When is the best time to visit Acadia National Park?

Great question!  We get asked this a lot when folks are planning a visit so we have curated some information to help you find the perfect time of year to visit based on your personal preferences.  In this blog we will include insights about average weather temperatures, dynamic of vacationers, total park visitation, local celebrations and more!

At our property, Acadia Yurts, our wellness center is open year-round, however our rentals are open late April through late October so that is what this blog will focus on.

Average Monthly Temperatures for Acadia National Park:

In 2011, Acadia’s saw 2,374,645 visitors while 10 years later it jumped to 4,069,098 in 2021.  That is a huge increase in a 10-year time span and the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce has done a spectacular job of getting Bar Harbor on the map, the secret is out!  However, while visitation numbers may seem high, the park is set up so that even on the busiest day of the year, you might be the only person on a trail, it just depends on which trail you pick.  Guidebooks will highlight the Beehive Trail, Thunder Hole, Sand Beach and Cadillac Mountain and while these are remarkable areas in Acadia and certainly worth a visit, there is ample magic on Mount Desert Island without the crowds if you find some path less traveled.

A Month-by-Month Picture of what to Expect:

MAY – the weather in May can still be chilly so we recommend bringing layers for hiking.  Depending on the spring thaw, some carriage roads and hiking trails may not be open until later in the month in order to let the roads settle.  Many park roads, including the Seal Cove Rd (which our property located on), open May 15.  Prior to that date you can park at entrance gates and hike in.  Restaurants that closed for the winter months will begin to reopen in May.  About 1/3 are open by Mother’s Day, 2/3 in time for Memorial Day and the remaining restaurants likely open in June when students are out of school and therefore able to work. 

Memorial Day, like all major national holidays or 3-day weekends, brings large crowds to our area so consider planning your stay well in advance and for large groups, we recommend restaurant reservations.  Some restaurants during May might also feature reduced hours or stay open 4-5 days of the week.  For this reason, and many others, all our rental units have kitchens so that you can prepare food in your rental.  Local shops like Sips 2.0 sell frozen homemade entrees and soups that you can bring back to your yurt/tiny house and cook easily on site!

Since school is still in session for most of the United States, the crowd this time of year tends to be couples and some families with young (non-school aged) children.

A note to visitors that the Cadillac Mountain reservation system takes effect mid-May, the specific beginning date is available via the park website.  The reservation system is in place to safely allow visitors to visit the summit of Cadillac Mountain for sunrise and sunset by car.  These reservations are sold at an additional/nominal cost to the park pass you must buy to access Acadia National Park.

JUNE – since most school aged children are dismissed by the 3rd week of June, this is when our season shifts into high gear.  Clientele in early June are still typically the couples and non-school aged children we see in May, but as early as the 2nd week, families are what we start to see the most of.  As we approach the summer solstice, daylight hours are long.  Often the sky brightens around 4am with the sun rising before 5am and doesn’t retreat behind the mountains until around 8:20pm for 15.5 hours of adventure and fun!  Beginning in late June the summer travelers have arrived and we maintain this volume of visitors through the busy summer months of July and August.

JULY and AUGUST – these are peak visitation months as children are out of school and families are on the move!  Expect crowded parking areas in the national park, steady traffic getting to and from your location and busy restaurants.  Our clientele at Acadia Yurts during these months are primarily families with children.  You can expect children laughing, playing and riding bikes during the day and someone having a campfire most nights.  Our fire pit is communal so feel free to enjoy time under a blanket of stars and get to know your fellow yurters.  Firewood is NOT provided on-site (look out for roadside stands) but we leave lighter fluid, a stick lighter and dousing buckets near the firepit.  S'mores and star gazing are great summer month activities at night!  With very little light pollution, the night sky on our property is incredible!  And while the fun during the day is plentiful, we do have quiet hours on the property from 10pm-8am to ensure everyone gets a good night’s sleep!

The weather this time of year is the warmest with high temperatures reaching the upper 80’s on our warmest days.  July and August are great times of year for getting out on the water.  You might consider setting sail with Sail Acadia, taking a nature cruise to see puffins/whales, or kayaking the ocean with National Park Kayak (conveniently located in Southwest Harbor).  Prefer to swim?  There are many swimming options in nearby lakes close to Acadia Yurts.  Our favorite being 1-mile rock on Long Pond, the sand beach or Bluffs at Echo Lake or even Seal Cove Pond.  Each of these swimming options is 5 minutes driving from Acadia Yurts; one mile rock includes a one mile walk from the parking area to the swimming area along Long Pond.

For holidays, Bar Harbor was named one of the top July 4th celebration locations in the United States so this week is very busy!  Bar Harbor has a charming small-town parade, art fair with pancake breakfast and elaborate fireworks in the evening.  Crowds for the fireworks are plentiful and traffic very heavy.  Southwest Harbor, where we are located, has a pleasant firework display in the harbor and because traffic is lighter, you could probably be back in your yurt/tiny house within 10 minutes of the fireworks ending.  There are many lovely spots around the harbor to view and we are happy to recommend a spot if you are staying with us during this time.

Southwest Harbor also hosts a Flamingo Festival in July, typically the weekend after July 4th.  The parade takes place on a Saturday morning with a craft fair in town to follow.  As you drive around town you will notice local residences and businesses putting pink flamingos on their lawns in support of this fundraising event for the Harbor House.

SEPTEMBER – This is our favorite month!  Labor Day weekend is the last hurrah before schools in the northeast are back in session so this weekend, like Memorial Day and July 4th, are BUSY!  Plan ahead for everything; lodging, tours, restaurants, etc.!  After Labor Day, the September vibe sets in.  The crowds shift back to primarily couples, the pace everywhere is slower but the weather is still dynamite.  You can expect warm temperatures during the day for beautiful hiking/biking/adventuring and cool nights for a deep sleep.  This is still a great month for getting out on the water before these establishments begin to shut down for the season in mid to late September.  Many water-based businesses are weather contingent so if being on the water is a priority for you, early September is advised.

Bar Harbor sees an uptick in daytime visitors beginning in September and continuing through early November as they welcome daily cruise ship passengers to town.  The number and size of ships will vary day-to-day and we anticipate this shifting in the coming years as townspeople have voted to limit ships moving forward.  For the time being, some days will be congested and crowded on Bar Harbor streets.  Many of the cruise ship passengers will walk around town or load onto busses to be taken to key attractions like Cadillac Mountain, the Park Loop Road, and Bass Harbor Lighthouse.  While the streets of Bar Harbor may be a bit crowded on these days, much of the trails will unencumbered by these cruise ship visitors.

The leaves also begin to change in September.  Much of the foliage color and timing depends on the weather during the spring and summer months so there isn’t a hard and fast rule about when the colors are best.  Generally speaking, the last week of September into mid-October are when the colors are most vibrant and plentiful.  Walking the carriage roads this time of year is magical.  We also highly recommend driving around the island via car, passing through Somesville to see the bridge surrounded by colorful trees, the Eagle Lake Road enroute to Bar Harbor and the Park Loop Road to enjoy the changes in nature.  You might also consider a drive to Schoodic Peninsula, the lesser traveled area of Acadia National Park located about an hour away.

OCTOBER – we love October too!  The magic of the leaves changing is not to be missed!  Visitor clientele in October is similar to September and leads to a slower pace and more friendly visitors.  Indigenous People’s weekend is another big weekend on MDI so plan ahead; families return for this long weekend visit so expect larger groups, trails and roadways to be congested, restaurants full.  Following this weekend, the crowds really begin to thin out.  October is home to 2 big events later in the month: the MDI Marathon and Oktoberfest.  These events are usually scheduled for the weekend following Indigenous Peoples.  The MDI Marathon was voted ‘Most Scenic Marathon’ by Runner’s World magazine and lives up to the title. The race begins in downtown Bar Harbor and winds through Otter Creek, Seal Harbor, Northeast Harbor and Somesville before ending in Southwest Harbor.  Oktoberfest is held annually at Smugglers Den Campground (in Southwest Harbor) and feature a wine tasting event Friday and beer tasting Saturday with live music and arts/crafts.  We love the excitement these two mainstays bring to our Island! 

