Karmel Knocking Around choices for the two best National Parks to visit

We have traveled to 16 National Parks over the last two years. It’s interesting to see what people have to say about the Parks they have visited. Obviously opinions will differ, and people will undoubtedly let you know what their favorite Park is based on their own experiences and perspectives.

We have loved our experiences at each and every stop we have made all around the United States. But there are two National Parks, in particular, that we would absolutely, without question, visit a second time – one on the east coast and one out west. Our two favorite National Parks are Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine and Grand Teton National Park in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Both parks were similar in the fact that they were on the outskirts of small, somewhat notable towns. One with a typical New England vibe, and the other with a feel of the Old West. They both had so much to offer….there were so many different aspects…the mountains, the water, the trails, beautiful sunrises, beautiful sunsets, so much wildlife. And both places were so scenic that I took over 400 pictures – at each Park – and not a bad picture in the bunch.

We had ventured up to Maine first, to Acadia National Park in the end of spring, while our trip to Grand Teton was at the beginning of the fall. We tend to stay away from the National Parks during the summer months for two reasons – the heat and the crowds.

Acadia National Park is extraordinarily beautiful and a photographer’s dream.

It offers everything…a seashore with waves hitting the jagged rock formations, rocky cliffs, mountains, and one of the most amazing sunrises you could ever imagine.

Lobster rolls…lobster omelets…LOBSTER!!! Wait…I’ll get back to that.

The sunrises were said to be magnificent, especially when you realize it is the first sunrise in the continental United States. Well, it’s pretty much understood that Cadillac Mountain is considered to be the best place to see that first sunrise. But thanks to a very helpful Park Ranger, we were given the inside information of actually the best spot, and away from the crowds. And as an aside, Cadillac Mountain requires a special permit to get up there for the sunrise, and it is almost always sold out.

We got up super early and parked ourselves on the rocks along the seashore, on Ocean Path. The nighttime sky was almost spiritual…so clear…and the stars and the moon lit up the sky before the rising sun rose above the horizon to offer a palette of colors that can only exist in an artist’s dream. It was that spectacular.

We did multiple trails – a total of four hikes – over a couple of days. And thanks, again, to the help of our Park Ranger friend, we had the inside scoop of some of the best hikes to get the best views and experiences.

The hikes were, without a doubt, strenuous…even the ones deemed easy by the Park Service’s guide. We have come to realize that a lot of the distances are not EXACTLY accurate and some listed are actually one-way, so you have to really do your research and know to be prepared. I have to say that the trails at Acadia were fairly well-marked…as quite often you can easily get lost or, at least, derailed from your intended path if you are not careful. But what was sort of not correctly “marked” were the descriptions of the trails. Some were a TAD more strenuous and a BIT more rugged and difficult than expected.

But that, of course, didn’t deter Melissa. As I have pretty well documented, I’m not great with heights or being in close proximity to the edge of a cliff. Melissa? She’ll venture to the edge and dangle her arms and legs while I’m clinging to a branch or a vine and begging her to back away from the edge.

The views were nothing less than breathtaking. But while I was catching MY breath, Melissa was torturing me.

“It’s fun!” she said, “You being terrified is a bonus!” so she says as she is dangling off the edge.

Bar Harbor is your typical, kind of upscale, New England town. We stayed at the Inn at Bar Harbor, billed as a Bed and Breakfast, but they are not a typical B & B…they are more like what you get at a Hampton Inn…a motel with a free breakfast. OK…a lot better than a Hampton Inn but to say that it is a B & B is a stretch.

Now back to the lobster. Lobster for lunch. Lobster for dinner. And even lobster for breakfast…TWICE. The place that locals go to…Jordan’s…is a throwback to an old family style diner. And they served an unbelievable lobster omelet. If you are in the town of Bar Harbor…you have to eat with the locals at Jordan’s.

The town of Bar Harbor is pretty cool in itself, and you can spend half a day exploring the many shops. I even got to taste, for the very first time, lobster ice cream! That’s right! LOBSTER ICE CREAM. Let’s just say it was an experience.

Another must thing to experience in Bar Harbor is low tide. Because at low tide, the water parts like Moses parting the Red Sea. OK…well…it’s a little less spiritual than that, but still amazing just the same. If you look out from the harbor, across the water, is Bar Island. And it is surrounded by water. The Bar is a natural sandbar that goes from Bar Harbor to Bar Island. And from about 1 ½ hours before low tide to 1 ½ hours after low tide, you can literally walk or even drive across the Bar to the island. So THAT’s how Moses did it!

Everything about Acadia National Park proved to be an amazing experience and has set the standard for what we expect when we visit other National Parks.

Grand Teton National Park has the most majestic scenery of all the Parks we have visited.

