Did Someone Say Lobsta!
Maine is the lobster capital of the Unites States, and in our visit to Maine we wanted to save our lobster dinner for Bar Harbor. The first thing we had to do was to learn how to eat a lobster. We found a guide that would break this down in 6 steps.
How to Eat a Lobster in 6 Steps
Step 1:
Break off legs at the body and suck the meat out.
Step 2:
Twist the claws off at the body
Step 3:
Pull the pinchers apart and drink the juice in the claws
Step 4:
Twist the tail off at the body and pull off the tail fins, and eat the meat that is in those fins. There will not be a lot, but there is still some, which is worthy of the effort. Next, push the meat in the tail up with your thumb until it pops out the other side of the shell. In some cases you may see a small red eggs called roe, or a green substance call tomalley. Some consider these two items a delicacy.
Step 5:
Pull the meat apart down the middle and look for a black and white vein. Once you locate this vein, remove it.
Step 6:
Flip the body over and break off into sections. There is lots of meat in these sections to discover, and worth the effort
Bar Harbor
Bar Harbor is a small touristy town, and like Portland everything is in a walkable distance. There is a port here where the cruise ships dock, and could cause the town to be saturated with additional tourists. Time your Bar Harbor visit accordingly, as this could increase wait times at some popular restaurants.
With no ships in port, we had to try the lobster, therefore, we got a lobster boil and also tried the lobster roll. We used the guide how to eat a lobster in 6 steps, and learned what to eat and what not to eat, and how to get the meat out of the lobster. When i did the main vein, that was enough for Dorie, she couldn’t eat no more.
The lobster roll was ok, but I think it would have been better hot or warm. I didn’t care too much for the cold roll, however, the presentation, service and view sitting on the pier was great!
How to Crack and Eat a Lobster
The guide below shows how to crack and eat a steamed lobster. The most challenging part is the vein!
Bar Harbor (Ba-Haba)
We were able to park our class B RV at the pier parking lot with no issues. From the parking lot we were able to walk and explore the town. Once Night fell, the view from the pier was even more spectacular, as seen in the pictures below. After our lobster dinner, we had to have some dessert!
RV Parking
Outside of Bar Harbor, there are several campgrounds to choose from in the area, and even some inside of Acadia NP. We stayed at Bar Harbor Campground, which is a note it is first come first serve campground. They only accept cash, and hot showers will cost you a quarter.
We stayed here a couple of nights to dump our tanks and get fresh water, as well as a couple hot showers. The remaining time in the Bar Harbor area, we stayed in a Walmart parking lot. Cell Service was great with 4G and it was a very quiet place.
Tips
When visiting Bar Harbor in an RV that is not capable of “dry-camping”, make sure you have reservations. Campgrounds near National Parks fill up quickly. If you can “dry-camp” then consider staying at the Walmart or one of the campgrounds inside the national park as a plan B.
Also review the cruise ship schedule for Bar Harbor to decide the best time to go visit downtown Bar Harbor. This will allow you to avoid the crowds and long waits. Don’t forget the Pancakes during your visit.