In October the change in seasons and crowds is dramatic.  Following Marathon weekend, we see most of our summer residents begin their migration to winter homes, restaurants begin to close and the island starts to get very quiet.  The weather is also unpredictable this time of year.  One year the MDI Marathon was 70 degrees and sunny, the next year, 40 degrees and raining.  Much of the late month visitation is weather contingent; if the weather forecast is beautiful then many people decide to make last minute trips from local cities within driving distance.  Due to the unpredictable nature of the weather in late October, we once again recommend bringing layers for your activities.  At Acadia Yurts, we close the last weekend of October or first weekend of November, depending on where the last weekend falls.

We hope this blog helped shed some light on the dynamics of our tourism season and helps you identify the best time for you to plan your visit.  When you know your desired dates, please email us so we can help make the dream of an Acadia visit a reality!  We look forward to hosting you soon 😊

Who Can Benefit from Float Therapy?

While float therapy (sometimes referred to as the sensory deprivation or isolation tank) has been around since the 1950’s it has been gaining popularity in recent years as a toll for coping with the extreme mental and physical fatigue our culture of achievement imposes.  It can often feel like Americans wear their stress as a badge of honor or to show their worth, instead of being concerned about the long-term effects stress has on our health.  At Acadia Yurts and Wellness Center we strive to provide a place where people can participate in a variety of stress reducing activities to allow our best selves to shine through.

Due to increased education about the benefits of floating, float centers are popping up all over North America with most major cities having at least one center.  Our small island off the coast of Maine has 2 float centers and within 100 miles, there are an additional 3 locations as of publication of this blog.  Many of these locations offer services in addition to floating such as massage therapy, infrared sauna sessions, yoga and fitness classes and much more.  While pairing float therapy with other services makes for a fabulous self-care day, floating as a standalone service provides exceptional benefits in one session but the benefits are compounded with regular use!

“Regular use” will be different for everyone.  We have some clients that float once per week and many more who use it every other week or monthly.  A single float session will have great benefit but regular use is where the magic happens!  Regular use is when our baseline of stress and fatigue are adjusted to accommodate all life throws at you without knocking you off track.  Imagine being able to keep your cool even when Mercury is in Retrograde?!?

Let’s think of it a different way… If you go to the gym to work out, then you will likely feel good afterwards.  You’ll have broken a sweat, moved your body, challenged your muscles and generated some feel-good endorphins.  That one gym session will help you feel calmer, sleep better and create the good type of soreness that comes from pushing your body.  It may even help you interact with difficult or stressful situations in a calmer manner for a few days.  However, if you want to add muscle mass or produce long lasting change in your body, one trip to the gym isn’t going to cut it. 

If you apply the same principle to floating, once will feel nice.  It might even help minor ailments, relax your mind or rejuvenate your body, but you aren’t going to morph in a Zen master with one float.  Like all things, relaxation takes practice.  The more often you float, the more comfortable you get.  The more comfortable you get, the easier it is to relax in the tank.  Once you are able to relax the mind, the body will follow. The challenge for many with floating is mental; can you relax into your body and into your thoughts? 

Because float tank therapy is still relatively new self-care tool, it is still being studied for its long-term benefits.  Some of these documented and anecdotal benefits are…

·        Relieve stress, anxiety and depression

·        Reduce chronic fatigue caused by insomnia or jet lag

·        Stimulates creativity

·        Accelerates mental clarity and learning processes

·        Deepens meditation practices

·        Soothe chronic pain from arthritis, fibromyalgia, back and neck pain, inflammation and tendonitis

·        Aids with headache/migraine symptoms

·        Assists in the physical and psychological recovery for athletes

·        Improves cardiovascular health by inducing deep relaxation which helps to reduce stress levels

·        Feelings of mild euphoria, increased well-being and feeling more optimistic

So, who should float?  In our opinion, most people!  There are a few conditions in which a physician should be consulted prior to floating; those with low blood pressure, heart or kidney disease, open wounds on the skin, those with epilepsy, to name a few.  If you aren’t sure, just call your primary care physician and ask.

Some demographics of people we see often at our center are…

·        Parents!  How great does it sound to shower without interruption?  You may even fall asleep in the tank (which is totally safe!) which roughly equates to 4-6 hours of restful night sleep.  Most parents are sold on those two factors alone!

·        Pregnant women!  Women who are pregnant love the float tank because it is safe to use throughout pregnancy and it helps relieve the aches and pains that go along with growing a human.  The float soothes the muscles along the entire back line of the body; think feet, hips, low back.  AHHHHHH!  Added bonus, you get to lay on your back safely and sleep deeply!

·        Athletes!  Those who use their body physically for work or pleasure love the recovery for sore muscles and joints that take place in the float tank.  If you’ve ever found relief from a cup of Epsom salts in a bathtub imagine the benefits of 1,100 pounds of Epsom salt!  Many professional athletics teams at both college and professional levels have added float tanks to their training facilities to give athletes great recovery and the option to visualize their next victory.  Tom Brady had a personal use float tank in his New England house, does that convince you it’s worth a try (7 Super Bowl wins not included at our spa)?!

·        People with headaches/migraines!  Especially head pain associated with stress.  While floating 1,100 pounds of Epsom salts support and soothe the upper back, neck, base of skull and head to relieve the tension that brings on blinding pain.  In addition to the Epsom salts, you breathe deeply and with ease in the float tank.  Breath is the crux of helping the body relax, which helps to alleviate pain.  Lastly, the darkness.  If you turn the interior tank lights off, it is pitch black, as in, you could hold your hand one inch from your face and you wouldn’t see it.  Many people with migraines cite bright light as a migraine trigger, and retreating to a dark or dimly lit room (of float tank!) provides relief for some during an attack.

·        People looking to begin or explore a meditation practice!  Since there is nowhere to go and nothing to do, meditation in the tank becomes easy.  You get in, you lay back and you follow your breath.  There is an option to have ambient music in the background to help guide your meditation or you can have the tank dark and quiet for a true meditation experience!

·        Creative types!  Or those wishing to explore an idea in depth without interruption.  The tank is a beautiful place to visualize a problem, create a solution, organize an upcoming presentation, write a story line for a book or paper, or any other task requiring some thoughtful exploration.  Many of our greatest ideas business ideas at Acadia Yurts came from sitting with them inside the tank!

·        Those healing from injury!  Many patrons find the tank gives them freedom to explore range of motion while floating because the body is weightless due to the 35% salinity of the water!

·        People who need a break from screens!  If you are looking to escape the never-ending phone calls, emails or text messages or need a break from your computer screen; resting your eyes, breathing deeply into your chest, and hiding where no one can reach you is beautiful!  Many find the support of the water allows the upper back/shoulders to relax which helps to counter the chest collapse experienced as we engage with technology.  Teens are showing a growing interest in floating as more of their schooling transitions to being online (we offer shorter sessions for those under 18 years of age!).

Since floating is new to many, we are always available to answer questions prior to scheduling your float.  We have also created a great resource page with frequently asked questions (CLICK HERE) and a float orientation video, specific to our center BELOW.  We are here because we love floating (10+ years of floating for us personally!) and believe it has tremendous benefit for a wide variety of people and we look forward to sharing the experience with you!

Who Can Benefit From Infrared Sauna Use?

