This is our last full day in the beautiful White Mountains of New Hampshire. We got up this morning and did a couple loads of wash (exciting). About 11:00 we headed to downtown Lincoln where they were having a little craft/arts fair. Because it's Columbus Day weekend there are noticeably many more cars around. The weather was glorious (again), and we spent about 45 minutes looking at the booths. Nothing too much interesting, but fun to see what other people sell as "art". We at lunch at the Gypsy Cafe across the street. It was very cute and had delicious sandwiches.
We drove around for sometime trying to decide where to go for a hike. There were so many people on the Notch that we decided to drive to as area west of Lincoln called Lost River. This turned out to be a very interesting area. It cost $13 to see the Lost River, but was not like anything I have ever seen. It was an area in which huge granite boulders (the size a house) came crashing down on the river. There were lots of caves and hiding places along the trail to explore. We went down 500 stairs, but walked up very gradually with lots of scenery, so we hardly noticed the stairs. It was a beautiful presentation of nature.
Driving back into Lincoln was really something with all the traffic. We made our way back to the resort and decided to finish up our apples, pretzels, apple sauce, and carrots for dinner. Yummy. No sense in getting back out there in that mess.
Before we head to Boston tomorrow, we're going to a church service on top of the mountain. We ride the gondola up to the top for the service. We met some people who went last week and recommended it. Sounds pretty cool. We certainly want to give thanks for these last two fantastic weeks.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
October 10, 2008
Today was an incredible day with some great sites to see. The weather was perfect with sunny skies and highs in the 60's. Our first stop was the Mount Washington Hotel. This fabuous hotel was build in 1902 by a railroad barren. It's claim to fame is that the 1944 Bretton Woods Monetary Conference was held here. That conference established the World Band and set the gold standard at $35 an ounce and chose the American dollar as the backbone of the World economy. "The meeting provided the world with badly needed post war currency stability." Sounds like we need to have this meeting again today.
We missed beginning of the tour of the hotel but managed to catch up with them when they were discussing this important meeting. Even in 1944 the economy of the World was very dependent on the America. The hotel itself was absolutely gorgeous. There was a golf course out back with a view of Mt. Washington, the highest peak in New England. You'll have to check out my pictures to see this place.
From there we grabbed a bite to eat at Crawford Notch, and then decided to drive up Mt. Washington. You can either take your own car or take take the cog railroad to the top. The railroad looked interesting, but traveled at 3 mph going up and 6 mph going down. It took a good three hours. Since it was only eight miles to the top, we decided to drive. Going up Mt. Washington is like traveling from NH to northern Alaska. The vegetation changed dramatically eventhough the top is only 6,288 feet. The views from the top were spectacular. We were so lucky to have such great visibility. That is not usally the case on top. The wind was blowing fiercely with gusts of 50-70 mph. Luckily, there was shelter at the top as well as a weather station we could visit. The highest winds ever recorded in the U.S. were recorded there. It was something like 240 mph. Burr! Ted and I love heights, so we never miss a chance of going to the highest point. This drive was probably one of the most challenging mountain roads Ted had ever driven. It was certainly part of the adventure.
The day wasn't over yet. We drove back to the resort and rested about 30 minutes and then met up with the Moose Tour for the evening. We again took the moose bus in an attempt to see moose. They are suppose to be everywhere, but we hadn't seen a one all week. After driving around in the dark with a bus that practically lights up, we were able to spy five moose. We really didn't get a great look at any of them and did not see a bull. It was a little disappointing, but we didn't have very high expectations. The driver and tour guide did their best to entertain us with moose songs, disco lights, and a bubble machine. We also had a moose movie to watch. I'm going to have to write them a good review on "Trip Advisor".
We missed beginning of the tour of the hotel but managed to catch up with them when they were discussing this important meeting. Even in 1944 the economy of the World was very dependent on the America. The hotel itself was absolutely gorgeous. There was a golf course out back with a view of Mt. Washington, the highest peak in New England. You'll have to check out my pictures to see this place.
