July 15 - 22, 2019: Bar Harbor, Maine
Since we were wrapping up the truck logistics in Lake George, New York, we did not pull out of there until about 1pm. We then hit the road and pulled into our campground in the Bar Harbor area about 9:30pm. Along the way we saw some gorgeous country - rolling hills, mountains, ski areas, Quechee Gorge, stellar old buildings, and more! Since it was a long drive, we stayed on Interstate 95 (toll road) through Maine vs. driving on Highway 1. Maybe when we come back out this way we can drive along the Coast on Highway 1.
The new truck handled really well, however you could feel the trailer behind it so we will need to get use to this feeling again : )
Bar Harbor is on the Mount Desert Island (MDI) of Maine and there are a ton of small little villages on MDI. We were unable to get one camp spot for the entire time, so we spent the first 3 days at Bass Harbor Campground on the far side (as they say 'the quiet side') of MDI.
We have been trying to coordinate with our friends and former co-workers from Micron to meet up somewhere, sometime in July. They live in Minneapolis and are on their vacation and since we are in the same area...we were able to hook up for breakfast in Ellsworth, Maine our first day! We found a local restaurant called Martha's Diner and it was awesome! It was great to see Scott and Susan and catch up. Thanks you two for going out of your way to see us!!!
Later this day we drove into Bar Harbor and wandered around the town. We wanted to get a feel for the area and make our list of things to do. We stopped by The Pink Pastry Shop for an ice tea and cookie then sat in the Agamont Park people and boat watching.
We then got our feet in the Atlantic Ocean (brrrr) and walked along the Bar Island Trail. When the tide is out, you are able to walk the entire trail from island to island. However, when the tide comes in...you are stuck on the other island and need to call a Ferry Taxi! And yes, I was 'shopping' for rocks again : )
And of course, while in Maine...I have to eat Lobster. Lucky for me, Craig is not much of a Lobster fan, so...I don't have to share : ) The first night we ate at Thurston's Lobster Pound in Bernard, ME which was just across the bay from our camp spot. My Lobster was 1.39 pounds and with the dinner (upsize), it came to about $24. Craig had a great Chicken BLT Sandwich.
Tell the counter what you want for dinner, they grab a lobster, weigh it, put it in a mesh bag, and take it out to the deck to boil it. If you ordered corn on the cob, they add it a few minutes later.
Then...they bring you your dinner!
Craig is standing behind the cookers watching the process. The boiling water cooker is on the left. The cages on the right are full of lobster (black=uncooked, red=cooked). They use these for lobster rolls.
Before eating my lobster, I needed to get an education on the difference between hard shell vs. soft shell and....how to eat it!
Finished product! I found out I had a female Lobster because there was some roe or eggs on the inside. I got all of the meat out of the Lobster, but could not bring myself to eat the roe or eggs. People put it on chips and said it is like caviar - ick!
Within walking distance to our campground was The Bass Harbor Head Light House. We took one of the afternoons and enjoyed a walk to it.
And...once again for dinner, I had Lobster. This time we went to Beal's Lobster Pier and I tried the Lobster Roll, Craig had the Shrimp Dinner. Both were awesome! We met a great couple from Delaware and had wonderful conversations while eating and watching the sunset.
We have had great weather in the area. It has been between 73-85f during the day and getting down to 58-60 at night. Perfect!
When our time was up at Bass Harbor Campground, we moved to Hadley's Point Campground which is closer to Bar Harbor. Below are a few cool pics of the short drive to Hadley's. The one on the right is an old cemetery that is beside the main road with headstones placed randomly among the trees.
For dinner that night, we rode our bicycles to C-Rays Lobster Pound. I had another Lobster Roll (there are multiple types/flavors) and Craig had a killer chicken and blueberry sandwich! And yes...we had local blueberry pie for dessert! So far, this is my favorite Lobster Roll. We shared a table with a couple from Pennsylvania and had great conversations!
Next we rode our bicycles down to Hadley's Point to watch the sunset. And...guess what? Yep, another really old cemetery just around the corner from our campground! Remember my fascination with them from past posts? Ya, I just love the old headstones and markers, great history!
We took a bicycle ride into the Acadia National Park and rode a small portion of the old Carriage Roads. We had hoped to ride all 45 miles of the roads and see the 17 rock bridges throughout the park. Unfortunately, we found out that E-Bikes are not allowed on the trails. So we rode from our campground to the nearest entrance at Witch Hole Pond and part of the trail without the motors. Holy Cow...it has been a while since we have ridden bicycles up hills without a motor and the bikes we have are not the best because they are heavy. And...since we are sitting in the truck driving a lot...let's just say that we are both a little out of shape : )
The ride was gorgeous even if it was difficult. Luckily for us, MDI had free shuttles all over the island so we hopped a bus back to the campground since I didn't think I would be able to make it back before it got dark : )
And can you guess what I had for dinner this night? Yep, Lobster again! This time we went to Mainely Meat BBQ. I had a Lobster Roll (4.5 ounces of Lobster) and Craig had a Bacon Cheeseburger. And...then we enjoyed some awesome ice cream from Udder Heaven next door.
If I keep eating Lobster, we are going to need to go back to work. Each roll is about $19-23 and the Lobster Dinners are $23-29. Ouch...our dinners each night are about $50. I guess we will be eating Top Ramen for the next few months - hee...hee...
While we were in Bar Harbor we saw that Arlo Guthrie was playing at The Criterion Theater. Of course, we bought tickets : ) We wandered around downtown before the show and had dinner across the street at the Thirsty Whale. Yes...I had a lobster roll and lobster bisque! Craig had Haddock Fish & Chips which were awesome!
The concert was great! The Criterion Theater seats 877 and reminds me a little of the Egyptian in downtown Boise. It was built in 1932 and the decor inside is very cool. I loved the ceiling lighting, painting, and medallions. We were able to score tickets 6 rows from the stage in the center. Granted they were single seats so we didn't sit beside each other, but we were in front of each other and you don't talk at concerts anyway : )
Arlo put on a great show. He told many stories about the songs, had sing-a-longs and even sang his father's (Woody Guthrie) song This Land Is Your Land. Great show!
And no visit to MDI would be complete until you have been to Cadillac Mountain which is in Acadia National Park. Our plan was to drive the Park Loop Road and see Cadillac Mountain. However, I did not notice the 'one-way' signs on part of the road so after Cadillac Mountain we only made it to Seal Cove. To complete the part we missed, we needed to backtrack the entire way. Since we had other things we wanted to do, we decided to not backtrack. Doh...
The drive on the Park Loop Road that we did see was gorgeous and you could see some of the old Carriage Roads and Bridges. Cadillac Mountain is the highest point along the North Atlantic seaboard and is 1,530 feet. As you can see from the survey marker, we summited Cadillac Mountain! We then stopped to smell the pines, watch the dark storm clouds, and have a snack. Luckily, it only sprinkled a little where we were at, but in downtown Bar Harbor they had quiet a bit of rain.
We stopped for lunch at Jordan Pond House and had their famous popovers. Craig has tried these before in other parts of the US, but I had not. It is basically a roll that is crunchy on the outside and hollow with soft dough on the inside. Pretty tasty!
Our stop in Bar Harbor, Maine was great! We had great weather most of the days, just a few that were humid and a little rain, but it was refreshing. This is a really neat area that we enjoyed and yes...I ate as much Lobster as I could. Am I done? I don't know...we are headed to Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick next and...then we need to come back down through Maine again... : )~