OCEAN DRIVE MOTOR COURT, A perfect match with Acadia and Bar Harbor
Written: Sep 01 '03 (Updated Dec 29 '07)
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Pros: Clean, quiet, well run, and perfectly situated.
Cons: Plenty of motel rooms, though not enough cottages to always accommodate late reservations in season.
The Bottom Line: This place looks like an average place at first look. It's the little special touches that make it above average to me.
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| popsrocks's Full Review: Ocean Drive Motor Court |
UPDATE
I'm sorry to say that this long time favorite property has been sold. Good news for those who would like to invest. They are selling the property as vacation homes.
If I had that extra money I would invest in it.
End UPDATE
If you have been reading my reviews for any length of time you know my favorite place to return to for vacation time is Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor. We have been there about sixteen or seventeen times in the last 30 years for at least a weeks time or more.
At first we camped. We have in our "older age" started looking for creature comforts. We love B&Bs and have stayed in them many times. This area is full of them. We have also used many chain motels and hotels in other parts of the country. Bar Harbor has them too.
All around the island of Mt. Desert where the park is are many private cabins, cottages, motels, hotels, B&Bs and Inns. Though all this is available we constantly come home to a warm friendly place less than a mile outside of Bar Harbor. It is the Ocean Drive Motor Court.
I almost hesitate to write this piece in that the place is popular on peek summer weeks and that leaves me with difficulty getting the accommodations I enjoy.
WHY OCEAN COURT?
Most of the visitors to Acadia National Park have been there before. It is a place that brings you back again and again. So does the Ocean Drive M. C. This place is run by a hard working and very friendly couple, Lil and Chip. They took over the place a number of years back and are always around with their friendly faces and their concern for their clients and their business. This shows through in all the work they do at this place every year. We always notice new touches and changes every time we return. This year Lil has added more flower beds. Last year Chip put up a new white fence around the pool and stripped out a few more rooms and redid them last winter. This is a never ending process that they seem to do with joy. As Chip has said in a conversation with him about the winter slow season, "I do more work in the winter than in the summer".
WHAT?
The Ocean Drive Motor Court has a few different kinds of accommodations. They have six cottages that are nicely spaced so you feel you have some stretching room. These cottages have two beds, a single and a double, and a kitchen and bath. A fireplace in the main room with the beds can be very romantic on cool nights. My wife and I stayed in one of them again this year. The cottage, not the fireplace. Four of my kids age 22,21,16,and 14 shared another one.
Outside these have a picnic table and Adirondack chairs.
I have to state that these cottages are nothing like the little rows of pastel colored places you may have seen up and down the eastern seaboard. These are wood cabins that have been upgraded inside and are relatively spacious. I'll give added descriptions in a bit.
The six cottages surround a fenced-in heated pool that is always very clean, maintained well, and covered every night.
The place also has a family house that is near impossible to book because it is so popular. Also available is a deluxe suite with a bedroom with two doubles, large family room with a pull out couch, and a good sized kitchen. It also has it's own deck with a picnic table and charcoal grill.
Ocean Drive has 19 regular motel units too. Most have a small refrigerator and a microwave. The units are scattered in groups of five or six on different parts of the property. This place is not your usual pool in front and row of motel rooms kind of place. That's why we like it. It has charm and character for a relatively inexpensive place that is situated so well to Bar Harbor and Acadia Park.
WHERE
One of the great selling points of the Motor Court is that it is less than a mile out of Bar Harbor on the quieter side. Most of the motels and hotels are situated going into town from the main highway RT3. That means constant heavy traffic. This place is beyond town from the mainland. This means less traffic and more quiet.
The Ocean Drive Motor Court is also a short walk through a forest to the rocky shoreline of Acadia Park property. This is called Compass Point. It's also an interesting walk that takes you by the ruins of what was once a huge mansion that was one of the "cottages" of the wealthy that once summered on the island.
Another fast is that this is the closest motel to the entrance to the park loop near the ocean. Ask Chip and Lil about how to get to Sand Beach without going all around the park loop road. There is a short cut that will save you time, give you some new and wonderful views of the park, and save you time to do more exploring of the island.
OUR COTTAGE
We stayed in cottage #4. As mentioned it has a picnic table and chairs in front. We also manage to string a cloths line back behind the place for our drying convenience. One problem this cottage has always had though is red ants out in front enjoying the views with you when you sit out or have some meal at the table.