Short answer – almost everyone!!  The infrared sauna at Acadia Yurts is an amazing wellness tool with countless benefits and it is our belief that most people would benefit from regular sauna use.  We always recommend checking with a physician if you have certain conditions that may be exacerbated by increased circulation and/or heat.  The folks who should consider consulting a doctor first might be clients with heart disease, extremely high/low blood pressure, seizures, pregnancy or skin disorders to name a few.

While there are a few groups of people who should avoid the sauna, there are also many conditions that can benefit greatly with infrared use!  We at Acadia Yurts own a Sunlighten Full-Spectrum, Commercial Infrared Sauna.  According to their website, the primary benefits their saunas provide include:

• Detoxification – infrared saunas promote effortless, deep, productive sweat so your body can heal and maintain good health

• Heart Health – increases circulation and can lower blood pressure

• Muscle Recovery – deliver more oxygen to your cells for faster recovery and pain relief

• Anti-Aging – support your skin with near and far infrared to boost collagen/elastic production and increased circulation

• Relaxation – Sunlighten Saunas use therapeutic heat that leaves you physically restored and mentally refreshed

• Immune Health – hyperthermia (warming the body to simulate a fever) helps to kick your immune system in to overdrive to attack any unwanted pathogens

• Weight Loss – Sunlighten Saunas create a passive workout during usage- stimulating sluggish metabolism and burning fat

Given all the benefits, the next logical question is, who would benefit from using a sauna and why?  Below we have identified a few of the many demographics of people we see using the sauna:

• People who use their body physically for work or play!  The sauna helps with circulation to cut down on recovery time to get you back doing what you love whether it be work or play.  Runners, cyclists, skiers, hikers, paddlers or those with physical jobs like gardeners, carpenters and lobstermen/women.  Anything you do that demands physicality from your body would benefit from time in the sauna to keep you mobile.

• Those suffering from Lyme Disease.  Sauna usage can help the body detox heavy metals and fat-soluble toxins out of the body through sweat.  Infrared heat can assist the immune system by increasing circulation to allow the medication (if prescribed) to reach all parts of the body efficiently. Infrared saunas also relax the muscles and joints, providing much needed pain relief during your Lyme treatment.

• People with arthritis.  A study in the Netherlands found that far-infrared wavelengths helped patients with rheumatoid arthritis feel less fatigue, pain and stiffness.  Sunlighten Saunas are full spectrum and thus utilize near, mid, and far infrared.  Those suffering from arthritis might also try the Pain Relief setting.

• People fighting depression.  Many studies are being done about the possible use of heat as opposed to, or in conjunction with, prescription medications to help combat depression.  These studies are looking at many promising aspects including: body temperature dysregulation, heart disease, sleep disruptions, exercise habits, inflammation, neural signals from skin to brain and more in their relationship with depression.  We will keep a close eye on this research and continue to share what we find out!

• People sensitive to heat.  The reason this is NOT strange is because our sauna is controlled manually, so people who are sensitive to heat can control the temperature themselves to remain comfortable.  Infrared is best used at a lower temperature but for longer periods of time so think 130 degrees for 45 minutes as opposed to 150 degrees for 10 minutes.  You will get more from the session the longer you can stay in because the infrared wavelengths are penetrating your body, tissue, muscles and joints directly.  If you are sensitive to heat, then we have two suggestions:

  • Begin your session at 115° and manually raise the temperature as you feel more comfortable. 

  • Or, begin your session as the sauna is warming.  This allows the transition to be more gradual as opposed to coming in off the street and getting into the room already warm.

We are happy to facilitate both of these options if patrons communicate the need to us ahead of time.

• Anyone who needs an hour to themselves, which can mean pretty much everyone!  The sauna has numerous health benefits but it is also very relaxing and every single person could benefit from a little more relaxation in their life.

Acadia Yurts and Wellness Center is located in Southwest Harbor Maine and operates year-round.  We see a seasonal ebb and flow to the sauna usage with fall/winter being very popular and peak summer being less so.  We are happy to consult you on your individual needs and look forward to partnering with you for better health!

4th of July, 2021!

After landing itself on the Today Show’s top July 4th celebrations list, Bar Harbor has become a popular destination to celebrate our independence.  The island (Mount Desert Island) will be very busy over the holiday weekend so plan extra time to get everywhere and be patient with those working in local shops/restaurants as many are understaffed.  If you have your heart set on a specific restaurant or excursion during your stay, we highly recommend making reservations well in advance.  Luckily at Acadia Yurts, each of our rental units contain a kitchen so guests have the option to cook at home too!  Further, our property also features communal charcoal grills and outdoor dining options for you and your loved ones to create a memorable BBQ meal if you’d prefer to avoid the crowds.

Below is a schedule of festivities available on the island over the weekend:

Friday July 2nd

5:30 – 6:30 PM Intention & guided meditation workshop at Acadia Yurts 

Guest instructor Laura Marie will bring her handmade malas to Acadia Yurts and offer a free 30-minute workshop about the practice of sankalpa (heartfelt desire).  This workshop requires no mediation experience and shares the radical premise that you already are who you need to be to fulfill your life’s purpose. All you need to do is to focus your mind, connect to your heartfelt desire and channel the Divine energy within.  Trunk show to follow.

Sunday July 4th

9:00 AM – 3:00 PM Craft Fair/Marketplace

The Island Arts Association will hold a Craft Fair/Marketplace at the YMCA, 21 Park Street, featuring a wonderful selection of Maine crafts, including jewelry, quilts, photographs, pottery, and porcelain dolls. Please join us for this joint fundraiser for the YMCA and the YWCA.

11:00 AM Independence Day Parade

The community shows off its patriotism and good humor as the parade winds through downtown Bar Harbor from Main Street to Cottage Street to Eden Street to Mt. Desert Street to Ledgelawn Avenue.  The parade is crowded so plan to arrive early to find parking, stake out your viewing space and remember to bring plenty of water with you!

11:30 AM Open Table Cookout

This event will be held on the lawn at the Bar Harbor Congregational Church and will include grilling, watermelon and lemonade.  Open Table is a local non-profit that seeks to build community by sharing a meal together; they are a marvelous organization and will serve until they run out of food!

Mid-day enjoy a nap in your air-conditioned yurt/tiny house or head into Acadia National Park for a hike/swim/bike/paddle.  Some less crowded areas we enjoy are located on the Quietside of the island in Southwest Harbor, Tremont and Bass Harbor; go walking or biking on the Western Mountain carriage roads 0.5 miles from Acadia Yurts; hike along the waters edge at Ships Harbor/Wonderland and Seawall; take a dip in Long Pond, Echo Lake or Seal Cove Pond to cool off if the weather is warm.

No July 4 celebration would be complete without fireworks and Mount Desert Island has 2 options:

The Bar Harbor Fireworks begin approximately at 9:15 PM over Frenchman Bay.  This waterfront display is well loved and will be crowded.  If you are planning to watch fireworks here, plan on arriving early to mark your space on the lawn and expect a long wait/lots of traffic to exit Bar Harbor after the fireworks have ended.  

The Southwest Harbor Fireworks, albeit a smaller display than Bar Harbor’s, is still FUN and located a lot closer to Acadia Yurts!  These shoot off around 9PM from the harbor.  Aaron and Karen have reserved a table on the porch at the Upper Deck restaurant (live music starts at 7pm!) and watch the fireworks from our table.  The fireworks display in Southwest can be viewed from many different places along the harbor and getting out of town afterward is much easier.  In 2019 we were home 10 minutes after fireworks ended!

Regardless of what your celebration entails please be safe.  There will be lots of people/cars/kids/pets everywhere so move mindfully, be patient, and enjoy your day!

