Mainely Maine

Every three years during school summer breaks in the 80s through the 90s Mom, Dad, Tim and I would flock up North to visit where the mountains meet the sea in Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor, Maine. We love the beauty, the crisp air, the very low humidity and the hiking trails. It's absolute heaven to say the least.

After a 10- or 11-year hiatus from visiting Acadia for me, Mom and Dad invited some cousins, Tim, Nita and me to travel 12 hours to this amazing vacation spot. Our first stop was Kittery, ME.

Day 1 - Fri, Aug. 10:
Our legs were cramping and we were hungry after traveling nine hours in the Highlander. There were four of us: Mom, Dad, Nita and me. Tim went with the cousins (John, Karen, Jennifer, Matthew and Michael) who left Maryland around 11AM. Our car arrived at the hotel in Portsmouth, NH around 5PM. We made good time....I drove most of the way. People were dozing off in the car so I was able to sneak in a few 75-80 mph segments on major highways. Weather sure was crisp; almost too crisp. Dad was concerned that he didn't bring enough long-sleeve shirts to keep warm from the 55-degree weather we were feeling. We unpacked the car with overnight necessities and headed out for dinner right over the New Hampshire-Maine line in Kittery. We dined at one of Mom and Dad's favorite dinner destinations, Bob's Clam Hut. Nita ordered the Lobster Roll and the rest of us ordered the fried shrimp, haddock, and clam basket. Good food indeed. We shopped a bit at the outlets and called it a night shortly there after. The cousins and Tim arrived at the hotel around midnight.

Day 2 - Sat, Aug. 11:
Continued our road trip toward Bar Harbor with the cousins and Tim following close behind. We stopped off at the Stonewall Kitchen flagship store in York, ME to do some jam and jelly tasting. Nita was eying a beautiful English blue and white jug. I got off easy in this store. She said she'd hold off on the potential purchase for another time. So bathroom breaks and small purchases taken care of...we were en route to Bar Harbor once again. Arrived at our rental home (Highbrook House) just outside of downtown and Main Street. Cozy 1970s-ish home. Comfortably fit the 10 of us. After claiming our rooms we headed out to Park Loop Road where we took a scenic drive up to Cadillac Mountain (highest point along North Atlantic seaboard)...awesome views. For dinner we wanted some good ol' New England cooking! We were looking for a quick and easy restaurant so we tried Chowdah's. A bit disappointing (reviews)...end of story. Headed back to Highbrook for some much needed shut eye.

Day 3 - Sun, Aug. 12:
Thus far the weather in New England had been treating us very well. And Day Three's weather was to no one's disappointment...high 70s/low 80s and low humidity. Woohoo! Great day for hiking. So we set out for the Pemetic trail on Pemetic Mountain. Jennifer(10), Matthew(7), and Michael(3) were raring to hike and scramble. Nita (17 weeks pregnant) was enthusiastic about the hike but she and I knew we had to be cautious due to Baby Wong. Throughout the strenuous hike I was psyched about using my "new" Andre Agassi camera (Canon Rebel XT...a purchase from the Anthony Wang Store). Just by coincidence my cousin, John, purchased the same camera a few days before the trip. Awesome camera, awesome hike, awesome day! There were some very tricky and technical spots on trail but everyone, even the little ones, continued hiking without a hitch. After the 2-mile climb we reached the 1,248-foot summit! We even found some blueberries to snack on...Mmmm!

After catching our breath and taking some cool pictures with my Andre Agassi camera, our family of 10 made our way down the mountain. After hiking and resting for a bit at Highbrook house Mom, Dad, Tim, Nita and I had dinner at Poor Boy's Gourmet Restaurant, a family favorite. Deeelish! That night was the peak of the Perseids Meteor Shower. At 9:45PM we witnessed a cool display of stars and meteors atop Cadillac Mountain.

Day 4 - Mon, Aug. 13:
Day Four was a bit wet. It rained off an on but we continued with our outdoor activities. After breakfast at Jordan's Restaurant in Bar Harbor we drove along Park Loop Road and stopped off at seawall. Cobblestones, cobblestones everywhere. Tim and I used to love this area when we were younger....checking out cool rocks and playing in the tidal pools.

