This was possibly the best rental property I and my family have ever stayed in. The house sits just up from the shoreline, with views from the living room to Bar Harbor and the islands in-between. The setting is peaceful and heavenly. We saw seals, a Minke whale, and several bald eagles, in addition to the usual shore life of crabs and sea birds.
The house itself is well-appointed. The beds were comfortable and the views from the windows were stunning. My tween kids did not find the sofa-beds in the loft to be comfortable, however, so they ended up sleeping on the couch on the ground floor. The kitchen was quite functional and met all of our cooking needs.
We made use of the kayaks (and there are lifejackets), the firepit, the swings, the grill, and the back deck. Note that the other rental on the property also has access to these amenities. We had to do some negotiating for the use of the kayaks with the other renters, which was a bit awkward.
The house sits about a forty-five minute drive from Bar Harbor, but part of Acadia National Park sits in the same side of the harbor as the house. We went hiking every day, both in Acadia as well as state and regional parks just minutes from the house.
The house is especially perfect for families with small children. Although my kids are older, we noticed all of the amenities for infants and toddler, and there were stair gates everywhere (but not in the way at all), as well as cupboard locks.
We typically travel once a year for a week somewhere new with close friends and rent a house together. When we concluded our trip, we agreed that this house and location topped our experience to date. We'd go back in a heartbeat.