Breakfast awaits before we head to Bar Harbor & Acadia National Park.  It was a Frenchman, Samuel Champlain, who made the first important contribution to the historical record of Mount Desert Island. He led the expedition that landed on Mount Desert on September 5, 1604 and wrote in his journal, “The mountain summits are all bare and rocky..... I name it Isles des Monts Desert.”  For a select handful of Americans, the 1880s and the “Gay Nineties” meant affluence on a scale without precedent. Mount Desert, still remote from the cities of the East, became a retreat for prominent people of the times. The Rockefellers, Morgans, Fords, Vanderbilts, Carnegies, and Astors, chose to spend their summers here. Not content with the simple lodgings then available, these families transformed the landscape of Mount Desert Island with elegant estates, euphemistically called “cottages.” Luxury, refinement, and ostentatious gatherings replaced buckboard rides, picnics, and day-long hikes of an earlier era. For over 40 years, the wealthy held sway at Mount Desert, but the Great Depression and World War II marked the end of such extravagance.  Though the affluent of the turn of the century came here to frolic, they had much to do with preserving the landscape that we know today. It was from this social strata that George B. Dorr, a tireless spokesman for conservation, devoted 43 years of his life, energy, and family fortune to preserving the Acadian landscape.  Forty-five miles of rustic carriage roads, the gift of philanthropist John D. Rockefeller Jr. and family, weave around the mountains and valleys of Acadia National Park.  Today we travel through the National Park and enjoy terrific guided commentary and sights on this wonderful adventure.  This afternoon we will enjoy lunch on our own at one of the many eating establishments in downtown Bar Harbor.  Then take some time to wander through the downtown shops and sights that make up this lovely seaside.  But before we depart Bar Harbor we take in what is considered to be a "MUST DO" when you travel to Maine, and that is enjoy our INCLUDED LOBSTERBAKE!  Enjoy a 1 1/4 lb. Lobster, Mussels, Corn on the Cobb, Potatoes, Rolls, Blueberry Cake, Coffee and Iced Tea.  For those that don't do seafood, we've got you covered, enjoy a delicious steak instead.  A vegetarian option is even available for those that need it.  After this scrumptious dinner we head back to our hotel for a good night of rest.  Sleep well.

 We begin our day with a breakfast before heading out for for Freeport Maine internationally famous as a world-class shopping destination and home to famous L.L. Bean.   Experience why Freeport is a favorite Maine vacation destination. Located on the shores of Casco Bay, the historic village is world-famous for outdoor outfitters, shopping outlets, and local boutiques. Their iconic Maine restaurants are proud to serve the freshest local fare, and the craft brewery scene is hopping.  Enjoy our time here browsing at any one of almost a 100 different outlet shops or stop into L.L. Bean and take in a demonstration.  We will have lunch on our own before departing late this afternoon.  Rest stops enroute to home as we depart with fond memories of Maine’s great escapes.