Here in the photo above Ranger Mom (yellow hat) is giving a lesson to Dad and cousins on barnacles and tides. I'm not sure who the guy is with the video camera but he was really intrigued...he even asked some questions! After playing with rocks, barnacles and snails we checked out a lighthouse and otter cliffs. Then we made our way to Northeast Harbor and ate at a lobster pound where Nita ordered her first ever lobster! I ordered a lobster roll and fries.

Day 5 - Tues, Aug. 14:
The beautiful weather was upon us once again. Tim, Nita and I woke up early to go on a ranger-led hike at Otter Point. We learned about tree burls, rock composition and formation, lichen, and wildlife...it was a good basic overview of the hows and whys of Acadia. Later in the day we attended another ranger-led hike on the Gorham Mountain Trail. A moderate hike and another insightful earth science lesson. At the summit we were greeted with lots of sun, spectacular views and blueberries. Blue tongues on everyone! We ate and snacked all day including a fabulous dinner at Bar Harbor's own Rupununi. Shopping and blueberry ice cream after dinner. Yet another funfilled day.

Day 6 - Wed, Aug. 15:
Nita and I gave tandem biking a shot on the Rockefeller carriage trails. And it was FUN! Tim and Matthew paired up on a tandem as well. Those two were speedsters. Nita and I brought up the rear most of the time. Jennifer often biked with us and kept us company for a few miles but then peddled on past us and left us in the dust...I don't blame her...I would have done the same thing as a 10-year-old. We found that coasting down hills was our favorite part of the tandem biking experience. Man, in the end, what a workout! Nita said she helped out with peddling... ;-) Everyone finished biking in one piece. Even Dad, who is notorious for wiping out on bikes, finished without falling. Although there was one point towards the end of the ride where Dad's chain fell off. He was trying to switch gears while NOT peddling. And, though wobbly in the beginning, Mom finished very strong at the end. We had an ok Thai dinner that night at Siam Orchid. Nita's cooking is much much better :-)

Day 7 - Thurs, Aug. 16:
Dad, Tim, Nita and I attended another ranger-led hike. We learned about Acadia's creation and its geology. The weather couldn't have been better for hiking, so we set out for the Bubble Rock Trail shortly after our morning hike. At this point Jennifer, Matthew and Michael were expert junior hikers/climbers. Nita and I were hiking at a snail's pace but enjoying every moment. Spectacular views at the summit. After failing to push Bubble Rock down the mountain we hiked back down. Had dinner at Cafe This Way in Bar Harbor. Ice cream and relaxed the night away.

Day 8 - Fri, Aug. 17:
Jordan Pond House was a must-visit spot for brunch. They are known for their popovers. The Lobster bisque was scrumptious too. This was the cousins' last day in Acadia so they left after brunch to visit some friends in Portland, ME. Mom, Dad, Tim, Nita and I drove to Schoodic Peninsula, the only part of Acadia National Park located on the mainland. Less crowded and less populated, Schoodic was a peaceful and scenic visit. Nice views of the coast and many cobblestones to admire. On our way back to Bar Harbor we ate at China Hill Buffet. A decent Chinese restaurant.

Day 9 - Sat, Aug. 18:
Our last day in Acadia. It's always sad to leave this area. We left Highbrook House and started our ride back to Maryland in the morning. Along the way we stopped off at Stonewall Kitchen where we met the cousins. Here Tim made the transition from our car to their van. This time Nita didn't leave Stonewall Kitchen empty handed! Remember that beautiful English blue and white jug she was eying on Day Two?.... The drive home was an easy 13 hours. Thank goodness for Mr. GPS when we started having cravings for Cracker Barrel. That was a satisfying dinner. Made it back to Rockville around 11:00PM.

This was a great trip. I've always wanted to show off Acadia and Bar Harbor to Nita. And she finally got her chance! Many thanks to Mom and Dad for showing us the ins and outs of this beautiful National Park. We'll definitely return for another visit.