Bar Harbor, Maine – Cruise Destination Photo Guide

QE2 in Bar Harbor Maine

September and October are the peak seasons for cruises to New England.  The leaves start to turn color and the air turns cool, crisp and invigorating.  It just seems like the time to be out in theNew England countryside.

Bar Harboris a classic, small New England town on the coast of Maine.  In its center is a village green with a bandstand.  From there, Main Street slopes down a slight hill to the harbor where the fishermen still bring in their catches.

One does not have to go far from the tiny business district to sample the natural beauty of the area.  There is a path along the shore where the crystal clear water washes over the craggy rocks.  Out in Frenchman’s Bay there is a sprinkling of forest-covered islands.  The path is shaded in part by trees and has wildflowers growing along side it.  In other places, it passes the lawns and gardens of mansions that remain from the days when Bar Harbor was the summer vacation home of Astors, Rockefellers and Morgans.

Bar Harbor is surrounded byAcadia National Park, one of the most popular national parks in the United States.  The cruise lines offer excursions into the park as do other tour providers.  It is also possible to explore the natural attractions of the park independently

If you are looking forMaine lobster, Bar Harborhas them in abundance.   Seemingly, every restaurant and eatery in the town offers some form of lobster dish.

Not surprisingly,Bar Harbor has become a popular cruise destination port.  When I first cruised there in the early 1990s, people came from miles around to stand on the shore and look at the QE2 anchored in the bay.  These days, the ships do not attract the locals’ attention.  Although some of the shops have become a little more commercialized, the town still has much of its charm.  It is not to be missed.

Beyondships’ cruise destination photo guide begins at http://www.beyondships.com/Ports-Bar-Harbor.html

Cruise Destination Photo Guides To Boston and Halifax

As Fall starts to approach, people start thinking about cruising toNew EnglandandCanada.  These “Fall Foliage” cruises are famous for combining crisp air with spectacular colorful displays.  However, the region is a nice place to visit just for its history and lifestyle.  Of course, the best way to get there is by cruise ship.

Quite a few ships do New England/Canada cruises in the Fall.  In addition to the ships that ply these waters during the spring and summer, quite a few ships come to the region to do a season of cruising.  Many of these ships come over fromEuropeas the European cruising season winds down.  Eventually, they go to theCaribbeanfor the winter but the Fall is the peak hurricane season down there so its better to spend some time inNortheastern Americabefore heading south.  Moreover, these are popular cruises.

The unofficial capital ofNew Englandis its largest city,Boston,Massachusetts.  It is both a port of call on New England/Canada cruises and an embarkation port.  Several ships use it as their base for such cruises while others cruise fromBostontoBermudaand  points south.

   Bostonis one of the oldest cities in theUnited Statesand so has an extensive history.  Indeed, if one is interested in the birth of theUnited States,Bostonhas preserved many of the sites that played an important part in the early days of the American War forIndependence.

With a long cultural and intellectual tradition, it is not surprising thatBostonhas a bevy of museums covering a spectrum of topics from fine art to politics to science.  There are also some 50 colleges and universities in the area, which gives the town a youthful feel.

WhileBostonis a large city, it is a friendly town.  Moreover, many of the things of interest to visitors are centrally located.  In fact, quite a few of the historic sites are along the two and a half mile long Freedom Trail.

Beyondships new cruise destination photo guide to Bostonis posted at http://www.beyondships.com/Ports-Boston.html

A second popular stop on Canada/New England cruises isHalifax, the capital ofNova Scotia.  Even more so thanBoston, the majority of the places of interest are concentrated not far from the cruise port.  Furthermore, the short walk along the Harbor Boardwalk to downtownHalifaxis a pleasant stroll takes you past sailing ships, shops, museums, and restaurants.

Beyondships has had a section about Halifaxsince last year.  However, I have added an additional page to that section to incorporate photos that I took last month on yet another cruise to Halifax.  The cruise destination photo guide to Halifaxis at http://www.beyondships.com/Ports-Halifax