Thanksgiving Two Humans and a Dog Strategy for Acadia National Park

For Thanksgiving, we didn’t want to go too far, so we decided to take advantage of the off-season and bring Ollie to check out Acadia National Park. Maine is a very dog-friendly state; most trails allow dogs, but a few do not, like Beehive. Some trails are dog-friendly but challenging, so you need to consider that. Ollie is a small dog, so we picked some easy but beautifully scenic routes this time. 📍Jordan Pond A must-visit spot in Acadia, the lake view is truly breathtaking. Bathed in the sunshine, it feels like you’re coming back to life. It’s very quiet in winter, and you can take your time walking with your dog, letting her sniff to her heart’s content. We walked the entire loop around the lake, which took about 2 hours. Most of the path is very flat, with a few sections of large stone paths where we had to carry Ollie. If you don’t want to do the whole loop, I recommend starting from the trailhead on the left. There’s a long boardwalk section designed to protect the surrounding moss ecosystem. Walking on the boardwalk in the forest feels like strolling through a high-end tea garden. 📍Little Long Pond The only place in the park where dogs can be off-leash. In summer, they can even swim in the lake. But your dog must be callable. Ollie got too excited when he was first let loose and didn’t listen to commands, leading to a little scolding from a fellow visitor 😑. We met many small dogs here, and Ollie could run freely on the grass. It’s truly a doggy paradise, with paved paths that are easy for people to walk on too. 📍Portland Head Light On the way from Massachusetts, you can stop by Portland for a visit. It was raining that day, so we just took a quick look at the ocean and left. This place is a park, and you can take a walk with your dog if the weather is nice. 🍻Geddy‘s The day after Thanksgiving, a few restaurants in Bar Harbor open. We went to Geddy’s, which is quite famous and has a long history. We started with a steamer, which was very fresh and delicious with or without butter. For the main course, we had a lobster bake, which included a lobster about 1 pound, a bowl of clam chowder, an ear of corn, and a blueberry pie. It felt like we tried everything we wanted to. We also ordered a lobster pizza, which was delicious with a thin crust. It’s a bit pricey, but seafood restaurants generally have this price point, and it’s worth a try! 🌊After dinner, we strolled around the town. Many souvenir shops were open, and we picked up some cute and impractical trinkets 🌟 #AcadiaNationalPark #DogLife #WeekendGetaway #BostonLife #Acadia