Nissik’s age: 8 months; Dates: 7/3 – 7/9; Trip: Boston <-> Acadia National Park, ME
Covid19 has completely changed our travel plans. Instead of sipping coconut waters and chilling on the beach in Thailand to celebrate Nissik’s 6-month unbirthday, we spent most of the spring wondering when it would be safe to travel again. As the states in the northeast gradually reopens, we took the leap of faith and traveled to Acadia with Nissik (sharing with another family) – and I am so glad that we did.
Acadia is a beautiful 4-hour drive away from Boston, and with the temperature a tad lower, it is a perfect summer getaway. We rented a cottage house in Southwest Harbor (through AirBnb) with a large treelined backyard perfect for barbecue. Our base is a short-drive away from major attractions in Acadia, and we were happy to find many family-friendly hikes suitable for us. Here are the top three in my opinion.
Wonderland & Ship Harbor Trails: this loop was really close to our cottage and relatively quieter than the more popular attractions. The trails are mostly flat and dotted with interesting plants. My favorite is the large patch of rocky beach with beautiful views of the sea (perfect for a sandwich break). The soft misty air and sound of the waves on a cloudy day would make a lasting memory.
Cadillac Mountain Summit Loop Trail: this one could be crowded (even during Covid19). However, with easy access to the unbeatable view of Bar Harbor after parking at the summit, it’s worth the trouble to walk a bit away from the crowd and down the huge rocks, following the marked paths of the ridge trails that also lead to the summit.
Great Head Trail: this one combines the beach, forest and fun huge rocks, and offers a taste of view from the Beehive Trail (I could see the Beehive Trail from Sand Beach, close to the trailhead). There was moderate traffic but not as crazy as the summit loop trail.
Also worth mentioning is the Jordan Pond. It was somehow crowded close to sunset when we visited. However, we were lucky to find one of the tiny coves dotted around the water and took a break from the heavy traffic. The view was amazing.
Project Nissik 