THE FASHIONABLE LIFE I TRAVEL
On the Wild Side
A CENTURY AFTER IT WAS A FAVORED PLAYGROUND OF THE ILLUMINATI,
ACADIA IS BACK WITH A STYLISH VENGEANCE.
If your visions of Down East Maine run to moose and lumberjacks, get ready to revise those perceptions. Even as far back as a hundred years ago, the town of Bar Harbor on the edge of Acadia National Park was among the country’s most fashionable destinations. Every summer, scads of Vanderbilts, Rockefellers, and Astors would “rusticate” among the spruces and granite cliffs of Mount Desert Island, driving their horse- drawn carriages along roads cut through the woods and breathing in the salt air from the vantage of magnificent “summer cottages.” The center of the action was the Bar Harbor Club, a Tudor-style mansion built in the
1930s right on the harbor by the sandbar that gives the town its name.
Restored to its former glory last year along with the hotel next door, the complex
has now become the Harborside Hotel Spa and Marina, a 200-room resort that is once
again drawing style cognoscenti to its seaside locale. (Meanwhile, the park next door is
attracting American presidents; the Obamas visited there just last month.) Rooms are
luxuriously appointed with Jacuzzi tubs, flat screens, and fireplaces, even while they
cater to families with microwaves and, in some cases, full kitchens in the room. When
they tire of cooking, guests can make their way down to the poolside Bella Vita, a pasta-
from-scratch Italian enoteca/trattoria with dishes such as cioppino (full of locally caught
seafood) and lemony chicken saltimbocca that offer a welcome respite from too much
steamed lobster. (Though if it’s a crustacean you want, the lobster oreganato will satisfy
that craving with a 2-pound specimen split down the middle and baked with a buttery
oregano crust.)
Best of all, the hotel includes access to the swanky club next door, which has a spacious fitness center, a heated outdoor pool that sits just a seawall away from the ocean
(and with a bar overlooking the bar), and a spa specializing in a “de-stress muscle massage” that’ll get your body back in shape after the 5-hour drive from Boston. There are
thoughtful touches in every corner — witness the warm liquid-chocolate fountain in the
spa’s relaxation room (spa cuisine, no; decadent, yes). And if it really is moose you’re
looking for, you won’t find many on the island — but the resort does coordinate boat
trips in search of whales, puffins, and seals. And there’s still no better way to experience
Acadia than a ride through the wilderness along the old carriage roads, preferably with
a stop at the Jordan Pond House for tea and popovers — a park tradition for more than a
hundred years. — MICHAEL BLANDING
IHARBORSIDE HOTEL SPA AND MARINA, 55 WEST STREET, BAR HARBOR, MAINE, 800-328-5033,
THEHARBORSIDEHOTEL.COM
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Luxuriously appointed Italian
Leather Luggage & Accessories
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When you travel with Terrida
you’re always in First Class.
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18 Arlington Street
at Arlington & Newbury
Boston, MA
1.877.837.7432
terrida.com
Photo by Jeff Turner Photography
Your special day deserves
an equally special setting.
At the Omni Parker House, we personally
assist each couple in creating a celebration that
reflects a style and beauty all their own. With
our historic downtown location, extravagant
rooftop ballroom, savory culinary creations and
lavishly appointed accommodations, the only
piece missing is you.
Book your wedding with us and receive a complimentary stay at an
Omni Hotel & Resort in Cancun, Puerto Aventuras, Bretton Woods
or Bedford Springs. For more information, please call 617-227-8600
or visit omniparkerhouse.com.
60 School Street, Boston, MA 02108
617-227-8600 • omniparkerhouse.com
© 2009 Omni Hotels & Resorts