First Yoga Class Since Covid

Summer Solstice Yoga

Summer is perhaps the most welcomed of seasonal shifts; it brings warm weather, travel, time off from work/school, fresh fruit, swimming, gathering with friends/family and so much more.  The sound associated with summer is laughter while the emotions are LOVE and HATE; two very strong emotions that come out of the heart. Summer brings hot temperatures and with that can come increased circulation and growth but if left unchecked, can lead to irritability and frustration.

The summer solstice is a great time to appreciate how far you have come and set goals for where you want to go.  Energy is high around the solstice so it is a great time for reflection, celebration, and goal setting.  When moving into summer, exercise caution to find the balance between action and being.  If we are too active and burn the candle at both ends, we risk overheating and becoming irritable.  On the flip side, we should be trying to embrace the longer days, enjoy the nature around us, work up a slight sweat to keep pores open and circulation strong because with each passing day we move closer to the sedentary and cold winter season.

Keeping digestion strong in the summer can be challenging because often this season brings indulgence and irregular schedules.  Drinking plenty of water to keep the body cool and nourished is a must with warmer temperatures.  Try adding lemon or cucumber to your water to spice things up!  Avoid eating too many spicy foods in the summer because inside the body like increases like.  Instead, opt for bitter foods like fresh greens from a local farmers market.

The class plan below can be for a 90–120-minute practice and the oils paired with the poses are intended to cool, ground, and focus the body/mind.  While I am not a licensed acupuncturist, I included some acupressure points to ease the heart and lungs for this practice.  Use caution with acupressure points if you have any heart or blood related ailments.

Sources used to create this class:

• Insight Yoga by Sarah Powers

• Holistic Aromatherapy by Marc Gian

• Acupressure’s Potent Points by Michael Reed Gach

• SUMMER: The Season of Abundance; the Element of Fire

Spotify Playlist for class:

CLICK HERE!

 Sequence:

CLICK HERE!

2020 Season Covid Wrap-Up

We want to first begin by thanking every single person who supported our small business this year!  From the yurt and tiny house renters to all those who patroned our wellness center; we cannot do what we do without you so THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts!

2020 has been a difficult year for a multitude of reasons but we think it’s important to pause as often as possible and recall one thing you are grateful for!  Then sit in the grateful space as long as time allows and soak it in!  This practice is helpful to keep the mind focused on the positive so that we can find more to be grateful for.  Grateful hearts are warm and thoughtful and we need more of that in our world. 

The Yurts

We are grateful and humbled to report that from our opening on June 1st through our closing on November 7th we did not have a single vacancy in our rentals.  In our 5 previous seasons, that had never happened.  WOW, we are grateful!  What this demonstrated to us was the desire to get away, feel safe and be outside.  Acadia National Park and Acadia Yurts are perfect for social distancing and we are overjoyed that so many of you trusted us with your vacation.

Not only was there a thirst for travel in 2020 but there was also a sense of looking ahead to brighter days in 2021.  As we wade through this challenging time, many of our guests have begun planning for 2021 in order to have something to look forward to.  Norumbega Mtn Yurt, our only 30’ yurt, is over 55% booked for the season with June, July and half of August featuring no vacancies.  This yurt is our most popular and books up quickly, but please know, there are plenty of summer weeks available in one of our six 24’ yurts or two tiny houses.  The tiny houses sleep a maximum of 2 people and the 24’ yurts sleep a maximum of 4.  Two of the 24’ yurts are pet friendly so that your 4-legged family member can join your Acadia adventure (these also book up in advance as an FYI)!  As we enter the holiday season and finances can feel a bit tight, we want to remind you that we offer payment schedules for future bookings.  This way you can feel confident securing your stay while not making the full financial investment up front.  Please email us to discuss your family’s vacation needs, receive a quote and proposed payment schedule!

The Wellness Center

The wellness center has been cranking along since reopening July 1.  With such turbulence in 2020, this year more than ever folks craved the selfcare modalities we offer.  We are so grateful you trust us with your self-care!  We feel honored to operate a place where the community can take some time for themselves so they can show up more fully, everywhere else.  While we are not having in person yoga classes at this time Karen hopes to have an exciting 2021 announcement in the next few weeks.  Until then we welcome you to unwind in our infrared sauna, float tank or on the massage table.  We will have very limited appointments from December 25 to January 5 as we take some time to unwind and replenish ourselves.  Before and after that we would love to see you!  We hope everyone reading has a happy holiday season, please take care of yourselves and take care of each other!

Covid 19 Rental Policies 2020/2021

We understand many of you are in the same boat, you are ready to enjoy Acadia National Park and a 2021 vacation but you aren’t sure about Maine’s travel mandates or Acadia Yurts’ rental policies. Currently there are several ways to vacation safely to Maine and here is a brief overview (as of 12/11/20):

• If your place of primary residence is from any of these states, ME, NH, VT then you are currently exempt from travel restrictions and may move freely about the state.

• For all other state residents, you must receive a negative Covid 19 test 72 hours prior to your arrival in Maine.

• Spend 14 days quarantining in Maine prior to starting your vacation.

• Spend your entire vacation in “quarantine”. This would look like social distancing and you could still access the park for outdoor activities (hiking, biking, swimming, etc.) and you could get takeout from restaurants but you would NOT be able to grocery shop, dine in restaurants or go on excursions such as nature cruises/whale watches etc. without a negative test.

As far as the Acadia Yurts cancellation policy, for people booking now, we are enforcing it (click here to view our Rental Agreement). Basically if you cancel outside 30 days to check in your security deposit would be held as a penalty. If cancelled inside 30 days to check in, your entire rental amount is at risk unless we can rebook your dates to another traveler. If you were to book today and everything stays the same (pandemic wise) but you get fearful of travel, we would follow our existing policies.

If the test you take in order to travel to Maine comes back positive for the Coronavirus, we are unable to issue refunds it will be too late for us to remarket your dates. We unfortunately cannot to be responsible for the financial burden of a cancellation so close to your check in date. We urge you to be mindful of your activities 14 days prior to travel in order to maintain virus free and thus enjoy your vacation at Acadia Yurts.

If you booked prior to the pandemic or the travel restrictions tighten heavily after you book and we experience another shut down, we would give all existing reservations the following 3 options:

• Move dates to another time, this year or next (no penalty).

• Hold a flexible credit for future travel (no penalty).

• Issue a full refund (no penalty).

We are not in the business of holding people’s money unnecessarily and have worked closely with each guest during the pandemic to find a solution that best meets their needs. Hopefully these answers will set your mind at ease and give you an confidence to book a fun 2021 vacation at Acadia Yurts! If you have any further questions please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page. If you have questions after that then send us an email. We look forward to the possibility of hosting you!

Covid Rental Cleaning Protocols

At Acadia Yurts, we take great pride in the cleanliness of your unit.  To ensure your safety, we have cleaned the Yurts and Tiny Houses in the following ways:

• All staff wore 3 ply face masks and gloves while in your unit.

• Cleaning products are consistent with CDC recommended disinfectants.

• All bed, bath and kitchen linens were washed in hot water with soap and a touch of bleach (whites) or white vinegar (colors).

• All surfaces, included but not limited to, countertops, sinks, shower, toilet, etc. have been disinfected.

• All fabric items, included but not limited to, pillows, mattresses, rugs, couches, curtains, etc. have been sprayed with a fabric safe disinfectant.

• All commonly touched areas, included but not limited to, door handles, light switches, lockboxes, cabinet knobs, shower handle, etc. were wiped down with a disinfectant wipe.

• Floors are vacuumed and mopped.

• Windows have been opened with fan on high and bathroom exhaust on to promote airflow between guests.

