Travel Like an Artist: Maine + Acadia National Park
Maine was a gem. Here’s where we went, what we did and all of our favorite parts of the trip. Hope this helps you plan your own Maine adventure! I’m currently working on a brand new collection of paintings called “Mainely Good Art” They’ll arrive later this year, so please stay tuned and join my Studio Insiders if you’d like first dibs on purchasing.
P.S. Please share this with anyone you know who loves National parks, art and travel tips! Word of mouth is the best way to help my small business grow!
Our Maine Trip Itinerary
Cape Elizabeth’s Bite Into Maine
— Our family all agreed that this was the best lobstah roll of the trip!
Day 1: Fly into Portland, ME in the morning. Rent a car and drive to Bite Into Maine, (1000 Shore Rd., Cape Elizabeth ME) which is a food truck parked at Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth. It’s about a 20 minute drive from the airport. Order lobster rolls, whoopie pies + blueberry sodas. Find a picnic bench and savor the moment near Portland Head Light, the most perfect lighthouse you’ll ever see. Learn about the shipwreck there on Christmas Eve of 1886. Hint- check out the link for some old pictures of the shipwreck!
After your perfect Maine meal, stroll around the park at Fort Williams along the sea, play on the pebbled beach by the waves or just sit down and relax into the mesmerizing view. Welcome to Maine! When you’re ready, drive up to Rockland for the night. We stayed at the Rockland Harbor Hotel.
Portland Head Light
Cape Elizabeth, you are perfect!
Day 2: Rockland to Bar Harbor Drive (about 3 hours, but we made it an all day leisurely drive with stops)
In the morning, stroll across the street to see the boats moored in Rockland harbor. You can also take a walk through the neighborhood behind the hotel to find the Talbot House, (73 Talbot Ave), painted by Edward Hopper circa 1926. It’s now a bed and breakfast. See Hopper’s painting here! Apparently Hopper’s original painting is available if you’re in the market, but I promise you I can make you a Katie Podracky version for a comparative deal.
Rockland, ME
Where dinosaurs grill overlooking the harbor.
The Best Bookstore: We stopped in Sherman’s bookstore before heading out of town and everyone loved browsing the books and choosing a summer read. This place is wholesome and fun. It’s perfect for souvenirs or gifts for folks back home. We later spotted another Sherman’s in Bar Harbor too.
After a gentle morning in Rockland, drive to Camden and hike the Mount Battie Trail in Camden Hills State Park. It’s only 1 mile and there’s parking available at the top too if you’d rather drive. You’ll be treated with a tremendous view. We packed a picnic and enjoyed it across the street in the other half of Camden Hills State Park.
Drive to Young’s Lobster Pound in Belfast. We didn’t eat here, but we wanted to see the hundreds of lobsters crawling around their tanks. You can pick your own at the restaurant. We saw huge lobsters up close and so many live crabs too. It was a fun detour with additional beautiful views of the water.
Mount Battie Trail in Camden, ME
If you have more energy, you can explore Moose Point State Park in Searsport. We stopped for a 30 minute walk along the beach to take another break from our drive. The kids had fun looking in tidepools and under rocks, and I made a rainbow arrangements from seaweed and found objects.
Rainbow Gifts from Maine. Can you find my volunteer ladybug?
Dinner: Stopped in Bucksport at Crosby’s Drive-In for a quick, casual and very American diner dinner and ice cream treat. The food is tasty and seating is outdoor, allowing our kids to run around and burn off some energy.
Arrived in Bar Harbor just before sunset. Checked into the Atlantic Oceanside Hotel and Conference Center and dashed outside to watch the sky paint itself gold over the water. Perfection. This hotel was one of our favorite places we’ve ever stayed.
