mdod

I was all set to book a cruise from Boston to Quebec Oct 9th-16th until I found out that getting rental cars in Saint John John and Bar Harbor is a problem. We like to do our own excursions so we have more time to explore.

I found out that the Island Explorer bus will still be running in Bar Harbor that weekend. The ship will be in Bar Harbor from 8-5 but we have to tender over to the dock. If we are dependent on the Island Explorer to get around, will we have time to get any decent hikes in? If so, can anyone recommend good hikes to consider? We want to optimize what little time we'll have in Acadia and we don't care about spending time shopping or eating. We can handle moderate to strenuous hikes ( if they are worth it).

We're not going to be able to experience the tides at the Bay of Fundy like I hoped and if we can't see some nice scenery in Acadia, I don't think we want to book this cruise.

cindyj

You should have plenty of time, there are incredible views from some short hikes in Acadia. I might recommend taking the bus around the Park Loop road. You'll see some fabulous scenery from there and, if you have time you could get out at Sand Beach and walk toward Otter Cliffs. Then hop back on a passing bus (check the schedules first) and ride to the Jordan Pond House. Enjoy popovers and then walk along the Jordan Pond trail up to the Bubbles and hike up South Bubble (maybe 40 min up) for wonderful views. Jump back on the bus back to Bar Harbor. If you're looking for something more strenuous, maybe the Beehive near Sand Beach. The Precipice is the ultimate climb in MDI, but can be difficult if you have any fear of heights.

As an alternative, rent bikes in BH and explore Rockefeller's carriage trails..

I assume you've been here before and this is just a cruise stop?

elberko

I'd hike up Cadillac Mountain.

There are a number of trails up, South Ridge is the one I'd recommend. 3.7 miles one way, great views almost all the way, snack bar and bathrooms at the top. Look on the faces of your fellow passengers who took the bus to the top when you tell them YOU walked...Priceless!

~Liz

china_cat

There are a lot of great short hikes in Acadia, and you should definitely be able to do one. If the Precipice trail is open, you can hike up that, across the ridge and down the Beehive trail (the beauty of the shuttle bus...you don't have to constrain yourself to loop hikes!). I think that hike would only take a couple of hours, and has awesome views. The trail head for the Beehive is near Sand Beach so you could walk along the beach, or along the shore trails there too if you had time.

There are many other trails that you could do in 2-4 hours and have great views, easily accessible from the loop road, and the Island Explorer shuttles.

mdod

Thanks cindyj. No, we have never been north of Boston. That's what caught my eye about this cruise. It goes to Bar Harbor, Saint John, Halifax, Sydney, La Baie (on the Saguenay River) and ends in Quebec. I know you just get a glimpse of an area on a cruise but, going out on our own, I was hoping we'd have enough time to see something nice in each place and hit some fall color somewhere along the route. We were going to come to Boston a day early and do the Freedom Trail and spend 3 1/2 days in Quebec and Montreal at the end of the cruise. Then my husband's meeting was changed, taking away our spare day in Boston, and I started checking out car rentals and discovered that we'll have even less time or access than I thought we'd have.

I was reading about the Precipice and Beehives but didn't see the expected hike times so I didn't know if we'd have time to see either. We did Angel's landing in Zion with no problem so I'm not worried about the height. Since we'll only have a few hours in Acadia I also wondered if we'd be better off doing several short hikes to get a better overall feel for the park.

mdod

Ooops..I left for a few hours while I was in the middle of replying to cindyj and didn't see the other responses.

A friend of mine suggested flying to Boston and driving so we'd have more time to see each spot. I originally dismissed it because it was ~30 hour drive round trip just to get to Bar Harbor, Saint John, Halifax and Sydney and we wouldn't get to the Saquenay River, Quebec or Montreal.

I was so excited about this cruise and now I'm in a total quandary about what to do. There are so many places on my list to see, odds are very slim that we will make it back to this area again. We normally go all out all day when we travel and we could see and do so much more if we drove. Quebec and Montreal are fairly close to each other and much more accessible than Maine and the Maritimes so maybe it makes more sense to do them some other time.

