Acadia National Park

  After an initial recon visit to Acadia on our own we decided to venture out using the Island Explorer, the free shuttle bus service provided by L.L. Bean. The company sponsors the program along with state and federal money. There are seven routes that allow you to get to most places on the island. Line #4 is the campground shuttle that stops at several campgrounds. The bus pulls right into the parking lot and off you go. From that line we got dropped off at the Bubble Pond stop and debussed for a hike.

 

Acadia National Park was the first national park established east of the Rocky Mountains in 1914. Prior to that the area was a getaway for the well to do crowd including John Rockefeller who was instrumental in the creation of carriage roads throughout the island. The carriage roads were intended for horse carriage/ sleigh travel and are used by bikers, hikers, and horses. The roads are wide and flat making them ideal for wheelchair or scooter travel.

 

Our first stop along the trail was Bubble Pond:

 

 

The scenery is so stunning that every step is a virtual photo-op:

 

We walked the entire carriage road to Jordan Pond a total of 4.2 miles. I was really hoofing it and Doreen had the scooter cranked up full speed.

Jordan Pond is a popular and crowded attraction. There is a restaurant and gift shop and easy hiking trails can be picked up here. The great feature of Acadia is all the hiking trails are mapped and categorized as easy, moderate, and difficult and their distances. We took the easy trail around Jordan Pond, about another 1.2 miles.

 

 

 

 

 

We went as far as the trail was even for the scooter then turned back to the shuttle stop. You can in the pic below to my left is the trail that turned into a rocky causeway to the other side of the pond.

 

At this point Doreen was becoming cantankerous due to her Hansel and Gretel syndrome. (she doesn't like the dark woods)

 

We hopped onto the shuttle back to the visitors center to transfer to a shuttle going to the campground. As Karanzas luck would have it the wheelchair lift was malfunctioning and took about 15 minutes for the driver to figure out how to crank it down.

 

  For our last excursion on the island we decided to drive to the western side where the shuttle doesn't run. We took a drive on Sargent Drive, a scenic residential road that hugs the shoreline of Echo Lake:

 

 

Another area of the park is further down the road where we stopped for a restroom break:

 

 

 

 

 

We then took a truck road into the back country:

 

 

I think the lake was Long Lake or pond but it was secluded save for some wind surfers and kayakers:

 

Next it was off to see one of the many lighthouses in Maine and another amazing photo-op:

 

There are 57 operating lighthouses in Maine. Only a few are reachable by auto. Bass Harbor Head is perched on a cliff and this side is the main side and the other side seen above is accessible by a long string of steps going down to the rocks.

 

 

We drove around the southern tip of the island through Southwest Harbor and back up to the park

 

  Our last day in Acadia we saved the best for last. Most people start their trip in Acadia with Cadillac Mountain but we waited to the end. No particular reason, just the way it worked out. Cadillac Mountain is the highest coastal point in the east north of Brazil at 1530 feet. The road snakes up the side of the mountain to an ample parking area and shop and restrooms. The views are stunning but unfortunately due to pollutants in the air from the industrialized cities south of Maine the air current brings them up the coast obscuring the amazing views. Here you can see a haze in the air about three quarters up the mountain:

 

We were pleasantly surprised to see a wheelchair ramp going to the summit of the mountain:

 

I walked further out to the edge of the rocks and the town of Bar Harbor can be seen (with the help of a powerful zoom):

 

 

A view back up to the summit from the rocks:

 

This shot gives you some perspective of the view with the tourists in the foreground:

 

 

 

I took so many pictures that I have to go through them in stages to first delete any bad ones or duplicates from the camera itself and then again when I look at them on the laptop. These are just a sampling and I wish I could put more up but it is time consuming doing the blog. I could be poolside today but here I sit so I will leave you here with a few more and then call it quits for this post.

 

 

 

America the beautiful!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

Here is a view of Sand Beach from down the road:

 

Next up was Otter Point:

 

 

Next we crossed Otter Cove:

 

At this point the day was getting late and we headed back to the campground. More to come>

 

 

Miles this leg: 325

Total miles: 5481.4