Bar Harbor, Maine

Bar Harbor is a popular tourist destination in the Down East region of Maine, and prior to a catastrophic fire in 1947, was a famous summer colony for the very rich and elite. Today this tiny colorful town is a destination for tourists worldwide. Cruise ships are in harbor from May through October, and since Bar Harbor encompasses the largest parts of Acadia National Park, countless visitors find their way here as part of their visit to the park. Recreational activities abound for outdoor enthusiasts including hiking, biking, bird watching, mountain climbing in the National Park, and taking tours to view marine life including puffins, whales, lobster, seals, and pelagic seabirds. Watching the small boats bob and sway on the harbor could entertain you all afternoon, or taking a walk on the Bar Island sand bar at low tide, and even kayaking out from that point. One cannot escape the obvious beck and call of the vendors to lure us tourists into spending our money on entertainment, souvenirs, and other frivolous purchases, and while the "tourist trap" setting does have a certain negative connotation, I couldn't help but be drawn into the colors, sights, and sounds of this busy, bustling town. I wasn't very happy about being blasted with the "eat lobster" messages posted around every other corner, storefront, and window display. I thought the artwork was eye-catching, but I found it ironic that most of the enticements made it look like the fisherman was the guardian of the lobster, not its harvester, and that lobsters sitting in a hot tub of water were enjoying a spa day, not being boiled for dinner. I included some of those images here to help drive that point home, not as an endorsement for eating lobster. But such is life in a coastal town on the Atlantic.