Category Archives: Life in Maine: Your Mount Desert Island Vacation Guide

Your more restful, less stressful Mount Desert Island Vacation Guide

How life in Maine is meant to be

Each year, over a million visitors come to Mount Desert Island. They arrive by ferry, by cruise ship, by car or by plane.

During the peak tourist season, everyone is asking the same questions, all at the same time:

As my guest, I provide you with the insider tips which will make your visit more restful, and less stressful.  I will help you avoid the crowds, and find the hidden gems no one else knows about.

If you find a job you love, keep your job!And most days, you’ll find me at the Front Desk of the Bar Harbor Inn, at the end of Newport Drive.  Please stop by if you can.

I am SO glad you chose to spend your vacation in Maine this year!  Welcome to Mount Desert Island.

Welcome to Life in Maine.

Sincerely, David Faris

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The Bar Harbor Inn Guide of Trails in Acadia National Park

Below is a virtual reprint of the guide of trails, published by Witham Family Hotels.

Guide of Trails in Acadia National Park, published by Witham Family Hotels and available at the Bar Harbor Inn.
Request your copy in person at the Front Desk of the Bar Harbor Inn!

These booklets are usually available at the Bar Harbor Inn to anyone who requests one at the Front Desk.  However, they run out of copies from time to time.

I wanted  to make this guide available to you through these pages, whenever the print copies are out of stock.

In my opinion, the Witham Family Hotels are the very best places to stay in the Bar Harbor Region!  Please give them first consideration when planning your trip to Bar Harbor.

And when you do, here are some tips on how to choose the best hotel to meet your needs.

The original brochure produced by Witham Family Hotels is compiled of many different hikes and walks. Each one highlights the beauty of Acadia and are broken down by level of difficulty and distance.

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Where you can find a late night bite to eat on Mount Desert Island

Breakfast ~ Lunch ~ Dinner ~ Open Late

You drove a long way to get to Bar Harbor, and have checked in to your room at your hotel at last. As a result, you and your traveling companions are very hungry… but it’s late at night.

Late night comfort food for the weary traveler

Ironically, some of the best food in Bar Harbor is served at the pubs and taverns in town. And although we are trying to remain a family-friendly guide for you during your stay, these places are important.

Of course, you may not be accustomed to going into a bar or tavern. Too often, however, I’ve seen guests arrive late and starving, with no idea of where to go to get something to eat. Thus, I feel it is my duty to recommend these places to your family in time of need.

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The best way to make your Mount Desert Island vacation hotel reservation

How to get the best value for your Mount Desert Island vacation hotel reservation

At last, you decided when to come to Mount Desert Island for your vacation! You thought through the most important hotel amenities to suit your needs, and have chosen the perfect hotel for your stay. And now, it’s time to place your reservation.

I have a three simple recommendations which will set your course directly toward a more restful and less stressful stay on Mount Desert Island.

#1 Call the local number when you place your reservation

Generally, there are three options for booking your reservation. You could:

  1. Reserve it online with a hotel booking website,
  2. Book your reservation via the hotel’s website, or
  3. Book your reservation over the phone

Here on the Island, setting up your reservation over the phone can be as basic as calling the owner’s home, or getting through to the front desk. In addition, some of the bigger hotels on the island have a reservations call center. Some may also have an agreement with a hotel reservation systems company to answer the phone when the local call center people go home.

Of these three choices, I recommend that customers check out what a hotel has to offer through the hotel’s website whenever possible… and book their reservation by calling the local number during business hours. Here in Bar Harbor, these phone numbers will have the area code (207). And the first three numbers of the phone number will usually begin with “288”, as in (207) 288-3351.

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