Vacation – it never feels long enough! I recently returned from a road trip to Ogunquit and Bar Harbor, Maine. I wanted to share some vacation pictures from the trip, as well as my experience traveling while social distancing.
Day 1
The first day was spent mostly driving from home to the Fairfield Inn by Marriott in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. By the time we all arrived, checked in, and settled down, it was time for dinner. We had dinner at Old Ferry Landing. To be honest, it wasn’t the best place we ate at during the trip. I had a lobster and shared a clam chowder with my husband. The lobster was itty bitty and the clam chowder was salty and not creamy.
Day 2
We started the second day at Ogunquit Beach. My sister found this helpful link, that shows 4 ways to cross the Ogunquit River. We chose the footbridge option, which basically meant we parked in a parking lot, and walked across a bridge for a minute or two (not a bad walk at all!) to get to the beach. One thing to note: the website says the footbridge option is a “great way to avoid parking,” but it definitely cost money to park!
After the beach, we had lunch at Barnacle Billy’s (which I was super excited about because it was referenced in Gilmore girls). I definitely recommend the crab cakes here! Outdoor seating can be chilly, so I would also recommend bringing a thin jacket.
No better way to fight off food coma than to go for a walk! So after lunch, we went for a walk at Marginal Way. The sights here were beautiful! It’s a paved path the whole way, so sneakers aren’t needed – just a camera for all the water, rocks, and greenery!
For dinner, we did takeout from a sushi restaurant called Domo. I would recommend the sushi and Domo noodles from here.
Day 3
On day 3, we drove to Bar Harbor, Maine, where we checked in at Acadia Inn. We had dinner at Galyn’s, a seafood and steak restaurant 3 minutes from the inn. I had lobster linguini, blueberry cider, and a creme brulee for dessert. I would also highly recommend Galyn’s – it was dimly lit and atmospheric inside, the food was good, and our waiter was very courteous.
Day 4
On our last day there, we started with shopping in Bar Harbor. I would describe Bar Harbor as a bustling cluster of shops and restaurants. My husband said it reminded him of Provincetown, if you’ve ever been there. Once you park your car, all the shops and restaurants are within walking distance.
To wrap up our shopping, we had lunch at West Street Cafe. I had crab cakes, fries, and a baked potato for my entree, and shared a clam chowder with my husband. The food was decent, and the restaurant itself was spacious and airy, with high ceilings and large french doors – good for sunny, summery lunchtime vibes. They had the french doors open, and the breeze was quite cold, so I’d recommend bringing a light jacket with you.
After lunch, we drove to Acadia National Park, where we did a few miles of hiking. The sights here were beautiful as well, and I would recommend it if you enjoy hiking, sight seeing, and being surrounded by nature. Currently, the visitor center is closed for purchasing entrance passes, but the gift shop remains open. Entrance passes are available at the Sand Beach entrance.
Day 5
Our last day was spent driving home – a lovely 5+ hour drive. I drove the first 3 hours home, and this was my car journey outfit.
Things to Note & Social Distancing…
Be prepared to pay for parking. In both Ogunquit and Bar Harbor, it was almost impossible to find free parking. Most of the time, it was metered parking, or a parking lot that cost anywhere from $10-$30. Some days, we paid for parking multiple times depending on how many places we visited and how far apart they were.
Bring a jacket everywhere. Generally, temperatures were comfortable in the 60s-70s. Sometimes the wind can be strong near the water, outdoor dining can be chilly if you’re not sitting in the sun, and indoor dining can be chilly if restaurants leave their doors and windows open for fresh air. Being cold can really ruin the mood, so bring a jacket everywhere.
Wear a mask and bring hand sanitizer. Compared to where I’m from, NH and ME were more lenient in terms of COVID rules. There were some regulations regarding how many people were allowed in a store at once, how many people could share a table at a restaurant, how far apart tables were, and the direction of foot traffic. However, the use of masks were more scarce. Despite NH and ME being more lenient, we wore masks and carried hand sanitizer everywhere, and kept physical distance from others as much as possible. It may be awkward not following the crowd, but it’s not worth the risk.
I hope you enjoyed seeing photos from my trip to Ogunquit and Bar Harbor, Maine. Hit the like button down below if you did – it helps me know what you enjoy reading!
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Thanks for reading!
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