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June 18, 2026

The Complete Guide to the Best Bars in Bar Harbor, Maine

A craft cocktail at a Bar Harbor brewery bar in Maine — featured image for a guide to the best bars in Bar Harbor, designed to work as a Pinterest preview.

Bar Harbor is a lot of things: a gateway to Acadia, a lobster roll pilgrimage destination, and a town that somehow feels like a village, no matter how many cruise ships are anchored in the harbor. But one thing people don’t talk about enough is the drinking scene, and after spending six months living here last summer, I can tell you it’s genuinely impressive for a town this size.

May 26, 2026

The Best Sunset Spots in Acadia National Park

Best sunset spots in Acadia National Park - featured image of a pastel pink and purple sunset over Seal Cove with a lobster boat and seaweed-covered low-tide ledges, a guide to the most peaceful, crowd-free sunset viewing spots on the quiet side of Mount Desert Island, Maine

Acadia National Park at sunset is one of the most spectacular things I’ve ever witnessed, and I’ve watched a lot of sunsets from a lot of places. The combination of pink granite, Atlantic coastline, mountain silhouettes, and Maine light is simply unrepeatable.

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.

May 7, 2026

Where To Get The Best Lobster On Mount Desert Island

Bar Harbor Lobster Pound lobster roll in Bar Harbor Maine — close-up of a golden toasted split-top bun overflowing with fresh Maine lobster claw and knuckle meat in branded lobster pound paper with French fries, the star of the best lobster rolls on Mount Desert Island guide and a must-order at one of the most iconic seafood restaurants in Bar Harbor Maine near Acadia National Park

If you’re heading to Acadia National Park, you’re heading to lobster heaven. Mount Desert Island is home to Acadia, Bar Harbor, and some of the most stunning coastline in New England; it’s also home to some of the best lobster you’ll ever eat. We’re talking fresh-off-the-boat, still-tastes-like-the-ocean, life-changing lobster…

April 29, 2026

The Best Coastal Maine Road Trip

The Best Coastal Maine Road Trip

Maine is by far one of my favorite states. There is just something about the rocky coastline, epic sunrises, and all of the pine trees that make my heart happy. I’ve left a little piece of my heart all over the state, but my absolute favorite thing to do in Maine is a coastal road trip…

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.

April 1, 2026

The Foodie’s Guide to Bar Harbor, Maine

Iced coffee from Coffee Hound at The Stadium enjoyed at Agamont Park in Bar Harbor, Maine — a Stadium Bar Harbor branded iced coffee cup held up with Frenchman Bay, the Porcupine Islands, and anchored boats on a clear sunny day, highlighting Coffee Hound as one of the best coffee shops in Bar Harbor and Agamont Park as a scenic waterfront spot for eating and relaxing near Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, Maine

6 months of eating my way through this town I’ve done the research, the delicious, delicious research, so you don’t have to. This is your complete foodie’s guide to Bar Harbor, covering everything from 5 AM blueberry pancakes to hidden speakeasies, the best lobster roll actually in downtown Bar Harbor, and every must-eat spot in between.

March 6, 2026

15 Best Dog Friendly Hikes at Acadia National Park

Three dogs hiking the Little Long Pond trail in Acadia National Park, Maine — a brown mixed breed and two huskies on leash on a sun-dappled wooded path along the turquoise shores of Little Long Pond, highlighting Little Long Pond as a peaceful and dog-friendly walk in Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island near Seal Harbor, Maine, perfect for hiking with dogs in Acadia

Acadia is one of the most dog friendly National Parks in the United States, and honestly, it’s the reason we keep coming back. The first National Park east of the Mississippi boasts nearly 100 miles of hiking trails and 45 miles of carriage roads that you can enjoy with your pups…

February 24, 2026

The 18 Best Things to Do in Bar Harbor, Maine

18 Best Things to Do in Bar Harbor, Maine - sunset over a tranquil harbor near Acadia National Park captures the magic of Maine's coast, from lobster boats at anchor to pink granite shores and golden skies

Bar Harbor, Maine, is one of those places that grabs you and doesn’t let go…

December 26, 2025

The Best Things To Do In Camden, Maine

Camden, Maine is known as the ‘Jewel of the Maine Coast’ and for good reason! It is a picturesque town by the sea with a gorgeous harbor that you can imagine yourself enjoying on a daily basis.

October 17, 2023

15 Epic Things To Do In Vermont In The Fall

There is no better fall destination than Vermont. Between picturesque fall foliage, charming villages, everything apple, and maple syrup, Vermont will whisk you away to the fall landscape of your dreams…

October 10, 2023

8 Charming Vermont Towns To Visit In Fall

Top 8 Towns To Visit In Vermont

Vermont in the fall means vibrant forests bursting with reds, yellows, and oranges. It means nature, mountains, and all things apple cider. But there is even more to this pristine part of New England that includes historic covered bridges, maple syrup, and an abundance of hiking trails…

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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 Ultimate Dog Hiking Gear List For National Parks
  • The Ultimate New England Fall Road Trip: A Six-State Foliage Loop (2026)
  • The Girls Trip Guide to Bar Harbor & Acadia National Park
  • Acadia National Park October Guide: Fall Colors, Weather & What to Pack
  • The Bar Harbor Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know Before You Visit

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Easy Fall Hikes In Rocky Mountain National Park

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

Downtown Bar Harbor's walkable shopping streets in Maine — featured image for a complete Bar Harbor and Acadia travel guide, capturing the village's shops, benches, and small-town charm.

