USA travelers: The Pine Tree State

Here we are in The Pine Tree State; beautiful Maine. We started our visit at Acadia National Park after we left Gateway to Cape Cod on July24. I set the trailer up in no time flat, cracked a cold one, and cooked some grub on the grill. Before relaxing I grabbed the camera to catch a colorful sunset:

We stayed at Mt. Desert Narrows Campground which is affiliated with the membership we purchased. The rate was $23 a day and was a bargain.

The scenery was gorgeous and only a short walk to the water's edge:

Though there are sites along the water we opted for one with a sewer hook up. The tent sites looked fabulous and offered great views as well:

The natural beauty and pristine water were like I have never seen so far in our travels. I will be posting many pics of Acadia so I may break it up into several posts. Back at the campground we took advantage of the kayak rental. I wanted to take a sea kayak tour but Doreen was on the fence with that. She didn't want to pay the fee and have to turn back part way through the tour. (she is somewhat afraid of the water) So for a $10 fee it was better to try it out first at the campground. I was not really sure if she would be able to get in and out of the kayak let alone get to shore to do it. A small plank led to the waters edge and she held onto my hands as I walked her down the plank and into the boat. Once we were in the water I felt some relief. We kayaked around the shore line for an hour and she had enough.

The day was cloudy and rain threatened any moment; the wind was whipping us around the water and we were not in sync with our paddling. We made it to a fair distance while keeping the shore line in view:

I wanted to paddle to the small island but she was not having that:

We returned to the shore and getting out was much easier when she noticed a spider was along for a ride in the kayak with her. Up and out quickly she sprang. Here she is telling me to come quickly!

The tides were something to see. Here is low tide at the very location we were kayaking above :

The town of Bar Harbor is the largest town on the island. Acadia is on Mt. Desert Island and encompasses most of the island however there are areas that are private property along with several small towns.

Bar Harbor is the main hub of activity. The free Island Explorer shuttle buses converge here and you can get about any where on the island for free. This is a great amenity and the shuttle hits most of the main campgrounds and hotels/ motels. The shuttle also takes the Park Loop Road through the park taking you to all the main attractions. You can even load your bicycle on the front of the bus and go to where you want to ride the trails, of which there are many. Bar Harbor of course has all the restaurants, shops, and attractions such as whale watching cruises.

The pier and harbor area offer great views of Frenchman Bay:

A bucolic green park overlooks the bay and is a popular gathering spot for tourists and locals alike:

After ambling about town for a while we stopped for a late lunch at the Hungry Whale Café:

I had the lobster roll lunch special. This was a much better lobster roll than Doreen had in Plymouth. Big chunks of claw meat, not shredded lobster leftovers.

For our first visit to Acadia we took the truck after we had lunch at the Thirsty Whale. First stop was the Hull Cove Visitors Center. A park pass is required for any vehicle entering the park so we picked one up here. Ours is free because of Doreen's lifetime access pass. For most people it is $20 per vehicle for a week or you can get a yearly pass for $80. This time of year is very crowded and busy. Traffic is heavy and parking is a challenge at the various points of interest and unless you need your vehicle I wouldn't take it; use the shuttle bus instead.

We drove and usually we can get a parking space using the handicap placard. Our first stop was an overlook of Beaver Dam Pond :

Next stop was Sand Beach, one of only two swimming beaches in the park:

The swimming is not for the faint of heart as the water is only about 55 degrees. There are about 50 steps leading down to the beach so I just ran down and snapped some pics.