Looking for a unique holiday for your family?  Want to teach your kids about our amazing natural world and environmental responsibility first-hand?  Do you like hiking, biking, and lobsters?  Look no further than beautiful Maine.

A recent list published by National Geographic Traveler featured Maine as one of the “places doing well” for its authenticity and stewardship.  That’s especially true, noted the report, the further north you go.  One such destination is Mount Desert Island, home to Bar Harbor and the 46,000 acres of Acadia National Park.

Rainer Jenss, former publisher of National Geographic Kids, just lived a life-long dream to take a year off and travel the world with his wife, Carol, and sons, Tyler, 11, and Stefan, 8.  After the first two months and 20 states, he published his U.S. Top Ten List.  The choice for the family’s “Favorite National Park” was Acadia. …read more of Acadia National Park in Maine here

I crave an old-fashioned Fourth of July.

A pancake breakfast sponsored by the Rotary. A parade with lots of flags. A concert on the Village Green.  Fireworks on a waterfront.

And that’s exactly what I am going to get because I’m going to spend this Fourth of July in Bar Harbor, Maine.

Chris Fogg, Executive Director of the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce, says, “We have a very traditional celebration that hits everything Maine is known for.” That means, of course, that there will be lots of blueberries and lobster. …read more of A Red, White, and Blue Holiday in Maine Goes Green here

Why do kids have all the fun? Surely, in this economy parents need a real break, too. Now College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine, has the perfect solution – a sensibly priced vacation of nature programs, boat trips, hiking, and biking.  It all takes place on Mount Desert Island, one of the world’s most beautiful islands.

The first big difference about this camp is that all activities are intended for the whole family. The program is best-suited for children who are at least five-years-old, but there doesn’t seem to be an upper-age limit. Even the most skeptical adolescents, who dread the experience will be “lame,” seem to leave bestowing accolades.

In fact, so many people end up loving Family Nature Camp that COA has designed special field trips designated for returning families. …read more of Maine Vacation for the Eco-Family here

If you are an ethical traveler, do you only go to Borneo or Belize?  Why not Bar Harbor?

The essence of eco-tourism is deep respect for the place.  If you go to Acadia National Park, you can’t help but be awe-struck by the craggy coastline, pines punctuating a quiet harbor, or a lichen-laden forest.

It is not only the astounding natural beauty – which drew rusticators way back in the late 1800s – but the authentic balance that still exists there.  There’s a working lobster trade that balances natural abundance with commercialism. …read more of Eco-Destination here