If you have any questions about our cleaning process or anything else safety related, please feel free to call or text our business number, (207) 669-2059.  We hope this sets your mind at ease so you can enjoy your vacation

Covid and The Wellness Center

This season we will be limiting use of the Wellness Center to clients who fit the following criteria:

• Maine residents, residents of the other 2 exempt states (NH & VT) or folks that have completed a 14 day quarantine in the state of Maine.

• Travelers who have recently tested negative for the Coronavirus.

We have also added measures to ensure client safety while using our services:

• All staff members wear a 3 ply-face mask.

• Cleaning products are consistent with CDC recommended disinfectants.

• Staggered appointment times to limit patrons in waiting area as well as leaving more time to cleaning between visitors.

• When possible, waiver forms will be sent electronically to be filled out prior to arrival.

• All visitors are expected to wear a mask until they have entered their treatment room.

• All commonly touched areas, including but not limited to door handles, light switches, bathroom fixtures, shower handle, etc. were wiped down with a disinfectant wipe between patrons.

• Additional time between appointments to allow for deeper cleaning (unless back to back clients are from the same household).

• Air purifiers will be utilized in the treatment rooms.

• The float tank will be cleaned following the Floatation Tank Association covid guidelines between clients.

• The sauna, as per Sunlighten Sauna Company, will be cleaned with it’s traditional solution of 1/2 vinegar 1/2 water. This is because our sauna is a medical grade unit (utilizes the correct wavelengths the human body can absorb at least 95% of the time) and high quality infrared is a natural germ and bacteria killer. All touch points inside the room of the sauna will also be cleaned (with a CDC recommended cleaner) as well as all fabric items and the shower in between each client.

• The massage room will be disinfected between each client including all touch points, the massage table and all fabric items. The face cradle will also have a pillow case attached underneath to collect any droplets while the client is face down. Karen will be wearing a face covering during the duration of the session and all clients are asked to wear one while face up.

Pay What You Can

UPDATE 5/20/20:

Thank you so much for all of those that participated in our “Pay What You Can” Program for the month of June! In the last 3 weeks we have received over 300 applications and placed over 100 families who offered to pay what they can! We have been overwhelmed by the positive response to this offering and plan to offer something similar annually.

***** At this point we are NO LONGER accepting applications for the program *****

Since we shared this program first via our NEWSLETTER and social media pages, we encourage you to follow us on FACEBOOK or INSTAGRAM. If we do not get the chance to host you this summer, then we look forward to opportunity in the future! Thank you so much again!

ORIGINAL POST 4/30/20:

As life in Maine changes in the wake of Covid-19, we at Acadia Yurts are excited to ask you to try an experiment with us!  Tourism is such a huge part of local economy on Mount Desert Island and due to the newly imposed 14 day “out-of-stater” quarantine in June (and potentially July & August), our yurts will largely remain empty.  Without these June travelers, we thought we might offer Mainers a staycation option to experience Acadia National Park and still remain within your budget.  Here is our pitch:

This June, we would like to offer people living in Maine, the opportunity to “pay what you can” to stay at Acadia Yurts!  We are waiving our usual 7-night requirement and welcoming locals for shorter periods of time, all while offering this on a budget you get to set.  That’s right, you get to stay in one of our yurts or tiny houses and name your price. 

Acadia Yurts, a perfect place to safely and pleasantly social distance, will offer you one of our rental units, each featuring an indoor bathroom and fully stocked kitchen, located in Southwest Harbor and surrounded by Acadia National Park, at a price you can afford for a length of time that works for you.  We will furnish all the necessary bed and bath linens; you just bring the people you want to spend time with!  We have on site charcoal grills and a fire pit for star gazing, free Wi-Fi, picnic table eating areas and we are just minutes from many incredible national park sites.

To ensure your safety at our property, we are going to schedule June reservations with gap days in order to allow for proper cleaning between guests.  We will of course be washing all bed and bath linens in hot water with bleach.  All surfaces and commonly touched areas will be disinfected including countertops, door handles, light switches, etc. and we use a self-check in process so you can arrive and depart at your leisure.  Cleaning products will be consistent with the CDC recommended disinfectants.

·         To apply please fill out the short application below and email it to us at acadiayurts@gmail.com

·         Due to current state requirements, this offer is only valid for residents living in Maine who have been quarantined in the state for at least 14 days

·         Please share this offer with someone you think could also benefit from a short getaway.  Getting the word out via your social media or by forwarding our messages helps us reach more people

While this pandemic has drastically affected everyone lives, we’d like to still take advantage of the things we find important (and share them with you!): reconnecting with friends and family, spending time in nature, traveling and sharing new experiences!  Hopefully this offer adds a silver lining to the next month as you prepare for a fun staycation.

Application deadline is 12pm on Friday, May 15 and recipients will be notified if their application was accepted on Monday, May 18.  We will do our best to accommodate as many requests as possible and WE can’t wait to hear from you!

Warmest Regards,

Aaron & Karen

PAY WHAT YOU CAN APPLICATION

What is There to do on Rainy Days?

No one wants it to rain on their vacation but let’s be real, this is Maine, it’s going to rain at some point!  If you find yourself with a rain filled day while staying at Acadia Yurts, there are still plenty of fun things to do…

1.      Visit our Wellness Center and Nurture Yourself – Acadia Yurts has plenty of self-care options available for you such as massage therapy, an infrared sauna, float therapy or a yoga class.  If you see rain in your weekly forecast, think about scheduling ahead because many guests want to come in on rainy days!

2.      Borrow a Board Game/DVD/Puzzle from our RED Barn – We provide these items, free of charge, so that you can entertain yourself during a rainy day.  We do not provide DVD players so you would need to bring a device/laptop with you.  Many families report they cannot remember the last time they played board games or put a puzzle together.  It’s fun and different from today’s norm.

3.      Drive the Park and Sightsee from the Comforts of Your Car – Things get very quiet on rainy days but there is still plenty to see/experience.  Watch the waves crash on the rocks while driving to Park Loop Road or head to Schoodic Peninsula; a less traveled part of Acadia National Park about a 1-hour drive from here.  Consider taking a trip that way; it might not even be raining there!

4.      Art Waves – just a short drive away (about a 10-minutes), they offer a multitude of classes most days of the week with various mediums, topics, art, fitness and more.

5.      Head to the Atlantic Brewery and Mainely Meat – get a brewery tour and taste some of MDI’s most popular beers.  Hungry?  Grab some delicious BBQ next door (Town Hill location).

6.      Go to a Museum –

a.      Abbe Museum (Bar Harbor) – Native American

b.      Seal Cove Auto Museum (Seal Cove) – Antique Automobiles

c.       George B. Dorr Museum of Natural History (Bar Harbor) – Coastal Maine Wildlife

d.      Wendell Gilley Museum (Southwest Harbor) – Bird Carving

e.      Maine Discovery Museum (Bangor) – Children

7.      See a Movie – The Criterion Theatre & Reel Pizza Cinema are two wonderful, and distinctly different, options to see a movie in Bar Harbor.

8.      Chicken Barn in Ellsworth – it’s an enormous consignment shop on the far edge of Ellsworth with an entire floor of old books.  You could likely spend hours in this place and come home with something unique.  This is a quintessential Downeast Maine favorite.

9.      Window Shop our Local Boutiques – like many small towns, we have many talented artists, jewelers and craftsman/women.  Use this time to find that special something for that special someone.

10.  Have a Delicious Meal – stay in and make your own meal or taste test your way around the Island, sampling all the delectable treats Maine has to offer: Lobster, Clam Chowder, Crab Cakes, Fried Scallops, Halibut, Whoopie Pies, Blueberry Pie, etc.! 

