Mira Monte Inn

Mira Monte Receives TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence!

We’re proud to have been awarded the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence in our first year as new owners! A BIG THANK YOU to all our guests for making this possible. We won’t forget that your’e the reason for our success!

Hiking Guide- Flying Mountain

At just over 280′, Flying Mountain is more of a rocky outcropping than a true mountain, even by Acadia’s standards. It was named by the native Abenaki, who thought that the hillock appeared to be leaping or flying from the surrounding mountainsides. Despite it’s modest height, the short 1.5 mile hike to the summit offers truly beautiful vistas that make the trip worthwhile. The trail is a moderately steep scramble over cobbles and tree roots, interspersed with a series of graded steps. For this reason, it is not suited to those with mobility issues, though hikers of average fitness should find the climb relatively easy due to it’s short length. The hike is a favorite among kids, but be forewarned that the few rugged areas and drop-offs  do require some level of parental diligence. Once at the top, you will be rewarded with serene views of Sommes Sound and the Cranberry Isles beyond. There is a normally a very pleasant side trip that can be added to nearby Valley Cove, but the trail was sadly closed for maintenance during our visit. Directions: From the Mira Monte Inn, take Mt Desert St (Eagle Lake Road) west to hwy 102. Turn left on 102 toward Southwest Harbor. In about 5.4 miles, turn left of Fernald Pt Road. In about .75 miles, the trailhead will be on the left.

 

Bar Harbor 2018 Midnight Madness

 

Suites Button

Come stay with us this winter in the Mira Monte Suites and Ashe Cottage Buildings during Midnight Madness!

 

We’ve already told you about the Pajama Days as a fun day of activities and sale prices, but did you know we have one final day of sales and events to close the year out? Midnight Madness in 2018 in Bar Harbor is on Friday, Dec 7. It starts at 8pm and runs until midnight, with many shops offering free snacks, wine, and warm drinks. There’s some caroling that usually goes on at the Village Green as well with free cocoa and cookies. Santa comes in to light the tree at about 5pm, and then he reads Twas the Night Before Christmas before heading off to the YMCA for some family crafts fun, so kids are definitely welcome for this event.

So that’s 5pm for Santa and Twas the Night Before Christmas on the Village Green. After that head to the Y for Christmas crafts, and come back into town at 8pm for the sales, drinks, and fun around town!

To book with us for that event, go to www.miramonte.com. Please remember that our winter rates do not include breakfast or daily housekeeping.

Garden Seekers Come Hither

Asticou Azalea Garden

The sand garden at the Asticou Azalea Garden

Of course Mount Desert Island is famous for Acadia National Park, but would you believe that not everyone comes to the island for the park? Well, it’s true, and while it may seem a bit funny to ignore the park as a destination, there are plenty of other things to do and places to see. There are three gardens in particular that bring many tourists to the island each year. Two of them are in Northeast Harbor and owned by the Land and Garden Preserve while one is near Bar Harbor and is in the park itself. You can do all three in a convenient loop. It doesn’t matter which way go, but stopping for lunch at the Asticou Inn is a wonderful idea, especially if you can get out on the terrace.

  • Asticou Azalea Gardens: Part of the Land and Garden Preserve set up by the Rockefellers, the Azalea Gardens are small but quite tranquil despite being right off Rt. 198. If you’re going to Northeast Harbor, there’s a turnoff to the left before you get into town. This turnoff goes to the Asticou Inn. You can park there if you’re going to the restaurant after the garden (or before), but the parking for the garden itself is right before that intersection on the left-hand side. Many people who can’t get into the small parking lot end up parking on the road. My favorite part is the sand garden, but there are some wonderful ponds, stone bridges, benches, and plenty to admire plant-wise, of course.
  • Thuya Gardens: Also part of the Land and Garden Preserve, the Thuya Gardens are on Rt. 3 between Northeast Harbor and Seal Harbor, and they’re right around the corner from the Azalea Garden as well. At the turnoff for the Asticou Inn, before you arrive in downtown Northeast Harbor, turn left and drive past the Asticou Inn for a minute or so. Down the road a bit you’ll see the path that ascends up the left-hand side of the road. There is a small dirt parking lot right across the street from that path on the right. It only holds about 10 cars, so if that’s full, or if you don’t fancy the hike up (not long and worth it), drive a minute down the road and find Thuya Drive on the left. Drive up the hill and find maybe another 10 parking spaces closer to the garden. My favorite thing here is the smells. All those flowers lined up that way really challenges the senses.
  • Wild Gardens of Acadia: These are on Rt. 3 just outside of Bar Harbor (between the Jackson Lab and the parking area for Dorr Mtn.and Champlain Mtn.) at the Sieur du Mont Springs section of the park. You can get here either off Rt. 3 or via the Park Loop Road as well. These gardens are famous for having a sample of all the native species on the island. There are also plenty of hikes in the area, and not all of them go up mountains, such as the Jesup, Stratheden, and Hemlock trails, which all form loops off the Great Meadow Trail. These hikes can be accessed on foot straight from the Mira Monte, too.

 

To get directions to any of these, check out our availability calendar and we’ll set you up right: www.miramonte.com.

Bar Harbor Winter Wonderland

Bar Harbor Winter

A snowy Bar Harbor winter street

I know, no one wants to talk about winter when the summer hasn’t even finished yet. These trees in the photo above are full of wonderful colors right now, too. But let’s face it, Bar Harbor is wonderful in winter, especially when it snows. Did you know the Park grooms the carriage trails for cross-country skiing? How about the miles of snow-shoeing that can be had? And even though the Park is required to plow the Ocean Drive (meaning Sand Beach and Thunder Hole are still accessible), the Park Loop Road is open to snowmobiles?

Every year we get guests who come just for the peace and quiet, but we get a lot more guests when there’s a lot of snow on the ground. Acadia is magical in winter, even if the shops are all closed up (there’s a fair number of restaurants still open, though). Yes, it’s cold, but it’s warm inside after a fun day of winter hiking and exploring.

Now, the Main Inn is not open in the winter and we don’t serve breakfast, but our two suites buildings are open. Three of the units open this winter will be kitchenettes or have a full kitchen, depending on the room. Three others don’t have these amenities but there are places to eat, and the grocery store is a 30-second drive away (many people in these rooms take advantage of our coffee and tea in the rooms and buy bagels if they don’t rent a kitchenette). And our prices are A LOT lower than during the summer.

To book your room, check our availability calendar to see what’s available, and yes, we do fill up quite often: https://secure.thinkreservations.com/miramonte/reservations

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