# Harbor Ridge Resort, Maine   Local Area Info



## mdurette (Jun 13, 2018)

Looking for any info you have on things to do in the Local Area.

I put in an OGS with an AC for Coastal Maine and I was hoping for south coastal - but I got a match last night for this resort in August.   I need to decide if I'm going to keep it or throw it back.

To give you an idea of what we like - love White Mountains of NH because there is so much to do:  From small theme parks, to easy trails, to horseback riding to canoeing, to mini golf, to zip line.   We are never bored.    I'm not a fan of places such as Stowe VT since I find it a bit harder to keep us entertained with just what nature has to offer.


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## kwelty (Jun 13, 2018)

We are at Harbor Ridge now and love it here, this is our third visit and we are owners.  Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor are the big "to do's" on the island of Mt. Desert but Harbor Ridge is on the other, "Quite Side", of the island.  Thank goodness, as it can get very busy especially when the cruise ships pull in.  These are the things we enjoy doing:

*Thurstons* - great place to eat lobster on the pier and watch the lobster boats come in.  http://www.thurstonforlobster.com/
Half price tickets to *whale watching*, *lighthouse viewing or other cruises *https://www.seizethedeal.com/deals/certificate-for-one-adult-whale-watching-ticket
*Seals Cove Auto Museum* https://www.sealcoveautomuseum.org/
*Ollie's Trolley tours* of Acadia and Bar Harbor  https://olistrolley.com/
*Acadia National Park* https://www.nps.gov/acad/index.htm
*Bass Harbor Lighthouse* https://acadiamagic.com/BassHarborLight.html





*Harbor Ridge's Facebook and web pages* https://www.facebook.com/Harbor-Ridge-Resort-129487700413888/ 
https://www.harborridge.com/
*Units lay out* https://www.harborridge.com/index.php/lodging-guest-info/property-and-unit-layout

Do go to the welcoming breakfast, as well as the wine & cheese night and S'mores roast, where Belinda or one of the other wonderful staff members will do a great job of going over all the things to do here.


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## WinniWoman (Jun 13, 2018)

Just for the National Park (hiking) and Bar Harbor alone it is worth it to go there for the week. You have the ocean there- so you can kayak or take a windjammer out. And as Keith said- whale watching.


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## mdurette (Jun 13, 2018)

Thanks for the replies and Keith for sending all the links.    I'm going to not mention the auto museum to my husband though.....that would be a LONG afternoon for me and the kiddo.  Ha Ha Ha.

Think I will keep it - even if I change my mind for the cost of the AC usage I'm sure I can gift it so someone since we are local enough.

If anyone else wants to chime in on things to do in the area, feel free!


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## mdurette (Jun 13, 2018)

Do have one quick question.
Does anyone know how Verizon cell service is there?   I use the phone as a secure hotspot for work.   Since I "work" while out an about a good Verizon connection is a must.


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## Greg G (Jun 13, 2018)

- Acadia National Park :Visit Jordan Pond House for popovers, jam, tea, and great views.
   Carriage Trails and WildWood Stables for a horse drawn carriage tour.
   Sandy Beach  for  nice day at the beach.
   Ocean Trail Path for great views.
   Cadillac Mountain for great views, including pullouts along the way up the mountain
- Somesville and Somes Sound(Mt Desert Island) – Somesville is where the picture perfect little house with arched bridge is. 

Greg


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## amycurl (Jun 13, 2018)

There is also plenty of mini-golf in Bar Harbor, and an "adventure park" that has zip lines. You can rent canoes, kayaks, and bikes heaps of places on both sides of the isalnd. Plenty of evening activities. Go see a play at Acadia Rep in Somesville. Improv Acadia shows are also good. Plenty of live music and other nightlife in BH. Excellent restaurants in NEH. The Abbe Museum in BH is a Smithsonian Institution affiliate museum, and is an *excellent* museum focused on Native Americans. There are also great libraries (which bring in guest authors and speakers all summer long) in each of the little towns on the island. Most have their own historical museum, too. (The Somesville library and museum--the "picture perfect little house"--are a great way to spend a few hours.)

The resort only has 40 units, and a summer unit is a rarity (because most summer owners use their weeks, or rent them for at least double the MF,) so I would keep it. But, then again, I am biased. 

(I will also be on the island in August, if you want to try and meet up!)

I would call the resort and ask Margaret about Verizon cell service. I will say that cell service across the island can be spotty because large granite mountains aren't great for transmitting signals. We have AT&T so can't speak for Verizon. There is wi-fi available at the resort for a very reasonable weekly fee.


