Bar Harbor and Ellsworth, Maine
Home to a Lesbian History Trail
"You can't get they-ahh from hee-yahh!" (you can't get there from here) was a catch phrase from a bygone TV commercial whose product promotion I can't even remember. But I will never forget that phrase and that Maine accent. Once you've been to Maine, you'll understand how appropriate it is. The Maine coastline wiggles and jiggles in and out like a snake that can't make up its mind. Bays and inlets dot the coast from the New Hampshire border to Canada. What that means is that two towns that appear to be a stone's throw from each other may actually be an hour's drive apart, depending on whether you'll need to take local roads or you get to use Interstate 95.
That was the case in June 2024 when Liz and I ventured north for part A of our honeymoon (part B was spent in upstate New York a few weeks later). We also traveled to visit my daughter, Nina, who was spending the summer as a science writer for the National Park Service and living in the part of Acadia National Park situated at the tip of the Schoodic Peninsula. How surprised we were to learn that she was an hour's drive from our hotel in Bar Harbor, just across Frenchman Bay. I'm not sure which Frenchman that bay was named after, but I did know this: Bar Harbor is an LGBT-friendly town. Nina had given me the heads up before our arrival about the many Pride flags around town and that permanent telltale sign of gay friendliness: the painted rainbow crosswalk. I knew Bar Harbor had all the signs of being a town ripe for Dyke Drives.
Flexit Cafe in Ellsworth serves sweets, sandwiches, coffees and teas and other delicious fare
But before we get to Bar Harbor, let's not forget the town that surprised me and Liz on our way in. I'm talking about Ellsworth, Bar Harbor's utilitarian cousin 20 miles northwest. I knew Ellsworth had its fair share of strip malls. It's where the Hannaford supermarket is, as well as a Walmart and Home Depot. Gas stations aplenty and also some pretty good restaurants. I found a great café called Flexit that offered both vegan options for Liz and gluten-free fare for me. What I did not expect to find was the quaint old-towny Main Street where Flexit Café resides. Even more welcoming were the many Pride flags along the lampposts and the rainbow crosswalk.
And the award for the best name for a thrift shop goes to…Clothes Encounter in Ellsworth!
We knew fairly quickly that Ellsworth was definitely worth a mention in Dyke Drives, too, and chose to spend a few extra moments here. Liz enjoyed searching for vintage trolls in the multilevel Dream Catcher antiques shop. The next day, Nina met us at Flexit for lunch and then we all enjoyed ice cream (yes, even vegan options!) afterward at Morton's Moo on School Street. Around the corner on Water Street, Clothes Encounter (kudos for the cleverest name in town!) attracted us to sift through its vintage clothes and accessories. There's also an excellent Goodwill Shop on Downeast Highway.
Ellsworth, I misjudged you whenever I cruised through town, stopping only for supplies before my final push toward Acadia National Park. You have much more to offer! But now, on to Bar Harbor….
Ellsworth openly celebrates Pride! And there’s much to discover at The Dream Catcher.
There's also more to Bar Harbor than meets the eye. Pride flags abound, and joy and positive energy are in the air as summer visitors frequent the local boutiques, cafes, and ice cream shops. But Liz and I noticed one of those "things that make you go hmmmm."
"Are you seeing more lesbians here?" she asked. I confirmed her observations and we started Googling. It turns out there is a Lesbian History Trail of Mount Desert Island (the land where Bar Harbor and Acadia are situated). Many of these women were quite accomplished and belonged to national and international lesbian networks. In 1933, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt came to Bar Harbor to have tea with her friends Mary Dreier and Frances Kellor. The First Lady herself had a long, intimate relationship with journalist Lorena Hickok. (Read their letters to each other and you'll know just how intimate it was!)
Yes it was Pride Month, but you got a sense that Bar Harbor supports Pride all year long
So we felt quite comfortable in Bar Harbor. We partook of pizza at Blaze Pizza on Main Street, had dessert at Mount Desert Island Ice Cream, shopped in many stores adorned with rainbows, and strolled down to the waterfront to see the setting sun. During the course of our trip, we drove to the top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia (permits now required, $6 each in advance, online), wiggled our toes on Sand Beach, walked the Ocean Path while gazing at the sea, strolled the carriage roads, and took on the hills of Acadia with ease using rented e-bikes. It was bliss, made all the easier due to Bar Harbor's good nature and tolerant surroundings. (Mother Nature had something to do with that, too — Maine is exquisite!)
So if you and your honey are looking for a place to enjoy nature, revel in lesbian history, and take in the sights, smells, and sounds of an accepting historic seaside town, look no further than Bar Harbor. And don't forget to put that car in park in Ellsworth, too, on your way in or out — it's worth more than a glance.
It turns out you CAN get there from here!
Rosie
Maine’s beautiful coastline does not disappoint