Acadia National Park --- Bar Harbor

Street Scene in Bar Harbor

Roger here...  We are staying in central Maine for more than a week.  Bangor (actually Hermon) is our home base for excursions in the area.  

Our RV site...

Friends of ours from Retama Village, Mark and Dortha,  recommended the Pumpkin Patch near Bangor as a home base...

Fragrant Roses Planted by the Dump Station :-)

....  It is a great park --- full hookups, friendly management, and a nearby restaurant.  However, we do look like the little kid on the block.

Despite our size, our neighbors have made us feel welcome.  We attended an ice-cream social (mandatory for me) and made friends with our neighbors who have been full-timing for many years.  

A nearby air force base provided us an evening of happy hour entertainment as a continual line of jets flew over our site.



Arrival Day and Day One ....  

Since it was gloomy and rainy when we arrived just after noon, we utilized the rest of the day for laundry, cleaning up and planning.  Dianne went to the grocery the next morning and had some excitement while grocery shopping.  She spotted the owner of this house:

Notice the Spider Web Gate and the Bats on the Fence.

Respecting his privacy, she did not bother him, but we did drive over to take a picture of Steven King's house.  Fun!  Btw.  My favorite King book is The Stand.

Day Two --- Acadia National Park....

What a gorgeous place this is!  We loaded up the dogs and the hiking gear and drove to the visitors' center, where we caught one of the free (propane-driven) buses designated for the loop drive.  (BTW.  Unlike most National Parks, dogs are welcome on most of the park's hiking trails.  They are also welcome on the buses.  Wow.)

Our first stop was the Ocean Path Trail.  It has been advertised as the number one Acadia experience,  for good reason.

This easy-to-walk pathway provided new jaw-dropping scenes at every turn.

The Thunder Hole area took us down to sea level.  It was beautiful; however, the calm seas of this particular day provided no thunder.

We walked about 1 1/2 miles along the ocean before deciding to go back a different way.

Rather than retrace our steps back to the bus stop, we decided to take a side trip to the top of Gorham Mountain (one mile up, one mile down the other side).  It was quite a challenging hike for two people of a certain age and their two dogs.  The elevation gain was only 525 feet, but large portions of the hike up were across boulders and rocks.  Every footfall required balance and a conscious decision to prevent falls or turned ankles.  The problem was exacerbated by our leashed dogs, who were finding their own separate ways to run up the trail.

  However, the dogs were tired, as well.  During a water stop Bandido found a shady spot to lay down under a pine tree. 

 (You might wonder how Poquita managed this trail:   She actually outdid the rest of us, bounding up and down the boulders, and was still strutting along, perky as ever, after the hike.  She may be mostly Chihuahua, but those long legs of hers serve her well! -- D.)


Occasionally,  we stopped staring at our moving feet to look around.  We took pictures.  Then we returned to the task of watching our feet.  (I quipped that we may as well have been in Bentsen Rio Grande State Park at home for all the scenery we saw - seems all we did was look at our feet the entire trail -- D.)

Ah, we made it to the top.  No, this is not the top.  Keep going.

This must be the top.  No, this is not the top.  Keep going.

Dianne said, "Take my picture to prove that I made it to the top."  Picture taken, but this was not the top.  We kept going.

We finally made it to the summit!

It was time to take the official picture.

The trail stayed near the summit for a while before descending.  The picture below shows a large sand beach where we started the ocean path walk hours before.

The first leg of the descent was actually fun as Bandido and I walked next to a rock cliff.

However, we soon approached the dreaded trudge through the boulders and rocks, only this time going down --- much more difficult.

"Bandido!  Quit pulling on the leash!

We arrived at the end without injury.  Dianne did slip at one point, but she was ok.  We were exhausted.  

We boarded the free excursion bus that was on its way to Jordan Pond.

The bus ride did little to alleviate our exhaustion.  We had intended to walk the path around the pond, but settled for taking a couple of pictures and vowing to return on the next visit to the park.

Classic View of Jordan Pond

Diners Enjoying Fruit Popovers by the Pond

Before re-boarding a crowded excursion bus to go back to the Visitors' Center (to our car) and ultimately back to Bangor, we noticed an entrance to one of the iconic Acadia Carriage Paths.  John Rockefeller had these paths built throughout the park so that people could enjoy horse-drawn carriage rides.  They still do.  The carriage paths are also popular with bicyclists and hikers.

Day Three --- Bar Harbor

We were still recovering from the hike up Mount Gorham when we woke up.  So we decided to spend a less strenuous day in Bar Harbor.  We knew that the dogs would be welcome in most places.  

We arrived mid-morning.  It was already crowded, but we easily found street parking.

Poquita decided to dress up since we were visiting a town.  

We were parked near the restrooms and the Village Green (the doggie restroom).  How convenient!

We checked out a few of the shops (for return visits) on our way to the waterfront.  We also picked up a list of dog-friendly restaurants from the Bark Harbor Shop (where Poquita acquired a new t-shirt).  And, we stopped for ice cream.

Our first destination was the Shore Path on the waterfront.  The Shore Path is an extremely well-maintained one-mile pathway between the waterfront and the town.  What a beautiful place for a stroll!  The views of the harbor seemed as if they were backdrops for a movie.

A leisurely walk along this half-mile pathway certainly brightens one's outlook on life.

Fragrant roses in full bloom everywhere!

As we reached the end of our walk and took a shortcut back into town, this mansion came into view.  What a view these people have.

It was lunch time.  As we were perusing the list of dog-friendly restaurants, Bar Harbor Lobster  came into view.  It was a good choice.

Dianne and I both had fresh crab rolls. 

On the way back to the SUV I stopped to pose next to a statue of what has been our quest for several years.  Will we ever see a moose in the wild?  

The next post will take us back to Acadia National Park.  I know there are moose there.  I also know that we probably will not see one.

Dianne's Teensy-Weensy Trailer Tip:

At home we use a French Press coffeemaker and an electric kettle to heat the water for it.   In our tiny trailer, there was no room for the kettle.   Our holding tanks are small, so we try not to wash dishes more than necessary.   The French Press makes great coffee, but it requires washing and rinsing every day.   I have always rejected getting a Keurig coffeemaker because they are so big and I was too cheap to buy the k-cups.   For this trip, however, I found a very small one on Amazon that has been perfect.  

No muss, no fuss!  

 The k-cups store on the shelf above our paper towel holder, and the cup to measure the water hangs on a Command hook next to the sink.  






Pet Picture of the Day....

Poquita is patiently waiting under Dianne's chair for her to finish her lunch.