Ever since rusticators have been rusticating, this heavily trafficked tourist town has been a hot spot. Works by painters from the Hudson River School are credited with first attracting visitors in the mid-19th century. As the area's popularity grew, hotels and resorts began to pop up, and soon the nation's elite were building summer "cottages" here. Among those was John D. Rockefeller, Jr., who was responsible for the 57-mi of carriage roads constructed in Acadia National Park in the early 1900s. In 1947 a great fire devastated much of the island, but the region quickly bounced back, as evidenced by the numerous shops, inns, restaurants, excursions, amusements---and guests---in today's Bar Harbor. The area offers so many attractions and activities, you could stay here all summer and never run out of things to do. Fall is a lovely, less-peopled season for a visit.