From there we grabbed a bite to eat at Crawford Notch, and then decided to drive up Mt. Washington. You can either take your own car or take take the cog railroad to the top. The railroad looked interesting, but traveled at 3 mph going up and 6 mph going down. It took a good three hours. Since it was only eight miles to the top, we decided to drive. Going up Mt. Washington is like traveling from NH to northern Alaska. The vegetation changed dramatically eventhough the top is only 6,288 feet. The views from the top were spectacular. We were so lucky to have such great visibility. That is not usally the case on top. The wind was blowing fiercely with gusts of 50-70 mph. Luckily, there was shelter at the top as well as a weather station we could visit. The highest winds ever recorded in the U.S. were recorded there. It was something like 240 mph. Burr! Ted and I love heights, so we never miss a chance of going to the highest point. This drive was probably one of the most challenging mountain roads Ted had ever driven. It was certainly part of the adventure.
The day wasn't over yet. We drove back to the resort and rested about 30 minutes and then met up with the Moose Tour for the evening. We again took the moose bus in an attempt to see moose. They are suppose to be everywhere, but we hadn't seen a one all week. After driving around in the dark with a bus that practically lights up, we were able to spy five moose. We really didn't get a great look at any of them and did not see a bull. It was a little disappointing, but we didn't have very high expectations. The driver and tour guide did their best to entertain us with moose songs, disco lights, and a bubble machine. We also had a moose movie to watch. I'm going to have to write them a good review on "Trip Advisor".
October 9, 2008
October 9, 2008
It rained last night, so this morning it was overcast and foggy. After that hike yesterday, we needed the break. I went down to the lobby and checked e-mail and such, while Ted read his book. It is suppose to clear up this afternoon and be beautiful for the rest of the week.
We ventured our late in the morning when the sun came out. We drove a different part of the loop, which goes around the White Mountains. Although we were pretty stiff from yesterday's hike, we decided to try Boulder Loop hike, which said it had "beautiful views for little effort". About half way up this hike, we decided that the person who described this hike must be 25 and an excellent hiker. This was no means "little effort", so we had the good sense to turn around.
At the bottom of the hike was a beautiful river with a covered bridge. We hung around there for awhile and headed back toward the resort. On the way we passed a waterfall that was very close to the road, so we hiked up there. It actually was a great example of how a waterfall forms and erodes an area away. This same process is happening at Niagara Falls today.
We grabbed something to eat and headed back to the room. I called the three gals to play bridge, and we did that for a couple of hours. It was interesting, but I don't think I'll call them again. They were good players, but so slow I could have taken naps between the bidding.
It rained last night, so this morning it was overcast and foggy. After that hike yesterday, we needed the break. I went down to the lobby and checked e-mail and such, while Ted read his book. It is suppose to clear up this afternoon and be beautiful for the rest of the week.
We ventured our late in the morning when the sun came out. We drove a different part of the loop, which goes around the White Mountains. Although we were pretty stiff from yesterday's hike, we decided to try Boulder Loop hike, which said it had "beautiful views for little effort". About half way up this hike, we decided that the person who described this hike must be 25 and an excellent hiker. This was no means "little effort", so we had the good sense to turn around.
At the bottom of the hike was a beautiful river with a covered bridge. We hung around there for awhile and headed back toward the resort. On the way we passed a waterfall that was very close to the road, so we hiked up there. It actually was a great example of how a waterfall forms and erodes an area away. This same process is happening at Niagara Falls today.
We grabbed something to eat and headed back to the room. I called the three gals to play bridge, and we did that for a couple of hours. It was interesting, but I don't think I'll call them again. They were good players, but so slow I could have taken naps between the bidding.
October 8, 2008
We woke up to a sunny day and decided to hike “The Flume” in Franconia Notch. This is the main attraction here in the Notch, so we wanted to get there early before all the tour buses. There are a lot of companies touring right now. The Flume is a very narrow canyon where they have installed a walking deck to view it. There was water running down most of the flume with two covered bridges on the hike, too. It was a beautiful mile and a half hike, which was well worth the effort.
