Category Archives: Maine

The Summit

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Because of the time and because we were thirsty and hungry at this point, we skipped  some of the scenic turn offs after the Bubble Rock adventure and just headed for the summit. I can’t say we made a Bee line because the road was still quite twisty as it wound around the mountain.

The views were amazing. It’s easy to see why this is a National park.

Finally turning the last corner we saw the parking area for the summit of Cadillac Mountain. It  really is a “bald” summit. There’s no tree cover to speak of,  just a cap of rocks.

The snack bar had some ice cream and snack foods like nuts and power bars and some local treats like blueberry candy but no real food. Not even hot dogs.  It did have restrooms however and that was almost as much of a priority at this point as food.

I bought a fruit drink and a water  and met JR at the car. We took out the cooler and found a rock to sit on while we had out “makeshift” lunch. My left over french toast was coming in handy. It wasn’t bad cold.

Properly refreshed we wandered over the rocks taking in the magnificent views of Frenchman’s Bay.

With virtually no shade, staying on the summit for the rest of the day in the hot sun wasn’t an option. We decided to move on and return for a sunset visit.

When we planned the trip I said I wanted to see the lighthouses. JR said they were all in the park. Now he spread a map out and only one lighthouse showed up. So with JR navigating and me driving we set off back down the mountain the see if we could find this one lighthouse.

Pretty soon we had crossed out of the park and were passing through little towns and rural fields. Eventually we reached Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse.

We were able to walk right down to it but didn’t see any paths or trails around it. Since I have been back I have learned that there is a trail to the rocks below.  The pictures I had seen of this light were all taken from out to sea. If I ever get back to that area again I will have to look into that.

Having found the lighthouse we could put a “mission accomplished ” stamp on that part of the trip.

Time to head back to the motel and grab a quick shower before we headed out for dinner.

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The Bubble Rock Adventure

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My sister will identify with this. Back when we went to Oahu, Hawaii we hiked a trail that was mentioned on the travel channel as being and easy 5 minute hike. It wasn’t even close to that and the locals we mentioned it to had a good laugh over our misinformation.

Well the Bubble Rock Trail in Acadia wasn’t rated but it didn’t look too bad on the map. I think it was only supposed to be about .5 miles.  At the trail head it looked well-marked with only a slight incline. Like the Hawaii adventure we were dealing with very hot temperatures, if not in the 90’s then close to it and very humid.

Even so JR and I set off with curious optimism. While we were getting our cameras we met one young woman who had just come back down the trail. She said it “wasn’t too bad”  Adding that there’s just one tricky section.

So off we went. The cool relief of the shade didn’t last long as the exertion of an uphill walk soon offset any cooling benefit of the trees, plus the bugs began to find us. The bug spary was still in the car!

As we passed the first .1 mile marker, JR. asked if I wanted to keep going. I said yes as we only had .4 more miles to go.

The trail got a bit steeper and more rocky. My monopod came into service as a walking stick.

At the halfway mark we came to a series of steps. They weren’t rock or concrete but rather different levels of rock and dirt packed between logs. The going was very uneven and I began to be concerned. A twisted ankle here would be a disaster.

There were logs to sit on so I plunked down for a break and to think over the wisdom of going on. While we waited we saw a woodpecker and both JR and I worked on trying to get a picture. Finally we had to make a decision.

We started up the “steps”. At the first turn or “landing” we heard some crashing in the woods to our left. Two women came tumbling down the side of the mountain finally coming to a halt near us. They said they had made it to Bubble Rock and that it was not worth the effort. When they tried to come back down they couldn’t find the trail entrance so took off down the mountain on their own which is where we ran into them.

They told us that from where we were  the trail only got steeper and harder to climb as the rocks making up the steps got looser and had a tendency to roll under foot. They wished us luck and headed on down the trail.

I looked at JR and he looked at me. We could almost read each other’s minds…was it worth the risk to keep going? As much as I hate to give up when I start something, I finally said I didn’t want to go on. Instead of JR picking on me, he readily agreed and we turned around to follow the trail back to the parking area.

Going back down was trickier than going up and took all of our concentration to get off the loose rock steps.

From talking with other “successful” hikers, Bubble Rock is a large boulder that sits on a spring or brook or some other water source. If you push on the rock is will shift and the water bubbles around the base of the rock when you do that. I’m ok with skipping that.

Back in the car we cranked up the AC to cool off and drank the last of our water. Time to try to find the summit of Cadillac Mountain. It was past time for lunch and the map said there was a snack bar at the Visitor Center.

Along the Loop Road

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Leaving the Thunder Hole we headed back onto the Loop Road. It’s 27 miles long  but I can guarantee that it will take more than 30 minutes to drive it…more than an hour…more than…well here are a few more scenes and we haven’t reached the top yet!

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Morning on The Loop Road

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We were up bright and early the next morning. The sun seems to rise about 5am and light was filtering in through the small hall window. I believe that’s the “natural” way to wake up…to sunlight but it was still early!

Showered and refreshed we took the car when we went to breakfast. Back to the Great Maine Breakfast but we’d learned our lessons yesterday with the “Lumberjack”. We toned down our orders today. I had the cinnamon – raisin french toast. Soooo Good. I have to say, all the food has been fantastic and filling. I can’t fault the quality or the quantity. Once again I was only able to eat about 1/2 the order but I’d put a cooler in the car so I took the left over as a “doggy bag”.

