 Balance Rock
- Fact Sheet |
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Contact: Glenn M. Faria
From the beautifully landscaped front yard and classic portico to the opulent entry hall, arriving guests are warmly welcomed. Plush carpeting, gleaming woods, impeccable fabrics, rich wall coverings and distinctive window treatments entice the eye. The inviting salon — replete with dramatic baby grand piano, ubiquitous potted plants and fresh flowers from the inn’s splendiferous gardens and comfortable seating — welcomes guests at all hours. The soft seating, inviting fireplace and refreshing afternoon teas have made this room guests’ favorite indoor spot to converse, read or simply luxuriate in the splendid surroundings. The veranda facing the rear yard offers access to the Inn’s glistening 45-foot heated pool, incredible flower gardens, an acre of sweeping verdant lawns and the Historic Shore Path which wends its way past many of Bar Harbor’s most splendid mansions. Along this Path rests the “balance rock,” — the Inn’s namesake — a rare geological formation from the last North American Ice Age which, seemingly, defies the force of gravity by balancing itself perfectly on a tiny fulcrum of rock. Located in Bar Harbor, Maine (population 4,443) on Mt. Desert (pronounced de-sert) Island, 160 miles northeast of Portland, Maine; 268 miles from Boston, Massachusetts; 473 miles from New York City; 564 miles from Philadelphia, PA; 356 miles from Montreal and 290 miles from Quebec City, Canada. The Inn is situated just two short blocks from the downtown area with its many shops and restaurants and is just a short ride from nearby Trenton’s Hancock County Airport (BHB) which is served by Continental Connection operated by Colgan Air (800-523-3273) from Boston’s Logan International Airport (BOS). Bar Harbor, in the town of Eden, occupies a narrow, irregular plateau in the northeast of the Island. Bar Harbor is the major gateway to Acadia National Park and departure point for the Nova Scotia ferry. The island is 13 miles across and is the state’s largest island. The Park contains 62 square miles and nearly 40,000 acres within its benevolent girth. The region, including the area south of Bangor, Mount Desert Island, the Schoodic Peninsula and six-mile long Isle au Haut (pronounced isle-a-o) are known, collectively and informally as “Acadia” or “Downeast.” Intrepid French explorer Samuel de Champlain sailed along the Island’s coast in the early 17th century. Observing it to be barren and taking particular note of the windswept granite summit of Cadillac Mountain, he christened the island L’Îlle des Monts Déserts. The stunning amalgam of sea, mountain, lake and forest have helped make the entire region a major resort destination. As this region is home to 35,000-acre Acadia National Park, it has long been associated therewith. However, the Park is only partially responsible for the long-lived popularity of Mount Desert Island. The region is home to villages with sleepy harbors, remote country roads, a surfeit of outstanding and renowned restaurants and historic and touristic sights abound. While Maine — and Acadia in particular — are closely associated with lobster, remarkably diverse restaurants call this Island home. In addition to myriad antique shops, there are also many fine boutiques proffering apparel, furniture and household items. Visitors should not expect an untamed, undeveloped wilderness, for while the population density is significantly lower than an urban area, it is a major tourist destination in the warmer months. The resort area of Bar Harbor and Acadia extends down from Ellsworth on US Route 1. The town of Bar Harbor is on the northeast side of the Island, approximately 20 miles from Ellsworth. Mount Desert Island is connected to the “mainland” by a two-lane causeway across Mount Desert Narrows. The Island is divided into two “lobes” divided — albeit unequally — by Somes Sound, the only actual fjord (glacially carved valley subsequently filled by rising ocean) in the continental United States. To the west, Penobscot Bay is a well-known yachting region, and particularly for the ports of Camden, Rockport and Rockland from whence tall-masted windjammer fleets offer passengers coastal cruises. The town of Bar Harbor is laid out quite regularly: Main Street runs nearly due north and south; cross streets enter at near right angles to Main Street. Off the northern front of the village, Bar Island is connected to the mainland by a bar which surfaces at low tide. Stretching eastward across Frenchman’s Bay is a chain of small rocky islands called the Porcupines (as they bear a resemblance to that rodent). The eastern side of the village overlooks Frenchman’s Bay. (The foregoing has been paraphrased from W.H. Sherman’s 1890 Bar Harbor Guide). The Inn comprises 21 rooms and two suites each with a different ensemble of amenities; all rooms and suites feature color cable TV and VCP (the inn’s extensive tape library is available to guests at no charge) and telephone; some feature refrigerators. Many rooms feature Select Comfort™ mattresses. Thirteen rooms and suites with king beds and varying amenities. Rooms numbered: 105*; 106*; 203*; 204*; 205* (2nd floor suite); 206*; 108*; 109* (1st floor three-room ocean-view suite); 208*; 209* (2nd floor three-room ocean-view suite); 308*; 309*; 408* (Ocean-view Penthouse Suite). Ten rooms and suites with queen beds and varying amenities. Rooms numbered: 107; 201; 202* (partial ocean view); 207; 303*; 304*; 305*; 306*; 310; and 410. * and/or OV denote ocean view room [Note: the first digit of the room or suite number indicates the floor where it is located, e.g. Room 107 is located on the first level. There is no elevator.]
