Island Explorer, Bar Harbor Question

[jlbartley]

I understand that this bus does not take you up to the top of Cadillac Mountain. Does anyone know if there is an inexpensive way (besides hiking) to get there from the Island Explorer. They reference other tour companies that take you up there but I wasn't sure if you can just take a tour up and back down and then hop back on the island explorer bus or what.

 

We're in town for the day on the cruise and not sure our best way to see what we'd like. I'm concerned that the normal tours for 2.5 hours might be rushed at the stops. I like the idea of Island explorer so I'm free to tour at my own pace but want to see Cadillac Mountain. I was debating on seeing Cadillac Mountain through one of the normal 2.5 hour tours like Olli's and then using Island Explorer to visit other areas that I'd like to spend more time at. Anyone have any thoughts or recommendations on this?

 

Thanks for any info.

[SailBadtheSinner]

You are on JoS from Boston departing 10/1, correct?

 

There is a short tour, 1 hour, that includes a stop at the summit of Cadillac Mountain. Here are the departure times from Bar Harbor: 10:00 AM, 11:30 AM, 2:00 PM, 3:30 PM.

 

If you were to take the first tour that would put you back in BH at 11:15am or so and then you could use the Island Explorer for whatever you wanted to see within the time constraints of the cruise ship departure.

 

Here is the IE site: http://exploreacadia.com/

 

Please post back what your plans are.

 

 

SBtS

 

[jlbartley]

I think that we're going to do the 10:00 Ollie's Trolley Tour.

Our ship arrives at 7am and leaves at 5pm. I'm hoping that we can get on the first tender which would mean that we would be able to have 7:30 - 4:30 available to do stuff.

 

I'm thinking that if we can get on the earliest tender we would either walk around town in the morning or walk the Bar Harbor Shore Path.

Then we would take the Olli'es Tour at 10:00 which would put us back into town at around 12:30.

We would grab something to eat

Then maybe take the Island Explorer to a couple of different sites (maybe Jordon Pond house for popovers). Would also like to see a lighthouse and maybe Otter Cliffs or Sand beach.

 

Can someone do 3 things for me?

1 - Tell me if you think this is a good itinerary?

2 - Where can I find the Island Explorer location from near the town?

3 - What itinerary would you suggest on the Island Explorer?

[travelbig]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1468010

 

The above thread has good info for a route with the Island Explorer and how to see the Bass Harbor Headlight on your own.

 

Pull up this map http://barharborinfo.com/resource/d/88747/BH_map3.pdf

 

The tender docks where it says "Town Pier". The stop for the Island Explorer is where it says "Village Green". This map also shows the various walking paths.

[SailBadtheSinner]

Where can I find the Island Explorer location from near the town?

 

The Island Explorer loads and unloads at the north side of the Bar Harbor Village Green which is about a 7 minute walk from the tender dock walking away from the harbor on Main St.

 

Tell me if you think this is a good itinerary?

 

I agree if you get off the cruse ship as early as you write then walking the BH Shore Path is good. When you have completed the BHSP don't retrace your steps but exit out to Main St at the end. Take a right onto Main St and follow it down to the harbor. Look for the village green on your left as you walk.

 

What itinerary would you suggest on the Island Explorer.

 

Since you'll be doing Oli's Long Tour which does the Park Loop Road, you'll pass by Sand Beach and Otter Cliffs but I don't think the tour stops there. So here is what I would suggest:

• Plan A, take the route #3 bus to Sand Beach and then board any bus on the Park Loop Rd and ride to Otter Cliffs
  
• at OC if there is time, board a route #4 bus to Jordan Pond; if there isn't enough time, board a route #3 bus and ride it back to BH.
  
• if you make it to JP and had your popover, board only a route #5 bus for the ride back to BH.
  
• Plan B, ride the route #5 bus to Jordan Pond & return to BH.
  
• Plan C, ride the route #5 bus to Northeast Harbor & return to BH. NEH at the town dock is very picturesque.
  
• Plan D, take the route #3 bus to Sand Beach and from there, walk the Ocean Path http://www.acadiamagic.com/ocean_path.html that parallels the Park Loop Rd until Otter Cliffs. Then board only a route #3 bus for the ride back to BH.
  

 

I don't think you will have time to visit Bass Harbor L/H on IE.

 

Since there are no fast food restaurants in BH, I don't know how much time to allocate for eating, but how much time you spend eating may determine which plan is doable.

 

You'll have to spend time studying the IE schedules to build a comfort zone.

 

 

SBtS

[jlbartley]

This is great, expecially the map. I'll take a look at the routes suggested and maybe take a couple of the options with me so I can kind of play it by ear depending on the amount of time we have. I really appreciate the info!

[SailBadtheSinner]

I wrote in post #5: .....Since there are no fast food restaurants in BH, I don't know how much time to allocate for eating, but how much time you spend eating may determine which plan is doable.....

 

I was wrong. There is a Subway at 4 Cottage St which as you are walking away from the harbor on Main St, Cottage St would be the first street on the right.

 

 

SBtS

[Host Caroline]

There's also an ice cream place about 2 blocks from the water on the main street... huge ice cream cones that would do for a snack "lunch" ...

[jlbartley]

I know it's been a while since this original post but I wanted to post back what we actually did and what my thoughts were.

 

We did take the 10:00 Oli's Trolley Tour with the hopes of seeing Caddilac Mountain. It was fogged in though and we did not get to see it anyway. We did the Long tour. If I had to do it all over again I probably would have skipped this, not made reservations in advance and just taken the Island Explorer.

 

After the 2.5 hour Trolley Tour we found that there was more that we wanted to see in the park so we grabbed quick sandwiches from a shop and hopped on the Island Explorer. They did a special tourist bus route for a group off of the ships that were in town that took people to all of the same places as Ollie's for free. We got off at a couple of the places and hiked around for a while and then just hopped on the next bus.

 

For someone who really wants to see the nature of the place I would skip Oli's and just do the Island Explorer at the pace you want to. If you want to see Cadillac and the day is clear then take the 1 hour Oli's to Cadillac.

[luvsun22]

I know it's been a while since this original post but I wanted to post back what we actually did and what my thoughts were.

 

We did take the 10:00 Oli's Trolley Tour with the hopes of seeing Caddilac Mountain. It was fogged in though and we did not get to see it anyway. We did the Long tour. If I had to do it all over again I probably would have skipped this, not made reservations in advance and just taken the Island Explorer.

 

After the 2.5 hour Trolley Tour we found that there was more that we wanted to see in the park so we grabbed quick sandwiches from a shop and hopped on the Island Explorer. They did a special tourist bus route for a group off of the ships that were in town that took people to all of the same places as Ollie's for free. We got off at a couple of the places and hiked around for a while and then just hopped on the next bus.

 

For someone who really wants to see the nature of the place I would skip Oli's and just do the Island Explorer at the pace you want to. If you want to see Cadillac and the day is clear then take the 1 hour Oli's to Cadillac.

 

Thank you for coming back with a report. This is exactly the information I was looking for! So glad I did a search on it :-).