11.  Relax and Rest – if your lives are like our lives, then you are constantly on the go.  We believe rain can be Mother Nature’s way of telling us to rest and relax.  Take these moments to slow down, grab a book from the RED barn lending library and chill.  Many guests report the rain on the yurt roof (or Tiny House tin roof) is calming and enjoyable.  Napping is also highly encouraged at Acadia Yurts 😉

These are just a few of the rainy-day activities that can be enjoyed while on Mount Desert Island.  If there are others you’ve discovered and would like to add to our list, then we’d be happy to hear them!

What Family Friendly Activities are there on MDI?

Acadia National Park is a very family friendly vacation destination and Acadia Yurts is too!  Here are some family friendly hikes/activities to consider during your time here.

1.      Diver Ed’s Dive in Theatre – Join Diver Ed aboard the Starfish Enterprise for the most entertaining and memorable experience of your Maine visit. This interactive, underwater (for Diver Ed, anyway) adventure is for all ages.

2.      Reel Pizza Movie Cinema – Dinner and a show at Reel Pizza.  Sit in comfortable chairs/couches with tables/tv-trays for pizza and watch one of today’s popular movies.  Check website for show times and films being shown.

3.      Junior Ranger Program – Many families have reported this was one of their child’s favorite activities during their trip.  Choose from courses like Wild Things or Super Sand Sleuths.  Visit the National Park website for more information.

4.      Take the Mailboat to the Surrounding Islands – Get out on the water and see MDI from a different view while exploring the nearby islands!  If you are heading that way, consider lunch/dinner at Islesford Dock Restaurant.  The Mailboat leaves from the Southwest Harbor & Northeast Harbor marinas.

5.      Tidepools – Visit Seal Cove Pond, Wonderland, Ships Harbor, Seawall, etc. to walk, explore the water’s edge, peak in the tidepools and see what’s living underneath the seaweed!

6.      Nature Cruises – Weather and season contingent but getting out on the water and learning about the critters is always a home run.  Tours include whale watches, nature cruises, puffin tours, etc.

7.      Camp Beech Cliff – They often have climbing wall hours available for both a family friendly and indoor option.

8.      Art Waves – Just a short drive away (about a 10-minutes), they offer a multitude of classes most days of the week with various mediums, topics, art, fitness and more.

9.      Register for Acadia Quest – Put on by the Friends of Acadia, Acadia Quest is a series of outdoor experiences in Acadia National Park that encourage youth to explore, learn, and protect national parks and other conserved lands and waters. Visit the ANP Welcome Center or the Friends of Acadia website for more information.

10.  Acadia Fun Park – Located on Route 3 in Trenton, the Fun Park features a ropes course, go karts, water slides, zip line, mini golf, an arcade and an aerial ropes course!  Fun will be had by all!

These are just a few of the family friendly activities that can be enjoyed while on Mount Desert Island.  If there are others you’ve discovered and would like to add to our list, then we’d be happy to hear them!

What Makes Southwest Harbor Great?

Referred to by locals as the Quietside, Southwest Harbor has it all in terms of attractions while also maintaining a quiet, community feel.  Acadia National Park is often synonymous with Bar Harbor for those who are new to Mount Desert Island (MDI for short).  This is because the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce has done a fabulous job getting Acadia on the map!  You will find Bar Harbor on many top 10 lists including affordable family vacations, best fall foliage, most scenic marathon, best ice cream and more, but Acadia National Park and MDI is much more than just Bar Harbor.  Our business, Acadia Yurts, is located in Southwest Harbor and if you only stuck to the guidebooks or TripAdvisor top 10 list, you’d risk missing many of the hidden gems that endear Acadia to the masses.

A short synopsis of the island to increase your familiarity… MDI is made up of 4 towns listed here in terms of population from largest to smallest: Bar Harbor, Mount Desert, Southwest Harbor and Tremont.  While MDI has a small year-round community, it thrives on tourism from April through October, seeing approximately 3.5 million Park visitors annually.  Acadia tops the 7 most visited national parks in the United States behind Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Zion, Rocky Mountain, Smoky Mountain and Yosemite.  That is a flattering crowd to be among!

Southwest Harbor has everything you might expect in a Maine seaside town; locally owned restaurants and shops, parks, galleries and a working waterfront.  Unlike your typical commute, the drive from Southwest Harbor to other park attractions is stunning.  You drive by Echo Lake and Acadia/St Sauveur mountains on your way to Somesville, past the end of Somes Sound to access the towns of Northeast and witness the most incredible Fall foliage on Route 233 on the way to Bar Harbor.  To access most parts of the island your maximum drive time is about 20-30 minutes, depending on traffic.  Southwest to Northeast is 13 miles; Southwest to Bar Harbor is 14 miles; Bar Harbor to Northeast is 12 miles.  It might be your most scenic commute ever because everywhere you look you see green space, water, and beauty; not bad for the daily drive to the next adventure!

Acadia National Park is sprinkled throughout all of MDI, covering nearly half of the island’s total acreage.  Within 10 miles of downtown Southwest Harbor you will find mountain peaks, biking trails, fresh water swimming, a lighthouse and more.  Some local favorites for fresh water access are Echo Lake, Long Pond, Somes Pond and Seal Cove Pond.  These areas are great for bringing a canoe/kayak/paddleboard or taking a dip to cool down.  Echo Lake has a sandy beach and the beloved bluffs, as well as multiple boat launch sites along Rt 198.  Long Pond has a thrilling cliff to jump from or a meandering walking trail along the water’s edge.  Ponds End is the far end of Long Pond, located in Mount Desert, and offers canoe and paddle board rental as well as a boat launch.

Being on or near that water is part of what makes Acadia so magical.  If lake water swimming isn’t your jam consider spending time walking near the water’s edge or getting out on a boat.  Seawall, Wonderland and Ships Harbor are located less than 5 miles from downtown Southwest Harbor and each area brings you close to the water’s edge.  All of these areas have park signs indicating you have arrived and Ships Harbor has public restrooms in the parking area.  Wonderland and Ships Harbor are great for kids, dogs and those looking for an easy yet scenic hiking loop.  Tide pools, rocky coastlines, mud flats and views to the horizon make each of these areas a must! 

To get out on the water via boat we recommend the Cranberry Cove Ferry or Sail Acadia; both depart from Southwest Harbor.  When visiting Little Cranberry consider stopping at the Islesford Dock Restaurant for lunch or shopping in the gallery next door.  Sail Acadia offers sailing charters on their classic Maine Friendship sloop, the Alice E (the original Maine Lobster ship) or cruise on one of their “current day” lobster boats.  The Alice E was built in 1899 and is the oldest working Friendship Sloop!  Tours with Sail Acadia are sure to be one of your visit highlights!

Hiking on the Quietside is abundant.  Parking areas for Acadia and St. Sauveur Mountains are on Route 198 as you enter Southwest Harbor.  These mountains are moderate hikes that can be done individually or strung together for a longer venture.  Just over the mountain (or around the corner) is Flying Mountain.  Flying takes hikers down to Somes Sound before looping back around to the parking area.  Beech Mountain has 4 separate trails that all lead to a fire tower on top of the mountain.  Two trails can be accessed from the end of Long Pond (only 2 minutes from Acadia Yurts!) and the other two can be accessed from the Somesville side near Camp Beech Cliff.  Atop Beech Mountain you can see the Cranberry Islands in the distance, downtown Southwest Harbor, Echo Lake and nearby Acadia/St. Sauveur mountains.  Little known secret is the sunset granite thrones built facing west for a magical sunset without the crowds!  The Western Mountains are also located in Southwest Harbor and boast moderate to challenging hikes without the crowds.  This range can be accessed from the end of Long Pond or via the Seal Cove Road.  Speaking of the Seal Cove Road; that park entrance is a great spot for running, walking a dog, biking, hiking and fishing.  This area of the park sees far less car and foot traffic compared to many other park locations so it feels a million miles away while only clocking 3 miles from downtown (and less if you’re staying at Acadia Yurts!).

