When in Maine...

 We reached our first campground in Maine on June 9, and we had three weeks between two different campgrounds in Maine.  Both campgrounds were a short distance from Acadia National Park, which was really nice.  Acadia is the only national park in New England, so it gets a lot of visitors and is very well-known. Since we were there during peak season (summer), it got chaotic and busy sometimes.  But there were other times where we would be in a less-busy area of the park or a hike that's not as often-traveled.  Despite the crowds, we had a good time in Acadia and got to do some wonderful hiking in the park.  

We hiked Beachcroft trail and had lunch on the top of Champlain Mountain. As you can see, it's pretty foggy. This summer has been very foggy, rainy, and overcast in Acadia unfortunately, so this wasn't the first of our trails that climaxed with a foggy view.

Hiking Beehive Trail! This trail is on the side of a cliff and you have to climb ladder rungs up the side of the cliff to reach the top.  As you can see, there's a great view basically the entire trail. Though it was daunting at times, this trail was really fun and I'm so glad we did it. 

South Bubble trail is a short, steep trail that leads to the top of the South Bubble; giving beautiful views of Jordan Pond below. 

Bubble Rock is a huge boulder perched on the edge of a cliff, and we got to see this popular sight by hiking South Bubble Trail

The views from the top of North Bubble trail

The loop around Jordan Pond was a fun and pretty hike 

The Acadia Mountain hike was strenuous but rewarding, as you can see in the picture above.

Sunset at Bass Harbor Lighthouse

Mushrooms on the Flying Mountain trail. 

Flying Mountain trail goes to this pretty beach, surrounded on three sides by rolling green mountains

Acadia is a coastal national park, so there's plenty of opportunities to watch the waves crashing against the rocks and listen to the sound of the ocean

Little Hunter's beach is made up of large smooth round rocks called "cobbles" instead of sand or pebbles. 

We carried on the century-old tradition of enjoying tea and popovers on the lawn of the Jordan Pond House. What is a popover, you ask? It's a huge hollow dense biscuit made without yeast. Popovers are usually served with butter and jam. This was a relaxing and enjoyable stop, and the popovers and tea were DELICIOUS.  Be sure this is on your itinerary if you are coming to Acadia. 

We spent the evening at Thunder Hole, which is a famous spot in Acadia.  When the rising tide sends waves into this narrow channel along the coastline, the air is forced out with a loud rumble that sounds like thunder. 

The view while hiking along Beachcroft trail

The trail was very wet from the recent rainstorm, so as we hiked water ran down the trail in a stream that was actually quite pretty. 

Mushrooms are relatively plentiful along Acadia's trails

When we stopped for lunch, Mia and my friend Peyton who came hiking with us, picked wild blueberries and put them into containers to take them home.  In case you are wondering, this is not prohibited by the Park Service, which is a good thing since picking wild Maine blueberries is an experience I have never had before, and it was so fun snacking on blueberries from bushes along the path as we hiked. 

Hiking back down from Champlain Mountain via the North Ride trail

Maine wild blueberries taste different from regular blueberries you buy in the store.  They almost taste artificial, but I can't properly describe them. You have to eat them to know what I mean. Which is a perfect excuse to come up to Maine!😉

Beech Cliffs Trail 

At the peak of the trail, we had a good view of Echo Lake below 

The much-photographed and very lovely Somes Sound Bridge

Great Head Trail is a definite must-do if you are visiting Acadia.  This hike wasn't difficult and rewarded us with beautiful beach views. It's also short, which gives you more time for other Acadia activities. A great bang for your buck!

We drove up to Cadillac Mountain for the sunset, and I really recommend making a reservation to drive up here if you visit Acadia. The views were phenomenal, and the sunset was gorgeous, as you can see in the pictures below. 

I loved the lighting in this photo I took at the rocky shoreline in Seawall

We hiked the short and easy Wonderland Trail in the evening, and the lighting was lovely 

I loved how this picture incorporated so many of the quintessential Maine sights: a lighthouse, a dock piled with lobster traps, and ships harbored nearby. 

        But there's more to do in Acadia than just hiking, we also biked the carriage roads.  These wide, well-tended gravel paths were used "back in the day" for carriages (hence the name) but now they are home to bikers and walkers--though they still do carriage tours on these roads. I 100% recommend the carriage roads on any visit to Acadia.  They can be challenging at times, but relaxing at others. They offer lovely views and it's just so enjoyable to pedal down a tree-arched path with forest surrounding you on both sides, wouldn't you agree?

One of the waterfalls along the carriage roads

Eagle Lake

Waterfall Bridge along one of the carriage roads 

        One of my favorite things we did in Acadia was visit the gardens.  We visited two: Thuya Gardens and Asticou Azalea Gardens.  Thuya is the better of the two for bright colors and beautiful foliage, while Asticou is modeled after a Japenese reflection garden and is very peaceful.  Thuya Gardens was absolutely gorgeous, with dozens of flowers and moss and a relaxing, quiet atmosphere. I could tell the garden were very well taken care of, and the workers here were very friendly and happy to answer questions. Asticou had a pond with a bridge and stepping stones through the water, as well as sheltered nooks with stone benches to sit and reflect.  I was going crazy taking picture after picture in these gardens, so I hope you enjoy the shots below!

As we walked up to Thuya Gardens we got a great view of the ship-filled harbor below

These next garden shots will consist of those taken in Asticou Azalea Garden

#asticougardensphotoshoot!

