If you're looking for lobster, you'll find it in Bar Harbor.
Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound
What is a lobster pound, you may ask?
Known as lobster pounds, lobster shacks, or fry shacks, these little diddies began in the late 1800’s when local fishermen decided to sell lobsters to tourists, which they were already storing in tanks of sea water. Ah, entrepreneurship at its finest.
Anyway, these little, road-side huts are famous for their lobster rolls - served either hot or cold. And here's the deal, the fisherman catch the lobster, bring it to the lobster pound, place them in the holding tanks (the wooden structures on the far right in the picture above), and pull them out to make lobster rolls as customers order them! You cannot get any fresher than that.
Although I ordered the cold, which comes with lettuce & mayo (kind of like a seafood salad sandwich), I think I prefer the hot, which I may or may not have swiped a bite of from my wife. Hot lobster rolls are warm meat, melted butter, on a plain white hoagie. Can you say delicious carbs? Yes, please!
The Terrace Grill
Think Somewhere In Time, and you'll get a pretty good idea of the vibe.
The Terrace Grill is an outdoor dining experience in The Bar Harbor Inn, nestled on the Frenchman Bay in downtown Bar Harbor. If you long to smell the salt air with views of the rocky beach, this is the place.
The entire property is an experience, and I was certain that Jane Seymour and Christopher Reeve would round the corner at any moment, with her calling, "Reeeechard!"
Of course, whole lobster dinners are a-plenty at almost any restaurant in Maine, and The Terrace Grill is no exception. Around $35 for a whole lobster, potatoes, corn, and asparagus. And look at that butter!
Acadia National Park
In case you've never been in Maine, summers are not what you may think. In June, it can still be quite chilly, with a side of rain. Don't get me wrong, it's still an amazing place to visit, but just dress appropriately.
Which, we did not.
Acadia National Park is a must see when, when you need to work off the lobster in Bar Harbor. A part of our National Park Service, it is rocky, and windy, and large. As with all natural wonders in the U.S., the Indigenous Americans were it's first inhabitants, and I can only imagine how fantastic it must be for Bar Harbor residents to hop over their for a run, hike, swim, cycle, picnic, etc.
If you choose to drive, or cycle - but Lord, why would you - all the way to the top of Cadillac Mountain (the highest point on the eastern coast), be prepared for cloud cover and wind. It can get chilly, and crowded, up there!