2015 TRAVELS : ACADIA NATIONAL PARK IN MAINE

We arrived in Acadia National Park and fell in love with it, so promptly booked an extra 3 days giving us a week here.
Acadia National Park, located on the rock-bound Maine Island of Mount Desert (pronounced dessert - only in America!), protects more than 49,000 acres of granite-domed mountains (all less than 1530ft), forests, meadowlands, marshes, Somes Sound, the only fjord in the contiguous states and stunning ocean shorelines everywhere. With 120 miles of hiking trails, 45 miles of carriage roads and a 27 mile scenic drive its a little gem.
We chose Seawall Campground on the quieter, western side of the island with the ocean 10 minutes walk away.

Acadia Mountain

Roy "bagging the peaks!"

We hiked many of the mountains and let me tell you that even though most only reach around 1200ft, these little mountains have attitude, some tough climbs and most starting at sea level!
Maine means lobster, so we have managed to eat a fair bit and of course we had to try the Clam Chowder(delicous) topped off with Maine wild Blueberry pie(we think it looked like Bear scat!) and endless ice cream, my favourite was Maine Maple Walnut - Roy just likes them all!
Near the end of our week here we discovered the Common Good Soup Kitchen offering wifi, coffee and popovers ( like mini Yorkshire puddings with butter and jam - yummy). A great place that operates every morning throughout the summer and you just give a donation. They say that with the money they get it, it lets them open during the harsh winter and put on meals, entertainment and activities for the local community.

Lobster buoys

Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island - Acadia NP

Sand Beach

Summit of Cadillac mountain

Cadillac mountain

Our last day in Acadia we decided that we should hike up Cadillac Mountain, we had driven up its 1530 feet domed summit by car on the scenic drive. Of course the weather changed and Roy said it would be good to go up Dorr Mountain1270ft first. Remind me never to trust Roy's map reading skills again - there was a gorge that separated them which was horrendous and then it started raining and the trail down from Cadillac was a nightmare over granite rock like ice. Still we made it - took 5 hours to hike 4.3 miles!

Pemetic Mountain

lunch stop

Roy playing silly faces with a rock!

Jordan Pond

North East Harbor

Sunshine made us stay another day in Arcadia and we drove round to the mainland to tour the tiny Schoodic Peninsula, part of Acadia National Park, granite headlands, rocky beaches and spruce-fir forests. - similar to Desert Island but more intimate and secluded.
Crashing waves, eider ducks,many mighty Monarch butterflies on their migration to Mexico, made for a great day, then on the way back we stopped at a lobster pound near our campsite where we found out the answers to our lobster questions. Why do they call it a lobster pound where they cook them? - first reason was maybe because they sell lobsters by the pound and second reason was likening it to a dog pound - somewhere to keep them safe until they decide what to do with them! They steam them in a small amount of water. Are they alive when they are dropped in - yes. do they scream? No but the clams do! He was such a joker! But did you know that the lobster is an arachnid - spider family - it has 8 legs and has hardly any nervous system - so he says!
Au revoir Acadia.