Located along the east coast of Mount Desert Island or Hancock County in Maine, Bar Harbor is a town not such a stranger to civilization but then not overcome by urbanization either. With its lush forests, breathtaking views of the sea and the mountains, wildlife and fresh air, the town will surely calm your nerves and give you the rest and relaxation that you need.

The Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce is happy to welcome all kinds of visitors. A Welcome Center on the US Route 3, just before you cross the bridge to Mount Desert Island, greets you before you enter the Bar Harbor proper where all the information for your stay is available. Similarly, from May to October, another visitor center on the corner of Cottage Street and Main Street offering maps, brochures, lodging and dining information. Staff members are guaranteed to answer any question you might have regarding your vacation in the island.

Bonding with the family is given a natural twist with the numerous family-friendly activities around the island. Kids and adults alike could try biking together along roads while taking in the sights along the way. Different hiking trails are available for kids, teens and parents from flat seaside trails to the more adventurous steep hike to the mountains. Whale watching with the family is another fun activity that is worth undertaking. Camping with tents or trailers in the Acadia National Park for your stay will surely bring the family closer together especially while exchanging stories around the bonfire, happily roasting delicious smores and simply communing with nature at its best. Cadillac Mountain towering over the town could be enjoyed two ways – one is by ending family day with watching the sunset atop the mountain or starting the day’s activities with the famous “nation’s first sunrise” touching the peaks of the said mountain. Kayaking or canoeing along the bodies of water around and within the town should also be included in your list. The family is also sure to enjoy a cruise around the island viewing it from the sea.

Vacationing with the family is sure to be comfortable with the variety of lodgings available in the quaint town from hotels and B&B’s to the rustic lodges and campsites at the Acadia National Park. Seafood at its best is available in many of the finest restaurants in town and even in the whole of Maine. Lobster dishes top the list of seafood cuisine that the town’s dining pubs have to offer to its fine tourists and locals alike. Shopping enthusiasts are not to be disappointed either with the fine shops offering some designer clothing and a variety of handcrafted and locally made products such as tourmaline jewelry, maple syrup, linens and bath products and other crafted treasures you will not see anywhere else.

Bar Harbor is surrounded by the Acadia National Park – a park of almost 50,000 square miles well known for its luscious scenery seemingly straight out of a picture book. This gives the town the advantage of a beautiful landscape and activities for different kinds of tourists, either with the family, with friends or even alone.

Cadillac Mountain was called the Green Mountain before it was named after a French explorer in 1918. Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac received this piece of land in 1688 which including part of the Union River and Mount Desert island, then known collectively as Donaquec.

A long and winding 3.5 mile road takes people to the summit of Mount Cadillac. In the 1880’s, specifically from 1883 to 1893, the Green Mountain Cog Railway, named after the original name of the mountain, was in charge of taking tourists and locals alike to the top of the mountain. However, it was discovered that although it was useful in taking the people up the mountain, it could not be trusted with taking people back to the foot of the mountain owing to the observation that its fall was faster than calculated. The said cog train was sold to the Mount Washington Cog Railway in New Hampshire in 1895.

Spruce trees and pitch pines dominate the forests of the Cadillac Mountain. Cinquefoil, gnarled short trees and wild berries add to the greenery of the mountain. As it is combined with its innate rose color from the granite it is composed of, the greens of the mountain give a distinct color to behold.

Atop the mountain, a view of the Porcupine Islands and the Frenchman Bay could be seen. It is not only the nearby isles and seas that one could see at its peak. One of the most distinct features of the mountain is that from October through March, the first glimpse of the sunrise could be witnessed by standing at the top of the mountain looking out to the East for the rising sun. Although this only happens during the fall and winter months mentioned above and the sun’s rays hit Mars Hill first during the spring and the summer season, the sunrise in Cadillac Mountain has become that distinct that it has been given the term, the “nation’s first sunrise”. This has become so famous that even President Barrack Obama and his family visited the peak of the Cadillac Mountain while on vacation in Bar Harbor and Acadia in July 2010.

The adventure doesn’t only begin with seeing the sunrise at the peak of Mount Cadillac but on how one gets to the peak. Various hiking trails around the mountain are available for the adventurous souls seeking for thrill and excitement. This gives tourists and residents of the local town, Bar Harbor, another item on their to-do list. For the less audacious bunch, the paved road opened in 1931 could be taken by vehicle. Either way, no matter how you want to get there, sunrise at Cadillac Mountain is one worthwhile to be seen, adding to Bar Harbor’s numerous beauties and wonders.

Many locals of the Cranberry Isles are lobstermen, boat builders and craftsmen. In time, these islands also have served as a second vacation home to many families who for generations have been traveling to Maine as an escape from the fast–paced life in the city to the laid-back country life. Leona Gilley Sawyer, a woman who spent her growing years in Baker Island describes their previous life, mentioning the lobster as the main source of economic transactions in the island. The rustic lifestyle in the island could be mirrored from Leona’s childhood which was composed of only four students in Baker School, playing in the woods and in the rocky sections around the island, and then eating wild birds often. The rusticity in the Sutton Island is evidenced by the fact that instead of the larger paved roads, only paths exist in the island. In general, the Cranberry Isles serve as a break from the bustle of life in the main land of Mount Desert Harbor.

Though more laid-back, the locals of the Cranberry Isles are not to be left behind when it comes to the arts. Many notable artisans spend the warmer months on Isleford creating poetry, prose, art, photography, documentaries, and all varieties of music. Hooked rugs from the Cranberry Isles are also known to be quite good and it was actually the fishermen’s wives of the isles that were first known for the prowess in the rug industry and have thrived ever since.

Upon visiting the islands, tourists could visit the local museums and buy a uniquely handcrafted piece from the shops in the village of Islesford on Little Cranberry Island. Standing on the island overlooking Mount Desert Island gives you a breath taking view of the mountains of the Acadia National Park at a totally different angle. The country style of the isles will give tourists the peace and calm they seek as they enjoy their vacation off the coast of Maine.