Maine

Decided to take a long weekend to visit Maine, Bar Harbor and Acadia NP... located on Mount Desert Island.

Left on Friday after work, took Rt 2 across New Hampshire and arrived Bar Harbor at 7:30 PM. Stayed in the most economical motel we could find (too far to take Clyde is such a short time) and still cost $278 for 2 nights. The best feature was being right in the down town area and within walking distance to main street. Had a light dinner at Route 66, sort of misnamed as America's Highway ran from Chicago to LA and no where near "Down East". Spicy Chipotle Shrimp and local blueberry beer, pretty tasty.

We walked around watching all the people,  didn't take long to tire of that, much rather watch birds or stars...

Had a puffin, light house, and seabird tour books for 1:15 on Saturday, however, that trip was canceled due to fog and rough water, so we booked a short excursion around Frenchman Bay at 10 AM instead.

The most noticeable feature of the bay was the hundreds of brightly colored buoys

and several stacks of crates...
the buoys mark the locations of the lobster pots, each buoy is distinct and registered to different lobster-man, sort of like a cattle brand, who can have 800 lobster pots. They normally pull 200 per day when working the traps.

 The houses located on the island are called cottages, ranging from 1 room shanties to these rather large ones.

 Schooner Head was named for the natural rock formation which looks like a painting of a sailing vessel.

two popular destinations in the park are Thunder Hole... which during a 3/4 tide and rough seas roars loud enough to be heard back in town.

and Sand Beach, a swimming area. Approximately 3 million people visit the park annually, I think they were all at the beach Saturday afternoon, not a parking spot with 3 miles. The interpreter on the tour boat said the water temp was about 15 minutes, not measured in degrees but length of time before hypothermia sets in. 

Egg Rock lighthouse was on our tour... 

The small island is shared by seals, nesting gulls, cormorants, and Common Eiders.                   

                  

This pair of Bald Eagles find an easy food source among the nestlings...

This Greater Black-backed Gull was a treat after all the hundreds of Ring-billed and Herring...

One of my pet peeves is guides and interpreters referring to them as SEAGULLS. 

The vegetation changed dramatically at the summit of Cadillac Mountain, named for a French explorer, not the automobile. With an elevation of 1,528', the highest point on the Eastern shoreline. 

Large scars on the bedrock attest to glacial activity...

Alvin watched the fog bank that canceled our trip from the summit.

 Numerous islands dot the bay

This "bar" is where the the city name comes from, during low tide people walk and drive to Bar Island. Some have been known to forget the time and get stranded and even have their vehicle totally submerged by the rising tide. 

Dinner that night was lobster from Cottage Bakery and Deli, the best deal in town - $12.99 for a whole lobster and 2 sides. Just crack the shell and dive in.