At the scenic overlook at Frenchman Bay, a wayside exhibit features an informational panel angled atop a stone pedestal.
The exhibit's title, "Ocean Highways," appears over a view of Frenchman Bay, which extends seven miles between Mount Desert Island and the Schoodic Peninsula. A faint rainbow arcs over the puffy white clouds down to Bar Harbor's verdant hills.
In the calm blue water, five small islands form a rugged chain - Bar Island, Sheep Porcupine Island, Burnt Porcupine Island, Long Porcupine Island, and Bald Porcupine Island.
A quote: "Directly across Frenchman Bay ... the beautiful group of islands ... like stepping stones ... form a connecting line to Mount Desert." - Pennsylvania's Railroad Company's Summer Excursion Book, 1891.
Text continues: "For centuries humans have plied these bountiful waters to fish, trade, and enjoy the scenery. In the long struggle to possess North America, French frigates hid behind the Porcupine Islands to prey on English warships, which led to the name 'Frenchman Bay.' Early settlers crisscrossed the bay in schooners, sloops, and fishing boats to harvest the bay's abundance. Beginning in the late 1800s, tourists arrived by steamboats and pleasure yachts, establishing Bar Harbor as a popular resort."
Four photographs profile different types of vessels:
One photograph shows a young man paddling a canoe. "David Moses Bridges, Passamaquoddy, paddles a traditional seaworthy birch bark canoe."
The second photograph shows a schooner with four tall masts and square sails. "The Margaret Todd resembles early square-riggers that brought European settlers and goods to the Maine coast."
The third photograph shows a cruise ship. "The number of cruise ships that visit Bar Harbor has almost doubled over the past decade."
The fourth photograph shows visitors stepping off a motorboat onto the shore. "Tour Frenchman Bay and learn about the natural and cultural history of offshore islands."
Final lines of text note that the names 'Bar Island' and 'Bar Harbor' "are related to a sandbar that connects the island with the village. The sandbar makes the island accessible by foot for about 1.5 hours either side of low tide."