View from the Bubble Rock trail in Acadia
Day 3: Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor
Wake up early, enjoy a delicious breakfast at the hotel. The Atlantic Oceanside Hotel surpassed all of our expectations. They had a make your own trail mix bar every morning after breakfast and a s’mores station every night too. The breakfast was always delicious and had lots of options. Our kids particularly loved the giant croissants and breakfast pizza. The view outside was amazing- we could just walk out onto a patio on the first floor- about 30 feet away from a pebbled beach and the sparkling water. This place was a gem.
Hike Bubble Rock after breakfast. If you go early enough (before 9:00 a.m., it’s much easier to find parking). This hike was gorgeous. One side of it was much steeper and harder than the other. We came up through the woods and started going down the other steep way— and then we turned around. It was too much for me, as I’m scared of heights! We were so glad to see it from the top, but the woods felt safer that the cliffs. We are not heights people.
Exploring the Beach
Just outside The Atlantic Oceanside Hotel in Bar Harbor.
We hand a snacky picnic lunch and returned to the hotel to explore the beach there. The tide was low, so we could walk way out on the rocks, picking up a rainbow of sea critter shells, seaweed and natural fascinations.
Otter Cliffs
We spent a lot of time here in the late afternoon. Highly recommend! Mesmerizing waves and tidepools galore.
Once traffic in Acadia slowed for the day, we headed to Otter Cliffs and found parking around 4. The spots were full earlier, but once the afternoon hit, you could find a spot without too much trouble. We explored the tide pools for over an hour. The views were some of my favorite in the park, and they inspired a lot of my paintings in this upcoming collection.
Sand Beach, Acadia National Park
Sand Beach picnic dinner. Parking can be tricky here too, but we found plenty of spots around 5. Though the water was chilly, even in July, we sat on the sand and enjoyed the view and the waves.
Acadia’s Sand Beach
Can you feel the joy?
Thunder Hole was our last stop for the day. We joined a group of folks watching dramatic waves clap and spray as the sun began to set before heading back to the hotel to rest.
Day 4: Little Hunter’s Beach
Little Hunter’s Beach
This was a personal favorite painting spot for me!
Hotel breakfast followed by a quick drive and early park at Hunter’s Beach. There weren’t many parking spots here, so it’s best to arrive as early as you can. The hike was super short (maybe a quarter of a mile), so I carried in my plein air easel and tripod. While I painted, the kids played in the waves and rocks, and a couple other artists set up their easels too.
Northeast Harbor
We decided to explore the island after Hunter’s Beach and we stumbled on the best iced coffee and some super cute little restaurants and stores in Northeast Harbor. McGrath’s (129 Main St., Northeast Harbor, ME) is the spot for iced coffee. It haunts my dreams in the best way possible. If I could toss a coin in their store there like I did at the Trevi fountain to ensure my eventual return, I would. They also have gelato, candy, and gifts galore—cute tee-shirts and hats. Beware the shop across the street - I spotted some $900 dresses and $1000 stuffed animals and hurried the kids right on out of there. The neighborhoods though— wow— enjoy driving around a little to look at the homes while you sip the best coffee in the world.
55 Shore Rd., Mount Desert, ME. Walk out on the boardwalk for some incredible views.
Next up we drove along Shore Road and found another gorgeous spot. (55 Shore Rd., Mount Desert, ME will get you there). Park along the road and venture down to the rocky beach if it’s low tide. We walked out on the boardwalk too and loved watching sailing boats going to and fro. Below on the beach, we discovered all kinds of interesting bits and pieces in the sand- old china, interesting crab shells… we spent a long time here because our kids were super happy just looking at all the treasures of the sea. After all that, we made one more stop to see the Bass Harbor Lighthouse in Southwest Harbor before heading back to picnic and watch the sun set at Sand Beach.
So many interesting bits and bobs. Who wants to live in that house across the way? I do!
Day 5: Walk into Bar Harbor and then Cadillac Mountain
Bar Harbor was gorgeous, and also super busy due to the Fourth of July. Parking was scarce, so we walked from our hotel into town and browsed the shops and restaurants. There are beautiful historic homes, lobster boats, a seaside walk and so many fun things to do. After we explored all morning, we returned to the hotel to grab our car and check out Cadillac Mountain. We got a time slot for the afternoon, and had no trouble driving up to the top and enjoy the panoramic views.