If we did drive, we'd have to go either Sept 26th- Oct 5th or Oct 9-Oct 18th. Any ideas which would give us the best shot at seeing good fall color?

cindyj

The color would be best beginning in Oct. Here in coastal southern Maine, Portland, peak is around Oct. 12 and it is very crowded around Columbus Day weekend. Peak up in Quebec is probably late Sept, so your dates work depending on where you go.

I really can't weigh in on cruise vs. driving because I haven't done a cruise. They are very popular and in our area have certainly extended the tourist season well into the fall. Bar Harbor has a lot of ships coming into port in the next two months, I saw a schedule when I was up there last week. I guess it really depends on whether you like everything taken care of or if you like to wing it! That is a lot of driving. Nova Scotia/New Brunswick is really a separate trip from Montreal/Quebec to my way of thinking. Both cities are about 6 hour from Portland, and Acadia is about 3 hours. It really depends on your tastes, but Halifax, etc. really don't offer that much to do. I might drive up the Maine coast to MDI, then across the state to Quebec. Quebec is more interesting than Montreal, and after seeing that you might not need to go to Montreal. Then you could drive back to Boston via VT and NH. Have you looked into flying to Portland or Manchester, NH? There are direct flights from a lot of cities and it might be cheaper. Let us know when you decide.

mdod

cindyj: We ended up booking the cruise. I spent all day Fri and Sat researching online for a way to get to see Acadia National Park, Bay of Fundy area and Hopewell rocks and Cape Breton by car and the shortest route I could get it down to was about 1500 miles even if we flew into Bangor, Maine. And the extra travel time and limited connections to Bangor actually gave us less time for touring. Even though we'd be able to see so much more, my husband really didn't want to drive that much.

When I checked cruise prices again last night and an inside cabin, which is fine by us, had dropped to $499, I couldn't pass it up. Just the rental car was going to be over $600 if we drove and we'll get to see Quebec and Montreal too.

It's funny that you said you didn't think much of Halifax. A friend of mine said she loves the place. Different strokes for different folks.

Since we're not into shopping and dining out, we can concentrate the limited time in port on seeing more of the sights. I'm sure we'll have a good time and hopefully we 'll hit good fall color somewhere along the line.

cindyj

For that price I also would have gone with the cruise. I'm sure you'll love it. As for the Maritime Provinces, I really should have elaborated on my opinion. We have been to PEI, New Brunswick and Cape Bretton. We have not been to Halifax or the southern/western portion of Nova Scotia. There is a ferry that goes to Yarmouth from Portland and Bar Harbor, and most folks I know who have done it said that Yarmouth is nothing to write home about. But Halifax is probably quite different.

You'll get to see all the great sights in a short amount of time and maybe you'll even be inspired to come back. Acadia is a very special place, so much to do in a small geographic area and quite diverse - fresh water lakes, open ocean, quiet inlets, steep mountains and gentle paths etc. I wish you good weather!

mdod

Thanks! One good thing about a cruise is that there's always something to do on the ship if the weather stinks! Of course rough seas are no fun.

cindyj

I hope you post a report on your experiences!

china_cat

I think you've done well with your cruise.I've done several trips to Maine, and some to Atlantic Canada, and it IS a lot of driving. And I live in Massachusetts, so I can drive my own car!

In Halifax, I really enjoyed the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, particularly the exhibits about the Titanic, and about the Halifax harbor explosion. Visiting the fort at the top of the city is a nice tour as well. You can also probably get a car or a tour to Peggy's Cove.

Yarmouth is definitely nothing to write home about.

Have a great time!

mdod

Thanks. We have a car reserved for Halifax. Right now I'm planning to drive down to Peggy's Cove first thing and maybe stop at the Swiss Air Memorial. Then we'll drive back to Halifax and see the Martime Museum and the Citadel, etc. Do you think there will be anything to see at the public gardens in mid Oct?