A Visit To Bar Harbor, ME and Acadia National Park

We decided to visit the crown jewel of Maine for a week or so. We had not been to Acadia together before and found it, maybe, to be the National Park with the most allure for us. The network of carriage roads that Rockefeller had constructed were absolutely perfect for wonderful bike rides on the tandem as well as linking together nice hikes throughout the park. The network of hiking paths was so diverse that the ranger told us there were no recommended hikes just a network that was clearly labeled so folks can piece together as many long or short hikes they choose. It is also home to some of what we can tell are the best kayaking places around. Next time we will have to bring ours (after we purchase them this fall). There were plenty of folks at Bar Harbor proper but the park is large enough to absorb the crowd while not feeling crowded at all.

Up at 4am to drive to the summit of Cadillac Mountain. This allowed us the priviledge of being the first people to see the sun in the United States. It was a chilly 40 degrees up there early in the morning but….

Although we tired ourselves out during the day we managed to save up enough energy to try a little nightlife in Bar Harbor. The Improv Acadia had a number of good reviews so off we went. The show was hilarious and entertaining all at the same time.

A very appropriate selection of beer indeed. Mount Katahdin is also called Baxter Mountain and is in Baxter State Park in Maine. Very tasty to boot.

We took many hikes during our week long stay in the park. One of our favorites was the Jordan Pond hike. This had a side hike up one of the “Bubbles” that added a half mile of vertical hiking up and then another half, albeit slower down.

What a gorgeous path it was around Jordan Pond. This water is so pristine that it is the drinking source for the area.

Laurie conquered the pile of boulders on the way up Bubbles Mountain.

Nice view of our surroundings at the summit.

The park service does a really nice job making the trails accessible. We love the bridge design.

Although the next few shots were not taken in Acadia proper, they were on Moosehead Lake in northern Maine. We will call that close enough for the same post. The video below is a 360 degree view of Moosehead Lake taken from the fire tower.

A view of Mount Kineo from the ferry boat.

As I do with most hikes that involve a mountain and a fire tower……Take in the view and then wonder how to get back down!

Laurie enjoys stretching out after a nice hike before the ferry came to take us back to the mainland.

We took a number of bike rides in the area. We decided to do a 15 mile loop around Schoodic Peninsula and had a fabulous time. We even met a woman who owns a recumbent trike and she gave us a lesson and a test ride. Very cool.

Check out the lesson Laurie had on riding this super high-tech recumbent trike.

What a wonderful backdrop for a bike ride and a nice lunch.

In the foreground is my lobster stew awaiting my spoon while Laurie eats freshly caught halibut bites. Oh my was this a good lunch.

The lobster industry is still booming on the coast of Maine.

The next day we swapped out the road tires on our tandem bike and put on the hybrid (slightly wider) tires so we could enjoy a ride on the gravel carriage roads. What a nice networks of well maintained biking roads!