Planning to go to Bar Harbor first week in October. Would like to know if 5 days is too long to stay? Interested in sightseeing, whale watching, perhaps kayaking. Will probably drive up coast to Canada one day just to say that we were there or perhaps take the Cat to NS if its still running.

Also, would Bar Harbor Inn in town or the Bar Harbor Bluenose outside of town the better of two places to stay? Any pics from anyone? Would llike to know the best one
Both are pretty expensive, just want to make a good choice and have a great time My husband and I both deserve a well earned and memorable vacation.
Thanks for input.

I think five days in october is about three too long. I have stayed downtown and would do it again, simply for the ability to go out of the hotel and go for a walk.
Get up very early one morning and go into Acadia Park to watch a sunrise over the ocean. By October a lot of interesting places have shut their doors. However, consider driving north to Lubec, Maine, and then across to Campebello Island. Then figure out the ferry route to Deer Island and on to the New Brunswick mainland. Visit St. Andrews at a minimum (In October, that's the only place I'd go, and I used to live in New Brunswick) and then return to Maine at Calais. St. Andrews is wotrth the visit, and the ferry boats are fun unless there's a storm.
BAK

I'm surprised you did not get more responses. I just saw the one reponse stating 5 days in October is three days too many, and I thought with such a provocative response others would surely opine about the merits of Mount Dessert Island/Bar Harbor/Acadia National Park. I have not been to Mount Dessert Island in October and perhaps Bar Harbor is too quiet then, but it depends on your definition of quiet. I've always thought Bar Harbor would be more charming without the hoards of tourists in the summer months. If you like the outdoors, Acadia National Park could provide you with weeks of enjoyment. The hiking is wonderful - with easy trails that offer big payoffs (in terms of views). The carriage paths in the park are excellent for biking or walking. I've done the coastal kayaking which was a neat experience. The other side of Mount Dessert Island (they call it "the quiet side") is also well worth exploring. You should visit Southwest Harbor, Bass Harbor (don't miss the Bass Harbor Lighthouse) and Bernard. Sargent's Drive on Somes Sound is a must. I've spent many weeklong vacations on Mount Dessert Island and am planning to visit over Labor Day weekend. I still don't think I've done everything yet and I never tire of the scenic beauty. By the way - stay at the Bar Harbor Inn in town - without a doubt the better choice. Feel free to email me if you'd like more info - I could go on for hours.

We were in Bar Harbor right after the 4th of July.
Did not stay at either of the hotels you mentioned--we stayed at a B & B that was within walking distance of downtown, and we were glad that we could walk to everything.
It is hard to say if 5 days is too much in Bar Harbor. We were there for three, two of those were spent in Acadia Nat'l Park. We did some hiking & biking but there were things we did not see.
Another couple at our B & B went kayaking and enjoyed it.
It seems to us that it would be beautiful there in October. But if you ran out of things to do you could always
do a day trip somewhere.
This was our first trip to Main and we really enjoyed the Bar Harbor area.
SG

I've stayed at the Bar Harbor Inn. It was very nice, great location, nice rooms, view. Three day stay would be adequate. Stay longer only if you're interested in serious hiking in Acadia or if you're content to just sit back and relax and not feel pressured to see new sites and are just looking for simple R & R.

I also think 5 days in Bar Harbor would be too long. We stayed two days and that was plenty for us. We didn't dislike it, just need more to see and do for a longer period of time.

went bar harbor sept. 98 for 4 days.....could have used 2 more days. if your the outdoor type theres plenty to do in acadia.....biking, hiking etc. during the day bar harbor was clogged with tour busses from the cruise ships but the nights were nice.