Bar Harbor & Acadia activities - do we need advance reservations?
Jun 27th, 2004, 04:00 PM
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Bar Harbor & Acadia activities - do we need advance reservations?
We will be visiting Acadia Natl Park in three weeks. We would like to do a whale watching boat tour and one of the Carriage Rides run by Wildwood Stables.
Should we make advance reservations for these, or can you just show up and have a decent chance of being accomodated? I am going to call to find out cancellation polices. If possible, it would be nice to be able to wait and see the weather forecast before deciding when to do these things.
I'm asking your opinion because I'm wondering if when I call they'll tell me I should make reservations, when in reality it's not always necessary.
Also, any opinions on whether we should choose Acadian Whale Adventures vs. Bar Harbor Whale Watch Co.? Both essentially the same?
Thanks a bunch!
Should we make advance reservations for these, or can you just show up and have a decent chance of being accomodated? I am going to call to find out cancellation polices. If possible, it would be nice to be able to wait and see the weather forecast before deciding when to do these things.
I'm asking your opinion because I'm wondering if when I call they'll tell me I should make reservations, when in reality it's not always necessary.
Also, any opinions on whether we should choose Acadian Whale Adventures vs. Bar Harbor Whale Watch Co.? Both essentially the same?
Thanks a bunch!
Jun 27th, 2004, 04:33 PM
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We just got back and took the sunset Carriage Ride. Very nice, and I would recommend it. I called in the morning and booked it with my credit card. I'm not sure what the cancellation policy was. In boarding the carriage we were called by name, and we were called first. Not sure if we were the first ones to book or not -- maybe a lot of walk-ons. They brought on a second carriage for the trip -- maybe because of the amount of people.
Depending upon when you are going, I would think a day or two to make a reservation, after you get the weather report, would be sufficient.
We didn't do the whale watch tour but did the boat tour out of Northeast Harbor. I highly recommend this tour. Stopped at one of the Cranberry Islands.
Depending upon when you are going, I would think a day or two to make a reservation, after you get the weather report, would be sufficient.
We didn't do the whale watch tour but did the boat tour out of Northeast Harbor. I highly recommend this tour. Stopped at one of the Cranberry Islands.
Jul 1st, 2004, 01:02 PM
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We were there last year in early August. We made reservations ahead of time for camping in Acadia and for a whale watching tour. I regret making the reservations for the whale watching tour ahead of time because it is such a weather dependent activity. The boat right before ours had great weather, but there was a heavy fog rolling in. By the time our boat got out on the water, you couldn't see your hand in front of your face! Luckily, the company gave us back a percentage of our ticket cost because we didn't see anything. SO, if you do make reservations ahead of time, make sure they have a partial refund policy if you don't get to see whales. I think we went with Acadian Whale Adventures and we were on one of their newest boats. Made fog watching really enjoyable!
Jul 6th, 2004, 08:07 AM
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We just returned from Acadia a few days ago. Didn't take the carriage rides, but did the Park Loop drive and it's wonderful. Plan for at least a half day...you could easily make an entire day of it. But I do recommend getting a CD or good map as the signs in the park leave a bit to be desired and it's crucial that you start on the one-way road around the coast and end up with Jordan Pond and the summit of Mount Cadillac.
As far as whale watching goes, we all took the Friendship V 4:30 whale/puffin watching tour and was very pleased with it. We saw a pair of finbacks, a 30' shark, seals, and puffins. We didn't need advance tickets and considering the price ($45/adult, $25 child), you don't want to end up on a rainy trip. But we did go the week before the fourth, and peak season is after the fourth, so I would call them and verify their ticket sales.
I did find out that as of about two weeks ago, Bar Harbor Whale Watch and Acadian merged to form one company. What was disappointing was that their brand new AtlantiCat boat (with sonar in the cabin) is in FLORIDA! I expressed my dismay to them on the fact that they advertise that boat in their literature AND website. The Friendship V is ok, but it's definitely not an up-to-date modern boat. But then again, you're there to see nature.... Dress warmly as the trip to and from the whale locations are brutally cold in the wind.
As far as whale watching goes, we all took the Friendship V 4:30 whale/puffin watching tour and was very pleased with it. We saw a pair of finbacks, a 30' shark, seals, and puffins. We didn't need advance tickets and considering the price ($45/adult, $25 child), you don't want to end up on a rainy trip. But we did go the week before the fourth, and peak season is after the fourth, so I would call them and verify their ticket sales.
