The phenomena of Mt. Desert Island--spelled "desert" but pronounced "dessert"--is first found in its natural beauty. Out on the cliffs and mountain, the highest points situated directly on the eastern seaboard, your eyes will light up with pleasure. A scenic byway loop runs around the island, a trip that runs right through the heart of Acadia National Park. The park itself and its 55 miles of trails can be visited on foot, by bike and even by narrated trolley. You, the modern-day traveler, can travel the same carriage roads the first settlers of the region did, and because this land has been preserved as a National Park, the land remains as they first saw it.

Around the island you will find several small communities, each with its own distinct identity and personality: Bar Harbor, Northeast Harbor and Southwest Harbor. Each is as hospitable as the last, and while in some ways these towns are worlds apart, in many ways they are typical of the greater Maine community. With dry wit, sharpened by the salty air, the residents will surprise you with their kindness to a stranger stepping onto the dock from parts unknown.

That's Maine for you.

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