The weather began to clear on Monday (5/16), and by afternoon the skies were mostly sunny and the air was crisp and clean. After picking up Cathy at the airport, we took a trip into Bar Harbor to check it out more closely. Bar Harbor has a ridiculously cute downtown area consisting largely of restaurants, coffee shops, small entertainment venues, and souvenir shops of various types, with a few inns and small hotels around the periphery. It’s only about five blocks from north to south and three blocks from east to west, but all the shops seem to invite you in and it takes quite a while to meander through the whole district. It was late afternoon, and we were hungry, so we did a couple of blocks of shops and decided to save the rest for another day.
Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park are both located on Mount Desert Island which is located off the Maine coast approximately 2/3 of the way to Canada from the southernmost point of Maine. While technically an island, it seems more like a peninsula, as the water that separates it from the mainland seems to be more like a tidal pool than a real body of water. The coastline of the island is primarily rocky, with few beaches and even fewer with sand. There are a few reasons for the lack of sand. First and foremost is the low temperature of the ocean water which traps the gasses that would otherwise escape and help break down the shells that then become sand. Combined with that is the hard granite that makes up the rock underlying the area, which does not break down easily. This is not great for beach lovers, but it has resulted in the beautiful, craggy coastline that has become a trademark of Maine.
On the island there are a number of mountains, the highest of which is Cadillac Mountain. At 1,530 feet in elevation, it is the highest point within 25 miles of the entire U.S. Atlantic Coast. For all but a few days of the year, its summit is the first point at which the sunrise can be seen in the United States. Much of the island, especially on the eastern side, falls within Acadia National Park, one of the most visited national parks in America. The breathtaking scenery at every turn, the natural beauty of the area, the many opportunities for hiking, biking, sailing, and a host of other outdoor activities, and the relaxed pace of the area are factors which explain Acadia’s popularity.
A special shout-out to our dinner location on Monday – Mainely Meats. I ordered a barbecue turkey sandwich with some reservation, because it was cooked in a sauce that was made of mayonnaise, horseradish, and lemon juice. That didn’t sound too great. It turned out to be one of the best sandwiches I can ever remember tasting. Good job, Mainely Meats!
Since Tuesday (5/17) was to be a beautiful day, we decided to take advantage of that opportunity to go to the top of Cadillac Mountain, and then afterwards drive around the entire island. The view from the top was sublime. From May 25 through sometime in October, an additional permit is required to go up Cadillac Mountain. This permit is not included in the standard park pass. This is done to limit the crowding on the road up the mountain. However, between mid-April and May 24, no permit is needed as the crowds have not yet descended on Acadia. If you prefer to visit when crowds are light, I strongly recommend going to Acadia between late April and the end of May. The weather is okay, and so things are accessible.
Driving around the island was unreal. Every 1/4 mile, or so it seemed, we would round another corner and see another beautiful cove, mountain, lake, rocky shore, etc., etc. After a while the effect was almost numbing. I can’t recall having been to a place that is so consistently beautiful throughout. Of places I’ve seen, in terms of pure natural beauty I’d put it in a group with the Grand Canyon, Banff/Lake Louise British Columbia, and parts of Hawaii. I’ll make my first trip to Alaska this summer, which I suspect may give me a top five.
The next couple of days in the area seemed like a blur of hiking and sightseeing, shopping in downtown Bar Harbor, and eating great seafood and non-seafood and drinking craft beer every few hours. The weather held out for most of the week, with the exception of the heavy overnight rain on Tuesday that filled up, and eventually partly collapsed the awning on my trailer. Fortunately, the only damage was a six-inch tear in the awning, which I will repair after the trip. By the end of the day Thursday, it was time to put the Maine portion of the trip to an end. Cathy caught an early flight Friday and I packed up The Lotus Eater and, for the first time this trip, started in a westerly direction. My trip has now passed the halfway point, and is reaching the end of the back stretch. More adventures to come, for sure, but of a different nature.
