Mt. Washington

We started on our way home today. Along the way we became momentarily distracted and started driving towards New Hampshire. Towards Mt. Washington specifically. You may have heard about this peak, high in the white mountains, or seen the obligatory bumper sticker on a car on the road in front of you saying "this car climbed Mt.Wasington" and wondered what that was all about. Mt. Washington isn't that tall by rocky mountain standards, but it doesn't know that. It does have the unique distinction of having its own micro climate or several actually, with extreme weather fluctuations. So, at the summit there is an extensive weather station which still holds the record for highest wind gust measured on the earths surface. The record stands at 231mph and was set in 1934.






The other thing Mt. Washington is famous for is the (very steep, windy, narrow, dirt) auto road that allows visitors to experience the summit themselves.
Which is what we did. How could we resist?
The drive started out pleasant enough, but soon the trees started to look as if the wind shaped them...




...and then the trees became more like horizontal shrubs...




and then the trees stopped altogether.



The landscape became something exotic and alien as the evidence of extreme weather left everything rocky, barren, and windswept. Once at the summit we found the second geological marker of the trip. It was an amazing view and I highly recommend it.









Once we were down the mountain, there was just enough light left to take a drive into the North Woods for a chance to see a moose. Among some spectacular scenery we saw her, munching on the side of the road. Our second ever moose sighting! We decided that this was a place we must return to.




Tomorrow we head home...for real.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Gorham, NH

Last looks

Today is our last day here. We have checked all of our must sees off the list and are just enjoying being in this place. We took a drive to some of our favorite spots. It was a little breezy today, and the waves were massive completely covering the rocky shore in some places. As the waves retreated, the rocks hosted waterfalls that looked like a million tiny Niagaras. The sun was out and warm, and we found comfortable rocks that became recliners as we sat and watched. It doesn't get better than this.

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Location:Mount Desert Island

Down East Discounts

In reading up about Maine for our trip, we discovered that it is home to two chains of stores, Reny's and Mardens, which feature discount and salvaged merchandise. Nearby Ellsworth is home to both, as well as a factory store for Maine's more famous, but less discount L.L. Bean. We took a short drive this evening to check them out.

The L.L. Bean store was nice, we bought some clothes, but overall it was just a larger version of what you would find in any outlet mall. Our next stop was Reny's this store was very cool. The inside was no frills, but packed with name brands at a discount prices: clothes, home goods, some food. Finally we ended up at a repurposed WalMart where Mardens is located. They specialize in salvaged goods. Like Reny's there are plenty of name brands at really great prices, but Mardens has such a breadth of items and a lot of the stuff is so random. There are clothes, a large hardware section (reminded me of Harbor Freight but with named brands), furniture, craft supplies (Sara bought some yarn at a great price), carpet, hardwood floors, appliances and fixtures, and lots more.

I really wonder why these chains have remained a Maine-only fixture, I'm sure they would do good business almost anywhere . . .


-- Post From Shawn's iPhone

Location:Ellsworth, ME

Hidden Summit

At 1,530 feet above sea level, Acadia's Cadillac Mountain is not an extremely high peak compared to others we have visited, but it is the highest point along the U.S. East Coast. A road leads to the top, so most of Acadia's two million annual visitors make the trip and walk around the "summit area" that the National Park Service has setup on top of this mountain.




Like so many before us, we milled around the summit loop trail and marveled at the views. Unlike most of our fellow visitors this is not the first mountain we have been to the top of. So we were very suspicious when we couldn't locate the metal benchmark which is the hallmark of mountain summits and most other points of geodetic interest in the U.S. We also noticed a second summit several hundred yards away that seemed just a bit higher than where we were standing. So we set off to investigate . . .

We found a discretely marked "South Ridge Trail" that headed off in this general direction and followed it up grade. Once near the top we noticed several potential high points, one of which had a pointer benchmark indicating the direction to a small rocky outcropping a few yards away. On top of this rock we found what we had been searching for. Of the hundred plus people wandering around the area at the time, we were the only ones who truly stood atop Cadillac Mountain.




Why would the National Park Service perpetrate this deception on the public? First they never actually point out any one spot in their "summit area" as the actual summit. They just let people wander around the area and come to their own conclusions. There are also a myriad of signs indicating that the hundreds of millions of annual human foot falls are a major source of erosion on the top of the mountain. Add to this to the fact that an easily accessible and publicized summit benchmark is a target for souvenir hunters, and I suspect the Park Service is just balancing its commitment between public access and protection of our natural resources.


