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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Bar Harbor Monopoly: find the best hotel for your visit

A bird’s eye view of how they all fit together

There are so many places to stay on Mount Desert Island. Some of them share parking lots. Others are at three levels up a hill, one on top of the other. To a new arrival, it can be confusing to try to figure out how all these hotel choices fit together.

The Bar Harbor Inn, the hotel by the Bay (photo by David Faris)

However, for the insider, a hotel map of Bar Harbor looks like a big game of Monopoly! Around this table, there are three major players: the Walsh family, families like the Costons, and the Witham family.

Each one brings a unique set of strengths to their guests. By knowing what each one has to offer, you will be able to:

  1. choose the best option to meet your needs for your stay on the Island, and
  2. take full advantage of the option you choose, by knowing how they work and what they offer.

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The Bar Harbor Tea Company on Mount Desert Island

All-natural teas artfully blended since 2006

Lots of people love their cup of coffee, or tea, in the morning. Some brew it themselves, while others pick up their favorite blend at their favorite store. For others, an instant coffee single does the trick.

I love the rainbow of tea cups at the Bar Harbor Tea Company!

But in my home, I’m a huge fan of a cup or a glass of tea.
In Chad, Africa, tea drinking is very simple, very sweet, and very hot. Culturally, tea is served to welcome old friends and celebrate new acquaintances.

Since I have returned to the US, I have consumed more iced tea than hot tea. And thankfully, the Bar Harbor Tea Company has the resources and accessories for both kinds.

The Bar Harbor Tea Company gives you a sense of coastal Maine coziness. When you step inside for a closer look, you will be amazed by the colorful display of teapots that are lined up to greet you. It should be easy to find a teapot or teacup to match your personality, due to the wide variety of colors and styles available.

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Is God Trying To Get Our Attention?

As I drive around town, I see many people who aren’t paying attention to the world around them.

"I love you, Dad..." not paying attention (From Tumblr)

“I love you, Daddy…”

Some can’t hear a friend calling out to them because they’re using earbuds and an iPhone. Others are at the dinner table, scrolling through the Facebook News Feed on their tablet.

And as I’m driving down the road here in rural Maine, I notice that least 1 in 20 of the other drivers have their eyes looking down… at their cellphones… as they drive.

This new life attached to phones doesn’t appeal to me very much.  My language work largely involves working with computers. So I turn everything off at the end of the day, and try to talk to real people or read a book whenever I have the chance.

However, the challenge for me is to stop working!  My cause is noble, and there always seems to be work waiting on my computer’s desktop.  The computer allows us to work efficiently and I find it difficult to pull away from it and pay attention to my family as I should.

How often did God try to get my attention, and I did not listen?

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