Our next stop was a ride up the tram of a ski mountain on the other side of the notch. Although the day was sunny, we were expecting it to be cold and windy at the top. Much to our surprise it was delightful. The view of Franconia Notch and Echo Lake were amazing. We could even see the Green Mountain of Vermont and peaks in Maine. The visibility was extremely good. There was a fire tower at the top to give us even a better look. Because it was so pleasant we decided to have a burger up top and enjoy the fantastic weather and views. A very satisfying moment.
We then drove the upper loop of the White Mountains. Our destination was a hike on the Mt. Willard trail to view the Crawford Notch. Notches were named because they reminded the pioneers of notching their wood in building log cabins. They are really just a narrow valley between two mountains. After asking people about the hike and reading about it in a tour book, it sounded easy enough. Oh my gosh, we should have turned around after a quarter mile or so. This hike was a killer and seemed to go on and on. It was listed as a mile and a half one way, but it was all up and the trail was totally rocky. I don’t know why good sense did not factor into our decision. We kept plugging along and eventually were rewarded with a fantastic view of Crawford Notch. The cars looked like ants below, and we had walked up this whole way. Almost as tough was the trip down because of the rocky trail. Anyway, we did it and at the bottom ran into a couple from Tomball and a fellow from Vermont. The guy from Vermont seemed so enthralled that he had met a group of Texans that he took our picture. Wish we would have been on the trail with them to distract us from our pain.
When we arrived at the resort, they were having a free happy hour, so we joined them. It’s fun to talk to other travelers. Many of them have good vacation places to share with each other. I met three older ladies who were desperately looking for a fourth for bridge. Another guy there wanted to learn how to play, so we played bridge for a couple of hours. It was a lot of fun. These gals were so quirky. Two of them were African American. One of which was a retired college professor. Her friend was almost entirely deaf, so we played with duplicate boxes. The other “old white lady” helped the new guy play. She knew every bridge rule there is. I’m sure that’s all she does. Anyway, they want me to call them tomorrow, so we can play again.
Our next stop was a ride up the tram of a ski mountain on the other side of the notch. Although the day was sunny, we were expecting it to be cold and windy at the top. Much to our surprise it was delightful. The view of Franconia Notch and Echo Lake were amazing. We could even see the Green Mountain of Vermont and peaks in Maine. The visibility was extremely good. There was a fire tower at the top to give us even a better look. Because it was so pleasant we decided to have a burger up top and enjoy the fantastic weather and views. A very satisfying moment.
We then drove the upper loop of the White Mountains. Our destination was a hike on the Mt. Willard trail to view the Crawford Notch. Notches were named because they reminded the pioneers of notching their wood in building log cabins. They are really just a narrow valley between two mountains. After asking people about the hike and reading about it in a tour book, it sounded easy enough. Oh my gosh, we should have turned around after a quarter mile or so. This hike was a killer and seemed to go on and on. It was listed as a mile and a half one way, but it was all up and the trail was totally rocky. I don’t know why good sense did not factor into our decision. We kept plugging along and eventually were rewarded with a fantastic view of Crawford Notch. The cars looked like ants below, and we had walked up this whole way. Almost as tough was the trip down because of the rocky trail. Anyway, we did it and at the bottom ran into a couple from Tomball and a fellow from Vermont. The guy from Vermont seemed so enthralled that he had met a group of Texans that he took our picture. Wish we would have been on the trail with them to distract us from our pain.
When we arrived at the resort, they were having a free happy hour, so we joined them. It’s fun to talk to other travelers. Many of them have good vacation places to share with each other. I met three older ladies who were desperately looking for a fourth for bridge. Another guy there wanted to learn how to play, so we played bridge for a couple of hours. It was a lot of fun. These gals were so quirky. Two of them were African American. One of which was a retired college professor. Her friend was almost entirely deaf, so we played with duplicate boxes. The other “old white lady” helped the new guy play. She knew every bridge rule there is. I’m sure that’s all she does. Anyway, they want me to call them tomorrow, so we can play again.
