Bar Harbor The town of Bar Harbor, located on the eastern shore of Mount Desert Island, is a summer mecca for tourists. The bustling town, a favorite place for shopping and dining, has something for everyone, including recreation, tours, art, and movies. A gravel shore path meanders amid beach roses and between magnificent inns and the great Atlantic Ocean, offering walkers beautiful views of the harbor and visiting cruise ships. Ellsworth Considered the gateway to Downeast Maine, Ellsworth sits at a major crossroad that draws many visitors to its commercial center. Its blend of upscale gift stores, trendy retail shops, and bargain mall outlets makes shopping fun. Visit Woodlawn Museum, also known as the Black Mansion, for a trip into the past or try Birdsacre for a quiet afternoon with nature. Acadia National Park The only national park in New England, Acadia offers 44 miles of beautiful coastline, 50 miles of scenic carriage trails – ten-foot-wide paths great for walking and biking – and 120 miles of hiking and biking trails. Sign up for nature tours, watch a film about the park, or browse the many maps and books available – all at the Hulls Cove Visitor Center. Then, drive the scenic Park Loop Road and view Frenchman Bay, Cadillac Mountain – at 1,530 feet, the highest point on the US Atlantic seaboard – Jordan Pond and Jordan Pond Restaurant, and Thunder Hole – a small cavern that spouts water as high as 40 feet with a thunderous roar when the ocean waves rush in. You'll also want to visit Sand Beach, the only saltwater beach in the park. Mount Desert Island Lakes Canoe and kayak enthusiasts love the island's lakes – Long Pond, the largest; Seal Cove Pond; Echo Lake; Eagle Lake; and Jordan Pond. Paddle a canoe at Bass Harbor Marsh at high tide and you just might spot herons, owls, beavers, and deer. Ocean Cruises Watch the whales, spot a seal, look for puffins, tour Maine's famous lighthouses, or just take a nature cruise. Sail with real lobstermen and watch them haul in their catch – maybe even touch a sea urchin or starfish while you're at it. You'll find a wide variety of boat trips, from naturalist cruises on privately owned boats to dinner cruises and whale watches provided by touring companies. Abbe Museum Exhibits and programs guide you through 10,000 years of Native American history, art, and archeology and offer interesting information about the native people of Maine today. The museum shop features high-quality handcrafted gifts. Diver Ed's Dive-in Theater Watch Diver Ed collect critters from the bottom of the sea. Then be brave! You'll get to touch starfish, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, lobsters, and whatever else he brings up with him! You'll have a great time and learn a lot too. Atlantic Brewing Company Watch how Bar Harbor's local beers, wines, and sodas are made – and get a taste between 10 and 5 every day. Free tours at 2, 3, and 4 pm daily. Mount Desert Oceanarium & Lobster Hatchery Take a fascinating tour of a salt marsh and a working lobster hatchery – and get up close and personal with lobster moms and their babies! Kebo Valley Golf Club Play 18 holes surrounded by the beautiful mountains of Acadia National Park. Just minutes from downtown Bar Harbor, Kebo Valley consistently ranks among America's best public golf courses. Acadia Repertory Theatre Enjoy live professional theater – comedies, dramas, mysteries, and children's productions – right here on Mount Desert Island. Wendell Gilley Museum View the work of world-renowned bird carver Wendell Gilley, a Southwest Harbor native who is one of the two or three recognized pioneers of this indigenous American art form. Workshops available. Bar Harbor Historical Society Experience "Old Bar Harbor" though this extensive display of memorabilia, maps, antique clothing, and pictures. Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory Tour the largest cold water marine research facility in the eastern United States. Bar Harbor Whale Museum Visit the only museum dedicated to the study and understanding of whales and seals familiar to the Gulf of Maine. Wildwood Stables Horse-drawn carriages make leisurely trips on the famous carriage trails built by John D. Rockefeller in the early 1900's. Wildwood offers a variety of daily tours within Acadia National Park. Timber Tina's Great Maine Lumberjack Show Join host Timber Tina Scheer in nearby Trenton for a thrilling competition that pits two lumberjack teams against each other in contests like log rolling, speed climbing, and ax throwing. Enjoy the history, comedy, and fast-paced action then try your hand – or foot – at log birling.    Lamoine State Park Just north of Mount Desert Island, the peaceful 55 acres of Lamoine State Park offer great views of Mount Desert Island and Cadillac Mountain. Picnic at the park's long pebble beach or kayak along the shore and see starfish and periwinkles in the crystal clear water. More ideas and resources Bicycling acadiabike.com Nature tours downeastnaturetours.com Park and island tours acadiatours.com acadiaislandtours.com Sailing trips friendshipsloop.com downeastsail.com Island cruises bassharborcruises.com downeastwindjammer.com Lobster boat rides lululobsterboat.com Sea kayaking mainestatekayak.com crystalseas.com acadiakayak.com Canoeing aquaterra-adventures.com Lighthouse tours barharborwhales.com Rock climbing acadiaclimbing.com  Movies criteriontheater.com reelpizza.net Island Explorer bus Island Ferries The CAT ferry offers service to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Three hour trip each way. Leaves from Bar Harbor. Cranberry Cove ferry offers service to the Cranberry Isles. Leaves from Southwest Harbor. Swan's Island ferry offers car ferry service to and from Swan's Island. Bar Harbor ferry offers views of lighthouses, mountains, fishing villages, mansions, and lobstermen hauling their traps as you from travel between Bar Harbor and Winter Harbor.