We picked up some bottled water and headed out to spend the day exploring Acadia National Park. Acadia has a Loop Road that you can drive through the park. Following it will take you to many of the high points if you’re not a hiker.

We pulled off  wherever there was a scenic overlook. The views of Frenchman’s Bay were beautiful. The heat and humidity were back so there was a haze that interfered with pictures even with filters to offset the effect. Still it was breathtaking.

The sand beach was so packed we weren’t able to get a parking spot.

Since there were so many other sights we skipped it for now and headed on to the next big location on our list, Jordan Pond.

We had heard that Jordan Pond was a must see/do especially their pop-over lunch. Walking to the lodge we spotted a “Mountain Garden”.

The Garden was made up of trails, water features and wild flowers native to the area. It was all done so naturally among the trees that it seemed as if you had just come upon it by accident. Each type of habitat was clearly marked.

It was here that I saw the jack-in-the- pulpit.

I was thrilled to spot it because it’s been years and years since I’d seen one.

Another plant I hadn’t seen in a long time was the pitcher plant but there they were. Talk about being taken back in time!

There were benches along the paths and little bridges over the brooks. It was much cooler under the trees too so the garden was a really refreshing break from the heat. Eventually we wandered to the lodge and checked the menu for the Pop-over picnic lunch. I don’t remember the price exactly but it wasn’t cheap and it was vetoed immediately by my frugal friend. Vacation or not, JR was on a budget. Maybe next trip.

Leaving the lodge we crossed a pretty log bridge and explored the Native American museum.

It’s very small but they had a series of dioramas that were very well done. The volunteer was well versed in  the history of the area and the museum. Her husband was also there running the gift shop.

After we left the museum we  headed back to the car. At the time it didn’t occur to me that we never walked down to see the actual Jordan’s Pond!

Next stop was my favorite…Thunder Hole.

Judging from the number of people here it’s a favorite of a lot of people. We followed the signs from the parking area out onto rocky cliffs. Stairs had been carved into the rock and there were metal hand rails.

Following these trails over the rocks let you climb right down to the waterline where the surf came crashing.

At the base was a blow-hole. I’d seen these in Hawaii. The water rushes in and as it exits there’s a whoosh and then the sound of “thunder”…hense the name Thunder Hole.

We spent quite awhile wandering over these rocks and listening to the surf crash and the “Thunder” roll.

Then it was back to the car to find the next scenic pull out.

Day is Done…

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Back on dry land I had to get my land legs back to trudge up the hill to the car. From freezing to sweating . It was close to 90 degrees and humid! Maybe being cold out on the sea wasn’t so bad. 🙂

The first point of business was to track down my fellow traveler, JR. He hadn’t wanted to go on the boat so I’d left him exploring the town. Now as I pulled out my cell phone to call him I realized it was 5 pm. No wonder I was hungry.  I hadn’t had lunch and the “snack bar” on the rocking and rolling Islander consisted of peanuts , chips, candy bars, coffee and soft drinks. With the cabin filled with the suffering, I couldn’t even think of food but back on land my stomach was making its empty presence known.

JR was back at the motel so I headed over there to meet up with him. He had done a terrific job of checking out the town. One of the most interesting things to me was an island called Bar Island. It’s an island in the harbor just off Bar Harbor. You get to it by crossing a sand bar. The tricky part is that the sand bar is under water at high tide. Up in that part of Maine the tides can vary  10 – 12 feet between High and Low tide. So if you go out and the tide comes in..you could be stuck there for 6 hours or until the next low tide.

On the boat the tour guide said there was a joke that if a local tells you there’s parking on the island that means  they don’t like you very much. 🙂

But back to my hungry stomach…During his explorations JR had run across a pub style restaurant called The Thirsty Whale. I would have liked to go back to The Route 66  if only to bring the camera but JR had a point.  His  argument was that we should experience as much as possible in the short time we would be there and we’d already tried Rt 66.  The Thirsty Whale wasn’t far from the motel so we walked down.

It was typical pub food. JR had a pizza of some kind..maybe bar-b- q chicken or something like that. I stuck with the nautical theme enjoying a fish and chips plate that tasted as if he fish had just swum in..sooo fresh. That’s the beauty of ordering seafood right on the coast. The problem is that it spoils me for the rest of the year.

After dinner we wandered up to the main tourist part of town, did some window shopping and got an ice cream at one of the many ice cream shops.

I spotted the man with the cat on the leash again. I couldn’t believe how calm the cats was with strangers walking all around him. Rocky will walk on a leash too so that wasn’t the amazing part. The part that amazed me is that the cat was calm as could be in all the confusion and the crowds of people. While I talked with his owner he plopped down and started  giving himself a thorough kitty bath …the cat not the owner.(yoga poses to reach his private parts and all).

Leaving the hustle and bustle behind we walked back to the motel. JR wanted to photograph a church with beautiful stained glass windows. I did too  but my adventures of the day had taken their toll. I could hardly keep my eyes open on the walk back so I sent him on his way and I crashed.  I think my eyes were closed before my head hit the pillow. We had another busy day planned for the ‘morrow and I wanted to be alert enough to enjoy it.