I did find out that as of about two weeks ago, Bar Harbor Whale Watch and Acadian merged to form one company. What was disappointing was that their brand new AtlantiCat boat (with sonar in the cabin) is in FLORIDA! I expressed my dismay to them on the fact that they advertise that boat in their literature AND website. The Friendship V is ok, but it's definitely not an up-to-date modern boat. But then again, you're there to see nature.... Dress warmly as the trip to and from the whale locations are brutally cold in the wind.
Jul 6th, 2004, 06:43 PM
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This is all helpful info. Thanks, SoonerorLater. I called Bar Harbor Whale Watch and they indicated that a reservation a day or 2 in advance was usually sufficient. We'll try to wait until the last minute to reserve and get a weather report. Like you said, if it is raining we won't want to go.
Hey, did you get a good lobster meal while you were there? We're looking for a relatively inexpensive place with other menu items for the non-lobser-lovers in the family. Casual, eat outside at picnic tables is the type of place I have in mind.
Hey, did you get a good lobster meal while you were there? We're looking for a relatively inexpensive place with other menu items for the non-lobser-lovers in the family. Casual, eat outside at picnic tables is the type of place I have in mind.
Jul 7th, 2004, 04:53 AM
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My husband doesn't like lobster, so we consistently had to find restaurants that had non-seafood menus. Here is the short list of places we tried:
Top of the Hill in Southwest Harbor - very, very good. My two sons had the lobster alfredo which they loved... I had a dish of baked scallops and crabmeat which was also excellent. My husband had a steak, which he said was the best he had tasted on the vacation.
We also went to the Fish House Grille in downtown Bar Harbor, right next to where you will board for the whale watch. Get the mozarella cheesesticks if you like them....they are the best I've ever had. Their corn muffins (which I normally do not like here in the Midwest) were light and fluffy and unbelievably yummy. The service was nothing short of excellent, and you can eat out on the picnic tables overlooking the wharf. We all had lobster there which was very good (except my husband, again, a steak, which he said was "OK" - he's fussy). We liked the place so well we visited the next day and had the fisherman's dinner (I think it was called) which was so much food, we couldn't finish it all!
One place to steer clear of is the "Log Cabin Restaurant" on Rte 3 near Acadia. Horrid food and the worst service I've seen in a long time.
We also tried picking up cooked lobsters at a pound (we used Down Easter near the Trenton Bridge to Mount Desert Island). Personally, I found it a bit gross, but it's all the rage. We got three lobsters for me and the boys, plus cooked corn on the cob, and ate on our house rental deck. My husband, who is grossed out by the tearing apart process of the lobster, wouldn't even eat at the same table with us. He cooked himself hamburgers on the grill. We shopped in Ellsworth (northwest of Acadia) at Shaw's, a wonderful store, where you will want to pick up their homemade muffins.
Here is a link that might be helpful:
http://www.acadiavisitor.com/av_dining.shtml
Top of the Hill in Southwest Harbor - very, very good. My two sons had the lobster alfredo which they loved... I had a dish of baked scallops and crabmeat which was also excellent. My husband had a steak, which he said was the best he had tasted on the vacation.
We also went to the Fish House Grille in downtown Bar Harbor, right next to where you will board for the whale watch. Get the mozarella cheesesticks if you like them....they are the best I've ever had. Their corn muffins (which I normally do not like here in the Midwest) were light and fluffy and unbelievably yummy. The service was nothing short of excellent, and you can eat out on the picnic tables overlooking the wharf. We all had lobster there which was very good (except my husband, again, a steak, which he said was "OK" - he's fussy). We liked the place so well we visited the next day and had the fisherman's dinner (I think it was called) which was so much food, we couldn't finish it all!
One place to steer clear of is the "Log Cabin Restaurant" on Rte 3 near Acadia. Horrid food and the worst service I've seen in a long time.
We also tried picking up cooked lobsters at a pound (we used Down Easter near the Trenton Bridge to Mount Desert Island). Personally, I found it a bit gross, but it's all the rage. We got three lobsters for me and the boys, plus cooked corn on the cob, and ate on our house rental deck. My husband, who is grossed out by the tearing apart process of the lobster, wouldn't even eat at the same table with us. He cooked himself hamburgers on the grill. We shopped in Ellsworth (northwest of Acadia) at Shaw's, a wonderful store, where you will want to pick up their homemade muffins.
Here is a link that might be helpful:
http://www.acadiavisitor.com/av_dining.shtml
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seashell
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Jul 8th, 2004 03:49 PM
