You can't throw a stick in Maine without hitting a lobster reference, and Bar Harbor is no exception. (Not that I mind; I had some delectable form of lobster for every single lunch AND dinner while I was there, and you didn't hear me complaining about it!) These beauties were "souvenirs" from Parkside Restaurant: a lobster bib, towelette, and a beautifully presented baked lobster, stuffed with lobster, crab and seasoned bread crumbs.
I needed to walk off said dinner, so I did some shopping on the island. Although people I've spoken with complain that Bar Harbor is garish & touristy, I have to disagree. Yes, of course, it's where everyone goes for summer. But they really have some gems among the shops, restaurants and bed & breakfasts. Spruce & Gussy, for example, was a darling boutique filled with unique art & gifts, housewares and an incredible selection of baby items, including too-cute animal mugs from Japan (I wanted them all but only Panda followed me home):
For the most part I'm not a "Life is Good" fan (crappy drawings), however, they've clearly hired an illustrator or just come a long way: they had tons of adorable stuff!
There was also a ton of pretty Tourmaline jewelry, but of course the pieces I liked were all way out of my price range. Boo!
After we left Acadia we grabbed lobster rolls & lobster bisque for lunch, thereby extending our lobsterfest to four days. 
On the way home, a fox crossed the road in front of us, & I remarked on how little Aki looks like a fox, despite the public consensus. Illustration coming...
Jen tip of the day: A guaranteed way to get me to climb a mountain is to have the WHOLE trail lined with wild blueberry bushes!!! 
Kelley & I drove to Bar Harbor, ME & stayed at the Manor House Inn, a historic bed & breakfast; we had lunch at a restaurant overlooking the bay (mmm...lobster bisque & homemade quiche!). We then ventured into Acadia National Park intending to climb "The Beehive" (512 feet), but because the trail wasn't clearly marked, we also accidentally climbed Mt. Champlain (1058 feet). A bit tiring, but a worthwhile detour. The granite mountains offered spectacular views of the ocean, the evergreens, & some lakes tucked in around them. At some points, the climb was steep enough that the park service had affixed metal rods to the rocks as stairs & ladders to assist in climbing. At the top of Mt. Champlain we met a group of 3 nice hikers (pediatricians, no less) at the summit; we hiked down together, & they drove us closer to our car & dropped us off, saving us a TON of walking...we had come a LONG way from the car!!!