Wyoming was always on my bucket list and neither one of us had ever been there. Jackson Hole, Wyoming is a throwback to the old west and is quite different from life as a city slicker.

Flying into Jackson Hole was an experience in itself. We arrived after dark but you could still see that you were flying between some big mountains. And the airport…the entire airport…was smaller than one of the terminals at Newark Liberty Airport. In fact, when we saw it during the daytime…it looked like someone had just plopped a landing strip down in someone’s backyard.

Melissa found us a great Airbnb on the outskirts of town that was in a condominium complex but was decorated in western motif that was so very fitting for a trip out west.

We’re foodies…and we just love to experience the local cuisines. And nothing could be more local than Jackson Hole’s own Nora’s Fish Creek Inn. It’s a family-owned local establishment frequented by…the locals. And deservedly so. I absolutely loved it…trout for breakfast! So good that we had to go back a second time.

Entering Grand Teton National Park you are just immediately struck by the majesty of those mountains. Everyone takes the obligatory pic at the Park sign and you have an immediate post card-worthy pic to send to your grandchildren…if you have some.

We headed out on our first hike to the popular Jenny Lake to Hidden Falls. We were immediately hit with a bear attack warning sign! But…we trudged on. The trail is easy to moderate with a 900 feet elevation. Not bad, actually, considering you are hiking Grand Teton.

As we meandered along the trail through the trees, we happened to stop and notice that people are looking in our direction and taking pictures. We were wondering what the hell was going on…until …we looked up and directly above us was perched a bald eagle. Just sitting there…taking it all in. Watching the human schmucks bantering about and taking photos.

We made our way to Hidden Falls, a beautiful picturesque cascading water spot. Picturesque…I mentioned that, right? There were so many people in the area taking pictures…doing “photo shoots”… and it was beautiful. But it is likely that a lot of people were using the area as a rest stop as there was a lot of shade and the day was getting quite a bit warmer at that point.

There are a lot of spots, large and small, where you can easily see cascading waters, along the rocks and between the trees, coming down from the higher mountains in the backdrop. No matter where you are situated…you can always get a great view and phenomenal pictures.

We ventured 3.95 miles…that’s almost four miles to you and me…and we got about halfway around Jenny Lake when we got to the boat dock that takes people back to the dock that is near the trailhead. Yeah…Melissa mentioned how it was soooooooo hot…so we took the boat back to the trailhead with a lot of other people.

Before our next trek, we had lunch at Signal Mountain Lodge. It was a really nice break in the day, the food and drink were good, and we were fueled and prepped for the next trail – another 3.25 miles on Hermitage Trail.

Day two we decided to get up for the sunrise. Sunrise at 7:08 a.m. in the morning. It was cold. Magnificent…but COLD. The temperature was 20 degrees. TWENTY degrees. It was September…20 degrees. Magnificent sunrise…20 degrees. I hate the cold.

After breakfast, we did a morning hike at Bradley and Taggart Lakes. We apparently took a wrong turn somewhere and ended up doing 5.56 miles. And…believe it or not…by noon, the temps were at 80+ degrees! EIGHTY degrees! Melissa hates the heat.

We were not prepared for 20 degrees and certainly didn’t expect a swing of 60 degrees up to 80! I was miserable in the morning…and Melissa…well…

The views were, again, a photographer’s dream. Everywhere we went, every trail, every vantage point, a great picture.

We scheduled to go horseback riding but I couldn’t go out on the horse because I had hurt my back right before our trip. But Melissa went out with the group and loved it. She didn’t love the horse licking her hand afterwards, though.

One of the most photographed spots in the entire Park is along Mission Row. And it was on Mission Row that we were able to see a huge herd of bison. We actually saw a LOT of wildlife throughout the Park – more than at any other Park we have visited – including the bald eagle, the bison, elk, moose, antelope, deer, fox, coyotes…and even saw a bear eating berries off a tree along the side of the road.

The sunset in the Park was even more beautiful than the sunrise…and it gave off some vibrant color as it slowly sank behind Grand Teton.

Jackson Hole was a fun place that can pretty much be experienced in less than a day. The two places we got to enjoy, that are a must see for first-timers, were the old Jackson Drugs…a vintage soda shop…and the famous Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. Both places are kind of geared toward the tourists but do a great job of setting the vibe for the old western town atmosphere.

In the end, it’s truly hard to choose one Park over the other…but Grand Teton National Park gets that ever so slight nudge over Acadia National Park…well…just because. If you have experienced both…you may understand the “why?” Right?

Honorable Mention

Melissa would undoubtedly say Sequoia National Park should rank right up there very close to Grand Teton and Acadia. The giant Sequoias…featuring the General Sherman…are like something out of a fairy tale.

For me…I also loved Sequoia but…I really liked Cuyahoga if only because it offered something very different from all the other Parks…specifically…the towpath for biking.