A New Addition to the Bay Ledge Family!

On Sunday, August 17th at 1:10a.m., Julie - a long time member of our Bay Ledge family - gave birth to her first child, a beautiful baby girl. We have long been preparing for the arrival of this little miracle, celebrating with Julie at her baby shower, buying and making gifts and sending love and warm thoughts to Julie and her husband throughout the last nine months. We are so pleased to find mother and baby, at home, happy and content.

"I'd rather be sailing…On an open sea"

July brings warm weather, and with it, the chance to get out on the water! Mount Desert Island's cultural and economic history has strong ties to the water and we offer countless opportunities to leave land behind and take off into the other wild blue yonder. Perhaps you'd like to paddle quietly around Bar Harbor's Porcupine Islands and take in the beauty of Bar Harbor's natural history. National Park Sea Kayak Tours, Aquaterra Adventures, Coastal Kayaking Tours, or Crystal Seas Kayaking can all get you started. Perhaps you would rather catch sight of a whale on a Bar Harbor Whale Watch Co. trip. Maybe you want to spend the day sightseeing on a Lulu Lobster Boat Ride or want the hands-on experience of Diver Ed's Dive-In Theater. Maybe you'd like to go fishing with Bar Harbor Fishing Trips or just want to relax and spend the day sailing on a Downeast Friendship Sloop Charter. No matter what you choose, there's ALWAYS something to do on the water in Bar Harbor!

IT'S JULY 4TH WEEKEND IN BAR HARBOR!!!

Bar Harbor's July 4th festivities offer event goers entertaining and unique ways to celebrate the birthday of the United States! At 10a.m., the holiday weekend kicks off in downtown Bar Harbor with the most fun you'll ever have a 4th of July parade. Don't miss locals strut their stuff and demonstrate offbeat humor on homemade floats. Wave at the Jackson Lab's employees dressed as mice in the annual installment of their "Mouse Float." Clap at the fast and furious pace of more than a dozen shriners from the Anah Temple in Bangor as they maneuver tiny cars around and over each other. Enjoy the feeling of patriotism and community that only a small town New England parade can provide!

After the parade, follow the crowds to the MDI YMCA Annual Lobster Races. Place your bets on lobsters sponsored by local businesses and help raise money for the MDI YMCA Scholarship Program. Sometimes your lobster wins, but it is more likely to just sit at the starting gate or even move backwards! Still, you'll never have more fun betting on something that is likely unaware it is racing.

As the day draws to a close, make your way first to the Bar Harbor Village Green to hear the Bar Harbor Town Band do what is has done for over 100 years -- entertain event goers with a free concert. Then, continue to down to the waterfront and your final destination -- Bar Harbor's Agamont Park -- to enjoy the annual fireworks display over Frenchman's Bay. Enjoy the night sky as it glows and lights up the outer islands and fishing boats moored a safe distance away. It is truly a unique and unforgettable event that brings visitors back year after year.

The art of making art is putting it together

The Legacy of the Arts Festival returns to Mount Desert Island for a 10th straight year from June 15-22. The festival offers revelers the opportunity to create their own art and/or appreciate the works of local and visiting artists. Events include workshops, demonstrations and exhibits at local galleries, tours of historic homes and gardens, and outdoor evening concerts. This weekend, June 21-22, stroll through the Village Green in Bar Harbor to check out lots of great local art at the 58th annual Art Show. Become part of the legacy, support a local artist and bring a piece of MDI's art home.

In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. ~ John Muir

June is a wonderful time to take advantage of Acadia National Park! Acadia is the only national park in the northeast and while things around the island are steadily becoming busier, June remains a great time of year to enjoy the beauty and serenity of Acadia. Take advantage of Acadia's many ranger-led programs. From a moderate hike up Gorham Mountain, which features extraordinary views of Acadia’s coastline for much of the hike, to star gazing on Sand Beach, to an early morning birding walk during the Acadia Birding Festival, which runs from June 12-15, 2008, these programs include something for everyone. Or explore the wonder of Acadia on your own. We gladly suggest hikes, walks and other outdoor activities.

June makes the bay look bright and new, sails gleamin' white on sunlit blue

This time of year, one needs only to open the front door (or the front page of the Bar Harbor Times) to be reminded of all the wonderful events that await both tourists and locals. Memorial Day weekend marked the start of the summer season on Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park, our beautiful bays, and lovely seaside towns are offering some great ways to appreciate all coastal Maine has to offer.

Some Events of Note…
National Trails Day is Saturday, June 7! Head out to Acadia National Park to celebrate the 40th anniversary of this event. Enjoy a guided hike up Beech Mountain and the rare opportunity to ascend the fire tower, which will be open until 3 p.m.

You may notice, as you take in the beauty of Frenchman's Bay, a striking, red sailed, four-masted schooner. That can only mean one thing -- the Margaret Todd is back! The Margaret Todd sails 3 times daily from the Bar Harbor Inn Pier and is as pleasant to sail as she is to watch.

On June 15, the Abbe Museum's exhibit "Journeys West: The David and Peggy Rockefeller American Indian Art Collection" will come to a close. The Abbe Museum is located in downtown Bar Harbor and is open from 10:00 am - 6:00 pm. Admission is $6 per person and is a great way to spend a rainy afternoon in town.

Along Came Pretty Little May

Spring has been kind to us on Mount Desert Island! After a long and snowy winter, the tulips and forsythia have blossomed and the trees are beginning to unfurl. The skies, not to be outdone, have been bright and blue. We have welcomed many warm sunny days and a few spring showers -- which have only served to make the trees and grass more green and vibrant. From our deck, Frenchman Bay vacillates between brilliant blue, turquoise, and steel gray, but most often we find it emanates a silver blue shimmer. Nights are crisp, still cool enough to enjoy the warmth of a fire.