CAMDEN, MAINE. Every day of our Backroads Maine cycling trip we choose from two or three different routes. It’s Day 2, and seven out of the 20 cyclists on our tour have opted for the challenge of the week’s biggest climb. Panting a collective sigh of relief, we dismount at the top to admire the view. Far below sits the too-charming-to-believe village of Bar Harbor, and the rocky islands and blue waters that have made the rugged Maine coast one of the country’s most popular summer destinations for more than a century.
and she recommends local favorite, the Side Street Cafe, for ultra-rich lobster macaroni and cheese. Backroads leads trips in nearly 50 countries, from Cuba to Bhutan, but the main secret to its success is its guides’ local knowledge. Amanda was raised on Mount Desert Island, this gorgeous chunk of earth that is home to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park, the oldest east of the Mississippi. As integral to the local fabric as pizza is to Naples... Lobster is everywhere here – even in ice-cream. There are so many reasons to visit Maine, but Mount Desert Island, or MDI to the locals, is one of three standouts. Acadia has an extensive, century-old, 80km network of carriage trails, built by philanthropist John D Rockefeller Jr. These are a cyclist’s delight, carfree, edged in granite and featuring 17 stone bridges. Bar Harbor is an entirely walkable coastal town, full of shops, restaurants, bars and craft breweries, with sightseeing cruises from its harbor. We stayed the first two nights at the town’s finest lodging, the West Street Hotel, overlooking Frenchman Bay with great views from the rooftop pool, the only one in Maine.
ON THE CARRIAGE TRAILS OF ACADIA NATIONAL PARK.
Amanda is waiting back at the base of the mountain with the Backroads van, a four- wheeled friend we see again and again, prowling the roads in case a rider has a flat tire, appearing like a white knight whenever water bottles get low. She offers snacks, directions for finishing the day’s ride (74km) into Bar Harbor, and expert dinner suggestions. Most meals are included – at top-notch eateries – but tonight is open,
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