What trip to Maine is complete without a visit to Acadia National Park?  Belfast was about an hour drive up to Acadia – perfect for a day trip.  A couple of days into our Belfast stay, we packed up the cars with snacks and caravanned up Route 1.

I researched a few kid-friendly hikes to check out in Acadia and decided on the Wonderland Trail because it’s an easy 1.4-mile trail and relatively flat.  Plus you end at the rocky coast, and if you time it right, there are tidepools galore to explore.

After picking up some sandwiches in the little village of Southwest Harbor (very cute and picturesque), we stopped off at the Wonderland picnic area to enjoy our lunch and the views.  With no picnic tables available, it wasn’t the comfiest of spots to sit, but the ocean views made it worth it!

After lunch, we made our way to the Wonderland trailhead. With just a little negotiation, Lizzie agreed to walk during the hike…which was good because she’s just too heavy to hold at this point (45 lbs!)  Charlotte enjoyed being in the hiking backpack and carried by JR.  Most of the hike is through a lovely, shaded forest, but at the end…

you reach the ocean!  We all loved climbing around the rocky shoreline.  Lizzie ventured off with Kerry and Ryan to see what little critters they could find in the tidepools since it was low tide.  All in all, it was a perfect first hike for our trip!

After our hike, we made our way to the Acadia National Park visitor’s center and the summit of iconic Cadillac Mountain.  This is a must see – sweeping vistas in all direction! We also found some wild blueberries to taste while we walked around the summit trail.

Following Cadillac Moutain, we drove through bustling Bar Harbor.  In a previous trip, we stayed in Bar Harbor so we didn’t feel bad not sticking around.  It looked cute as ever, and also very, very busy!

We ended our day with a stop at a local lobster pound on the way out of town.  It was the true, authentic experience where you pick out your lobsters before you’re served.  Ker and Ryan chose the twin lobster dinner served with a side of steamers.  My mom and I split another lobster roll – we just couldn’t get enough of them!  All very delicious and a perfect ending to our Acadia daytrip!