"Location, Location, Location" at the Kimball Terrace Inn, Northeast Harbor, Maine

by Eric H.

NORTHEAST HARBOR, MAINE --Bar Harbor may be the most popular choice when vacationing in Maine's Acadia National Park, but we prefer Northeast Harbor, a splendid little village boasting the prettiest harbor you will ever see. Sunny even when it's cloudy, Northeast Harbor is quietly confident, as it never panders to the tourist.

Kimball Terrace Inn is your top lodging choice, with 52 of the 70 spacious rooms having a private balcony or patio

with great views of the Harbor and marina. Kimball Terrace features a heated pool, tennis, a fine indoor/outdoor dining experience at the Main Sail, and all the modern amenities (telephone, cable television and meeting rooms). With perhaps the world's best backyard, the rolling fields lead to the Harbor, which looks more stunning with each closer step. Somehow, one gets the feeling this secluded, sweet-smelling salt-aired locale is about as "Maine" as it gets.

Everything beautiful about Northeast Harbor is a short walk from Kimball Terrace In the little downtown village, you will find an old-time market, a bakery owned by "The Colonel" (a military-looking man with a crew cut), some antique stores and a few restaurants. One of them, the Docksider could be considered your classic Maine restaurant, with charming "Downeast" waitresses, lobster to die for, unbelievable clam chowder, and in the summer, salt air flavored outdoor dining on the doorstep of the Harbor.

Clifton Dock, a five minute walk from the Kimball Terrace, will sooth your soul. Try walking there at night, sampling the tall pines, wide open sky, piercingly bright stars, the bucolic symphony of crickets, and the soothing sounds of the pristine Maine waters. Boats bob up and down, as if they were nodding approval at their owner's choice of location. Soon you become mesmerized by the peacefulness. You forget about the chill in the air, or the initial plans of getting back to a nice, warm room to watch the ball game or to the bakery to buy something sweet. Clifton Dock offers oceans of tranquility, the perfect place to end a day, or start a new one. The sea is indeed a great place to become new again.

Although you could spend your entire vacation in Northeast Harbor, with its rocky coastline, harbor, open fields, flower gardens, hiking trails, forests and lakes, you're best off having this village as your point of origin--the rest of Acadia is just too special to miss. However, if you put on the blinders and did spend your whole time at Northeast Harbor, you would not leave disappointed. It is an all-inclusive resort area that doesn't even know it. Perhaps that is the real appeal of this special little place, big on Maine atmosphere and short on tourist trappings. With Kimball Terrace as your "Maine" lodging choice, Northeast Harbor is ultimately a great place, indeed, to start your Acadia National Park vacation.

Kimball Terrace Inn, Northeast Harbor, Maine. Tel. 1-800-454-6225