We’ve really enjoyed spending time in Bar Harbor, ME and Acadia National Park. If the winters weren’t so brutal, we’d consider living here! Acadia is huge and we were barely able to touch the surface of all it has to offer; it’s definitely a place we’d love to return to in the future with more energy and more time. One of the things we’re finding on this trip is that despite spending at least 4-5 nights in each location, the pace feels busy. The kids were both asking for “chill days” so we scaled back our list of must-dos and spent more time at camp and at the pool.

When I was a kid, somewhere between Phineas and Penelope’s ages, my family and I spent time in California. I remember visiting tide pools and experiencing the wonder of seeing the little sea creatures and plant life dance around in the pools left by the receding tide. Eager to share this with the kids, we timed a hike down the Wonderland Trail in Acadia to arrive at the ocean at low tide. The tide pools in Acadia were amazing. Penelope, especially, loved exploring the tide pools in search of snails and hermit crabs. We even found a pool a water that was warmed from the sun and the kids put their feet in. There were a couple of toddlers splashing around and the kids had fun playing little games with them. The pools were so peaceful and full of life, I could have spent hours just sitting and gazing. We only left when the mosquitos came out and we had to race the half mile or so back to our car to avoid being eaten alive.

On our last day in Bar Harbor, we spent the morning lounging in the pool. It was a beautiful, but hot, day and the kids needed some downtime more than they needed another hike. To cap off our time in Maine we booked a tour on a lobster boat from Bar Harbor Whales. It was a combo lobster fishing and seal watching adventure. The boat was an actual lobster fishing boat that had been converted for tours by adding bench seating. The guide was a trained zoologist who was full of interesting stories and facts about the wildlife found in Maine and the commercial lobster fishing industry. Phineas’ previous fear of boats and water thankfully seems to have abated. The captain hauled up and checked several lobster cages to show the process, and threw back the too-small lobsters he caught. Then we motored over to an island where dozens and dozens of seals were sunning themselves and swimming in the water. They looked like adorable little swimming teddy bears. Near the end of the tour, the guide passed around a couple of live lobsters and a starfish from the boat’s holding tank. We all enjoyed handling the sea animals, but Penelope got a little freaked out when the starfish’s teeny tiny legs started squirming around.