Also watch your step going in and out of this cottage. The first one or is it the last one is a doozey.
OK, I got the problems of my chest. As you enter our place you will notice the room has a single and a double bed. These rooms are just short of 16'x16' with an attractive fireplace on the back wall.
I like the fact that there are four windows in this room, two front two back. This makes for good ventilation on warmer days. The room comes with a fan. For the most part air conditioning really isn't needed in the Acadia area, especially at night. The room also has a quick responding heater.
A desk with a few drawers is set near the foot of the single bed. This particular room is scarce on drawer space for clothing and there weren't any hangers in the decent sized closet. We just lived out of our suitcases. Our kids cottage did have a good sized dresser that could accommodate most cloths.
In the room was also a comfort chair and a rocker. On the little night table between the beds was a clock radio. Ha one problem with it is that it is hooked up to a light switch that you turn on or off at the entrance to the cottage. So much for keeping good time. Thankfully my cell phones clock always kept me on time.
The cable TV had good reception and about fifty or so stations. I was able to follow the weather station to help coordinate the next days activities.
The wall are all a very light cream color with very light and neutral curtains. All the windows open easily and are well screened.
I have no idea as to how old the cottages are. The closet and bathroom have old mortise locks on them. Age doesn't really matter in these places as the rooms are all modernized and nice looking. Our carpeting was starting to get a bit beat. I do know that Lil and Chip are constantly changing rooms and ripping out old carpet. I'm sure the fire places in the rooms don't help either.
Ha, speaking of fireplaces. My wife was cooking one night, definitely not too often, when the smoke alarm in the main room went off. I know the alarm was sensitive yet when we did have a fire in the fireplace the alarm was not set off. The flu system worked wonderfully well. That was good to know.
Just a note here. If you want to have a fire, Chip and Lil have stacked firewood for your convenience and they can give you some newspaper and matches from in the office.
Each cottage has a telephone that offers free local calls.
THE KITCHEN
The kitchen is small and has a small table for two that, due to lack of shelving, was not available for sitting at. We had groceries on it. One long eight inch shelf, three feet high, along the wall over the table would be a huge help. I do have to say that we over shopped at the supermarket in town for a destination where we go out to dinner often. Bar Harbor has plenty of great places to eat.
The closets that are in the kitchen are stocked with dishes, bowls, mugs and glasses and pots, pans, and utensils too. Most everything you may need for cooking is there.
O yes, the hot water in the kitchen is on the right side and the cold on the left. It takes a few moments for the hot water to come up but once it does you are set.
The electric stove has a bad front large burner that held us up a bit while trying to make a huge pot of water boil for some pasta. Aside from that the stove, oven, and refrigerator worked well. A nice sized window in the kitchen kept things bright during the day.
THE BATH
Hey I'm trainable but sometimes it takes time. It took me about four days to figure how to get hot water out of the shower/bath. It's really not hard, I'm just a slow learner.
The water pressure and temperatures were good and, once you know what you are doing, easily regulated.
The bath came with a few countertop amenities of shampoo, rinse and the like. Frankly, I was surprised too see them. I didn't remember getting them before. It was nice to have them. Remember this is a modern ,yet no frills place. You won't find a hair dryer in the bath, or an iron and board in the closet. These you must bring on your own.
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW
I'm at a loss right now trying to remember if there is a coffee maker in the kitchen. I lean toward a yes. I do know that most mornings after eight or so you can get a cup in the office. Please take my advice here. If Chip is in the office and chances are he made it, pass it up! He makes the worse coffee around. If Lil or somebody else makes it, go for it. If you have coffee from the office they have some milk in the fridge in the back. Ask and they will get it for you.
It's here I remind you that you are literally just one minute from the town of Bar Harbor by a car. They have wonderful places with fresh baked goods and great coffee. Why not get some and come back to the place and just relax with it. It sure beats Chip's coffee!!
The cottages have what they call limited service. Put soiled towels and sheets outside on your picnic table in the morning and magically fresh new ones appear on the table later in the day. Any trash you have just tie up the bag and put it out also. Thankfully, they send none back.
Now I know I just mentioned a few things that may turn you "total comfort creatures" off. That's ok. There are places that have full service around. They just don't have the cozy atmosphere of this place or the prices for that matter.
