Natural Wonders of the USA part 4

Posted on December 17, 2022December 17, 2022 by Dusty Roads

Natural Wonders List Continues

We’ve got 50 Natural Wonders to go through and we’ve only covered 12 so time to continue on. Besides, My life is boring. Who wants to hear about my issues with Medicare and unemployment. Beautiful sights to see are far more interesting.

13. MAINE – Cadillac Mountain

Maine is one of my favorite states. It’s got lighthouses and rugged , scenic coastline. It’s even got Puffins but you need to take a special trip across the Bay of Fundy to see them. Fun fact- tides in the Bay of Fundy are the highest in the world! They can reach an incredible 53 ft.! Now which thing is the Natural Wonder for Maine?

Photo credit- Deb Neumann 2016

According to the list its Cadillac Mountain at Acadia National Park . During certain times of the year, it is the first place to see the sunrise in the US.

Photo credit- Joe St Jean- 2012

14. New Hampshire – Flume Gorge

Staying on the East Coast we’ll head to New Hampshire. That’s the Live Free or Die State. Another excellent state to explore with the beautiful White Mountains, The Kancamagus Highway and lovely lakes, streams and waterfalls. The Flume Gorge is located in Franconia Notch State Park , Lincoln NH. Yes I’ve been there. Its an uphill walk with lots of stairs but I survived it and so can you. It’s beautiful. Very primal.

Photo Credit Deb Neumann 2011

15. Hawaii – Diamond Head

You are talking my language now. I love Hawaii although Diamond Head is on Oahu which is my least favorite of the main Hawaiian Islands. It’s the most cosmopolitan. If you miss crazy traffic and City life then Oahu is the island for you. Diamond head is the image everyone has of Hawaii. You know that post card image with high rises, white sand and a mountain.

28,842 Diamond Head Images, Stock Photos & Vectors ...

We drove up into the crater but did not climb the stairs to the top. I liked snorkeling in Hanauma Bay more than I liked Diamond Head.

16. West Virginia – New River Gorge

You got me on this one. I haven’t been to West Virginia so I haven’t been to New River Gorge.

The picture is gorgeous and I’d love to capture something similar but when I googled the New River Gorge Bridge it seems the thrill seekers have taken over. They banned bungee jumping after an accidental death deemed bungee jumping as unsafe but they still allow base jumping and rappelling! No thanks. I admit I like an adrenaline rush as much as the next person but I still want to be safe!

That about wraps up todays post. More to come next time.

Return to Cadillac Mountain

Posted on July 25, 2012July 25, 2012 by Dusty Roads

Back at the motel we each freshened up a bit and then it was back out to find someplace to have dinner. It was still sunny and hot so we wanted to find someplace we could eat outside to take advantage of the beautiful weather.

Down by the harbor is a public parking lot. It was busy but not full and we soon located a spot. The sail boat we’d seen moored nearby was loading up and heading out. We finally got to see it with a full rigging. That was beautiful. I’m glad we finally got to see that.

For some reason JR did not want to eat at the first restaurant we saw with outdoor tables so we wandered along the street a bit more until we reached Stewman’s Restaurant.

This one was acceptable and we were soon seated on the deck under a big umbrella. The waiter recommended the lobster (of course) but I preferred to be a little more conservative and went back to my favorite…you guessed it…scallops ..again. I just couldn’t seem to get enough of them. They just melted in your mouth.

We took our time over dinner until we noticed the sun was beginning to drop lower in the sky. If we wanted to get to Cadillac Mountain for sunset we had to get moving.

On our way we tried the Sand Beach again. You’ll recall that the parking area was full when we stopped this morning. Now it was deserted. We spent some time roaming the beach and taking pictures being careful not to linger too long and lose the light. Then it was back on the road to the top.

We passed a beaver lodge but didn’t see the beaver and skipped most of the scenic pull overs until we were closer to the top.

By then the sun was dropping behind the mountains and the sky was starting to glow. Our last stop before the top was the look out right below the summit. As we came around the corner it was clear that the sky was on fire. Not wanting to miss the spectacular colors we stopped and enjoyed the moment.

It was a good thing we stopped there because by the time we reached the top the most dramatic colors had passed. The softer pink after glow was bathing the landscape. A breeze was blowing and it was much more comfortable than it had been earlier in the day.

The summit was still a busy place even as the day was drawing to a close. What a way to wrap up our visit because our we’d be heading back to real life the next morning.

The Summit

Posted on July 23, 2012July 23, 2012 by Dusty Roads

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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I’m Baaaaack!

Posted on June 21, 2012June 21, 2012 by Dusty Roads

Sorry I didn’t follow my usual custom of updating all of you when I’m traveling. This little jaunt was to Bar Harbor in Maine and it was only 4 days. What that means is that 2 days are spent driving to get to and from there and 2 days are crammed full trying to squeeze everything in. Bottom line is that every night when I got back to our motel, I collapsed into bed too tired to even think. 🙂

But I promise I will fill you in on everything from “Goat Whispering”