors, which means no timed-entry reservations, easy parking, and access to some of the most dramatic coastal scenery in the park. From the jaw-dropping geology at Schoodic Point, 419-million-year-old pink granite streaked with black basalt dikes, to the cliff-edge sunset views at Ravens Nest overlooking Frenchman Bay and Cadillac Mountain, the Schoodic Peninsula deserves a full day on every Acadia National Park itinerary. This complete guide covers how to get there, how the one-way Schoodic Loop Road works, the best stops and sunset spots, dog-friendly trails, camping at Schoodic Woods Campground, and everything else you need to plan your visit.

December 23, 2025

6 Best Dog-Friendly National Parks to Visit This Winter

Okay, let’s talk about something that drives me absolutely crazy as a dog mom who loves National Parks…

January 18, 2022

10 Tips To Leave No Trace With Your Dog

The popularity of having outdoor adventures with your dog has skyrocketed over the past few years. Hiking and camping with dogs can make for a great experience, but it can also damage those around you and the places that you visit…

August 17, 2021

Things to Do in Salem, MA in October: An Honest Guide to the Witch City in Fall (2026)

An honest guide to Salem, Massachusetts in October 2026 from someone who lived down the road for seven years; what to do, what’s changed, and how to avoid the worst crowds.

July 15, 2021

16 Tips For Traveling With Dogs

Traveling with your dog(s) can be a great experience (for both of you) with just a little extra planning. If you know me, then you know that I take my Huskies, Loki & Freya with me all the time. I started training both of them early to be ok with travel and to be adaptable to changing environments, and I’m glad I did…

June 1, 2021

Visiting Mount Rushmore in 2026: An Honest Guide

Is Mount Rushmore worth the trip? Is it a National Treasure and should you visit? Find out here…

November 10, 2020

Is Badlands​ National Park Dog Friendly? (2026 Guide)

Vanessa and her two Siberian Huskies in front of the Badlands National Park rock formations in South Dakota

Let’s be honest: most national parks aren’t winning any awards for being dog-friendly. And there’s good reason for that; these places are home to wild animals that can seriously hurt your pup, and your pup can do real damage to the fragile habitat right back. So in most parks, the rule is simple: no dogs on trails, no dogs in the backcountry…

September 18, 2020

One Fall Day in Salem, MA: An Hour-by-Hour Itinerary

Got exactly one day in Salem? Here’s the honest, hour-by-hour version from someone who lived less than an hour away for seven years, when to arrive, what to skip, how to get there without losing your mind to parking, and where the dogs are welcome.

Hi! I'm Vanessa, a 30 something, sunset chasing traveler. I'm here to inspire you to travel wherever, whenever, and with whoever you can. My Huskies, Loki and Freya are usually along for the ride. I have a soul that likes to wander, a desire to experience the unknown, and a curiousity to discover things off the beaten path. I hope you'll stick around for awhile!

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Recent Posts

  • The Bar Harbor Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know Before You Visit
  • The Complete Guide to the Best Bars in Bar Harbor, Maine
  • The Complete Guide To Getting Out On Frenchmans Bay
  • The Best Sunset Spots in Acadia National Park
  • One Day In Acadia With Dogs: A Local’s Itinerary

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Everyone does Mount Desert Island - -> Want to esc Everyone does Mount Desert Island - -> Want to escape the crowds at Acadia? Go here instead…

Almost nobody drives the hour out to the Schoodic, the only part of Acadia on the mainland, and it got under 10% of the park’s 4 million-plus visits last year. Their loss.

Same pink granite, same crashing surf, a fraction of the people. And here’s the part that got me: from Schoodic Point you watch the sun set behind Cadillac Mountain, so you’re seeing Acadia from the outside. 

Ya know what else that means? No Cadillac reservation, no parking war, your park pass gets you in, and it’s entirely dog-friendly since the no-dogs trails are all back on the island.

✨Save this for your Acadia trip. What’s the most underrated corner of a park you’ve found?
Come for a sunset drive at T.R. with me 🌅 Theodore Come for a sunset drive at T.R. with me 🌅 Theodore Roosevelt at golden hour is wild horses in the road, bison under a rising moon, and badlands going pink, and somehow almost nobody’s here to see it.

It’s the most overlooked national park in the country, and after 3 years on the road it might be our favorite. Their loss.

The first photo might be one of my favorites I’ve ever taken. Watching this bison herd just do its thing as the final flicker of light left the park was something I’ll never forget. Even though the smoke swallowed the sunset, it was still a beautiful one! 

Save this for your someday trip, trust me, you don’t want to miss this one! 🦬🐎☀️🌙
kinda chic, if you ask me. Leaving a place better kinda chic, if you ask me.

Leaving a place better than you found it.

Keeping your distance from the wildlife.

Getting up before the sun and complaining about it like you didn’t set the alarm yourself.

Packing the long lens because getting closer is, in fact, not the move.

And somehow still thinking a dusty road, and a questionable gas station coffee counts as a pretty good day.

A little wild.
A little dusty.
Kinda chic.
Kinda feral.

And honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. 🦬
6 months on Mount Desert Island taught me this: Ac 6 months on Mount Desert Island taught me this: Acadia is a completely different park depending on the time of year and the time of day 🦞✨ 

Steal my one perfect day at Acadia. 

But to be honest, in my opinion, Acadia deserves 4 or 5, and after six months here, I wrote down the rest for you! 

Comment Guide and I’ll send you a direct link or Comment lobster for the free Bar Harbor/Acadia Cheat Sheet 

If you’ve been to Acadia, what’s the one place you’d tell people not to miss?
Life lately, from the road 🛻 2,500-ish miles. Pen Life lately, from the road 🛻

2,500-ish miles. Pennsylvania in the rearview. Idaho finally under the tires. One truck that had several thoughts about the arrangement, not starting, but 🤷🏻‍♀️ what are ya gonna do? 

Somewhere in Theodore Roosevelt National Park we pulled over because we thought fog was rolling across the prairie. It wasn’t. It was one of the biggest bison herds we’ve ever seen.

We accidentally found the best burger of the trip because that’s how road food works. The ones with the lake view are just showing off.

Targhee and Bridger-Teton quietly reminded us that some of the best places never make the bucket lists.

And then there were the Tetons. We drove all that way and spent most of our visit admiring what can only be described as the concept of mountains through wildfire smoke. We’ll be back when they’re visible.

✅ Another place to call home for a little while.
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