October 7, 2008
Today we chose to go on a tour sponsored by the resort. Our guide, Eric, and driver, Larry, along with the moose bus made it an adventure. Our main destination today was an apple orchard, but our first stop was Indians’ Leap. At this rock young Indians were challenged to leap across the river to prove their manhood. Driving on we came to the apple orchard where we had great lunch in a beautiful setting, and then took our bags to the orchard where Ted picked Macintosh apples. The low apples had all been picked, so Ted had to do the picken’. They were the most delicious apples we have ever tasted.
The rest of our tour took us to two covered bridges. One of them is located in the small town of Bath and is the longest covered bridge in New Hampshire. In Bath we visited in the oldest general store in the state, a church with a painted tin ceiling, and a 50’s diner, which had old drive-in speakers on display.
One of the best parts of the tour was seeing both Mt. Washington and Mt. LaFayette, which are high peaks in the White Mountains. The whole day was crystal clear, which is a rarity here in NH. Even the locals were out enjoying the views today. The sun also makes the leaves just sparkle.
After our tour ended, Ted and I drove up the Franconia Notch to so a hike. Our hike turned out to be a little more than we bargained for at the end of the day. We met a delightful Scottish couple, who have us some unsound advice about how to start the hike.
We began at the steepest part of the hike, and although it wasn’t too long, it was pretty steep. There was a lot of “up” before we saw any “down”. We should have done it in exact reverse. We just didn’t prepare like we should have, but we got back around okay. It was only a mile and a half. Tomorrow we’ve better prepared for our hike.
We ate dinner at the resort and are watching the second presidential debate. It should be over soon!
The rest of our tour took us to two covered bridges. One of them is located in the small town of Bath and is the longest covered bridge in New Hampshire. In Bath we visited in the oldest general store in the state, a church with a painted tin ceiling, and a 50’s diner, which had old drive-in speakers on display.
One of the best parts of the tour was seeing both Mt. Washington and Mt. LaFayette, which are high peaks in the White Mountains. The whole day was crystal clear, which is a rarity here in NH. Even the locals were out enjoying the views today. The sun also makes the leaves just sparkle.
After our tour ended, Ted and I drove up the Franconia Notch to so a hike. Our hike turned out to be a little more than we bargained for at the end of the day. We met a delightful Scottish couple, who have us some unsound advice about how to start the hike.
We began at the steepest part of the hike, and although it wasn’t too long, it was pretty steep. There was a lot of “up” before we saw any “down”. We should have done it in exact reverse. We just didn’t prepare like we should have, but we got back around okay. It was only a mile and a half. Tomorrow we’ve better prepared for our hike.
We ate dinner at the resort and are watching the second presidential debate. It should be over soon!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
October 6, 2008
We woke up to a sunny morning and had breakfast at the condo. Our first stop of the day was at a big tent ski sale. I really wanted a new ski jacket and was happy to find a white one, which was marked down from $200 to $89. There is no sales tax in NH, so I do need to continue shopping.
We drove up the Franconia Notch, which is a beautiful road and state park with mountains on either side. It is a very important recreation area to this state and includes a ski area. We stopped to see “Old Man Mountain”, which is a famous profile of a man in the mountain. Unfortunately, OMM eroded off the mountain in 2003, so we are five years too late to see him. We did see where he “was”. This was the symbol of New Hampshire, so a loss for them. They are in the mist of making a memorial park for him.
By noon the rain began, so our plans of hiking had to change. We drove to a small town, Franconia, at the end of the Notch and had some lunch with some yummy apple cider. Since it was still raining, we thought a road trip to Vermont was probably in order. Even though it sprinkled on us most of the way, the leaves were still beautiful. We drove probably 75 miles through some of the back roads of Vermont. At one point we were only seven miles from the Canadian border.
We drove back to Lincoln and stopped at a pizza place. It s a good day!