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## amycurl (Jun 13, 2018)

RE: Jordan Pond House is under new management, and is not the same as it once was. For the *best* popovers, go to the Asticou Inn in Northeast Harbor, which is managed by the same folks who had managed the JPH for more than 60 years. I think the view is even better--and there are fewer tourists. Make a reservation. At dinner, they'll keep bringing you popovers.

Good popovers can also be found at the Common Good Cafe in Southwest Harbor. In the winter, this local nonprofit run by volunteers operates as a community soup kitchen, but in the summer, they offer popovers and oatmeal breakfasts everyday but Monday to tourists on a "give what you can" donation basis. The view is not the same, but the popovers are still pretty fantastic.

Great. Now all I want is popovers. Thanks, thread.


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## kwelty (Jun 13, 2018)

mdurette said:


> Do have one quick question.
> Does anyone know how Verizon cell service is there?   I use the phone as a secure hotspot for work.   Since I "work" while out an about a good Verizon connection is a must.


Verizon, our carrier too, works well at Harbor Ridge for calls but not sure about using it as a hot spot as we paid the $10 fee for internet.  We are able to stream movies without a problem.  Cell service is poor on a lot of the island,especially in the park.
As amyccurl said, Asticou Inn is the place to go for popovers.  We ate lunch there today - lobster stew and popovers, we will go back.


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## tonyg (Jun 14, 2018)

Been to Harbor Ridge a dozen or so times, but not in a decade or so. A nice place and a tough place to trade into in summer. I'm in Maine and nearby right now. Lots of things to do and see in the area including many miles of the Maine coast. I agree with the negative comments about the Jordan Pond House- prior to the management change it was a must do for us and now it is a must avoid.


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## Greg G (Jun 17, 2018)

I apologize for my outdated info on Jordan Pond House.  Last time I was there was in 2005.

Greg


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## MabelP (Jun 17, 2018)

I love the resort. This was my review...

JULY 4, 2010

I am a Marriott Owner who very rarely leaves that system. Harbor Ridge, with its beautiful setting, is a standout jewel in the world of timesharing. Southwest Harbor is absolutely beautiful . An ideallic setting with very kind, down to earth, classy townspeople. 

The front desk called to see if everything was fine when I didn't arrive on the Fourth. Upon arrival, I was greeted with much warmth. Complete explaination of units and activities in the area. Each unit has a special book made by Harbor Ridge with every possible question you might have answered for you.

The units are VERY large and immaculate. Kitchen is fully outfitted. Beautiful views of Southwest Harbor from both balconies. 




30890MabelP


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## amycurl (Jun 17, 2018)

Over this past winter, the resort has installed new fitness equipment in the workout room, and has replaced the main floor carpets with hardwood floors. Most of the living room furniture has also been replaced in the past year or so.

mdurette, you'll have to come back and tell us about your visit! (Or write your review...)


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## tonyg (Jun 18, 2018)

Greg G said:


> I apologize for my outdated info on Jordan Pond House.  Last time I was there was in 2005.
> 
> Greg



Not sure when the management changed, but the first time we went under the new management we never got past the menu - left because nothing sounded good. A couple of years later, some one said they had got much better, so we tried it. Only outside seating available, only 1 popover instead of 2 and a lousy one at that. Terrible service, annoying bees/wasps. Before the new management we would go there 2-3 times a year, mostly for lunch and we enjoyed the food, the service, being indoors and perhaps most of all, the popovers.


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## amycurl (Jun 18, 2018)

The management changed in 2014, through a bid process that was not transparent and did not include local input of any kind. It is now managed by a concessionaire that is based out west. The Acadia Corporation, which had been the concessionaire since 1947, is still a local and active presence in the community (they still own and manage a series of gift shops in downtown BH,) and, starting in 2015, took over the management of the Asticou Inn--which now delivers the popovers and service that the Jordan Pond House was once known for.


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## Ricci (Jun 19, 2018)

kwelty said:


> Verizon, our carrier too, works well at Harbor Ridge for calls but not sure about using it as a hot spot as we paid the $10 fee for internet.  We are able to stream movies without a problem.  Cell service is poor on a lot of the island,especially in the park.
> As amyccurl said, Asticou Inn is the place to go for popovers.  We ate lunch there today - lobster stew and popovers, we will go back.





mdurette said:


> Do have one quick question.
> Does anyone know how Verizon cell service is there?   I use the phone as a secure hotspot for work.   Since I "work" while out an about a good Verizon connection is a must.



We were at Harbor Ridge about a month ago.  Sorry to say that the Verizon service there was horrible.   If you turned  your head a few inches the wrong way, the call was dropped.  We did not try to stream anything.


