Every time I find a cool place I’d like to go, I pin it into my Google Maps as a “wish list,” so that I can remember to go one day if I’m ever near that area.  These are usually places that I wouldn’t necessarily go out of the way to make a full trip, but that I can pass through when the time comes.  So, when I knew that we were planning to go up to Acadia National Park, I looked at my maps and had a few places already pinned.  This was a great opportunity to explore some of these destinations and make a road trip out of! 

Day 1-2: Portland, Maine

For a full recap of our Portland itinerary, check out Things to Do in Portland, Maine. 

We started our trip in the NYC area and made our way to Portland, Maine, which was about a 5-and-a-half-hour trip. If you haven’t been to Boston, you can add to your list of stops since it’s not too out of the way (it will maybe add an extra hour drive).  Because we’ve already visited Boston, we decided against it and went straight to Portland.  We stayed in Old Port at the Hyatt Place Portland – Old Port, which is a charming historic district with brick buildings and cobblestone lining the streets.  Although we only spent a day and a half there, there was plenty to pack in those few days. We spent our days exploring the lighthouses, beaches, and the Portland area.

As we were leaving from Portland, we made a stop to the Desert of Maine and the L.L. Bean flagship store.  As I mentioned in my last post Things to Do in Portland, Maine, if you have some time to spare and are up for weird/quirky, definitely make the stop at the desert.  It took maybe about an hour for us to do both before making our way to Bar Harbor.  We took all of Route 1, thinking that we’d drive along the coast.  Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case and there wasn’t much to see.  I’d recommend just taking the shortest path, which is going through I-295/I-95 N.

Day 3-5 Bar Harbor, Maine

To view our full Acadia National Park itinerary, check out Things to Do at Acadia National Park. 

Bar Harbor is a charming little town and the gateway into Acadia National Park.  It has many restaurants, cute bed and breakfasts, and a variety of activities to do. We stayed at the Aysgarth Station Bed and Breakfast, who had a wonderful host named Melody.  She’d make the most amazing breakfast from scratch and would leave the most delicious afternoon treats in our room.  It looks like her B&B is no longer open as of October 2020, which is very sad to hear – but she had mentioned she’d possibly be leaving to go take care of her grandchildren in the west coast, so all the best to Melody! 

Although we spent most of our trip in Acadia National Park (check out my post here), there was still plenty to do within Bar Harbor as well. 

Bar Harbor Town Pier

The first evening, we spent the night exploring the downtown area of Bar Harbor and the pier, where we were seeing boat leave at distance to view the sunset. If I would’ve done one thing different during our trip, it would’ve been to take one of those boat trips!

Bar Island

Bar Island is an island next to Bar Harbor that becomes accessible by foot only when it reaches low tide.  Before going, we had to check the local times for low tide to give us plenty of time to walk to and back from the island. 

Acadia National Park

Acadia National Park is the whole reason we made this trip.  It is the highest point on the United States’ East Coast and is famous for its stunning fall foliage.  Although we came towards the end of summer, it still offered the most beautiful views and hikes.  To view our full Acadia National Park itinerary, check out Things to Do at Acadia National Park. 

Day 6-7: White Mountains of New Hampshire

After Bar Harbor, we went to our next destination, the White Mountains!  We had two trips in mind, which was to drive up to Mount Washington and hike through Flume Gorge.

Mount Washington

Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at 6,288.2 ft. and is in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  There are a few ways to get up to the peak of Mount Washington: You can either drive up there, hike up there, or take the Cog Railway (a 3-hour ride).  We chose to drive up there, which was only $39.  Before attempting to drive up there, please be sure to check the regulations in their website.  Because you are climbing up a very tall mountain, there are some serious guidelines about what cars are allowed in, weight limits, and other restrictions.  Double check that you have good brakes and are comfortable in driving through steep roads.  We saw a car break down and others that smelled like their brakes were overheating. 

The road itself is very narrow and if you’re looking down, you can actually see over the edge.  On the way up, it looks like you’re driving up to heaven, with all the fluffy clouds getting closer.  The drive down felt scarier, only because we needed to make sure we weren’t overusing the brakes.  Thankfully, there were many places to stop along the way, in case you wanted to cool down the brakes/engine.  Although it was nerve-wracking, those views were worth it once you reached the top!  They even gave us a sticker for the car that says, “This car climbed Mount Washington.”

Flume Gorge

The Flume is a natural granite gorge that extends 800 feet, with a total path of 2 miles in length and about a 1.5-hour walk.  To get in, we needed to have a reservation made in advance – I’m not sure if this was already in place before COVID.  As you’re walking, you see moss-covered walls and cascading falls, it’s absolutely gorgeous.  The only thing I didn’t like is that because there were so many people that day, we weren’t able to truly take in its beauty.  Since it’s a one-way loop and it’s narrow, we felt hurried by the people walking behind us. 

Day 7-8: Hudson, New York

Finally, we arrived at our final destination of this trip – Hudson, New York!  Hudson is a former factory town, north of New York City, that has become popular because of its mile-long district that is filled with industrial style boutique hotels, antique shops, art galleries, and restaurants.  While it’s only a two-hour train ride from the New York City area, we’d never gone that far up – so we decided to make it a stop along the way.  We stayed at the Wick Hotel for one night and spent the evening exploring the strip of Hudson.  Although I would visit again, I don’t think I would stay the night as there isn’t enough to do for a full day. 

If I could’ve done something different with this trip, I think I would’ve combined Mount Washington and Flume Gorge in one day.  I also think Hudson could’ve been done in half a day rather than an overnight stay.  Have you gone to any of these places, were there any other destinations you explored while you were there?  I’d love to hear if there was anything else I missed!