We drove up the Franconia Notch, which is a beautiful road and state park with mountains on either side. It is a very important recreation area to this state and includes a ski area. We stopped to see “Old Man Mountain”, which is a famous profile of a man in the mountain. Unfortunately, OMM eroded off the mountain in 2003, so we are five years too late to see him. We did see where he “was”. This was the symbol of New Hampshire, so a loss for them. They are in the mist of making a memorial park for him.
By noon the rain began, so our plans of hiking had to change. We drove to a small town, Franconia, at the end of the Notch and had some lunch with some yummy apple cider. Since it was still raining, we thought a road trip to Vermont was probably in order. Even though it sprinkled on us most of the way, the leaves were still beautiful. We drove probably 75 miles through some of the back roads of Vermont. At one point we were only seven miles from the Canadian border.
We drove back to Lincoln and stopped at a pizza place. It s a good day!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Dive to New Hampshire
It was time to leave the beautiful state of Maine behind. Acadia National Park moves to one of the top spots as one of my favorite National Parks. I guess the summer months are jammed with tourists, but I can see why. Fall was busy but manageable.
We drove to Lincoln, New Hampshire, which took us most of the day. It was a tough drive for Ted because we went on the two-lane scenic highway a good part of the way. The leaves here are at their full peak. We're staying in a time-share in the White Mountain area. The accommodations are fine, and we are lucky again to have a beautiful view.
All we did when we hit town was go to the grocery store to get some breakfast and snack items. We will attend the 9:00 a.m. meeting, which goes over all of the planned activities for the week. They are all optional, but give us a good idea of what to do in the area. It's always fun exploring a new place.
We drove to Lincoln, New Hampshire, which took us most of the day. It was a tough drive for Ted because we went on the two-lane scenic highway a good part of the way. The leaves here are at their full peak. We're staying in a time-share in the White Mountain area. The accommodations are fine, and we are lucky again to have a beautiful view.
All we did when we hit town was go to the grocery store to get some breakfast and snack items. We will attend the 9:00 a.m. meeting, which goes over all of the planned activities for the week. They are all optional, but give us a good idea of what to do in the area. It's always fun exploring a new place.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Acadia National Park
The sun was shining brightly when we got up this morning. Both of us were a little stiff and sore from all the hiking yesterday. Of couse that didn't stop us from venturing out to the park.
First, we drove along the Park Loop Road that goes by the ocean. This is our last day on the coast, so we wanted to spend some time there. We went in search of tide pools, which are found during low tide. We did locate some pools, but really didn't find any interesting critters moving around. We did, however, manage to find some spectacular scenery along Otter Cliffs. These are sheer pink granite cliffs that drop off straight into the ocean. We met two groups of rock climbers who were in the process of repeling off these cliffs. If I were 30 years younger, I would have loved to learn how to rock climb. I love heights. Instead, we had to settle for a few cliff hanging pictures.
Cadillac Mountain is the highest point on this island (1500 feet) and the highest place on the Eastern seaboard. At 11:00 the Forest Ranger gave a talk on the geology of Arcadia. Sonya, our Ranger, did a fantastic job of explaining how the area was formed and how the glaciers eroded it to make the features we see today. I love to hear good teaching, and she was very effective. Even the kids could follow her, and we had a family of homeschoolers from Round Rock, TX in our group. From the top of Cadillac Mt. you can see Bar Harbor and much of Acadia. It was a wonderful place for a geology talk.
After our cool (literally) Ranger talk, we headed for Jordan Pond Restaurant for lunch. We had some great soup and their speciality, popovers. I can't say I've ever had a popover before, but it was delicious. It's a very puffed up type of roll. The area around Jordon Pond is gorgeous. There is this beautiful lake with two small mountains called The Bubbles in the background. People were eating out on the big yard set up with tables. As much as I love to eat outside, it was a little too chilly for me. The high was suppose to be 58 degrees.
After lunch we decided to go on a one-hour carriage ride on the Carriage Roads. For $18 we made a terrific decision. Our driver, Randy, was a great story-teller. Ted and I got to sit up front with him, so we didn't miss a thing. He reminded us so much of Steve Johnson. We learned lots more about this historic park. We even went by Martha Stewart's house on this island. Terrific experience.
