The Maine Event

Last Wednesday we woke up from our first night in Maine to a lovely cool morning and breakfast on the porch. The B&B was full of people excited about their adventures. Many were hiking, biking, and being outdoorsy in Acadia National Park. That is a huge attraction for visitors, and was a big reason for us making the trip up north!



We were so excited to get going for our day of biking in Acadia! We rented bikes at the Bar Harbor Bike Shop and rode 1.5 miles to the park. From there we spent most of the day biking the extensive carriage roads built by the Rockefeller family. According to the Park Service website:

Forty-five miles of rustic carriage roads, the gift of philanthropist John D. Rockefeller Jr. and family, weave around the mountains and valleys of Acadia National Park. Rockefeller, a skilled horseman, wanted to travel on motor-free byways via horse and carriage into the heart of Mount Desert Island. His construction efforts from 1913 to 1940 resulted in roads with sweeping vistas and close-up views of the landscape. His love of road building ensured a state-of-the-art system.

Acadia’s carriage roads are the best example of broken-stone roads—a type of road commonly used at the turn of the 20th century—in America today. They are true roads, approximately 16 feet wide, constructed with methods that required much hand labor.

The roads were engineered to contend with Maine’s wet weather. Stone culverts, wide ditches, three layers of rock, and a substantial six- to eight-inch crown ensured good drainage. Rather than flattening hillsides to accommodate the roads, breast walls and retaining walls were built to preserve the line of hillsides and save trees. Rockefeller, naturally gifted with the eye of a landscape architect, aligned the roads to follow the contours of the land and to take advantage of scenic views. He graded the roads so they were not too steep or too sharply curved for horse-drawn carriages.


Road crews quarried island granite for road material and bridge facing. Roadsides were landscaped with native vegetation such as blueberries and sweet fern. The use of native materials helped blend the roads into the natural landscape.

The first sight we saw when we entered the park was this lovely bridge.



A lovely view of the rocky water rushing below...



And, our first park picture together...



The only thing I hated was borrowing a helmet! Ick!

Much to our disappointment, we chickened out on renting the tandem bike. It would have been the perfect opportunity to experiment, but we had heard it was a little tricky and I really didn't want our vacation to turn into a marital dispute! We kept thinking about how the two person kayaks are often referred to as "divorce boats." So, we opted for the "recreational mountain bikes" as they called them on the form. I got a Gary Fisher and Dynamo got a Trek. We really missed Kermit and MUTT, but those bikes were fine. It's amazing how comfortable you get on your OWN bike!

The carriage roads were very smooth and wonderful as you can see by the photo below.



The views were spectacular!







The water in the lakes and ponds in the park was so green.





Everything was well marked. There was no way we could get lost!



We decided to ride up Day Mountain to see the Park from a different angle. At the top you could see the ocean in the distance. The temperature was even cooler at the top!





Here was the elevation marker!



At the top there were actually two ladies there to take our picture! And, later we found out they were staying at our B&B! Funny!



When we got to the bottom of the mountain it was about time to head to the Jordan Pond House for lunch! Everyone goes there to eat! On the way we saw this lovely gate ahead!



And, this "house."



The construction and materials throughout the park were amazing! I cannot believe that they built everything years ago by hand!

After stopping for lunch at the Jordan Pond House, which is famous for its popovers, we headed out for more riding!

On our way we stopped at this really neat bridge over a rocky creek!



Parallel to the bridge above was this little walking bridge...



I was walking around taking photos, so Dynamo decided to take a rest!



Continuing on our way, we saw more beautiful sights...





We started to climb the side of a mountain...



The only thing between us and the bottom were those big rocks on the side of the carriage road.









We just loved the stone bridges...



We finished up our ride in the park, turned in the bikes, and decided to go check out Sand Beach. It was there that we decided to take a hike. Stay tuned for details in the next post. There's so much to share and tell that I think it's best to break it all up! Sorry if it's taking too long. We should be finished recapping in a couple of posts!

Thanks for reading! To be continued...

Mainely Lobster

So, after our eventful, wonderful 4th of July in Boston, we rose early to check-out of the hotel and get on the road to our final destination - Bar Harbor, Maine. We successfully navigated out of Boston (of course Dynamo was driving - he can do anything!). I was directing (I do that best)! Did I mention how much I LOVE maps? Well, I do! Any kind of map! I LOVE to navigate. I think I have a pretty good sense of direction. Usually when we get lost in the woods or on the road I can "feel" my way back. I can't explain it, but I have always had a good sense of where I am in relation to other things.

Back to the story...so, as soon as we got out of Boston it wasn't long before we were through New Hampshire and into Maine. We stopped at the Visitor's Center in Kittery, Maine.



Of course I had to be the dork and wanted to take a photo of us in front of the sign.



The man at the counter was soooo helpful! He gave me a state map (I was in heaven - no matter what people say a paper map is better than digital anyday!) and directed us to take the scenic drive up Route 1 to Bar Harbor!

On our way we saw lots of pretty sights. We enjoyed stopping here and there to take photos. We were in no real hurry...just enjoying the time together in the car!



We rode past this green traincar turned lunch counter on the side of the road. We made a U-turn and went back to check it out!





It was there we had our first lobster roll! Up at the counter I asked the young man what was in a lobster roll and he said, "Just mayonnaise and lobster on a hotdog bun." Another customer said that we had to try the lobster roll. So, we did!





That's when I discovered my true new favorite. No, it wasn't the lobster, but the bun it was on. It was like a hot dog bun on the bottom and two halves of bread on the sides. It was toasted! YUMMMMMMYYYY!!! Never before had I seen anything like that. The woman asked me where I was from and then proceeded to tell me that they don't have those rolls in the south. Bummer! I was in heaven!

In addition to the fantastic bun we shared the best french fries I've ever had! They were chunky crinkle cut fries that were cooked just right. Maybe I was super hungry, but they sure seemed like the best ever! I normally don't order french fries, but it was vacation after all!

With our tummies full we continued onward towards Bar Harbor! We stopped when we saw this beautiful bridge!





There were lots of rocks right before it. This is where we started noticing all of the rock.



Then, after we came over the bridge we saw signs for Fort Knox! Yes, it's a real place. Here is the photo...



I had never heard of Bucksport, but that's where Fort Knox is! We stopped at this lovely pier to take photos.



We eventually got to Southwest Harbor where we stayed at the Harbor Cottage Inn.



It was a quaint, quiet place. Perfect for a vacation! Did I mention there wasn't any air condititioning? Well, apparently in Maine they don't have hot enough weather to need it, so all they have is a button for heat. Otherwise, the windows were the natural a/c. This was the case in many shops we stopped in.

After we were settled we ventured into Bar Harbor for dinner at this cute pizza place, which was ranked pretty high on Trip Advisor!



We talked to some people at the bike shops and then went down to check out the sand bar that forms everyday twice each day between Bar Harbor and Bar Island. That's how Bar Harbor got its name! It was really neat!



Here we were on the sand bar!



To be continued...