There is something that brings out the best in people here. If you are a camper you know that feeling you get when you meet other campers. Well that is the same thing here. You are not in an isolated world. Everyone is friendly and if you and they like, you can spend time talking about local experiences and plans for the coming days.
PET FRIENDLY
Though I don't recall them advertising this fact, this place has more dogs staying with people than a kennel show. Actually, there are a few pets at the place at any given time. I must note here that I have never been in a room that has the "dog or pet odor" or animal hairs around. Over the years it seems my wife and I have been in just about every room and cottage, so I know this is true. We brought our Cockapoo up this year. We have had our other dog that is now gone, and our cat up over the years too. Animals must be leashed and not kept in rooms unattended.
THE MOTEL ROOMS
Many of the rooms pretty much offer the queen sized beds. Many also have a small refrigerator with a microwave on top. No, no coffee maker. Please heed my warnings about the coffee. Remember my saying "Coffee's in town , when Chip is around."
Most of the rooms have new sheet rock and have been refinished. They are light and airy in color and have a little area in front with chairs where you can sit.
Due to staying a couple of extra days, our cottage was no longer available to us. The kids stayed in one and my wife and I moved into a motel unit.
Our room had an overhead fan and a standing fan for any really hot days. These are rare in coastal Maine. The rooms are connected by phone just by dialing the room or cottage number. This was helpful for wakeup calls to our kids. Local calls are free.
Each room has a desk or dresser and a small table that you can sit at. Actually the table in our room was quite comfortable for four. Just pull in the outside chairs and you are set. Thankfully we didn't have any rain days, but the table would have been fine for board games.
There was a nice sized closet complete with hangers. The motel rooms get the usual daily maid service.
The bathroom in our particular room was very large with a ton of closet space. The water and pressure were easy to regulate and counter top amenities were included. Again, no hair dryer or iron and board in these rooms. You must pack your own if you need it. With my thinning hair I just whistle a little while and it's dry.
These rooms have new carpeting and a modern look to them. This place has some rooms that are open year round. The cottages are not. I have always wanted to visit this area in the fall, hopefully we will do this in about four years.
SAVE A FEW BUCKS MORE EATING OUT
Be sure to ask Chip for a ten percent off coupon for a nice place to have dinner on the water in Bar Harbor. His brother owns this place that has indoor and outdoor dining at Maine's seafood best. We ate there and I hope to review this place in the coming months.
IN CLOSING
I have pretty much told you what you get and what you don't. There are a couple of other rooms that may accommodate more or have a better configuration for your needs. Talk to Chip and Lil. I know we drive them crazy in the winter before we arrive. I think they like it when we arrive because they no longer get phone calls from us looking for different options.
Just a very, very short walk away beyond a stand of trees is a local fast food place that has burgers, fries, fried scallops and the like. Ice cream and soda are also here. This is convenient for our kids. I have to say I haven't been to the place in years.
If you are a camper who is looking for a step up in conveniences or just want to stay at a place that is friendly, clean, attractive, and homey this is the place. It's so much nicer than those strip motels.
This place has many different sized rooms and configurations. Due to this be sure to get in touch with Chip and Lil. Work out what's best for you. Weekly cottage, efficiency, and family house rates cab save you money. I believe there is a minimum three day stay in these units. I wouldn't know. We always stay at least a week or more. Rates can be found by visiting their web site at.www.oceandrivecourt.com or email them at info@oceandrivecourt.com
Tell them Phil and Carolyn sent you and you read about them on Epinions.com
other reviews in Maine by popsrocks
Bar Harbor What a great seaside town!!
Acadia National Park My favorite place in the world!
Carriage Rides in Acadia National Park
Whale Watching from Bar Harbor
Ocean Drive Motor Court A great place to stay just out sde Bar Harbor
The Jordan Pond House A wonderful restaurant right in Acadia Park
Jordan's Family Restaurant in town and great breakfasts.
The OPERA HOUSE INTERNET CAFE Keep in touch while exploring the great outdoors.
MAINE, great coastal towns and so much more.
A Canadian side trip from Maine's Acadia National Park
other places of interest by popsrocks
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US VIRGIN ISLANDS
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http://www.epinions.com/content_76095131268
National Parks System
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Everglades National Parks http://www.epinions.com/content_75027549828
Grand Canyon National Park http://www.epinions.com/content_77646302852
Bryce Canyon National Parks http://www.epinions.com/content_77562220164
Recommended:
Yes
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