Bar Harbor or Portland?

We%26#39;re going to take a 5 day vacation in the northeast. We%26#39;ll be in Boston for 2 days (Gotta visit Fenway at least once a year), but the other three we%26#39;ll be in Maine. We%26#39;re looking for a good area to take seal watching cruises, visit lighthouses on the coast, and eat reasonably priced and very fresh lobster every night. Do you have any recommendations for Portland or Bar Harbor? Which would have better sights, better restaurants, better atmosphere, friendlier people, which would be the safest, and which would be easiest to drive in and out of? Any help would be much appreciated!

Bar Harbor or Portland?

I guess the answer to your question depends on what you%26#39;re in the mood for. Portland is more of a city atmosphere with shops, restaurants, hotels, museaums, etc... and Bar Harbor is more small New England village. If you%26#39;re looking to spend most of you%26#39;re time outdoors, then Bar Harbor is a better option for scenic walking and hiking due to Acadia National Park. Bar Harbor offers boat trips where you can see seals, whales, and other sea life. There are also lighthouse cruises. I do believe that you can get the same types of boat cruises out of Portland and you can also explore some of the islands around Portland.

Obviously, there are lots of restaurants with great food and plenty of lobster in Bar Harbor. Portland offers more restaurants and probably finer dining than Bar Harbor and definitely more night life than Bar Harbor, although we have some.

Both towns are safe, easy to drive in and out of, and have great people. The atmospheres are very different, but both are awesome.

I think you should spend some time in the Things To Do section of both towns to narrow down what you want to experience on your vacation.

Bar Harbor or Portland?

As the previous poster said, these two destinations are quite different. I%26#39;d opt for Bar Harbor as being easier to drive in and out of. Restaurants are plentiful and varied. The lobster doesn%26#39;t get any fresher. Both are safe, but Bar Harbor has a small town feel that is very friendly and safe. I can see you walking the sidwalks of Bar Harbor with an ice cream after dark more than Portland.

Thank you both, still not sure which one we%26#39;re going to go with, but I definitely appreciate the input.

I think the key consideration is time: are you able to spend the additional 3+ hours to get to Bar Harbor? Then, I couldn%26#39;t agree more that the decision is about an interesting and charming city vs. a great New England village on an easily accessible island, Mount Desert Island, widely recognized as one of the most beautiful islands in the world. Portland has great shopping, pubs, and an active wharf scene. Bar Harbor is right next to Acadia National Park, a destination for over 2 million people a year. Take a look at the Web site below to see if Acadia is of interest to you:

www.nps.gov/acad/

As far as lobster when you visit Bar Harbor, I highly recommend Thurston%26#39;s. Abel%26#39;s is picturesque, but more expensive. Stewman%26#39;s in Bar Harbor is very touristy. You might also like Beal%26#39;s in Southwest Harbor. Restaurant reviews can be found at:

www.ouracadia.com

';I can see you walking the sidewalks of Bar Harbor with an ice cream after dark more than Portland.';

This and the comment about it not being easy to drive in and out of Portland might be true if you%26#39;re elderly, but otherwise, I think they%26#39;re inaccurate. I think after-dark rules are the same everywhere. Use common sense. As to driving, Portland isn%26#39;t hard to figure out, and it%26#39;s easy-on/easy-off from I-295.

Either is a good choice. Portland is much closer to Boston.