Full buffet-style breakfast daily served
in the Living Room Common areas may be used for meetings and gatherings. Living Room, outdoor Lounge, Salon and guest accommodations can be set for small meetings and conferences and family reunions. The inn staff can arrange for audio visual, tenting and other equipment as required for different functions. Swimming and watersports in Frenchman’s
Bay Acadia National Park: Comprising nearly 40,000 acres, Acadia attracts more than 4 million visitors annually. In 1919, Acadia became the first national park east of the Mississippi River. The Park is undeniably one of the best places for hiking on the entire New England seaboard and provides unsurpassed opportunities to observe both flora (boreal northern and temperate southern species) and fauna. The largest portions of the Park are situated on roughly 12- x 14-mile Mount Desert Island and the Schoodic Peninsula, which are separated by Frenchman’s Bay, and rocky, six-mile long Isle au Haut. A short film is shown every ½-hour at the Hulls Cove Visitors Center ((207) 288-3338), where visitors can also get a free map. Weekly passes are $5 /vehicle and $3 /bicycle. One of the Island’s prominent features is the preponderant network of “carriage roads” which crisscross the Park, off-limits to vehicles and ideal for walking and biking. These gravel roads are legacies of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., who designed and financed 44 miles of road, 16 stone bridges and two gatehouses from 1913 to 1940. He also purchased and donated more than 11,000 acres — nearly one-third of the Park’s — to the Park. Horse and carriage rides are available within the Park at Wildwood Stables (Memorial Day - October (207) 276-3622) and there are ample bicycle shops on the Island, including Acadia Bike & Canoe on Cottage Street (207) 288-9605. Mountain tours are available at Jolly Roger’s Trolley (207) 288-3327, Oli’s Trolley at (207) 288-9899 and bus tours run by the Park. The Acadia Wild Garden, Abbe Museum (features Native American artifacts), 250-yard Sand Beach (the only sandy beach in the Park), Sieur le Monts Spring, the trail to Great Head the Thunder Hole and Otter Cliffs (sheer cliffs rising 11 feet above the ocean) are just a few of the Park’s highlights. Jordan Pond House (207) 276-3316 serves lunch, tea (at which its legendary popovers and homemade strawberry jam — a century-old tradition — are served) and dinner daily 11:30am-8pm closed late Oct-mid-May). It is renowned for afternoon tea on the lawn. From here, patrons have an excellent view of Jordan Pond and the “Bubbles” — two nearly twin mountains formed by glaciers. The Gate House, across from the restaurant, is architecturally unique. No visit to Acadia would be complete without the requisite trip to Cadillac Summit, at 1,530 feet, Cadillac Mountain is the highest point on the Atlantic Coast. From this vantage point, visitors are rewarded by an arresting panorama — harbor, the Porcupine and Cranberry Islands, Winter Harbor, Ironbound and Schoodic Peninsula. Most visitors concentrate on the eastern side of the Park by following Park Loop Road, a mostly-one-way, 27-mile road which skirts Cadillac Mountain and provides views which encapsulate the stunning beauty and variety of Acadia. Although Park Loop Road could be taken in in several hours, it warrants a full-day’s exploration. It may also be toured via bicycle, although vehicular traffic does detract from this mode of transport. Between June and October, the Park publishes the Acadia Beaver Log, a free newspaper listing ranger-led tours, cruises and walks. Acadia National Park, Post Office Box 177, Bar Harbor, ME 04609 (207) 288-3338. Acadian Whale Watcher: Sails from opposite