We did some downtown hiking after that. I wanted a t-shirt, but ended up with a fleece. We bought Christmas ornaments and some other little things. Tonight we had dinner at a small restaurant that we had seen people lined up for the last two nights. We thought they must have something good. Tonight we were early enough to get in. Ted had a lobster dinner, and I just got a salad (still too full from the popovers). Except for their 19 homemade dessert choices, I'm not sure what the big deal was. Blueberry pie is what they serve here everywhere. It was terrific tonight.
Talked to Larry tonight. He and Larry would love this place. Tomorrow we leave for New Hampshire. We're taking the scenic road, so it will take us atleast six hours.
First, we drove along the Park Loop Road that goes by the ocean. This is our last day on the coast, so we wanted to spend some time there. We went in search of tide pools, which are found during low tide. We did locate some pools, but really didn't find any interesting critters moving around. We did, however, manage to find some spectacular scenery along Otter Cliffs. These are sheer pink granite cliffs that drop off straight into the ocean. We met two groups of rock climbers who were in the process of repeling off these cliffs. If I were 30 years younger, I would have loved to learn how to rock climb. I love heights. Instead, we had to settle for a few cliff hanging pictures.
Cadillac Mountain is the highest point on this island (1500 feet) and the highest place on the Eastern seaboard. At 11:00 the Forest Ranger gave a talk on the geology of Arcadia. Sonya, our Ranger, did a fantastic job of explaining how the area was formed and how the glaciers eroded it to make the features we see today. I love to hear good teaching, and she was very effective. Even the kids could follow her, and we had a family of homeschoolers from Round Rock, TX in our group. From the top of Cadillac Mt. you can see Bar Harbor and much of Acadia. It was a wonderful place for a geology talk.
After our cool (literally) Ranger talk, we headed for Jordan Pond Restaurant for lunch. We had some great soup and their speciality, popovers. I can't say I've ever had a popover before, but it was delicious. It's a very puffed up type of roll. The area around Jordon Pond is gorgeous. There is this beautiful lake with two small mountains called The Bubbles in the background. People were eating out on the big yard set up with tables. As much as I love to eat outside, it was a little too chilly for me. The high was suppose to be 58 degrees.
After lunch we decided to go on a one-hour carriage ride on the Carriage Roads. For $18 we made a terrific decision. Our driver, Randy, was a great story-teller. Ted and I got to sit up front with him, so we didn't miss a thing. He reminded us so much of Steve Johnson. We learned lots more about this historic park. We even went by Martha Stewart's house on this island. Terrific experience.
We did some downtown hiking after that. I wanted a t-shirt, but ended up with a fleece. We bought Christmas ornaments and some other little things. Tonight we had dinner at a small restaurant that we had seen people lined up for the last two nights. We thought they must have something good. Tonight we were early enough to get in. Ted had a lobster dinner, and I just got a salad (still too full from the popovers). Except for their 19 homemade dessert choices, I'm not sure what the big deal was. Blueberry pie is what they serve here everywhere. It was terrific tonight.
Talked to Larry tonight. He and Larry would love this place. Tomorrow we leave for New Hampshire. We're taking the scenic road, so it will take us atleast six hours.
Acadia National Park
We enjoyed another great day exploring Acadia National Park. We began the day by hiking to Bar Island. The tide differential here in Bar Harbor is eleven feet, so at low tide you can walk right across to another island, Bar Island. Hence the name, Bar Harbor. We really saw a great nature show. The many sea gulls picked up mussels in their beaks, flew up 30-50 feet and dropped them on rocks. That would break the mussels and allow them to eat the goodies inside. We saw barnacles, snails, and lots of sea weed as we crossed the sand bar. On the other side there was a half mile hike to the top of Bar Island where we looked back to see where we just crossed. There are two high and low tides a day, so there are lots of opportunities to witness this miracle of nature.
