Base Camp
Mount Desert Narrows Campground was our home for the week - and probably our best location yet. Sunset views over the water every night, a free shuttle that came every 20 minutes, and super easy access to Acadia National Park. Honestly, not much to complain about. Okay, maybe the bathrooms could’ve been better and the ice cream in town was wildly overpriced, but we made it work.
Monday, July 7th
We drove to the quieter side of the island to check out Bass Harbor Head Light Station and hopefully catch a nice sunset. The weather had other plans - clouds rolled in and it looked like rain. Still, we climbed down the granite rocks for a better view. The upside to the cloudy weather? No crowds. We had space to move around and enjoy the view without anyone breathing down our necks.
Afterward, we drove back toward Bar Harbor. Even on a Monday night, the town was packed. Somehow, we scored front-row parking in the middle of everything, right near a live classical band. We walked around, browsed a few ice cream shops (where a small cone was $15?!), grabbed a quick scoop, and called it a night.
Tuesday, July 8th
We traveled into Acadia NP after work for a 3 mile trail around Jordan Pond. It turned out to be a pretty easy and level loop with cool boardwalks and a lot of spots to admire the view. The best part was that at the end of the walk, we were able to go to the Jordan Pond House for their famous ‘popovers’ with homemade strawberry jam.
We caught a great sunset on the way back to camp, then stopped at a nearby lobster pound for dinner. We tried their house lobster roll with garlic aioli and lemon—not the classic Maine version with mayo and celery, but it was really good. The bisque was great too, and everything came out fast.
Wednesday, July 9th
This evening, we had a coveted reservation for Cadillac Mountain. The eastern overlook gave us sweeping views of Bar Harbor and its surrounding islands.
Though the summit parking lot for sunset was packed, we found a quiet pull-off down the road. We laid out a blanket, played a few rounds of cards, and watched the sunset slowly break through the clouds - a peaceful end to the day.
Thursday, July 10th
All week, we’d been planning to hike the Beehive Trail. It came highly recommended by a podcast we listen to, and even though I’m not a big fan of heights, I wanted to try it. We drove to Sand Beach where the trail starts, but as we parked, fog started rolling in and light rain hit the windshield. Definitely not ideal conditions. After a quick reevaluation, we both agreed that it wouldn’t be safe to hike it this evening. Instead, we walked down to the beach and watched the fog drift in over the water.
After a short beach walk we drove back through town and stumbled on a tucked-away cove at low tide. Wading through tide pools and patches of seaweed, we found tiny crabs, spiraled snails, and broken blue clam shells. Not bad for a Plan B.
Friday, July 11th
This was the day. Beehive or bust.
With clear skies and a touch of adrenaline, we started our ascent. The trail wasted no time - tree roots, rock scrambles, and then the real fun: metal rungs bolted into cliff faces. Each narrow ledge came with a new challenge and another spike in heart rate. Zac and I must’ve said “this is so stupid” a dozen times, half-laughing, half-panicking. There was one moment when my hand kept slipping on a rung, and I froze, unsure how to keep going. But we did together - boosting, pulling, encouraging each other. When we reached what we thought was the summit, the view was incredible, like something out of Jurassic Park. Then we realized... that wasn’t the summit. A few more boulders and steps later, we were truly on top.
The descent was far less daunting, with a trail that circled down and around the mountain’s back side where we got to watch other hikers take on the same climb we just finished. It was one of the most mentally challenging hikes I’ve ever done, and while I’m proud, Zac and I both agreed: that was a one-time-only kind of trail. Back at camp, the sunset felt like a reward.
Saturday, July 12th
We managed to snag a sunrise reservation at Cadillac Mountain, one of the most sought-after tickets in the park and something we’d been hoping for all week. At 4 a.m., groggy but excited, we made our way to the summit and set up with folding chairs and a blanket. From that height, we were above the clouds and reminisced about just the other day looking down to see the islands and Bar Harbor. The sky slowly turned from light blue to pink while hundreds of people settled in and chatted amongst themselves. As soon as the first light cracked through, the whole crowd went silent.
We returned for a hearty breakfast and a nap, then caught the shuttle back into the park. We narrowly missed peak high tide at Thunder Hole but still got to witness the waves crashing into the cavern with impressive force.
Then we took the shuttle to Bar Harbor, did some window shopping, and stopped at a beer garden with live music. The guy playing guitar was great - he even played “The Gambler” for us because we were playing cards. After that, we hit another bar, browsed a few more stores, then wrapped up the night with another lobster pound dinner: full lobster, mussels, clam chowder, and blueberry pie. My final verdict? Full lobsters are too much work for what they are worth.
Sunday, July 13th
Travel day. Before leaving Maine, we finally gave in to all the Dunkin’ signs and grabbed breakfast for the road. We made our way through Maine, passed briefly through New Hampshire and finally landed in Massachusetts. After setting up at our new campground in Plymouth, we made a quick trip into town to see Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower II. The rock was way smaller than I imagined, but it was still cool to check off the list.
What an action packed week! Thanks for reading and taking this journey along with us. Check out the reel below to see it all in video-format.
Love love love!!