Mount Desert Island: Acadia National Park covers much of Mount Desert Island. Most of the park is preserved in its natural state, with commercial activity taking place outside the park in the surrounding communities. Busy little resort towns offer modern services, lodging, dining spots, gift shops and antique stores.

The eastern half of Mount Desert is the more populated side. It is home to the town of Bar Harbor which is near the Cadillac Mountain Entrance to Acadia National Park. The western half, or "quiet side" as it is called locally, is more rural. The land is punctuated with marshes, coves, inlets and an occasional village.

Bar Harbor: Bar Harbor (population 4,443) is a vibrant gateway community to Acadia. Where the millionaires' summer cottages once stood, contemporary visitors will find inns, hotels, guest houses, sidewalk cafés, formal restaurants and block after block of boutiques, specialty shops and galleries.

Bar Harbor is also home to such prestigious institutions as Jackson Laboratory, a leading genetics research center, Mount Desert Island Biological Lab and the College of the Atlantic, a small liberal arts college. During summer, both offer educational programs for the public.

Learn more about the town's history at the Bar Harbor Historical Museum located at 33 Ledgelawn Avenue; (207) 288-0000 or (207) 288-3807 (reservations).

Northeast Harbor: Twenty miles from Bar Harbor lies Northeast Harbor (population 1,100). This low-key town, punctuated by stately summer homes and boats bobbing at the waterfront, sits on a protected deepwater port-one of the best in the state. Walk along Municipal Pier or poke your head into the town's antique store and old bookshop. On Route 3, Thuya Gardens mixes formal English flower beds with simple Japanese influences, and each June, Asticou Azalea Gardens, on Route 198, presents more than 20 varieties of azaleas.

The Great Harbor Maritime Museum on Route 198 is a good place to see some of the island's historical artifacts. Seasonal activities include golf, tennis and whale-watching cruises.

Southwest Harbor: Found on the island's western, "quiet side," this large fishing town of 1,952 looks out over Somes Sound. The second-largest town on Mount Desert, it is ranked one of the top 10 commercial fishing harbors in Maine. Boat-building is the main industry and some of the world's finest crafts come from here.

The Wendell Gilley Museum exhibits more than 200 bird carvings and offers carving demonstrations. At the waterfront Oceanarium (one of two on the island), you can touch a sea grape and see other forms of Maine marine life.

On land, you can golf, hike, rent a bike or have a beachside picnic. You can take to the water and hop the ferry to the Cranberry Isles, or go deep-sea fishing for halibut or tuna.

On the outskirts of Southwest Harbor are the quaint villages of Manset and Seawall. The nearby settlement of Tremont, home to 1,300 islanders, takes its name from the French trois and mont, describing the three mountains seen from the town. Lobstering is the primary industry. West Tremont, Bernard and Bass Harbor are smaller villages associated with Tremont.