Our next adventure was to hike to the cobblestone bridge on the Carriage Road. These 45 miles of auto-free roads were built from the 20's to 40's by J.D. Rockefeller, Jr. In addition to these excellent roads there are several stone bridges built over many of the streams. After looking at photographs from a professional photographer, we decided seeing this particular cobblestone bridge would be worth the hike. Not only was the hike gorgeous, but the bridge was spectacular. We hiked under and all around it and took lots of great pictures. We continued down the road to see two more stone bridges, which were fascinating, as well. All the bridges have differences, but the cobblestone bridge is the only one made from materials that are not cut.
Not wanting to leave the park, we traveled to the southern side of the park to see the island's only lighthouse. Here we were underwhelmed with the lighthouse, but the drive took us through a picturesque small town and three harbor towns. We had lunch at Southwest Harbor, which had mediocre food but a great view. The park's boundaries are very irregular. There are patches with houses and towns and then you're back in the park. The boundaries are determined by the land that was donated to it.
The highlight of our day was definitely discovering the Carriage Roads and bridges. It's difficult to describe their beauty. We had a nice dinner at Wonder View Resort. The view was spectacular, and the food again just okay. Guess we should just stick to lobster every meal.
Our next adventure was to hike to the cobblestone bridge on the Carriage Road. These 45 miles of auto-free roads were built from the 20's to 40's by J.D. Rockefeller, Jr. In addition to these excellent roads there are several stone bridges built over many of the streams. After looking at photographs from a professional photographer, we decided seeing this particular cobblestone bridge would be worth the hike. Not only was the hike gorgeous, but the bridge was spectacular. We hiked under and all around it and took lots of great pictures. We continued down the road to see two more stone bridges, which were fascinating, as well. All the bridges have differences, but the cobblestone bridge is the only one made from materials that are not cut.
Not wanting to leave the park, we traveled to the southern side of the park to see the island's only lighthouse. Here we were underwhelmed with the lighthouse, but the drive took us through a picturesque small town and three harbor towns. We had lunch at Southwest Harbor, which had mediocre food but a great view. The park's boundaries are very irregular. There are patches with houses and towns and then you're back in the park. The boundaries are determined by the land that was donated to it.
The highlight of our day was definitely discovering the Carriage Roads and bridges. It's difficult to describe their beauty. We had a nice dinner at Wonder View Resort. The view was spectacular, and the food again just okay. Guess we should just stick to lobster every meal.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Acadia National Park
We woke up to more rainy weather. When you only have three days at a National Park, you can't really afford to pull the covers back up over your head. We bundled up in rain gear and headed out for the Visitors' Center.
We learned a lot about Acadia National Park after watching a short video at the VC. It's a small island park, but always in the top ten most visited parks. It was the first NP founded east of the Mississippi River. Within its boundaries is the highest point on the eastern seaboard. It once was the summer home of people like the Rockefellers, Morgans, Vanderbelts, Carnegies, and Astors. In 1947 most of the park burned down along with these famous "cottages." Since then the park is has regenerated itself, and seems to be a place for everyone.
Since it was raining, we decided to take the CD tour of the 27 mile park loop. This turned out to give us a fantastic overview of the park. At many points along the way the rain subsided, and we were able to get out and see some spectacular scenery. There are so many different ecosystems on this one island. We saw a beautiful sandy beach, rocky coastlines, high peaks, forests, and picturesque harbors. This place has everything. We have some specific areas we want to return to tomorrow. By the end of the day, the sky cleared and the sun shined brightly.
The last few hours of the day we shopped the town of Bar Harbor. It's a lively harbor town with typical shops (lots of moose and lobsters) and restaurants. I had my first whole lobster tonight, and it was delicious. The other thing we have to eat before we leave is blueberry pie. Blueberry stuff is everywhere.
We're back at the hotel and waiting to watch the Palin/Biden debate tonight.
