We jumped at the chance to hit the road again with our friends from Indiana! And, Acadia National Park? I wasn't going to miss that! I have lived in New England for 14 yrs and have never been. My parents may have taken me, but, I don't remember and my mom wasn't much of a blogger anyway.
Jason has about a 127 point checklist before he hits the road. He is like a jet pilot! Meanwhile, we tend to ride by the seat of our pants! The night before departure, the guys were in strategic planning mode...maps, apps and beer.
 |
| Camden, ME |
 |
| nice Uke's hanging in the shop |
We stayed at the Bar Harbor Campground. The facility was perfectly situated on top of a hill overlooking the ocean, a beautiful heated pool & playground for the kids, and clean bathrooms, showers and laundry room, the place was perfect. During the busy season, it might be hard to get a spot since they do not accept reservations...ever!
We arrived about an hour after the guys so they were all parked and set up. We had a minor, then major snafu. Our kitchen sink was leaking pretty bad (next time this will be part of our 127 pt checklist) and then the sink in the bathroom decided to spring a major leak as well. We improvised so we could still use the bathroom and thankfully, we were traveling with our friends so we made them do all the cooking and cleaning! LOL
Here are some interesting facts about the park.
Where is Acadia National Park located?
Mount Desert Island, Maine. Mount Desert Island is the largest island off the coast of Maine. It is the sixth largest island in the continental United States.
47,390 acres. Acadia National Park occupies most of Mount Desert Island, smaller islands off the coast, Isle au Haut, and part of the Schoodic Peninsula. Acadia National Park is one of the smallest national parks in the United States.
In what year was Acadia National Park established?
1919. The park was created by President Wilson on July 8, 1916 as Sieur de Monts National Monument. In 1919, the name was changed to Lafayette National Park, and finally in 1929 it became Acadia National Park.
TPE (The Photographer's Ephemeris) is the best app ever! Anywhere that I am, I know when and where the sun & moon will rise and set. This weekend, the sun rises at 4:51 am...I peaked out the window with one eye and it was all fogged in so I went back to bed. At a more decent hour, all 9 of us got rolling and decided to start with the highlights at Acadia since it was a nice, clear day.
May 31
First stop, the Visitor's Center. The kids got their Jr Ranger packets, we saw the diorama map of the park and finished up with a brief movie.
According to the website, The Park Loop Road, which is mostly 1 way is 27 miles and usually takes about 3-4 hours if you stop along the way. We began our ascent up to the top of Cadillac Mountain. At 1,530 feet, it is not only the tallest mountain in the park, but also the tallest mountain along the eastern coast of the United States. Cadillac Mountain is accessible via a winding, narrow, 3.5-mile road. They say it is the first place to get sunlight in the morning. We explored around the summit for awhile while I played with my new toy...my fisheye 10-24mm lens.
 |
| awkward family photo |
Later that evening, Melissa, Jack and I went to see the sunset at the Blue Hill Overlook, not quite at the top of Cadillac Mountain, but the preferred viewing spot. The lot was full when we got there but I managed to make some room on the grass. It was a full house!
Sunday, June 1st
Jason and Jack joined me for this morning's show. We woke up at 3:40 am and were out the door at 3:50am! We got to the summit and I got my first shot at 4:12am.
I always love the half an hour before sunrise. Once the sun is up, the show is basically over!
 |
| 4:12am, silhouette time |
 |
| Jason letting his GoPro do the work! |
Since it was close to low tide, we took the long way back and went into Bar Harbor. During low tide, a rocky pathway is revealed and people can cross from Bar Harbor to Bar Island. You have to be careful not to stay too long because, when the tide comes back in, very cold water covers the pathway. I got the truck a bit stuck and thought it best that Jason just get me out of it...that's what Scott would have wanted. I would have just made it worse for sure! I prefer to be driven...and I make mistakes like these just to reinforce that fact :)
After breakfast, the guys decided to go for a bike ride on the carriage roads thru out the park while us girls drove the rest of the Park Loop Road. We stopped at Sand Beach which is a gorgeous little beach (290 yards long) nestled between mountains and rocky shores on the east side of Mount Desert Island. The rest of the ride did not disappoint as this was some of the prettiest coastline I have seen.
Back at the ranch, you never know who you are going to meet! On one side we had a guy dressed up as a dancing bear and when we took out the ukulele's for a jam session, the other neighbor popped his head out with his uke too.
I even climbed to the top of their RV to check out the view.
Our last day here. I wasn't "allowed" to wake up for the sunrise...to long of a drive home later on this afternoon. They know me so well, I would have needed a nap probably a half hour into my drive home which is a total of about 4.5 hours.
We decided to caravan back into the park again to finish up the loop road. We stopped again at Sand Beach because we didn't want the guys to miss out on this gem and I found a follow Nikon user to take our group shot.
Next up: Thunder Hole. Thunder Hole is a natural rock cavern. When waves come in, air and water shoot out of it and create a thunder-like sound. There is an elaborate stairway system that brings you in close. Many years back, before the stairways and railings, people would get too close. At one point, a dozen people were swept in the ocean and all but one were saved. Depending on the weather, the waves can crash as high as the road.
I noticed that a couple of people got wet, but it tends to be random. Once someone gets wet, people back off for a few minutes. It was during that time that the kids got brave. It's kind of like being a spectator at the end of a log ride...you try to run away before you get wet. Well, Jack managed to stay dry a couple of times, then he got soaked! I didn't get the money shot, Jason did!
 |
| Jason's shot |
 |
| Jason's shot |
 |
| Jack completely drenched! |
We really enjoy our friendship with the Kolb family who have been so fun and easy to travel with. It has been great to share our family experiences of "life on the road" with them. No matter where life takes us, we will always have fond memories of our time together. Safe travels to them as they finish up their year long journey this summer. Until we meet again!
~Linda, Scott, Jack, Tyler & Scout
No comments:
Post a Comment