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## Greg G (Jun 21, 2018)

amycurl said:


> RE: Jordan Pond House is under new management, and is not the same as it once was. For the *best* popovers, go to the Asticou Inn in Northeast Harbor, which is managed by the same folks who had managed the JPH for more than 60 years. I think the view is even better--and there are fewer tourists. Make a reservation. At dinner, they'll keep bringing you popovers.
> 
> Good popovers can also be found at the Common Good Cafe in Southwest Harbor. In the winter, this local nonprofit run by volunteers operates as a community soup kitchen, but in the summer, they offer popovers and oatmeal breakfasts everyday but Monday to tourists on a "give what you can" donation basis. The view is not the same, but the popovers are still pretty fantastic.
> 
> Great. Now all I want is popovers. Thanks, thread.




We went to the Asticou Azalea Garden back in 2005.  Nice gardens.  That would make a nice day,  have popovers at the inn, and then take a walk in the gardens (or vice versa)

Greg


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## amycurl (Jun 21, 2018)

It's a *great* day! The gardens are really spectacular. Since the passing of David Rockefeller last year, the Land and Garden Preserve (which owns and manages the gardens,) has been able to use his bequest to significantly expand staffing and programming. The Asticou Ridge Trail is also very nice. You can find out heaps of information on their website here.

I could go on and on and on....


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## amycurl (Aug 16, 2019)

I am here now, and the weather has been amazing. I have to go home on Sunday, where the lows are what the highs have been here. *sigh*


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## tonyg (Aug 16, 2019)

In June we tried the Asticou Inn and tho it was more like the old Pond House, but just not quite as good except for the good service.


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## tonyg (Aug 16, 2019)

There is or used to be a path from Harbor Ridge that would lead to a side street that went to the main drag, so you could walk to downtown SWHarbor and back. I remember one year watching a fox hunting down in back from the deck.


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## Glynda (Aug 17, 2019)

Love that side of the island. I’m a huge fan of Thurston’s Too!


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## Laurie (Aug 22, 2019)

I disagree about the popovers -- loved *both* Jordan House and Asticou Inn this past July, plus Jordan House has popover sundaes, which Asticou inn does not.    (And at Jordan House, you do get 2, not one, on a regular popover order.)

There was a loon nesting along the Jordan House trail, right at the bridge connecting the 2 sides at the other side of the lake from Jordan House, unmissable if she's still there, a volunteer was always there to protect her.


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## melissy123 (May 27, 2021)

Has anyone been to Harbor Ridge lately.  Any new info about the resort and the are and what would be closed/open?


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## tonyg (May 28, 2021)

I would imagine just about everything is open. We are heading to Maine in eight days but staying at Acadia Village. A couple of other things near Harbor Ridge are Seawall in Manset and a walking trail (Wonderland ?) between there and Ship Harbor. There's the Wendell Gilley museum (bird carvings) and a butterfly park. My wife is from MDI and we used to spend a lot of time there, but all the relatives from there have passed on or moved, including Ravenswood (now in Ellsworth).


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## kwelty (May 28, 2021)

Here is a list of local attractions from Harbor Ridge's website and you can look there for information about the resort. https://harborridge.com/local-attractions/
Their facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/Harbor-Ridge-Resort-129487700413888/
points out that you now have to have reservations to go up Cadillac Mountain.


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## amycurl (May 28, 2021)

Hi! The resort and most everything around it is open; I believe that they are still doing reserved times for the pool and none of the activities. But if you have specific questions, please ask and I can check with my mother, who is on the HOA board (and lives on the island.) Note: the season doesn't really start until later in June, so if things are still closed, it's because it's still the shoulder season, not necessarily COVID-related.

Acadia Improv has moved off-island, and Diver Ed's Dive-In Theater has moved to Eastport (but that's actually a nice day trip....and you can get *the best mustard ever* at Raye's while you are up there.)

Our favorite restaurant on the island, Seafood Ketch on Bass Harbor, opened this weekend.  I think you should expect LARGE crowds in popular areas of the park. The Island Explorer is running, but not on the western side of the island at all, so you will have to drive more from Harbor Ridge. As mentioned above, you will need a reservation if you want to drive to the top of Cadillac Mountain.


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## tonyg (May 29, 2021)

Not sure about the cruise ships. If they are coming, Bar Harbor and the park will be crowded. Harbor Ridge will probably have the schedule if they are coming. If you have a desire to go to the Jordan Pond House, pick a day when the ships are not in.


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## mdurette (May 29, 2021)

OP here - I ended up giving the week to my in-laws to use, they loved their trip.  I recall them chatting alot about going on a lobster boat, catching dinner and cooking it up.    I will have to see if my MIL recalls anything more about it.