We learned a lot about Acadia National Park after watching a short video at the VC. It's a small island park, but always in the top ten most visited parks. It was the first NP founded east of the Mississippi River. Within its boundaries is the highest point on the eastern seaboard. It once was the summer home of people like the Rockefellers, Morgans, Vanderbelts, Carnegies, and Astors. In 1947 most of the park burned down along with these famous "cottages." Since then the park is has regenerated itself, and seems to be a place for everyone.
Since it was raining, we decided to take the CD tour of the 27 mile park loop. This turned out to give us a fantastic overview of the park. At many points along the way the rain subsided, and we were able to get out and see some spectacular scenery. There are so many different ecosystems on this one island. We saw a beautiful sandy beach, rocky coastlines, high peaks, forests, and picturesque harbors. This place has everything. We have some specific areas we want to return to tomorrow. By the end of the day, the sky cleared and the sun shined brightly.
The last few hours of the day we shopped the town of Bar Harbor. It's a lively harbor town with typical shops (lots of moose and lobsters) and restaurants. I had my first whole lobster tonight, and it was delicious. The other thing we have to eat before we leave is blueberry pie. Blueberry stuff is everywhere.
We're back at the hotel and waiting to watch the Palin/Biden debate tonight.
Heading for Maine
We left Houston and Hurricane Ike behind on September 30. We also left behind a crumbling U.S. economy and frustrating presidential race (Obama vs McCain). It's time for a walk in the woods. Our flight from Houston took us to Boston where we landed at 5:30 pm. After a hour and a half wrestling with Thrifty for a car, we were off to Saco, Maine where we spent the night.
The next morning we drove through Portland, ME and onto Freeport and the Flagship L.L. Bean complex. The town was picturesque with lots of cute shops besides the L.L. Bean store. I could have spend a fortune, but there were too many decisions to make. I settled for a pair of jeans (which is a near miracle for me to find), and Ted bought a couple of shirts and a logo cap. It was well worth stopping to see the giant boot.
Our next stop was Bar Harbor, but that was quite a long ways off. We decided to take a detour and stop at a small harbor called Five Islands to have a lobster roll. The windy rode took us longer than we thought and when we got there the Lobster Company was closed. Bad planning on our part. We did find a small general store in Georgetown and tried the lobster roll. It might not have been the top of the line lobster roll. We'll have to try one somewhere more reputable.
From there took the slow scenic rode to Bar Harbor and on the way we managed to see all kinds of beautiful coastal Maine towns. There doesn't appear to be any economic slowdown here. Besides the attractive towns, we saw lots of gorgeous fall leaves. They aren't quite at their peak, but beautiful nevertheless.
We arrived in Bar Harbor almost at sundown and found our hotel, the Atlantic Eyrie Lodge. We'll have a great view once the weather clears up. It has been raining most of today. We went to dinner down at the wharf and are really looking forward to exploring this area tomorrow.
The next morning we drove through Portland, ME and onto Freeport and the Flagship L.L. Bean complex. The town was picturesque with lots of cute shops besides the L.L. Bean store. I could have spend a fortune, but there were too many decisions to make. I settled for a pair of jeans (which is a near miracle for me to find), and Ted bought a couple of shirts and a logo cap. It was well worth stopping to see the giant boot.
Our next stop was Bar Harbor, but that was quite a long ways off. We decided to take a detour and stop at a small harbor called Five Islands to have a lobster roll. The windy rode took us longer than we thought and when we got there the Lobster Company was closed. Bad planning on our part. We did find a small general store in Georgetown and tried the lobster roll. It might not have been the top of the line lobster roll. We'll have to try one somewhere more reputable.
From there took the slow scenic rode to Bar Harbor and on the way we managed to see all kinds of beautiful coastal Maine towns. There doesn't appear to be any economic slowdown here. Besides the attractive towns, we saw lots of gorgeous fall leaves. They aren't quite at their peak, but beautiful nevertheless.
We arrived in Bar Harbor almost at sundown and found our hotel, the Atlantic Eyrie Lodge. We'll have a great view once the weather clears up. It has been raining most of today. We went to dinner down at the wharf and are really looking forward to exploring this area tomorrow.
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