-- Post From Shawn's iPhone

Location:High atop Cadillac Mountain , ME

Popovers and Blueberry Tea

This morning we woke to a traditional Maine fog, complete with fog horns, which Sooke always felt obligated to respond to. We chose today to go have lunch at the Jordan Pond House, a lodge like restaurant on the banks of Jordan Pond. Shawn had their famous lobster stew, and I had the most delectable tomato basil bisque. But the real reason everyone gathers there is for the popovers.



If you aren't familiar with popovers they are the perfect combination of flower, eggs, and milk, baked into fluffy hollow rolls. At Jordan Pond House they are served one at a time, so that they are always served warm, and with homemade strawberry jam. Yummy!

After we licked our fingers, we took a walk on the nature trail along Jordan Pond.



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Location:Jordan Pond House, Acadia National Park, Maine

Fun in the rain . . . By Sooke

Today was fun! When we woke up this morning it was already raining. I like rain a lot because it makes me wet. I don’t think Bear likes rain very much; it makes him grumpy.




We took another ride around the island today. We went to two towns called Northeast Harbor and Seal Harbor. I was bored, but Mom and Dad seemed to think the big old houses were pretty cool.

Next we drove a beach and had a picnic in the car because it was raining. After lunch, we all went out in the rain and hiked down a long trail to a big beach full of rocks. I had lots of fun chasing waves and jumping around on the rocks. I wanted Daddy to have extra fun, so I made sure to pull him across all the really slippery ones. One time Daddy slid really far and landed on his butt. I think he had fun.




Bear had fun too, even though it was raining. He likes to eat all the little crunchy things on the beach. Mommy and Daddy say he likes mussels and clams. He is really good at digging them up and breaking them open. I like to eat the green stuff called kelp.

When we were done, we were tired, but we still had to hike back to the car. When we got there Bear and I were really tired. We also went to see a lighthouse, but Bear and I decided to stay in the car and sleep.


We were really glad when we got home. Daddy made a fire so we could warm up and we all napped for the rest of the afternoon.

Breakfast and Dinner

I woke up to the smell of coffee and eggs. Shawn was making breakfast. :-)



It was raining off and on so when we went into the park today, I left my sunglasses at the cabin. Of course that meant that the sun soon came out and it was a beautiful day. We took the loop drive today, which is the most popular in the park. The Labor Day crowds were gone and we were able to see the sites like thunder hole and otter point with little traffic on the roads and the hiking trails.





We took the boys swimming at the Bar Harbor beach and they had a great time. They were tired out, so we took them back to the cabin, and Shawn and I went to dinner in town. We sat next to an entertaining couple from Virginia. They arrived just as we got our food, and immediately consulted with us on our culinary choices. They considered the selections, all of them, several times. They did eventually order, but were still debating the various menu options when we paid the bill and left. Bar Harbor reminded us of Jackson Hole Wyoming, as we wandered around the shops, and ate ice cream in the village square. The night in town was nice, but I was missing the boys and was just as happy to see them, as they were to see us, when we got home.


-- Post From Sara's iPhone

Down East

There is a lesser know part of Acadia National Park, outside of Mount Desert Island on the Schoodic Peninsula on the main land. With the likelihood of another busy day in the park, we decided to go explore it.



It was a foggy morning, and the promise of breathtaking views of Cadillac Mountain from the peninsula fell short, but the coast line was beautiful. At low tide, we were able to wander around tide pools and what looked like miniature rolling hills of seaweed.



For lunch we drove and then hiked to the top of Schoodic Head Mountain. While eating peanut butter and Maine blueberry jam sandwiches, the fog began to lift and we had a spectacular view. From our vantage we had a great view of the Winter Harbor Lighthouse.



With the sun out and the tide coming in, we made our way to Schoodic Point where huge waves were crashing against the rocky shore. Bear and Sooke's favorite was Blueberry Hill where they got to play in the water. Sooke tried his best to catch a wave and I think he may have had one cornered for a brief moment.





Having finished the drive around the peninsula, and having the rest of the afternoon ahead of us, we set of for Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge. On the way we drove through several little harbor towns and noticed that many of the houses and properties were for sale. With lobster being the only viable fishery left, it seems that these little fishing villages are struggling.

After hiking through blueberry patches at the wildlife refuge we headed back to our home away from home back on Mount Desert Island. We ended Labor Day in traditional style by grilling out hot dogs and drinking a locally brewed porter.



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Location:Schoodic Peninsula, Maine, United States

Deconstruction

Happy Labor Day!

