by John Bryant

Created on: November 04, 2008   Last Updated: April 18, 2011

On the rocky coast of Maine, Bar Harbor is a great place to visit at any time; however, my wife, two couples, and I enjoyed a weeklong stay in a condominium at the very best of times - in the explosion of fall foliage color change. Maine's 'leaf peeping' season varies due to the summer's and fall's weather, of course, but early Oct in 2008 was perfect. The whole of New England's peak colors will probably occur in the late September to early October period. Mark your calendars!

Bar Harbor is hardly more than village but it welcoms visitors throughout the year, particularly from the late spring through midfall, to its beaches, coves, restaurants, shops, and to a true national treasure, Acadia National Park. It seems one to two large cruise ships are anchored just outside its harbor each day in the fall and its streets, shops, and restaurants are alive with the world's languages!

And activities! First, Bar Harbor is the gateway to 'Acadia', certainly one of the National Park Service's gems. John D. Rockefeller and many of his fellow wealthy friends began in 1901 to purchase huge tracts of forested land on Mt. Desert Island, setting the land aside for public use and the U.S. Congress in 1919 established the park, the first east of the Mississippi River. Between 1913 and 1939, Mr. Rockefeller built more than 45 miles of 'carriage roads' which crisscross the park, today wonderfully limited to foot, bicycle, and horse traffic. Automobiles may only be used on the park's 27 mile Loop Road. The carriage trails offer fantastic, panoramic views of distant villages, islands, bays, and, always, the Atlantic Ocean. NPS maps allow planning routes which offer the best views, quiet rest breaks, or picnics beside ponds or lakes. Smart hikers will begin or finish their hikes at the Jordan Pond House restaurant with a wonderful lunch on the house's grounds beside Jordan Pond!

Around each corner or curve on the carriage roads, we found new colorful views, particularly those framing the several granite and cobblestone bridges. Many of the lakes and ponds were like glassy mirrors, duplicating in reverse images the bright red and gold trees on the opposite shore! So many 'Kodak moments'!

The park's Cadillac Mountain is only 1,530 feet in height but it is the highest point on the eastern coastline of the Americas, from Canada to Rio Janeiro in Brazil! It dominates the entire park and its rocky top can be reached via automobile or on a steep, winding hike. We drove once to the mountain's

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