Beech Mountain, back to Otter Cove, Wonderland

OK, the internet seems to be cooperating (thanks to some tinkering by Adam!), so I'm almost caught up with my posts. Today we started early toward Beech Mountain. Russ bought James Kaiser's Acadia: The Complete Guide, and I read it cover to cover in 3 days. It's an amazing book, even if you aren't coming to Acadia. There was just enough detail so that I really learned a lot, but not too much detail on any one subject that I got bored. Each topic had about one page of text - perfect. Well, Mr. Kaiser rates a few of Acadia's hiking trails. I automatically discounted the "strenuous" trails, and quickly flipped past the "strenuous, ladder" trails, but I thought we could handle the "moderate" trails. After all, we all survived Scott's off-trail Glen Onoko experience, right? Well, let me tell you, Mr. Kaiser's "moderate" is my pouring-sweat strenuous and Russ's "I refuse to go any farther, I'll wait for you here." Adam and I continued on from the overlook toward the summit, only to find that Russ had the right idea. We turned around when we saw this:

No, no, no. No ladders! This is why I skipped over the "strenuous, ladders" trails!

So, we decided that what is needed at the beginning of these trails is a ranger who looks at you and says "Yes, you can hike this trail." or "No, don't go up there...you'll die." Sort of like the thing at amusement park rides that says you must be this tall to ride.

But, I got some nice pictures on the way up.

Overlooking Echo Lake

Echo Lake Beach

Red mushroom

The path upwards

Then, at the bottom, one last, short excursion to Echo Lake Beach.

The view of Beech Mountain from the beach.

The lake.

And now for something completely different

It's nice to know the cuteness doesn't stop while we're away. Sarah, coworker and cat-sitter extraordinaire, sent me this dose of kitten just when I needed it.

Here is Sophie, our youngest, stretched out between Sarah's sandals.

Acadia - Loop Road - Thunder Hole

View from Thunder Hole. This is the image of Maine that I've always had in my head.

The tide was coming in when we were there early afternoon.

Russ & Mandy

Seaweed stuff & mussels

Seaweed stuff and barnacles

I took a ton of action shots of waves coming in.

Old Soaker, an island just off the coast.

Adam took the following pictures:

There was an impromptu photo shoot, with Russ as the model.

Waves coming into a crevase.

Anyway, we were at Thunder Hole late morning/early afternoon. Then we went into Bar Harbor for some amazing pizza at Geddy's, where even the grown-ups are encouraged to color on their placemat:

Then it was back to Thunder Hole. The water was much, much higher, in fact we couldn't sit in the same place we had been before we left (which I didn't think was that close to the water).

Mandy was the bravest of us all.

After spending quite a while at Thunder Hole, we moved along the Park Loop Road to Otter Cove, where I found my first piece of sea glass!!!

Little did we know this would start an obsession with us all...

Finally, here's a cute bridge on the way home:

It actually has three openings. The left one was I think for water, middle for cars, and the one on the right (top pic) for people.

This day accomplished FOUR things on my to-do list: take pictures (been happening all along), sit on a rocky coast for a while, climb a hill (well, sort of), and look for sea glass (the actual list does say "look for," not "find." See, I didn't want to get my hopes up)!

Cadillac Mountain

Yes, we drove to the top...did not climb.

Breathtaking views, right from the start:

From part-way up.

The Bubbles.

This helps you to see The Bubbles in the previous picture. From Jordan Pond, they look like they're the same size.

View toward the Cranberry Islands, I think.

A boulder at the top of the mountain.

A dead tree that Adam took a picture of.

Lots of piles of stones.

My next home. :-)

Update soon!

Adam and I took about 500 pictures yesterday! We went into Acadia National Park, did the Loop Road, drove up Cadillac Mountain, and watched the tide come in at Thunder Hole (with a trip into Bar Harbor for lunch at Geddy's). Unfortunately, after downloading these 500 pictures last night, the internet was spotty and I couldn't post them. We're off to hike Beech Mountain this morning, then look for sea glass. Hopefully I can post pictures later today!!!

Lazy day at home

So yesterday after the Bucksport trip, it continued to be rainy, cloudy, and damp, so we decided to spend a much-needed afternoon at "home." I read on the deck (Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet for the Thursday afternoon book group), Mandy finished a project she's been working on for 9 years (!), and Adam & Russ saved the world (playing a video game). It was very relaxing. Oh, and I took a nap. I only take about 2 naps a year, and this was a perfect one. Dinner was steaks on the grill and sweet potatoes & squash in the oven (it's a small grill, at least by Adam's standards).

I only took one picture yesterday (shocking, but there was  a lot of mist & fog, so not much to see). It's the bridge at the Penobscot Narrows Observatory, from a distance. We decided not to go because, really, what would we have seen?

The plan today is either exploring Acadia via the Park Loop Road or hiking some of the moderate trails (Beech or Gorham Mountain, I think). I don't know if I'm up for Cadillac Mountain. I know, I know, one HAS to climb Cadillac Mountain, but there are iron rungs sticking out of the rocks that you have to climb in places! I don't know about that. Maybe we'll let the CR-V do the climbing!

Bucksport trip

So the rock shop was very cool. Russ added to his fossil collection and Adam found some trinkets. On the way back, we stopped at the H.O.M.E. Co-op gift shop. I've never been to a co-op before. Lots of hand-made crafts - everything from amazing knits and crocheted items, fabulous pottery, right down to laminated Maxine cartoons with a magnet stuck on the back. I saw a hand-knitted sweater that almost brought me to tears it was so beautifully made. Too bad it was wool and $100 (not that it wouldn’t have been worth it). The yarn needed to make it probably cost at least $75. I am inspired now (again) to try another sweater. I bought lots of gorgeous burgundy yarn for my first (and last) sweater, and it didn’t quite turn out the way I imagined it (at least it wasn’t as bad as the pink hot water bottle holder/sock monstrosity).