It's Monday morning. But the high heels have once again become sneakers, my hair is in its rightful pulled back position, and I’m wearing my favorite worn out t-shirt. I enjoy the challenges in my day to day life, even the wardrobe, and have always felt that life is too short to have it any other way. But it is so nice to have the time to completely ionize and revert back to my ground state. To completely own the space, and the place and just be. It is so easy to get caught up, but it is so important to not lose perspective.





Once again we choose to refresh ourselves in a place where the mountains reach the sea. We would love to travel and explore the whole world. But we are always pulled to these places of contrast, transition and natural history. Where do you go to recharge?


- Posted by Sara using BlogPress from the iPad

Location:Blue Hill Point Cabin, Bar Harbor, Maine, United States

Avoiding the crowds

We decided to sleep in this morning to celebrate the first “real” day of our vacation. Sooke has a slightly different interpretation of what sleeping in means, as by 7am he was trying his best to rouse us so he could explore his new yard. With our earlier than planned start, we still took it easy and hung around the cabin for most of the morning, enjoying a delicious breakfast of eggs and sausage thanks to Sara’s efforts.



View from the cabin

By 10:30 we were out on the road and decided to hit the visitor center at Acadia National Park first, so we could pick up maps and other orientation materials. Not surprisingly the visitor’s center was packed with the Labor Day weekend crowds, so we decided to leave the park’s main loop road for later this week, when the crowds have hopefully subsided. Having been here once before, we remembered that there is a lesser visited half of the island (which we never got to explore), so we decided this would be a good place to beat the crowds.

As it was nearing noon, we decided to stop in Bar Harbor first to grab some food. As we drove into the downtown where we were greeted by the sight of a looming cruise ship and throngs of passengers descending on the little town. We skipped food and made a beeline out of town and toward our planned refuge on the south and west part of Mount Desert Island. En route we grabbed some sandwiches at Subway. While this may sound mundane, it was quite significant as it ended Sara’s almost 10 year avoidance of Subway (which is an entirely different story).

We found a quiet picnic shelter at the Pretty Marsh picnic area where we ate and let the dogs explore. To say Sooke was very wound up today would be an understatement. He was very excited and quite a handful, as Bear showed him the ropes of wilderness exploration (with us being dragged down the rocky mountainside behind them). After herding them back to the car we set out and found some nearly deserted unpaved fire roads through the park’s backcountry. We made our way to the interior side of Seal Cove Pond where Sooke and Bear both took quick swims. We then hiked along the mountainous shoreline, while Sara took pictures.

We wrapped up our trip around the island stopping at the Seawall Picnic area where Sooke got his first glimpse (and taste) of the ocean. He and Bear had fun sampling the assorted kelp littering the rocky shore and wading into the surf. By the drive back to the cabin, the boys were thoroughly exhausted!



Sooke at the seashore

-- Post From Shawn's iPhone

Location:Blue Hill Point, Bar Harbor, ME United States

We have arrived!

Last night we stayed at the Ethan Allen hotel, and yes it is THAT Ethan Allan. We knew this because it was right next door to the EA headquarters and showroom. It was also apparently HQ for utility crews repairing damage from Hurricane Irene, as there were at least 3 dozen bucket trucks in the hotel parking lot. The hotel once was very nice, you could tell, but a little dated. Still it was first class for a pet friendly hotel. Sooke did very well and both dogs entertained themselves and us by playing with their reflections in the mirror of the closet door.

This morning, we proceeded to drive a lot.

We stopped for lunch in York Maine, where we found these to be too tempting to pass up, even if they will last us all week.


We pulled into our destination just after five this afternoon, which means that we made great time. Hardly any traffic to speak of for labor day weekend. It was pleasantly surprising to see some early fall color on the way up.

We were all a little tuckered out when we got here.


After unloading the car, we went into Bar Harbor to pick up some groceries. Now for a good night's rest and a schedule-free tomorrow.


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Location:Blue Hill Point Cottage, Bar Harbor, Maine, United States

And...we're off!

All our bags are packed; we're ready to go…

The dogs are standing here, beside the door…

They can’t wait to …
get on the road again…

Just can’t wait to get back on the road again...





​​Ok, mixed metaphors? But yes, the four of us are on the way to Maine! We are getting a jump on the trip leaving this afternoon and hoping to at least make it past New York City. Hopefully, the rest of the world isn’t doing the same thing. Curiosity the cat is bachin' it with Uncle Dan back at the homestead. Bear is well traveled, but this will be Sooke’s first real road trip. He has been to see family in South Carolina, so he knows all about being in a car for a really long time. But this will be his first hotel experience. He has his bed and his favorite toys packed…he’ll be fine....



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:On the road...