Having never traveled along the Eastern seaboard above New York City it was our mission to get as far up the coast as possible before winter set in. Acadia National Park in the state of Maine was our destination. A days drive from New Hampshire in the Windryder.  The lure of fresh New England lobster, Bar Harbor, or as the locals call it (Baah Haabah), connecting with our New Zealand friends and exploring Acadia National Park were before us. We could hardly wait to arrive.

Leaving New Hampshire we started off through the Presidential Range in the White Mountain National Forest. Surrounded by the colorful and vibrant landscape we drove through an open valley with a choke hold at the south east end marking the summit before our gradual descent through a canyon passing through several small ski towns as we eventually crossed into Maine.

We received a call from our New Zealand friends. They were arriving in the Bar Harbor area before us and were scouting out places to stay. With State Park campgrounds closed and few private camping options available they found Smugglers Den campground in the South Harbor area of the park. They reserved a site for us next to theirs and let us know the campground would be closing in a few days, so again we got lucky.

When planning a drive in the Windryder, it takes a lot longer than any map app may indicate. Many miles of road lay before us as the day changed to night. Turning off the ninety-five, the main North to South artery, we experienced one of the roughest patches of roads of the trip. Visibility was poor, rain began to fall and we had to merge across several lanes to continue on our route. The further we moved through the merge the more rough the road became. Traveling the speed limit I could not slow down fast enough to smooth out the ride. The tires were losing contact with the road. The Windryder felt like an airplane landing when the engines reverse and all the overhead bins shake and rattle. The more I tried to slow down the rougher the ride became. Just as I felt it couldn’t get any worse it finally smoothed out as we completed the merge. It took me another couple of miles to catch my breath and loosen my grip on the steering wheel. I was hoping the final hour of driving would be easy but the light rain, narrow, hilly two lane road and blinding lights from oncoming traffic made it anything but easy. I stopped several times to clean the windshield in hopes of improving our visibility. While it was still early in the evening the final hour’s drive seemed like three.

We finally pulled into Smugglers Den to find our site next to the New Zealand family.  We arrived to a warm reception including a pot of homemade chicken soup, cold beer and a big welcome from our Kiwi friends. Our kids were super excited to see each other and we were all stoked to connect again. The little ones were immediately out and about playing in the dark while Laurel and I were left alone to settle in.

The private campground was nearly empty as the season was about to close. We were one of eight or ten campers so again we had the facilities almost completely to ourselves. With a large field across from our site and a playground full of fun equipment for all ages the kids and dog were free to run amok.

The following day held the promise of exploration with the New Zealanders in the afternoon as we stayed put in the morning to complete school work. Once the kids were finished we all headed to Bass Harbor on the southern side of Acadia, home to one of the area’s oldest working lighthouses.

The drive was beautiful taking us along a narrow and winding two lane road passing by the fishing village of South Harbor.

The colorful forests grow down to the granite laden coastline with countless buoy’s marking a plethora of lobster traps just offshore.

The weather was cool and clear and we were fortunate to have such unseasonably warm temperatures this time of year. Although, with everything being “Closed for the Season”, you would think it was already freezing weather. Come to find out most seasonal businesses shut down in the end of September and early October. Here we were, third week of October enjoying sunny days with temps reaching the high fifties. The weather can change quickly and the consequences of freezing plumbing are all too familiar here.

After a couple of hikes and playing in “Wonder Land”,

we headed to South Harbor to have dinner at one of the few lobster houses still open this late in the season.  I have wanted to visit this area ever since I worked with a nine finger carpenter from New England back in 1997. I loved hearing him describe the area in his thick Maine accent. Especially when he would say, “You know, we New Englanders love seafood so much, our stomachs rise and fall with the tide”.  In my best tribute, “When in Maine, go to Baah Haa-bah and have yah-self some Laahb-sta’. We were ready to partake Especially Hudson, our littlest Kiwi friend.

We shared a wonderful lobster dinner with great company in a location I will remember forever as the setting sun painted the sky over South Harbor.

The kids had a great time and enjoyed the evening as much as we did.

Acadia National Park

Acadia National Park was the first National Park east of the Mississippi. The park has a diverse mix of rocky coastlines, lakes and ponds, forests and meadows as well as granite mountains. Throughout the park there is an extensive network of carriage roads with over forty stone bridges. Every bridge has a different design. They are closed to vehicle traffic but host biking, horses, horse drawn carriages and hikers. John D. Rockefeller Jr. donated over eleven thousand acres of land including the bridges and carriage roads. The work to build the Carriage roads  was carried out by the Civilian Conservation Corps beginning in 1933. There have been countless other donors and preservationists who have contributed to the park. Most notably George B. Dorr known as the founding father of the park along with Charles W. Elliott.  It comprises nearly fifty thousand acres of public and private land. Much of the private land offers easements so the public can enjoy it all.

There is much to see and do here. Our friend Greg Wood provided much information based upon his visits here which helped us prioritize the places to see in our short stay. You can check out his traveling exploits on his blog at www.wgwood.blogspot.com.

We picked off a few of the iconic landmarks to check out. Cadillac Mountain, Sand Beach, Bar Harbor and Jordan Pond along with a couple carriage road loops. We were still in school mode and had to complete our schoolwork so we could take in the sights.