Golden Anchor Pier on West Street with Mount Desert Oceanarium: Features a 50,000-gallon tank, domicile to harbor seals and exploration of the ecosystem between land and sea during the Thomas Bay Marsh Walk. Maine Lobster Museum features demonstrations of how traps are made plus lobster boat boardings with licensed Maine lobstermen to answer questions. Mon-Sat 9-5 mid-May to late Oct. Southwest Harbor (207) 288-5005. Natural History Museum: Occupies a stone mansion in the College of the Atlantic. Displays of mounted mammals and birds in lifelike scenes and a hands-on whale skeleton model with a backbone. Daily 9-5 June 1 - Labor Day. (207) 288-5015. Oceanarium/Lobster Hatchery: Next to municipal pier. Guides explain the lobster hatching and raising processes plus visitors can observe diminutive lobster via a microscope linked to a television monitor. Mon-Sat 9-8:30pm July & August; 9-5 mid-May to June 30 and Sept 1-late Oct (combination ticket with Mount Desert Oceanarium. MV Bluenose Nova Scotia Day Cruise: Departures at 8am daily late June to late September from the ferry terminal offer a full-day excursion to Yarmouth; six-hour cruise time each way. The trip features two meals, a lounge and slot machines (in international waters) and movies, entertainment, a children’s play area and duty-free shopping. The ferry also transports vehicles for an additional charge. (207) 288-339/(800) 341-7981. Acadia Zoo: A wonderful habitat for 40 species of wild and domestic animals including reindeer, wolves, monkeys and a moose. A barn has been converted into a habitat for monkeys, birds, reptiles and other Amazon creatures. There are also streams, pastures and woods as part of the wildlife habitat. May-November daily 9:30-dusk. Trenton (207) 667-3244. Bar Harbor Historical Society Museum: On Jesup Memorial Library’s lower level, the Museum displays photographs of Bar Harbor from its halcyon days when it catered to the wealthy — Astors, Rockefellers and Carnegies. Free. Mid-June to -October, Mon-Sat 1-4pm (207) 288-4245. Somesville: This oldest Island settlement (c 1621) is a carefully preserved New England village of white clapboard houses and churches, picture perfect lawns and prim storefronts with blue oceans vistas visible between. Wendell Gilley Museum: Bird carvings, from miniature waterfowl to life-size owls, carving demonstrations, wildlife art exhibits, natural history programs in an award-winning building. May-December with varying hours. Southwest Harbor (207) 244-7555. Nancy Cloud and Michael Miles, owners and innkeepers (see bios), are actively involved and oversee the day-to-day operations of the Inn.
21 Albert Meadow, Bar Harbor, ME 04609 (207) 288-2610 or (800) 753-0494 (Reservations only) /(207) 288-5534 www.barharborvacations.com /barhbrinns@aol.com
There is a $30 charge for an extra person in a guest room; cots available at no additional charge. |
departures at 8am, 12:15 and 4:45pm in July-August; 8:30am and
1:30pm mid-June to July & in September. Four-hour excursions
to Mount Desert Rock and other local feeding areas offers
frequent sightings of a variety of whales and other marine animals.
(207) 288-9776/(800) 421-3307.
From
Boston and South: Route 95 and/or the Maine Turnpike north
to Route 1 to Route 3. Cross onto Mount Desert Island
remaining on Route 3 into the town of Bar Harbor and make a left
turn at the first stop sign. Still on Route 3 (Mount Desert Street),
pass the Ledgelawn Inn and continue to the next stop sign
(Main Street). Turn left onto main Street and make an immediate
right turn onto Albert Meadow. Balance Rock Inn is on
the right at the end of Albert Meadow.
Pets
are welcome with advance notice; a $15 per night charge applies
