"Chicago to the Sea." Eastern Excursionist / A complete guide to the principal eastern summer resorts, including: Niagara Falls, the White Mountains, Saint Lawrence and Saguenay Rivers, Montreal and Quebec, the New England sea beaches, etc., and how and when to enjoy them.

by William C. Gage

MOUNT DESERT ISLAND,

One hundred and ten miles northeast from Portland, is reached by the Portland, Bangor and Machias Steamboat Line, whose boats make connection with the trains from Boston and the White Mountains. They are staunch and seaworthy, and finely equipped; and the trip along the shore, past the thrifty villages, and among the picturesque scenery, is full of delights.

The island of Mount Desert lies quite near the mainland, with which communication is had by means of a bridge which crosses at Trenton. In shape, the island is quite irregular, and is about eighteen miles long by twelve wide. It is nearly divided in two by Somes Sound, and its shores on all sides are indented by picturesque bays and inlets. The greater part of its surface is covered with mountain peaks, some thirteen in number, the highest, Mt. Green, rising fully two thousand feet above the sea. High up among these peaks are several beautiful lakes, which, with the streams that flow from them, abound in trout.

BAR HARBOR, MOUNT DESERT ISLAND.

The first landing point, approaching from Portland, is Southwest Harbor. Here are several excellent hotels, and the scenery in the vicinity, and accessible by pleasant carriage drives, is beautiful and picturesque. Green Mountain is reached from this point to good advantage by the westerly slope, a carriage road leading to the summit, where a hotel is located.

Bar Harbor, fifteen miles beyond Southwest Harbor, is even more picturesque and romantic in its location than the latter. The scenery along the coast is bold and impressive, stupendous cliffs rising abruptly to the height of several hundred feet. Bar Harbor is plentifully supplied with hotels, and their facilities are often utilized by the throngs of artists and pleasure-seekers who make summer pilgrimages in search of the beautiful, the art galleries and studios of the country testifying to the success of the former in transferring to canvas the gems of scenery which have formed the basis of so many studies and afforded so much delight.

In addition to the many “down-east” trips that may be made from Portland, its nearness to some of the fine beaches of the Atlantic coast is another of its attractions as an objective point for the tourist. Two great railway lines connect Portland with Boston, and one or both of them reach all the principal intervening seaside resorts.

One of the most noted of these is