A few years ago, I spent my spring vacation in Bar Harbor, Maine. The idea of the typical spring vacation involves heading south, even only if to Rhode Island. Many of my April trips have thwarted that notion by traveling to destinations like Ottawa, Montreal, Vermont, and Quebec City. Heck, I was even stuck in a blizzard in Quebec City while vacationing peers were bronzing on Catalina Island. I visited Thunder Hole in Acadia National Park instead of sunbathing in St. Augustine.
Off to Maine, Ayuh!
First off, we southern New Englanders can’t seem to grasp the immensity of Maine. Driving past Portland, you’re practically in Canada, right? No! Bar Harbor, located on the rocky, peninsula strewn coast, is a good 5.5 hours past Boston (and it’s still a good hike to Canada from there… and let’s not get into the vast interior of the state).
Anyways, the ‘Maine’ attraction in Bar Harbor is Acadia National Park. The park doesn’t officially open until May…. oops! During my April visit, the town was ghost like, about two restaurants were open. In Acadia, driving access to the top of Cadillac Mountain was not open.
Thunder Hole in Acadia National Park
Luckily though, most of the well-known attractions were still accessible, like Thunder Hole, where the roaring sea comes crashing into the rugged coastline. The ocean was calm on the day I was there, so the effect was not quite as strong as it could be, but it was still a picturesque and impressive site. (And there’s even a beer named after it! Atlantic Brewing Company/Bar Harbor Brewing Company’s Thunder Hole Ale). I first visited Acadia at years old. Thunder Hole is what I recalled most about that trip. Still, so many years later, it impressed me once again.
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