We've got four days on Mount Desert Island. Below are the four headliners we recommend, plus the full menu. Check everything you'd genuinely be up for, put your name in, and hit "Text my votes to David." Majority rules; lobster is non-negotiable.
Cadillac's 1,530-ft summit opens a wide view over Frenchman Bay. Mid-July sunrise is ~4:55 AM,7 so it's an early alarm, but watching dawn break together could be the trip's signature moment. A vehicle reservation is required ($6/vehicle) and 70% of sunrise slots release at 10:00 AM ET exactly two days ahead on Recreation.gov.12
Plan: book Tuesday 7/14 at 10:00 AM ET sharp for Thursday 7/16 (backup: book 7/15 for Friday). One sunrise reservation per vehicle per 7 days — we'll need one per car.
A vintage 1966 wooden lobster boat out of Southwest Harbor, captained by Downeast native Jason Clark. You haul real traps, then he cooks a traditional Maine lobster feast right on the boat. The boat takes at most six passengers, so our full group would need to split up or choose another lobster plan.3 Alternate in town: the Lulu Lobster Boat, a classic Downeast-style boat off the Bar Harbor waterfront with trap-hauling demos (no meal).4
2026 sailings are 10 AM and 2 PM, Monday–Friday; for our dates, that means Thursday or Friday. Reserve as soon as the vote settles.
Tea and warm popovers on the lawn at Jordan Pond House — a tradition since 1893 — with the Bubbles mountains mirrored in the pond behind you. Pair it with pond views, a carriage-road stroll, or the full 3.3-mile loop. The western half of the loop has uneven footing and can be challenging for small children, seniors, and people with mobility limitations.56
Twice a day the ocean pulls back ~12 feet and a gravel land bridge appears, letting you walk from downtown Bar Harbor across the harbor floor to Bar Island. The window is 1.5 hours either side of low tide; kids (and retired physicians) can investigate small tide pools.8 There is no separate activity fee, though the park entrance-pass requirement still applies.
We'll match the day's low-tide window before we go.9
Check as many as you'd actually do. Votes text straight to David's phone.
0 selected
Please vote by Wednesday night (7/15) so David can book boats and reservations before everything sells out.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Acadia park pass | A $35 private-vehicle entrance pass covers the vehicle and its occupants for 7 days.2 |
| Cadillac Summit Road reservation | $6/vehicle, separate from the park pass. Sunrise slots: 70% release at 10:00 AM ET two days ahead; sells out in minutes in July.12 |