Thinking about all this activity is making me hungry so what is there to eat in Southwest Harbor?  For breakfast on the run stop by Milagro; their homemade baked goods are divine and their coffee is delicious!  To sit down and plan your day, stop by Sips for a “sip” (and a bite to eat).  Their meals are reasonable in size and cost while being absolutely delicious.  The Upper Deck has the most incredible views of the harbor while also serving a classic Maine food fare.  Sunday brunch features the infamous Roberta DeMuro on the piano.

If you are visiting Acadia then Popovers are a MUST!  Most visitors head to the Jordan Pond House but the locals go to Southwest Harbor and the Common Good Café.  The Common Good a non-profit community-based organization dedicated to promoting health, nutrition, and fellowship, among the residents of Mount Desert Island. This establishment runs entirely by donations, grants, and volunteer labor, the café also runs a distribution program to deliver soup to senior residences and others who cannot make it out to the café.  Mid-June through mid-October, this soup kitchen is open Tuesday through Sunday from 7:30-11:30am and cranks out the best popovers, often accompanied by live music.  Their philosophy was built on “emphasizing true community building along with incorporating healthy and locally sourced food”.  That’s a motto we can get behind!

For lunch and dinner, we recommend Quietside Café and Eat A Pita.  Both restaurants are located on Main Street in downtown Southwest Harbor and offer space to dine in or will pack your goodies to hit the road.  Quietside Café is often buzzing at night with visitors stopping by for blueberry pie ala mode or an ice cream cone to round out their day of adventuring.  Red Sky, Coda and Rogue offers you foodies out there delicious dinners utilizing the freshest produce, seafood and meat available.  For all local restaurants we recommend calling in advance for reservations during the summer months to ensure a table.

If you prefer to cook at home, then we recommend stopping at the larger grocery stores in Ellsworth to stock up on essentials; Shaw’s and Hannaford are both located in Ellsworth.  To replenish during your stay, the IGA in Southwest Harbor or the Gott’s Store on the far side of town have you covered.  After you have shopped at Gott’s, go back to your rental and find the parody video on YouTube filmed by the Barn Arts Collective.  It’s an amazing look into the local scene.  For fresh, seasonal produce swing by the market at Beech Hill Farms.  Their hours vary from shoulder to peak season but often there is a sandwich board with the information as you pass through Somesville near the fire station.  During the summer months, expect weekly farmers markets in Bar Harbor and Southwest Harbor with local produce, honey, crafts and local goodies.

These are just a few of the reasons why we have fallen in love with Southwest Harbor. We encourage you to explore on your own and send us additional reasons why you find Southwest Harbor so great!

Why are Your Yoga Classes Offered by Donation?

We are very proud to offer donation-based yoga in our Wellness Center at Acadia Yurts.  This approach to yoga is out of norm in the mainstream yoga community, however it is gaining traction around the United States as a way to make yoga accessible to more people.  We are often asked why we chose a donation-based model and we would like to take this opportunity to explain how we arrived at this decision.  While this article explains our yoga philosophy, we are not judging other establishments or yoga teachers who approach yoga differently.  We know and highly respect many individuals who make a living teaching yoga and rely on this as their main source of income.  When finalizing our service menu, we felt confident the other offerings (massage therapy, infrared sauna & floatation tank) would generate enough income to cover building expenses so that we could offer donation-based yoga with no expectation of income.  We honor and appreciate all yoga offerings as a way to share individual gifts with the world and this is our story.

Before attending a yoga teacher training in 2010, Karen practiced yoga in gyms, studios and at home for 10 years.  Public yoga classes have always been treasured not only for the physical benefits of moving the body but also the emotional thread that teachers weave into classes.  Added to the experience is the power of practicing in community with others.  Breathing together, sitting together, moving together creates a feeling of belonging completely unique to practicing in a community space.  Yoga is a lifestyle and like all things, it requires disciplined practice. 

Since Mount Desert Island is a seasonal town, Karen and Aaron decided to spend their first winter as a couple in Austin, Texas during the offseason.  They planned to be away January through April then make their way back to Maine for the following tourist season beginning in May.  With 4 months in a new place it was important to Karen to find a yoga community to join.  Anytime Karen & Aaron travel one of the first Google searches is yoga studios in the area.  In Austin, Karen felt most connected to Black Swan Yoga.  Black Swan had regularly scheduled classes/workshops and advertised itself as a donation-based studio.  Their classes were offered on a sliding scale with registration ranging from $5-15 per class.  You could pay at the studio when you arrived or online to save your mat space.  Their teachers were highly trained, classes supported physical and mental balance, and the studio felt inclusive.  Black Swan was not the closest studio to their North Austin apartment but it was worth the travel.

A year later Karen & Aaron visited Asheville, North Carolina and felt drawn to another local studio that also advertised itself as donation based.  Their model was very similar to the studio in Austin but had an additional statement on their website that indicated class would be free for those who could not afford the suggested donation.  The Asheville studio is funded through generous donations from students as well as local businesses and organizations.  This model of creating a community space that offered quality instruction but removed the financial stigma that “yoga was only for middle to upper class people” resonated with Karen.

Many moons and studio visits later, the time came for Acadia Yurts to open its new Wellness Center and we had many big decisions to make about how we would price our services.  Access to regular self-care is very important to Karen and Aaron and they wanted to price the services so that there is something for everyone, regardless of income.  Some may not be able to afford a float or massage because those services begin at $65 and go up to $80 per hour, but everyone could attend yoga if it was donation based.  With 2 ongoing weekly classes, locals could access self-care 2 times per week with no financial requirements. 

When Karen and Aaron were finalizing the business plan and pricing for the new Wellness Center, they were visiting Colorado and found another donation-based studio.  Karen went to the studio with a $20 bill assuming she could pay $15 for a 1-hour class and have $5 left over to grab a coffee.  When she checked in at the front desk, the yoga teacher said the suggested donation was $20.  Karen had the proper cash and could afford to pay $20 for class although that wasn’t her intention when leaving the house.  She loved the studio and the class offering but this experience confirmed that when a “suggested donation” is in place, there is now a pressure on the patron to meet the suggested donation or provide an explanation.  To pay less than the suggested donation might cause shame on behalf of the patron and that is a barrier we wanted to avoid when setting our prices at Acadia Yurts.  Through all of these experiences with donation-based studios we arrived at the decision that in our space, a donation-based payment would mean you give what you can comfortably, with no expectation or suggestion from the establishment. 

Our goal is to make yoga accessible to all members of the community, regardless of their income.  To maintain your privacy, our check in process is a small booklet to sign your name and a heart shaped box where you leave your donation. You sign yourself in, you put your donation directly into the box and we have no idea what amount of money you left.  While Karen is often sitting behind the desk to greet you, there is not exchange of money from your hands to her, thus no judgement about your donation amount.  Your donation could be a $1 bill or a $20 bill and when they are folded and tucked into the box, they look the same from our side of the desk.  No questions, no judgment, you come as you are and leave what you can!

When opening the Wellness Center at Acadia Yurts, we made a commitment to our community to support its people by offering self-care services that were reasonably priced so you, the patron, could feel comfortable accessing the services more often.  Like all things, if you practice self-care once or twice a year it feels good and reduces stress, but regular access is when transformation happens.  It is with regular observation and exploration that we learn about our bodies, study the acquired habits that previously kept us safe and let go of the mental weight that creates stress and sickness.  Yoga and mindfulness are muscles, just like biceps; working them once feels good but if you want to see lasting results, they need regular work.  At $12-30 per class that routine maintenance adds up quickly.  Our bodies are simultaneously intelligent, resilient and delicate so they need continual nurturing to move through our experiences so we can perform at our best. 