The Bar Harbor Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know Before You Visit

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October in Acadia is Disney World busy. Most peopl October in Acadia is Disney World busy. Most people lose the day to it because they do things in the order the map suggests, not the order the crowds do.

So steal my one fall day in Acadia. This is the one fall day I’d plan for a friend: sunrise from the cliffs instead of the summit, one real hike before 9, east side or quiet side, your pick, out of the park when it peaks, tide pools in the afternoon, and a sunset nobody else is at.

Every date, reservation window, and closing is in the Acadia & Bar Harbor In Fall guide in 16 pages, $27, written after six months on the island.

Comment 🍁 FALL 🍁 and I’ll send you the link! 

Happy Adventuring! 😁
Everyone books Cadillac for sunrise. While I under Everyone books Cadillac for sunrise. While I understand why, if you don’t get that reservation, I promise there are other amazing spots to see sunrise at Acadia! 

My personal favorite: Otter Cliffs. Park at Otter Point, walk two minutes on Ocean Path, and you’re standing on 110 feet of pink granite with the Atlantic doing the whole show below you. 

No $6 reservation, no 10 am refresh two days out, no line of headlights up the summit road at 5:30. Just you, the rocks, and whoever else figured this out, which in October is almost nobody.

The light hits the cliffs from the side instead of coming up over a parking lot. Dogs on leash are fine on Ocean Path. Bring the headlamp and a real jacket; the wind off the water in the dark is a different temperature than the forecast said.

Sunrise is around 6:30 right now and slides toward 7 by late October. Be there at least 20 minutes early, and take it from someone who is always racing the sun, 30 mins early is even better. The 10 minutes before the sun clears the horizon are the ones you’ll remember the most, I promise 🌅☀️

☀️ Save this for your Acadia trip ☀️
🌲🦉 Targhee National Forest, Idaho side. The stretc 🌲🦉 Targhee National Forest, Idaho side. The stretch between West Yellowstone and everything else, which most people do at 65 with the cruise on.

We turned onto a dirt road at sunset because that’s the whole point of living the lifestyle we do. But to be totally honest, we’ve been doing this since our 3rd date. 

Skies like this, the back side of the Tetons, and a Great Gray Owl sitting in a field watching. 

You don’t need a reservation for this. You need to slow down on the way to the famous thing.

✨Save it for your next Yellowstone drive✨
🍁🍂 Some of my favorite days are never the perfect 🍁🍂 Some of my favorite days are never the perfect ones.

This one started with the Artists Bluff hike, coffee, and a pup cup for Bama. Then we put on something moody and drove the Kancamagus straight into the fog.

You couldn’t see a thing from the overlooks. No sweeping views. No postcard-perfect October day. Just gray skies, wet roads, and Bama beside me.

And somehow, it’s still one of the best days I ever had in the White Mountains.

Bama’s been gone since 2020 🐾🪽, but I think about that drive more than almost any bluebird day since. Maybe because the day wasn’t perfect. It was just ours.

7 New England autumns taught me this: fog isn’t ruining the mountains. It IS the mountains. Embrace it. 

The postcards are the exception. In October, the Whites can be gray, moody, wet, and ridiculous in the best way. The road itself is worth the drive, 34 miles of color in layers, neon maples against the gray, and empty pullouts because everyone else is waiting for the fog to burn off.

It usually does by 10. Don’t wait for it.

Fill the tank in Lincoln. There’s nothing for 34 miles, and the fog does not care about your gas gauge.

🍁✨🍁 Save this for October. 

🍁 For the full six-state route, closure dates + Google Map Companion for when your signal drops, comment LEAVES
I lived in New England for 7 years, and every Octo I lived in New England for 7 years, and every October I watched people make the same mistakes.

Wrong direction. Too many towns. A gate closed 3 days before arrival. And that one farm photo everyone swears you can still get…except you can’t.

Every year I also had a handful of visitors who wanted to see this town or go to that festival in the fall, and I’ve explored SO many of them. Fall was my favorite in New England

So I made the version I’d actually hand a friend or tell them over coffee, because that’s why I do here 🍁🧡

🍁 A six-state clockwise route
🍁 7-day + 10–14 day itineraries
🍁 2026 closures + reservation windows in one place
🍁 Dog-friendly stops (and the four that absolutely are not)
🍁 What to do when your trip slips a week and the mountains have already moved on

🍁✨Plus a Google Map companion with every stop, because “no service” and “where the hell are we?” tend to arrive together.

The Ultimate New England Fall Road Trip Guide is 19 pages of all of the best New England has to offer in the fall. 

🍁🍂 Comment LEAVES and I’ll send you the direct link.
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