MOTHERS KITCHEN YES

gets busy. Call ahead.

Just curious where you heard the word "lungs" about MDI. I see it, but I've been going there my whole life and never heard it. Not being a jerk, genuine curiosity.

We rented a house off of Thundermist Rd at the top of the island. It was perfect for us as a set of tweens, parents, and grandparents. We had a car and could drive wherever we wanted -- hiking trails to the east, hiking trails to the west, the adventure park, grocery stores and bakeries, restaurants, the lumberjack show, the improv, Charlotte Rhoades gardens, the Gilley museum, and on and on.

FYI, I highly recommend trying Town Hill Takeout and Mother's Kitchen while you are there.

We rented a house in Bar Harbor last summer and had a great time. It was a good location for us, as we spent more time in the "right lung." It was our first trip & we have young kids & we wanted to do popular things like Ocean Path, the visitor's center, Jordan Pond, Sand Beach, Bar Island, Diver Ed, etc. - all in the Bar Harbor area. Yes, Bar Harbor is crowded and touristy but I didn't mind that - and I liked Bar Harbor - I thought it was cute and nice. That said, Bar Harbor is the most expensive area, I think. I would love to go again, and might stay in the left lung or outside of Bar Harbor, if only because I think it might be cheaper.

+1 on staying on the western side ("the quiet side") of Mount Desert Island.

We're partial to Southwest Harbor, but have stayed in other lovely areas (Hall Quarry is particular nice) on the western side. With young children, a house will give you lots of flexibility in terms of naps, lunch/dinner/snack options, and some relaxation for the adults (with wine, lobster, etc.)

We went a couple years ago with kids who were exactly those ages. We stayed in a house. It was very quiet and relaxing to be able to just sit in the woods when we were done with activities for the day

I've been to Acadia and i honestly don't remember seeing any bats.

With young kids I'd do the quiet side.
Plenty of hiking trails all over the island.

We drive up and camped in the NP. We loved it. Day trips to town for a meal and ice cream didn’t take more than 20 min.

http://www.cranberryhillinn.com/

We stayed here with kids (ages 5-11) and it was wonderful. We then did one night in Bar Harbor which was a lot of fun, walkable and touristy.

We prefered the quiet side.

Anonymous wrote:I’d say definitely in Bar Harbor- it’s very cute and walkable. We stayed at the Harborside resort but it was pricey. Depends on budget...

Depends on what you want. I like visiting Bar Harbor, but I've stayed in Bar Harbor and I've stayed on "the Quiet Side" and I much prefer the latter. The ideal spot to me is a waterfront house in Southwest Harbor that is walkable to the LLBean Shuttle. To each his own.

I’d say definitely in Bar Harbor- it’s very cute and walkable. We stayed at the Harborside resort but it was pricey. Depends on budget...

Anywhere but Bar Harbor (kitch/touristy). Go on VRBO.com or homeaway.com, and find a house that's on a free llbean bus route.
Short/appropriate walks - Ships Harbor and Wonderland; definitely do dinner one night at Jordan Pond House (known for popovers, but pricey), do the boat tour with Diver Ed (lots of potty talk, the kids will laugh and laugh, but they'll learn a ton), 6 year old might like the Jr ranger program, rent bikes and ride them on the carriage trails, do the free ranger program on tide pools, walk across the sand bar in Bar Harbor at low tide. We LOVE Acadia!

We had an amazing trip at the cabins at the KOA Oceanside campground. Our kids were 4 and 7 at the time. It's not in Bar Harbor, but the island is so small that it was fine. There is a bus stop right at the campground that we sometimes used and other times we drove to the national park or Bar Harbor itself.
The cabin had a bathroom with shower and sink and flush toilet, one queen bed (I think - maybe double) and a tiny little alcove room with a bunk bed. The kids loooooved having their "own" room and the bunk bed. It also had a tiny little kitchenette with microwave, small fridge, and additional sink.
It was awesome.

Planning a trip to Bar Harbor/Acadia for next summer. Thinking about early August with two kids (6 and 3). Where is the best place to stay? A hotel? Or better to rent a house? Specific areas would be helpful!