When all is said and done, your bills are paid and your family is fed, you may have only $20 to spend on your health for the month.  We would rather you come to 10 yoga classes and pay $2 than feel limited to one $20 class.  Those 10 classes have the potential to reduce chronic pain, strengthen your immune system, promote better sleep and more; plus, our community needs you at your best!  Our kids need teachers at their best.  Our safety needs first responders/nurses/doctors at their best.  Our family, friends, & community members need each of us at our best.  Our philosophy is that a regular yoga practice will foster a physically healthy body and mentally balanced person who can contribute more to our community.  To us as the owners, that is worth the time/effort it takes to plan and lead ongoing weekly classes, all while maintaining a donation-based yoga offering.  The ripple of one person working on themselves can help change a community.  Here at Acadia Yurts, we are honored and thrilled to be able to share yoga with you from our humble studio in Southwest Harbor.

Our classes are appropriate for everyone, regardless of yoga experience (i.e. new practitioners are encouraged to attend).  We provide all mats and props and we are 100% donation based (with no suggested donation)!  Please join us and let’s make lasting change within our community.

Why Yurts?

One of the most common questions we get asked is, “where did the idea for yurts come from?”  We must admit, before our friend Lauren bought a yurt to live in, neither of us had heard of a yurt let alone seen one in person!  Lauren is an incredibly creative person and anyone who knows her knows she is often on the cutting edge of creativity and exploration.  Lauren’s yurt was very rustic and since she knows how to stretch a dollar, she didn’t mind “roughing” it in order to have her own home, debt free, in a place where the housing market is very expensive.

Yurts were originally used by nomadic tribes because they can be assembled and disassembled quickly while following your food source.  Our first yurt visit was the day Lauren’s yurt was erected.  To paint a picture of her dwelling, it had beautiful birch saplings for the lattice and rafters, the classic yurt dome on top complete with a cutout for a stove pipe and a handcrafted platform to rest on.  Because it did not have running water, electricity, an indoor bathroom, or insulation, Lauren carried in water, utilized lanterns and solar power, built an outhouse, and used a wood stove for heat during the winter months.  It was rustic in terms of amenities but what it lacked in modern conveniences it made up for in character. 

Days after Lauren’s yurt went up and she had begun moving in, Aaron and Karen went for a second visit.  Lauren had beautified the space and we were stunned by the energetic feel of the rustic, circular space.  From that day forward we had yurts on the brain!  We started to pontificate about blending the classic yurt structure but with a few more modern amenities.  We wondered if tourists traveling to MDI would be interested in renting our version of the nomadic dwelling. Our vision had started to take shape. 

We took our idea to the internet and began browsing yurt manufacturers.  The 2 largest US companies are Colorado Yurt Company and Pacific Yurt Company.  We moved through all the information on their websites, browsed their social media pages and in the end felt most drawn to Colorado Yurt Company.  Based in Colorado, we trusted their knowledge and understanding for the potential of high wind and heavy snow loads; two similarities Colorado and Maine experience.  With our vision taking shape we naively wondered if we were the first people to think of glamming up a rustic yurt, only to learn that not only were people already doing it, it was starting to become a travel trend!  In fact, there was already a word for it: GLAMPING (Glamour- Camping)!  This was marketing at its finest as they perfectly described what we wanted to offer.

We now had the idea and the yurt manufacturing company figured out.  Next, we began to investigate if our vision was even feasible.  Many yurt rentals we found online or in the state of Maine were very rustic like Lauren’s; carry in water for washing dishes, outhouses, solar showers.  These stripped-down versions seemed novel for a night or 2 but we knew that to appeal to a wider demographic, we’d need more in terms of amenities.  From here we began a list of what we look for in a vacation rental.  The big ones for us were a full kitchen, a bathroom with running water and flushing toilet and finally a heat source we wouldn’t have to stoke in the middle of the night.  Even Wifi was a priority for us!

We started to assemble a creative team of contractors who would make our dream a reality.  Many of them didn’t quite understand our vision but they knew we were extremely motivated and our money was green!  At the end of our build they had become yurt converts.  Some even wondered if they could put a rental yurt on a dock in the bay or up at their camp as a bunk house.  Our finished product turned out amazing!  Karen will often describe our yurts as circular condos because of how much luxury they offer; a queen-sized bed, provided towels and bedding and a fully stocked kitchen and bath. 

The yurts also draw on the nostalgia of camping.  The thin canvas walls allow you to hear the surrounding nature.  You wake with the sun and fall asleep to the stars thanks to the circular dome at the apex of the building.  All this while lying in a cushy queen size bed in a climate-controlled space.  Long gone are the nights of sleeping on the ground or going outside to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.  And the rain, oh the rain on the yurt canvas is its own kind of magic, similar to that of a tin roof, is best experienced in person.  Our former camping clientele use to see the rain and wonder if their belongings would be floating in the morning, now the rain lulls them to sleep in the comforts of the yurt.  It’s all the good parts of camping without the potential downsides. 

Our yurts also have a wonderful way of tricking you into thinking you have more space because of the open floor plans.  We only have 2 walls in the whole structure and they enclose the bathroom for privacy.  The remainder of the building is open and the ceiling vaulted which makes the space feel larger than its reality of only 452 square feet.  This space is perfectly equipped for a couple up to a family of four, looking for a fun alternative option to traditional lodging. 

With the glamping trend hitting the mainstream, travelers are now looking to make their lodging choice more than just a place to lay their heads at night; they want an experience, to try something new!  We feel lucky to have created our little yurt village just as the glamping trend became so popular.  At Acadia Yurts, we are thrilled to offer you a truly unique way to stay while exploring the beauty of Acadia National Park.

Why Start a BLOG?

You might be asking why a vacation rental business and wellness center would need a blog?  If you had asked us when we first started this business, would be bloggers, we both would have said an emphatic “No!”  We’ve spent the last 6 years up to our eyeballs in building projects and planning and dreaming so back then, there wasn’t an ounce of energy left for anything above survival.  Now that our building projects are complete, we are stepping into a new phase of our business.  Our goals in this phase are to provide meaningful content about how Acadia Yurts came to be, what inspires us and what makes our businesses unique, all in an overarching effort to remain industry leaders.

We will share the who, what, where, when, why and how of our little village.  You can expect posts about WHO we are as individuals; WHO is our target audience; WHAT is a yurt; WHAT makes our place special; WHERE did this idea come from; WHERE did you get your massage & yoga training; WHY Southwest Harbor; WHY tiny houses; WHEN is yoga; WHEN did you open; HOW did you get this approved in your town?  And much much more! 

Our goal is to answer some of the more common questions we get asked in order to provide readers with clear information about what we do & why we do it.  For instance, part of our role in this industry has turned into educating the public, walking them through what we offer so that they can make educated decisions that are unique to themselves, their families and to meet their personal goals.  This applies to your health in our wellness center and your vacation in our rentals.  We take this job very seriously and want everyone to have an exceptional experience on our property!

We haven’t figured out how often we will post but we do know we will share the content on our website via the BLOG tab (on the bottom menu) and our social media pages (Facebook & Instagram), so be sure to follow us there.  The other arm of this deeper dive is that we will be producing a monthly email newsletter to let curious minds know the latest Acadia Yurts & Wellness Center has to offer.  If that’s you, jump over to our website here and sign up for our newsletter. We will not fill your inbox with spam, but plan to send a monthly check-in to tell you what’s going on and notify you of exciting offerings/promotions, only available to folks on our newsletter.

This is an exciting new chapter for Acadia Yurts & Wellness Center and we hope that you will explore and grow with us!