slfountain

My husband is planning a trip to Bar Harbor with his parents and our family this summer. His parents are older and are mostly interested in relaxing, reading, and eating out. They want to stay in a secluded, very upscale rental house. Our children are a very active 9 year old boy and a 2 year old.
I'm concerned that there will not be enough for the kids to do, and that they will be stuck in the house, tearing it apart and annoying my in-laws. We live on the Texas coast, so it's hard for me to imagine my children enjoying a rocky cold-water beach.
Any advice? If Bar Harbor is not the most appropriate place for a multi-generational vacation, are there other ideas?

djkbooks

Just my opinion, but there are so many appealing places on the beautiful Maine coast with much more to see and do, and far better dining.

My favorite places include Ogunquit/Kennebunkport, Boothbay Harbor, and Camden, where you'll find much more to do with the kids. That the ocean is so cold is the reason many accommodations have pools.

dfrostnh

We live in NH and have two GC, 5 and 3. If the rental house is secluded, perhaps that means there is a safe area for bike/trike riding. Even cold, rocky beaches can be explored. Good time to start a rock collection, look for sea critters. Sail little boats in the water. Check to see if you could set up a sprinkler (at our house it keeps the kids busy for a couple of hours, filling containers, getting wet). If not a sprinkler, a big tub of water. Learn to fly kites? Age appropriate jigsaw puzzles. Coloring books. etc. Build fairy houses. Of course, a sandy beach for digging holes and making sand castles might be nicer but sand beaches north of Portland are pretty scarce. We've never spent much time at pools but since they would require very close supervision I think you might be better off with a nice screened porch overlooking a play area for the kids. Or sit in a shady spot even if you have to erect a canopy so you can read and watch kids play. Maine's different from home so it should be a wonderful adventure for the kids. Good time for the kids to be less parent-dependent (although still supervised) and spend as much time as possible OUTSIDE in the fresh air.

We have not spent much time in the Bar Harbor area. DS was a teen and loved mountain biking when we last visited. We prefer the mid-coast area closer to Brunswick. The beaches are still rocky and cold.

The one area in Maine that looked particularly appealing to me thinking of family vacations was Bay Path. Small Victorian cottages around a large grassy common, private beach. Looked like a good chance of meeting other kids. We didn't stay there, just drove by. It's near Searsport. The houses are not secluded since they are close together but the area is very secluded, well away from busy roads. This would put you closer to Camden.

elberko

Bar Harbor/Acadia is a WONDERFUL place for kids!

There are lots of ranger-led activities for kids, I can't imagine anybody who loves the out doors being bored in Acadia.
The Beaver log has lots of info:
http://www.nps.gov/acad/parknews/newspaper.htm

WE also found this book really helpful:
http://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Family...105694&sr=1-11

~Liz