We decided to split our school work up for the day and head to Cadillac Mountain with the Kiwi family. Cadillac Mountain is the highest point along the Atlantic coast. The road emerges from a colorful forest speckled with pines to an exposed granite peak at the top offering views in every direction.

We lucked out arriving to a mostly clear day with chilly temperatures. After checking out the views and hiking around we decided on an exciting descent. With little tourist traffic the dads and my oldest son Gavin opted to ride our bikes down the road from the top.

While it is under four miles long we were stoked to have the opportunity. The narrow two lane road gets exciting with a handful of hair pin turns which get the adrenaline going. I opted for gloves while Gavin went bare knuckle. At the bottom, he could barely open his hands until they thawed out. It was definitely a fun ride. We were told by a ranger that we lucked out to ride down since the road is closed in the winter and the summer crowds often make too congested.

Since the temperatures dropped we headed into Bar Harbor to get some coffee and explore. Bar Harbor reminded me of a spot closer to home with its souvenir shops, ice cream stands and little restaurants.

Like Balboa Island, it was a bit touristy. Not sure what I was expecting. After we got our coffees we walked around ending up at the park square in the middle of town where we hung out while the kids ran around getting their yah, yah’s out.

On the way back to the campground we headed down some roads less traveled to experience the area from a more local perspective.

We found much forested land, many lakes and ponds.  With classic New England architecture at every turn we loved checking out the variety of homes from small cottages to sprawling estates.

Once back at the campsite the dads broke away for a short bike ride through the forest, blueberry fields and along a beautiful lake.

That evening the families prepared a meal together and enjoyed another night to remember. After dinner, all the kids went outside and played in the dark while we opened another bottle of wine. Our friends shared handmade, maple syrup infused chocolates their friend from Vermont had made. Such a special treat and crazy delicious!

Next day was a combo of schoolwork and a bike ride on an eight mile Carriage road loop.

 

The ride was a challenge for the kids and seemed to take longer than anyone had expected. We had split the ride up in the middle with a rest at the north east end of Eagle Lake.

We refueled with snacks we brought while the kids explored the shoreline. We had a visit with some horses before starting on the uphill portion of the loop. At one point during the second half of the ride I remember carrying our youngest son Parker’s bike on my handlebars as I rode and he walked alongside. My Kiwi buddy was carrying his middle son’s bike and his youngest son in a seat on the handlebars. Even the girls were a bit taxed. However, with everyone’s sense of renewed energy at the top of the hill they all got back on their bikes and finished the loop ultimately enjoying their accomplishment.

That night the families split up to make dinner on their own but the kids never stopped. Well into the evening they played a night version of Hide n’ Seek with flashlights called, “Spotlight”.  Even the kids who were scared of the dark stayed out playing in the pitch black night.

With the closing day of the campground upon us we requested, well maybe pleaded with the owner to allow us to stay a couple more days.  He gave us the okay. We were ecstatic knowing we had another full day to take in Acadia so we could tackle the famed Beehive Trail hike on the north side of the park.

Beehive trail starts from the car park of Sand Beach where we lunched and played in the sand prior to the hike.

The trail heads up through an avalanche field of granite rocks speckled with aspens and pine ultimately leading to the base of a steep granite cliff.

 

The trail is equipped with strategically placed metal ladders and hand holds anchored into the rock to assist with the more critical spots. Once we reached the top of the avalanche field we ignored the sign warning against bringing pets and children only to discover a short while later it was posted for good reason. There were too many “no fall” zones to safely navigate the trail with the kids.

The fall colors never let up. I had spoken with several locals from the Adirondacks to Maine that all had similar stories about the fall colors. Not in thirty years had they seen the colors this vibrant,  stick around so long or the leaves turn so late in the season. Thankful and awestruck were we to witness such natural beauty.

We went as far as we deemed safe and turned around but not before witnessing some amazing views of this most beautiful place. We all vowed to come back one day and tackle this famed hike.

From Beehive trail we drove the famed Park Loop road along the ocean stopping at the Blow Hole.

When we arrived a couple tour buses showed up making the viewing platform instantly crowded. We hiked around the rocks while the tour thinned out. Since there wasn’t much surf the Blow Hole was really just a niche in the shoreline. However when the surf is pumping the water enters a narrow section of rock forcing it skyward into a dramatic eruption. We witnessed no such drama.

So we headed to Jordan Pond where there is a visitor’s center and a carriage house built in the early 1900’s marking the head of a carriage road.

The Lodges through out the park that were designed to ornament the carriage road system. The gates serve as symbolic barriers to automobiles and welcome the traveler into a motor-free system of carriage roads in the heart of Acadia National Park.

We toured the visitor’s center, soaked in the landscape, picked apples off trees and took many pictures as we were saying goodbye to this end of the park.

Another night spent with the kids playing Spotlight and laughing with our New Zealand friends gave way to a morning of saying our goodbyes again pledging to reconnect in Raleigh, North Carolina around Thanksgiving. That morning we headed south primarily because the campgrounds were all closed. The promise of above freezing temperatures in the foreseeable future made us wish we could stay longer as there was so much more left to experience.