Portland | Acadia NP Road Trip Long Weekend, Dog-Friendly Version đž
We took a Labor Day long weekend road trip from New Jersey to Acadiaâand our pup came along for the fun! Day 1: NJ â Portland (Overnight Stay) The drive from New Jersey to Portland took about 5 hours. We spent the night here to break up the trip, and it was the perfect start: đ˝ď¸ Street and Co.: Highly recommend this spot! The lobster, scallops, and oysters were all incredibly freshâsweet, juicy, and full of that classic Maine seafood flavor (check out Photo 10 for the goods!). đ The Westin Portland Harborview: We used Chase points to book this hotel, which was a great deal. The harbor views were lovely, and it was pet-friendlyâwin-win! Day 2: Portland â Acadia National Park We started early: 8 AM Breakfast at Beckyâs Diner: We got there right when it opened, and by the time we finished eating, there was a huge line out the doorâso glad we beat the crowd! Their blueberry pancake was amazingâfluffy, packed with fresh blueberries, and not too sweet. đĽ Then we hit the road for Acadia, which took 3.5 hours. Once we arrived, we laced up our hiking boots: First, we drove the scenic Park Loop Road to take in the coastal views (our pup loved sticking their head out the window!). Then we hiked Gorham Mountain Trailâa moderate trail with great ocean views, and totally dog-friendly (just kept our pup on a leash!). â°ď¸ đ˝ď¸ Dinner at Helenâs Restaurant of Ellsworth: A cozy spot with hearty New England eatsâperfect after a day of hiking. đ Comfort Inn Ellsworth: This was a great choice for a base! Itâs close to grocery stores and restaurants, and only a 40-minute drive into Acadia. Super convenient for early morning park trips. Day 3: Kayaking + Hiking (Dog-Focused Fun!) Day 3 was all about water and trails: We rented kayaks for 3 hoursâour pup even joined us (we brought a life jacket for them, of course!). Gliding on the calm lake with the mountains in the background was so peaceful. đś đ˝ď¸ Post-kayak lunch at Travelinâ Lobster: Weâd heard great things about this spot, and it didnât disappointâfresh lobster rolls that our whole crew (pup included, with a tiny bite of plain lobster!) loved. Afternoon hike on Long Pond Trail: A bonus for dog ownersâafter 4 PM, dogs are allowed off-leash here! Our pup ran around like crazy, chasing butterflies and splashing in the pond. Pure joy. đś Day 4: Cadillac Mountain Sunrise + Drive Back (With a Few Detours!) The final day was early but worth itâwith a couple of unexpected twists: 5 AM at Cadillac Mountain: We woke up before dawn to catch the sunrise. Important tip: You need to book a sunrise ticket 2 days in advance, exactly at 10 AMâand you have to be fast! We missed out the first day because we were too slow, so donât make the same mistake. The sunrise was absolutely stunningâpink and orange skies over the ocean. đ After sunrise, we started the drive back to NJ, but made two quick stops: Freeport: We popped into L.L.Bean to check out their iconic giant duck boots (a Maine staple!). đŚ Portland (ISF Trading): We specifically detoured here for seafood, but major (avoid!). The uni was sold out as soon as they opened, and the Japanese female front desk staff had terrible serviceâshe was super friendly to the white woman ahead of us, but gave us a cold, unfriendly attitude and barely spoke to us. Total letdown. Road trip hiccups: We drove a Tesla with FSD (Full Self-Driving), which worked really well most of the timeâeven when we hit traffic, FSD kept us safe (we avoided a collision when someone rear-ended us!). But on the way back, we got a flat tire. Maine doesnât have any Tesla service shops, so the tow truck had to take us 90 miles to a Tesla location in Massachusetts to get a new tire. A minor stress, but we made it through! #Portland #Acadia #Maine #AcadiaHiking #MaineTravel #NationalParks #AcadiaNationalPark #NJ #MaineFood #NYCSurroundings
