Acadia, Maine

above: The shores along Acadia National Park

 

New England is New England and sometimes you just have to take it as it comes or, in our case, take it as it follows you; the grey, the rain and the cold. The storm met us in New Hampshire and instead of waiting it out, we gritted our teeth and went with it to Mt. Desert Island in Maine, the location of Acadia National Park and the town of Bar Harbor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

right: The Big Dude takes a few minutes to record the sights and sounds of nature in his ranger book.

 

 

 

I had two main goals; one was to ride our bikes on the historic carriage trails in Acadia designed and built by John D. Rockefeller Jr., the other was to make sure the Hippygeek ate Maine lobster in Maine. Anything else we managed to do would be like drawn butter on a lobster tail.

 

 

left: Thurston’s Lobster pound.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My obsession with the lobster thing began 11 years ago shortly after the Big Dude was born. We took a trip to New Hampshire and then specifically made an hour drive to a nice restaurant in Maine so that the Hippygeek could eat Maine lobster in Maine. I don’t know whether he was overwhelmed by the menu or a screaming 4 month old but, he ended up ordering a seafood casserole and then left the restaurant and Maine never having had a bite of lobster. As you can imaging, I, in a caring wifely way, have never let him forget his blunder.

 

above: Finally! Eating Maine lobster in Maine!

Feeling like we needed to right this wrong as soon as possible, we found Thurston’s Lobster Pound our first night there. We picked out a couple of 3 pounders to share, put on our bibs and ate on an outdoor (covered) deck overlooking a harbor full of fishing boats at low tide in a torrential downpour. Now, that’s what I call a full New England Experience!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the lobster meal out of the way, we focused our next day on seeing the island. Unfortunately, it would have to be by car as the skies were still thick and heavy with clouds and rain. We drove to the top of cadillac mountain, the highest peak on the eastern seaboard, at 1532 ft. The summit gave a hint at the potential views but, we would have to wait for another day to actually see anything. Turnouts along the coast also provided views of the shoreline both rocky and sandy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we finally got a break in the weather, we got the bikes out to ride on some of the 45 miles of carriage trails built in the 1920’s. They were designed by Rockefeller to follow the contour of the land which made for more hills than the Lil’ Dude and I had expected but we still managed to ride about 12 miles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

above and right: Riding the carriage trails.

 

 

 

 

 

The trails traverse through the forest with glimpses of beaver ponds, lakes and other mountain peaks. Seventeen stone bridges, each of a differing design, link the trails which allow for riding without ever encountering a car, yippee! Our leisurely ride took the better part of an afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

right: A Loon.

 

 

 

 

 

left and below: Observing the work of beavers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The transit of Venus was that evening and the Rangers had arranged for some local astronomers to bring their equipment to Cadillac Mountain for a special viewing. We were excited to have the opportunity and made our way up the mountain just in time for the presentation and to acquire some special viewing glasses for the occasion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sun was out and there were patches of blue sky everywhere but, 40 seconds (literally) before the start of the transit, a large vengeful cloud moved in obscuring any chance of a view, foiled again! The clouds continued to tease over the next two hours by opening up and closing over and over again, torturing the viewers on the ground.

 

above: The cloud that obscured our only view of the transit of Venus for the next 117 years.

 

We gave up and decided to see what Bah Habah (Bar Harbor for those without a New England accent) was all about. We joked about the pronunciation on the way to town. The Lil’ Dude joined in except that his pronunciation came out “Bah Habah” and “Bah Habah”. We tried to convince him that we were laughing with him. I still don’t know where his New England accent came from.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We toured the quaint village, shops and waterfront until the sun set over the harbor. Having already filled our bellies with lobster and taken a ride on the carriage trails, we decided that the next day’s forecast of rain might be our signal to head south for sunnier skies. So, on we go!

 

above: At the top of cadillac mountain as the rain moved in.

 

 “Whether the weather be fine, Whether the weather be not, Whether the weather be cold, Whether the weather be hot, We’ll weather the weather, Whatever the whether, Whether we like it or not” 
John Ruskin