New England Travel and Vacation Gazette and Other Wicked Good Content

Jordan Pond in Acadia National Park, Maine, might be far away for most people, but it will surely be close to your heart, forever, once you visit this magical place. Best known for the Jordan Pond House restaurant (open mid-May through late October) with its famous popovers, afternoon tea and Maine seafood, Jordan Pond, itself, is really the star attraction with its peaceful body of water, hiking trails to view different yet amazing perspectives along the way, dramatic open fields and big skies, and easy hike up the "Bubbles" where you can get a commanding view of the fresh water pond. Acadia National Park is one of the jewels of the eastern seaboard with its mix of ocean and mountains; Jordan Pond might be the apex of this wonderful travel experience. The Jordan Pond House Restaurant and Jordan Pond are located on the Park Loop Road in Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island.

Source: acadiamagic.com via Heather on Pinterest When creating our New England Pinterest pinboards , I came across one photo that I keep coming back to:  a colorful picture of downtown Bar Harbor, Maine.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Bar Harbor is the lively commercial center of the Acadia National Park area. Just minutes from Acadia where the ocean meets the mountains, Bar Harbor has an enviable and impossibly beautiful harbor location with enough shops and restaurants to keep the most insatiable shopper and diner happy throughout the vacation. Tree-lined in many parts and with a relaxing town common, Bar Harbor might be too hectic from Memorial Day to Labor Day Weekend for those in touch with the spectacular natural, pristine setting of Acadia National Park, but let's remember, too, that it's not exactly one of those tacky, souvenir-laden tourist traps. Sure, you'll get elements of that here, but, all in all, Bar Harbor has an attractive, often beautiful...

We recently received another excellent New England travel inquiry, which we will happily answer right here... Q: Hi!  We are planning a summer vacation.  Myself, my husband and our 14-year-old son want to visit the New England area.  I want to go on the scenic coast and eat Maine lobster, my son and my husband are BIG New England Patriots fans, and must see anything and everything to do with Bill, Tom, and Wes Welker.  We also are interested in the history of New England.  Can you please, please help me????? Last year my husband planned a three week, wonderful European vacation. I want this vacation to be just as breathtaking.  We will be driving from Northwest Indiana, on or around the last week of July, for 10 to 12 days.  Can you give me the most scenic driving directions?  I know I am asking a lot, but I need help!!!!!!!! Any little bit you can help me, would be soooo appreciated. Thank you so much for your time. A: You bet, gl...

Article and Photo By Eric H. Cadillac Mountain, at Acadia National Park on Mt. Desert Island, Maine, isn't close to being the highest mountain in New England, but the experience of being there will bring your Maine travel experiences to new heights. Only 1,532 ft. high, Cadillac Mountain could seemingly be slam-dunked by Boston Celtic Kevin Garnett, but its modest height is all you need to view the unusual mix of ocean and mountains that have made Mt. Desert Island and its prized jewel, Acadia National Park, so famous for its natural, spectacular scenery. Cadillac Mountain, in fact, is one of 17 mountains on Mt. Desert Island, and is the first place in the United States to view the sun rise from Oct. 7 through March 6, according to AcadiaMagic.com At the opposite end of the day, the sun sets are truly magical -- many times with blazing orange skies gradually fading into a sense of quiet, nighttime Maine solitude. This time of the day brings out some of the best views of the moun...

Article by Eric H. Clifton Dock in Northeast Harbor, Maine, will never get press headlines as a tourist destination. It was never meant to be that way, thankfully, for those who are less interested in being a tourist and more interested in becoming part of the fabric of this region. Clifton Dock -- a grand representation of pristine Mt. Desert Island near Adacia National Park -- offers one nothing more than a dock, Maine coastal water views, boats in the water, a weathered red bench and refreshing salt-sea air. If this scene could be translated to wealth, we'd be millionaires. Gone is the traffic, the souvenir shops, the expensive tourist attractions, the neanderthal six-pack crowds and people "who want to be seen" that many times impede the very reason we try to "get away': to attain some sense of peace and relaxation. Just as an actor learns to play his part, there are travelers who become so ensconced in their role of visiting a new area that they consid...