        At this point you might be thinking, "But Acadia is a coastal park--didn't you do some type of water-based activity?" And the answer to that is yes, we did!  Our friends loaned us their paddleboards (thanks so much Peyton!) and we took them out on Echo Lake one afternoon.  I haven't had much experience on paddleboards, but I successfully stood up, even though I fell overboard after a while.  The water was actually pretty refreshing though, and I stood up again--twice--and managed to stay on the paddleboard.  

        But Acadia National Park isn't the only thing to do in this pocket of Maine; we also visited some great land preserves and small towns that I would really recommend a visit to.  The first of these places, Schoodic, is actually an entire peninsula, with a couple of small villages, plenty of coastline, and pretty scenery.  

Tidal Falls Preserve in Schoodic Peninsula is a great stop to comb the tidal pools that emerge at low tide for starfish and periwinkles (similar to sea snails) 

The shoreline where we were tidal pooling was so green and rocky, my mom described it well when she said, "It looks like Ireland!" 

We did a beautiful hike on Schoodic Peninsula, and I can't remember the name, but the scenery was reminiscent of Oregon and Washington 

Driving along the Schoodic coast

A stop on the rocky shoreline to see the waves crashing and foaming

We recreated the Little Mermaid rock scene with the crashing waves

        Southwest Harbor was a cute town with a few shops and restaurants, but one in particular you must visit.  Common Good Kitchen Cafe is a buffet-style breakfast spot with outdoor seating and local bands playing music.  All proceeds from the cafe go to a charity that supports local families in need.  The homemade popovers and oatmeal are delicious, and the lady who owns the cafe is an absolute gem, she is so sweet and welcoming and makes you feel right at home.  One of the things that I love about traveling to new places is getting to know and talk to the locals.  It really adds a lot to the experience.  Be sure to come here for a hearty and cheerful breakfast if you ever visit Acadia National Park! 

Marlene, the owner of Common Good Kitchen Cafe

        One day we visited the small towns of Stonington and Deer Isle, which were very quaint and exactly what one thinks of when they think "small New England lobstering town." Stonington had a very local feel, and this is a good place to take some photos of their hilly Main Street and the harbor, where numerous small boats are docked. We did a fabulous hike in Barrier Island Preserve while in Stonington and Deer Isle, and I 100% recommend this hike.  It's rooty and can be muddy, but the forest's slim trees and mossy banks are straight out of a fairytale book.  And if you go on the hike around low tide, you can cross over the exposed land to an island.  Mia and my dad spent a while at this beach exploring. 

Barrier Island Preserve Trail

My attempt at a dance pose in the forest

On our way to Stonington we stopped in Brooklin to see E.B. White's house. Unfortunately this house is privately owned so we couldn't stop and explore, but it was still cool to see. 

If you are planning a trip to Stonington, you will probably hear about the roadside attraction called Nervous Nellie's Jams and Jellies.  This gift shop isn't like other gift shops, it sells Maine-made items (and the shop owners are super friendly); but the thing that makes this shop unique is that it is surrounded by an eclectic, eccentric sculpture garden made of junk. Mia loved this stop, and really liked poking around and seeing all the different buildings and scenes depicted. 

The church had a bell that you could actually ring, and I thought the church looked so cute tucked away in the forest 

        Bar Harbor is probably the most popular gateway town to Acadia, and it is filled with shops, lodging, and restaurants. It's generally pretty pricey, but this is probably the place to go if you want food, souveniers, or lodging.

This giant rocking horse in the wood store in Bar Harbor was a cool find 🐎😄

Graham cracker swirl ice cream 🍦😋

Pretty flowers in Bar Harbor Village Green

My friend Peyton and I got lunch in Bar Harbor one day and it was delicious! We ordered our food to go and picnicked in the Village Green. 

        We also got the opportunity to go whale-watching out of Bar Harbor during our last week in Acadia.  We actually crossed into Canadian waters, into the Bay of Fundy, before we found our first group of whales. We were lucky enough to see several, and they were very active; blowing air out of their blowholes, flipping their tails up into the air, and slapping their pectoral fins on the surface of the water.  But not everybody was able to fully enjoy this spectacular show.  The waters were very choppy and my parents and I didn't experience seasickness for the most part--but Mia and most of the other passengers were not as lucky.  It really reminded me of the books and stuff I'd read about people immigrating to America and experiencing the rough seas and resulting seasickness on their journey.  The ship made it very difficult to walk as it tossed and turned over the swells, and walking the decks was like walking through a war zone; people were lying or sitting down everywhere, trying to lessen their nausea.  Many of the children had just given up and fallen asleep.  Despite all that, the whale watching cruise was very exciting and I am so grateful that we got the chance to see these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat. 

We passed Egg Rock Lighthouse on our whale-watching cruise

It was very windy

Schoodic Peninsula, which I visited with Mia and my mom during our first week in Maine

See those two white fins? Those are the whale's pectoral fins, which it slapped on the water in what is called a "pec slap." Pretty self-explanatory name, am I right? 

The whale's tail, right before disappearing below the surface again

Puffs of water mist could be seen in the waters around our boat in random areas as the whales blew air from their blowholes.  This sight reminded me of the geysers in Yellowstone. 

        We really enjoyed our time in Maine, but it was time to move on after a few weeks. Our next campground was in New Hampshire, a state I have never visited before; but one a couple of my friends call home.  My next blog will include our experiences in New Hampshire, so be sure to read it when I post again! Thanks for taking the time to read this blog, I hope you enjoyed it!