bar harbor southwest harbor

A look at Southwest Harbor and Bass Harbor Lighthouse

Spring has finally come to our part of Maine!  The grass suddenly greened up, the weather has warmed up a bit, and the dandelions are in full bloom!
dandelions dog spring in maine

Back in Georgia, the schools have let out for summer and I’m sure it is very hot and humid there.  While we are totally not missing that, it is a bit strange to be celebrating spring weather when it is nearly June.

bar harbor oceanside koa maine

The park is starting to fill up.  We had a big crowd over the Memorial Day weekend and our first taste of how busy it will get as the weather warms up here.

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When Dave and I lived and worked in Atlanta, we carpooled every day- an hour and a half each way in heavy traffic.

bar harbor oceanside koa maine

We still carpool, but this is our new ride!  Cute, right?  Takes us about 5 whole minutes to get to work and the traffic?  Other than an occasional seagull or goose, it is nonexistent!

trip to bass harbor lighthouse

We get two days off a week and plan to use them to explore the area.  The Bar Harbor Oceanside KOA is located on Mount Desert Island.  It is a huge island with lots of areas to explore including a Acadia National Park, tons of hiking trails, lots of coastal towns, lobster fishing, beautiful mountains, and even a lighthouse or two!

This past weekend, we took a trip down to Southwest Harbor, Bass Harbor, and the Bass Harbor Lighthouse. Southwest Harbor is the largest town on the southwestern “quiet side” of the island. The town has some great shops, galleries and restaurants worth checking out more thoroughly in the near future.

bar harbor southwest harbor

As we entered Southwest Harbor, we stopped to admire the amazing views.  You can see the open ocean here, dotted with various small islands.  And just check out the rocks!  I had immediate plans of gathering a bunch and creating a whole new batch of Painted Paisley Stones!

bar harbor southwest harbor

…and apparently they knew I was coming.   It appears that I may not be the only one who loves a pretty rock.

bar harbor southwest harbor

Our next stop was the lighthouse.  My ultimate goal on this trip is to visit every lighthouse in the area, and with nearly 60 lighthouses on the Maine coast, I have my work cut out for me!

Built in 1858, Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse is the only lighthouse located on Mount Desert Island.  There are not currently tours available for this lighthouse as it is maintained by a private family, but you can take the walkway right up next to the tower and lighthouse viewing area where you can see a panoramic view of the harbor and the islands in the distance.

bar harbor southwest harbor

To the left side of the lighthouse is a path that leads to the rocks below where you can capture some amazing photos of the cliff and lighthouse.  Here I am in my KOA yellow parka checking out the view before I carefully picked my way down.

bar harbor southwest harbor

We sat here for quite some time enjoying the view and keeping an eye out for seals along the shore.  I hope to come back here soon around sunset and get some more beautiful photos.

bar harbor southwest harbor

The little town of Bass Harbor is not only picturesque, but is known as one of  the most lucrative lobster-producing ports in the state.  The town also has terminals for two different ferries which can take you to more of the surrounding islands.

We plan on taking some of the ferries in the near future and will let you know more about them then.

bar harbor oceanside koa

But for now, we have work to do back at the Oceanside KOA.  And a few beautiful sunsets to enjoy there!

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2 thoughts on “A look at Southwest Harbor and Bass Harbor Lighthouse”

  1. Wow it looks a beautiful area. I hope you get to explore a lot more Suzy and that you will see all the lighthouses you want to see on your travels. I think I took a wrong turning somewhere as I have landed back in uk from FL. lol Enjoy 🙂

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