Cadillac Mountain, Acadia National Park. Yes, I will paint this!
Day 6: Dive in Theatre and Fireworks
The Dive in Theatre “touch tank” on the boat! Note Playmobil Diver Ed… and a sea cucumber? What IS that?!
A trip to Maine wouldn’t be complete without a boat ride! We joined Diver Ed’s “Dive in Theatre,” and it was the highlight of the trip. Diver Ed is an educator at a local college, and he and his wife take folks out on their boat and give you glimpses of all kinds of sea life, undersea treasures and artifacts. If you have elementary school aged kids or even older kids, this is a must do! A video camera on Diver Ed’s helmet shows what he’s seeing on a big TV screen on the boat. It’s like you go right down there with him to catch lobsters, crabs, starfish and wacky sea life—and you don’t even have to get into a wetsuit! He and his lovely wife put on a hilarious show the entire time, complete with a playmobil “Diver Ed” who doesn’t mind getting attacked by wild lobsters. When Diver Ed surfaces, he brings all the creatures he manages to catch, and then kids on the boat can walk up and touch them. Don’t worry- the lobster claws are banded and all wildlife is released back to the sea after everyone has a chance to see the touch tank.
After this big adventure, we walked back to the hotel along the shore (a questionable decision due to slippery seaweed). Then we spent the rest of the day at the hotel pool, grabbed a nice dinner and watched fireworks from the dock. What a perfect day! We didn’t even have to fight the crowd in downtown Bar Harbor to see the show.
Last Sunset view from the Hotel in Bar Harbor
Day 7: Drive to Portland via Penobscot Narrows Bridge & Observatory, Fort Knox, Lincolnville Beach and Downtown Camden
On the way back to Portland, we stopped in Bucksport to see the observatory and the fort. Both were very cool and we learned a little history too. Plus, it wouldn’t be a family vacation without a picture of our kids sitting on a canon, would it?
Fort Knox and the classic family photo of canon sitting
We also walked through a few antique shops we saw along the drive before stopping at Lincolnville Beach for lunch. We lucked out with a cute sandwich shop across the street from the beach. Our son almost took a job as Sternman on a lobster boat but we bribed him to stay with us a little longer thanks to an ice cream treat. Camden’s incredible downtown delivered on the ice cream promise and we also enjoyed more fantastic shops and galleries. We stayed close to the Portland airport and woke up in the wee hours of the morning to fly back home to North Carolina.
More from Little Hunter’s Beach, plus my homemade watercolors and shell palette.
My Number One Favorite Place for Plein Air Landscapes: Anywhere in Acadia National Park and especially Little Hunter’s Beach.
Little Hunter’s Beach
My favorite place for plein air painting in Acadia National Park.
Maine has perfect weather in the summer. On the coast, the air is cool. It’s not too muggy and I didn’t continuously swat mosquitoes like I do in the south. I can see how dreamy it would be to host an art retreat in Maine. Everywhere I looked was landscape gold, and it was easy to set up an easel on all those rocks overlooking the sea. It was downright pleasant just about everywhere we went!
One morning we got up early and parked at the small entrance to Little Hunter’s Beach. Hiking in an easy quarter of a mile, we were met with breathtaking views, shimmery waves and a rocky beach that’s perfect for landscape painters. I got all set up and started painting, and a few minutes later a couple more artists joined the area. I also enjoyed painting at Sand Beach after dinner and of course, Cadillac Mountain is a no-brainer. Thanks to the timed entrance to Cadillac, there was plenty of parking as well as 360 degree views. If I was planning a painting trip on Cadillac, I’d get an early evening time slot and then stay for the sunset.
I hope these tips help you plan your own incredible adventure. I’ll share my new collection, “Mainely Good Art” very soon! Please join my Studio Insiders email list for first dibs on new work.
With gratitude,
Katie