This Week in Acadia Adventures
(And also how we're running the site right now)
Thank you so much for being a subscriber to Acadia Adventures!
While we build up the site, we’re putting up a lot of informational posts, features from our sister publication, the Bar Harbor Story (a newspaper devoted to news for the Mount Desert Island region), and some features.
Because we don’t want to overwhelm you every day as we build, we’ve decided that for the next few weeks at least, we’re going to send you what we’ve posted in this digest form on Mondays. These are some of those stories from the past week.
We hope that works for you!
If there are any resources, we haven’t included, please let us know! Our goal is to be as helpful as possible and to highlight the cool, amazing, and interesting things in our community.
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE MOUNT DESERT ISLAND REGION THIS WEEK:
If you are looking for things to do this week? Head on over to the Bar Harbor Story’s THINGS TO DO for this week’s events.
RESTAURANT LIST
This is via Jennifer DuBois Cough at First Express.
THE ARTICLES FROM THIS WEEK:
Unless otherwise attributed photos: Carrie Jones/Shaun Farrar.
Together, We’ve Built Something Special
And Hopefully Together We Can Keep The Bar Harbor Story (and Acadia Adventures) Strong
We posted this yesterday on the Bar Harbor Story, but thought we’d share it here, too. We hope you don’t mind!
Hi, everyone!
When we started the Bar Harbor Story just about three years ago, we weren’t sure if anyone would read it.
But then you showed up. You shared it. You sent us tips and so many kind comments.
And now? We’re at over 400,000 views every month. Easily.
That’s not just a number. It’s proof that people in our community want local news that doesn’t focus on just one part of the community, doesn’t sensationalize, and doesn’t vanish behind a paywall.
It’s proof that people in our community care about what’s going on. Yes. But it’s also proof that we care about each other.
That’s why we’ve kept everything free. Because we know what it feels like to grow up without enough money, and news and accurate information should never be out of reach.
But every story takes time. Every meeting we cover means hours of listening, fact-checking, and writing. And the more you’ve asked us to expand beyond Bar Harbor (which we love to do), the more hours it takes.
So, what happens next?
We’re just reminding you that there are three simple ways for people who value the Bar Harbor Story & Acadia Adventures to keep them strong and continuing:
Voluntary paid subscriptions – If you want to support the work directly, you can. You’ll still get the same stories as everyone else, but you’ll also know you’re making the Bar Harbor Story possible. You’re doing something good.
Founding memberships – Just like paid subscribers, our founding members believe in what we do and help us put food on the table and pay our bills, keeping us motivated to continue bringing news for our community. Founding member information can be found here.
Sponsorships – Some stories will carry the name of a sponsor. That doesn’t change the reporting. It simply gives us the time to keep digging into the news that matters without going broke.
All of these options keep the heart of this project alive: Everyone gets the news. Nobody is shut out.
And here’s the part we didn’t expect: every time someone signs up as a paid subscriber, founding member, or sponsor we don’t just breathe easier financially—we feel seen. We feel like the work we’re doing matters to you.
So if you’ve been reading for a while and thinking, “I really value this,” now’s the moment to step in. A small step from you keeps this whole thing moving forward and keeps Carrie from stressing out about the mortgage.
And if you’d rather just keep reading? Please do. That’s why we started this in the first place.
Thank you for trusting us, for sharing the stories, and for being part of this community.
With gratitude,
Shaun & Carrie
P.S. Every subscription—no matter the amount—helps us cover one more meeting, tell one more story, shine one more light.
P.P.S If you’ve ever thought, “I’d hate for this to go away,” that’s exactly why paid subscriptions exist. They’re the simplest way to keep the Bar Harbor Story strong.
P.P.P.S. Sponsorships are amazing. But readers like you are the reason we started this. If you want this to keep growing without ever putting up a paywall, the surest way is to step in today as a paid subscriber.
P.P.P.P.S. Even $5 a month makes a difference. Click here to become a one-time supporter now.
Have questions about sponsorships? Just send Shaun an email at sfarrar86@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you.
If you’d like to donate to help support us, you can, but no pressure! Just click here (a direct link).