We have been looking forward to Acadia National Park since we started this east coast trip. It is the end of our journey east and definitely the highlight. Interesting that the highlight before Acadia was Dry Tortugas National Park at the very most south eastern point of the US. Now we are at the most north eastern point and amazed by the beauty again.
Acadia is one superlative after another. Scenic drives everywhere. The natural beauty of rocky coastlines, crashing waves on granite headlands. Islands, lighthouses, ponds, lakes and quiet woods. We have had gentle walks, challenging hikes, quiet bike rides on old carriage roads with stone bridges and mostly awe inspiring scenery. From the top of Cadillac Mountain to a barren island with lighthouse 11 miles out in the Atlantic Ocean.
There is also fascinating history here. At the turn of the century the President of Princeton sent an emissary to research the area who wrote about the beauty and the unspoiled nature. Then came the Rockefellers and other weathly people of the time (Ford, Pulitzer, Dorr, the Western Union founder, etc). They spent long hours in nature and to their credit were determined to preserve the island and its beauty. They built "cottages", huge mansions along the shoreline and carriage roads to enjoy the peace and quiet without the rude noises of the automobiles of the day. The carriage roads wind through the woods along the ponds and over beautiful arched stone bridges.
We enjoyed a day at the village of Bar Harbor with the shore path and wonderful restaurants and shops. In the afternoon we took the Lighthouse and National Park boat tour on a sunny 80 degree blue sky day. Saw eagles, cormorants, osprey, seals and it wasn't a nature cruise. The guide was a lighthouse historian with wonderful stories of the days of lighthouses and mansions.
We spend a day at the Schoodic Peninsula with an incredibly challenging 3 mile hike to the Schoodic Head. lAnother wonderful day at the 'quiet' side of the island with the natural seawall as our picnic spot and hikes to the Bass Harbor Lighthouse and the Ships Harbor.
As luck would have it, Larry and Paige (see my Boothbay post) were in Acadia for 4 of the days we were here and we had a chance to have them to dinner here (Timberland Acres RV Park) and are going to their campground (Smugglers Den) tonight for another night of too good food and too much wine!
We had five fantastic days of blue sky and sunny weather to explore Acadia and Mount Desert Island. The last two days are a bit foggy with evening thunderstorms for a little added excitement. It will be hard to leave.
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