For us, this rental home location is so convenient to stores and dining opportunities in the city of Ellsworth and the historic town of Hancock. The area surrounding the house is safe and quiet. Hannaford and Shaws grocery stores, a Walmart Super Store, ethnic and take-out restaurants are only a 10 minute drive away in Ellsworth. The town of Hancock and Franklin are picturesque and have an interesting history, and have great dining opportunities and local attractions. Acadia National Park offers carriage roads for walking & biking, wooded hiking trails, and ocean views along the Park Loop road. The entrance onto Mount Desert Island is a 20 minute drive, and the town of Bar Harbor is 35 minute drive from your rental. Bike & kayak rentals are available in Bar Harbor as well as restaurants, brewery’s, craft shops and whale watching tours. If you have time, visit Schoodic, the sister part of Acadia National Park, located on the mainland across the bay from Mt. Desert Island. This Park also has carriage trails, a loop road along a magnificent shoreline and a visitor center. If you like fishing, one of the best lakes in Maine is Tunk Lake which is just down the road from the rental. In its deep waters reside fish such as trout, land-locked salmon, and togue. For a possible day trip, drive 80 miles to Campobello Island in Canada, the summer home of the Roosevelts. Lamoine State Park is a short distance away on Frenchman's Bay and offers tent sites and a boat launch.
Kayak rentals are also available a very short drive down the road from the house. During the 4 hour or more period of high tide, the water is deep enough and, weather permitting, you can kayak around Taunton Bay from the shore. A great nearby walking or biking option is the Sunrise Trail located in the town of Franklin that has parking access. It's a wide dirt trail that allows ATV's and bicycles and is a beautiful way to enjoy the Maine Down East coast from Ellsworth to the Canadian Border.