The town of Bar Harbor, Maine is one sexy girlfriend. Spooning with Acadia National Park, the cuddled harbor provides anchorage for lobstermen fishing boats, speedy pleasure craft, and touristy sunset dinner boats. Rising up from the waterfront, her streets are lined with perfectly maintained BnB’s and knickknack shops built in the traditional Maine style with cedar siding and steeply pitched roofs. Standing in the village square one can get a good look at her impeccable style and stunning good looks. Unfortunately Bah Hah Bah, we have to break up. It’s not you, it’s us.
The wet front blew through overnight and Bar Harbor warmed into the 70’s under sunny skies. We pulled in early to grab a parking spot in town for all 22 feet of Boss. A plant sale had the locals out early scooping up colorful deals. It’s obvious who the locals are. They are dressed in rubber duck boots, worn Patagonia jackets, and LL Bean flannel shirts. Tourists faithfully wear Bar Harbor and Acadia merch, perhaps to remind them of where they are. The 1917 library, reminiscent of a miniature version of the fabulous Peabody in Baltimore, generously provided us with power, WIFI, and a restroom as we waited for sleeping beauty to awaken.
Half a dozen traveling artists occupied the village square for Bar Harbor’s 72nd annual Art in the Park. While Sheri chatted up the oil and collage creators, Eric passed the time with an older gentlemen who was “couch surfing” in town until he could secure lodging for the summer. He had arrived from North Carolina by bus this year for his annual escape-the-heat stay in Bar Harbor since his car had gone to car heaven . Rents were too high, he said. Maybe this would be the last year. He could not afford to date Bah Hah Bah anymore.
Bah Hah Bah is not worried. There are no shortages of suitors. The quaint streets were crowded and not a parking space was left on the curb. Restaurant greeters beckoned potential customers to try their version of the regional dish, the Lobstah Roll. Lobsters must have been in short supply since a modestly sized sexy lunch portion was north of 30 dollars. Sexy is not cheap, but it is alluring.
Bah Hah Bah is the summer destination for the masses living in the Mid Atlantic metropolis’. With not a single nationwide chain store on the street, Bah Hah Bah’s girl-next-door cuteness shines. The merch is sweatshirts from Vietnam, wool hats from Pakistan, and lobster magnets from China, but if you don’t ruin the fun by reading the tags, the vibe is pure Maine – wild and beautiful. Most residential homes appeared to be BnB’s and rentals. All had No Vacancy in view. Bah Hah Bah is having no trouble finding a date.
We window shopped clever T-shirt quips and Sasquatch collectibles. A couple of times we almost settled on a lunch destination for pub food at a cute sidewalk table. In the end, we simply could not commit. Please Bah Hah Bah, take no offense. You did everything right. You are the sexiest girl in the club. How could you have known that we would grab a 4 pack of local craft beer to-go and pair it with a rotisserie chicken lunch on no-name Lamoine Beach away from your adoring admirers?
As beautiful as you are Bah Hah Bah, you can’t make everyone happy. As we exited the premium parking space in the center of her town, we knew Ba Ha Ba would not even know we were gone. And, even before Boss could fully exit the parking spot, a Subaru smoothly slid in ready to shoot its shot.
