Our family of four wanted to get away from the Maryland heat in early July while still keeping our distance from people. This cottage was perfect in many ways. It was the perfect setting, right on a bay with great views of the water and lobster boats. We also spent every evening walking the cobblestone beach looking for sea glass and shells.
While the cottage was an hour from Bar Harbor and Acadia, which were both packed, we had many great opportunities for hiking by ourselves on the three local trails on the peninsula (Pigeon Hill, Hollingsworth, and Birch) that were a lot of fun. We also drove to various other state parks and trails like Roque Bluff, Reversing Falls, Tidal Falls, and Quoddy Head, all of which were perfect for us. We did spend a few days driving through Acadia but highly recommend going early to catch the sunrise at Thunder Hole. We then hit all of the main attractions in the park by 7am and were out of the park when the traffic started picking up. The Schoodic Peninsula was also a big favorite of ours too.
The cottage was the perfect size for us. We had plenty of room to space out if we needed to but also had great spaces to hang out as a family and play games or put puzzles together. The porch with rockers was great for watching the bay and drinking coffee/tea. The kitchen was well stocked for all of the meals we prepared, including a steam pot for the lobsters, mussels, and clams we had a few times. We had a great time watching the local wildlife to be include many types of birds, and a porcupine that frequented the yard to eat the clovers or something along those lines. The kids also enjoyed seeing the Milky Way for the first time ever (thanks to the lack of light pollution) and actually seeing what high/low tide means.
Wanda was absolutely wonderful and very responsive to any questions we had before and during the trip. Her recommendations for local seafood markets and take out food was always spot on. We would absolutely recommend this cottage to anyone and consider going back each summer. Thanks for a wonderful time in Down East Maine!