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## tonygraz@iwon.com (Jun 6, 2021)

I'm at Acadia Village Resort now if anyone has any questions- ask away. Thought I heard the sightseeing train whistle from the patio this afternoon.
Reservations are still required to go up Cadillac Mountain primarily due to parking availability which has often been a problem. No cruise ships in Bar Harbor this year. Phase 1 here at the resort is half done with A/C installation. Unfortunately our unit is in the undone half. Looks like just about all the restaurants are open and masks are not required in some places indoors. Maine was the second most vaccinated state in the country as of last week.


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## tonyg (Jun 13, 2021)

How did I get 2 avatars - one with an email provider that no longer exists (see above post). Turns out there are different things on my 2 laptops, with the old one having the T in a circle and the new one having my cat avatar. Not quite sure how this happened within TUG's programming unless the old laptop info was associated with the old TUG program.


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## tonyg (Jun 16, 2021)

Can't believe we never went to the park on this trip. Closed restaurants noticed in Ellsworth:  Tan Turtle/ Turtle, Burger King and Denny's. The last 2 were on my avoid list anyway. There's a new Thai restaurant on route 1 where the old one was.


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## melissy123 (Jun 16, 2021)

I did my reservation for Cadillac Mountain today. The best time to be there is sunrise yet the earliest timed entry is an hour past sunrise. Is there no way to get there earlier?


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## dmbrand (Jun 16, 2021)

I looked on the national park service website, and they list reservations as early as 3:30am with a two hour window, ending at 5:30am. Perhaps, the reservations are already filled. We did watch the sunrise one year, and it was busy then, back in 2015 in July. To be honest, this wasn’t the highlight of our trip. My daughter made us get up at 3:30 to do this experience. Still glad we did, but I wouldn’t have been disappointed if we missed it. lol. There are soooo many other wonderful experiences at Acadia. Paddle board on Long Pond for the stillness and beauty, for one.


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## mdurette (Jun 21, 2021)

Just an FYI for those of you going soon.   There was a massive rain storm to hit the area last week that took out some of their carriage roads.    Some are closed:

Current Conditions - Acadia National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)


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## MommaBear (Jun 21, 2021)

dmbrand said:


> I looked on the national park service website, and they list reservations as early as 3:30am with a two hour window, ending at 5:30am. Perhaps, the reservations are already filled. We did watch the sunrise one year, and it was busy then, back in 2015 in July. To be honest, this wasn’t the highlight of our trip. My daughter made us get up at 3:30 to do this experience. Still glad we did, but I wouldn’t have been disappointed if we missed it. lol. There are soooo many other wonderful experiences at Acadia. Paddle board on Long Pond for the stillness and beauty, for one.


They open up 70% of the Cadillac Mtn reservations 48 hours before... We were there last week and didn't find out until we got home.


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## Ubil (Jun 27, 2021)

I've been trying to reach Carriages of Acadia for 3 days and the phone is never answered, not even an answering machine.  I also used the Contact Us Form, but no response to that.  I called Harbor Ridge and they did not get a response either, but they did say that they spoke to them last week.  The numbers I am using are on their web site: 1-207-276-5721 and 1-877-276-3622.  Has anyone reached them in the past few days?  I want to make a reservation for mid-September.


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## melissy123 (Jul 11, 2021)

We will be at Harbor Ridge in three weeks. We fly into Manchester the night before check-in and then will drive up the next day. Wondering what is a good place to stock up on veggies/fruits/wine before arriving at Harbor Ridge. We usually would do a Costco run but imagine my surprise to find out there are NO Costco stores in Maine. 

Would appreciate any tips as to where to stop on the way to Bar Harbor or where to shop in and around Bar Harbor.


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## JeffC (Jul 11, 2021)

There's a grocery store in Ellsworth that you pass on the way to Mt Desert Island. I can't remember if its a Hannaford but its a similar store.


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## missyrcrews (Jul 11, 2021)

Ellsworth has Hannaford, Shaw's, and Walmart.  Between the 3, you should be all set.  Just got home from Acadia Village Resort.  We had an awesome week!  Great part of Maine!


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## melissy123 (Jul 11, 2021)

Best place to find a good bagel? Or good bread?


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## amycurl (Jul 11, 2021)

Bagels, maybe not so much. (Milagro’s, maybe?) Good bread would be Little NoTch Bakery in SW Harbor.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## tonyg (Jul 12, 2021)

When we used to exchange into Harbor Ridge we sometimes stopped at the nearby West Side Market on route 3 for a small purchase (they might even have a bakery). Ellsworth was always the place for big grocery purchases.


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