Did I mention that I’m terminally behind in posts? We have been in Florida for nearly a month and I’m still writing about the trip down!
We took a month to get from Bar Harbor to St. Petersburg, FL and during that time we did a lot of relaxing, visited tourist attractions, and even attended my daughter’s wedding.
After leaving the New England Coast in mid October, we headed to New Jersey.
New Jersey? You bet! Most folks think New Jersey is just an extension of New York City with nothing but pavement, traffic and congestion. And I’m here to tell you that most of New Jersey is nothing like that.
We were headed to Lake Hopatcong, NJ, where Dave grew up. The plan was to visit friends and check out the area. He hadn’t been back in years!
We parked the RV at Panther Lake Camping Resort. It is a 160 acre camping retreat located next to a scenic 45 acre lake in Andover, New Jersey. Loved the beautiful trees and the nice grassy lots! The RV park was just a short driving distance to our destination, Lake Hopatcong.
Lake Hopatcong is the largest freshwater body in New Jersey. Located 30 miles from the Delaware River and 40 miles from New York City, it is a mostly residential lake whose few public access points include Hopatcong State Park and Lee’s County Park Marina.
Most of the shoreline is privately owned by individual lakefront residents, homeowner or community associations, or restaurants and marinas.
Wildlife along the shore was plentiful. In fact the deer were a tad too friendly for my taste. They did not have any fear of humans and would pretty much come right up to you.
They sure were beautiful, though.
Here we were able to meet up with Dave’s childhood friend, Daniel. He and his family still live right here where they grew up. They hadn’t see each other in over 30 years. It was a fun reunion!
We went out to dinner with Daniel and his family where we all insisted on sitting outside along the water, bundled up in our sweaters.
Because when you are in such a pretty area, you really need to enjoy it. Right?
It was a lot of fun meeting this amazing family, and we do hope to visit with them again in the future!
As for the town of Hopatcong and the area around it really seemed to stand still in time. According to Dave, this ice cream stand was a regular destination of his as a child. He says it looks just the same. Home of the Skyscraper, Cliff’s Ice Cream is a regular tourist attraction.
Of course, we had to stop and get a bit of ice cream. Sometimes I have to sacrifice for the benefit of the website. Right?
And I’m here to tell you that New Jersey is a beautiful place in the fall! Check out this fabulous pumpkin and gourd display!
The Lake Hopatcong area is home to many U-pick farms. And many of them are open year round! Depending upon the season, you can find all types of fruits, vegetables and flowers available.
We spent quite a bit of time at several of the farms in the Andover area, picking large black berries, cucumbers, green peppers, and fresh corn.
Just look at this bounty! You can’t find fresher corn that that! And if you are looking for a great way to make it and some yummy berry cobbler on the grill, be sure to check out my 3 Berry Cobbler and Grilled Corn on the Cob recipes!
Faith says we need to get back on the road now. Note the gapped teeth in the front. We call her our little hillbilly.
Anyway, we headed south from New Jersey after a fun visit. Our next long-term destination would be Tybee Island, Georgia, for a brief reprieve before we attended my daughter’s wedding in Atlanta.
I’m a little behind on posts. We are currently in St. Petersburg, FL at our current campground job. Over the past month, we’ve traveled south, attended a beautiful wedding, and even had some major RV issues. Lot’s of ground to cover! So I’m going pick where we left off…
After leaving New Hampshire, we headed toward the coast to check out Boston Cape Cod KOA. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the manager who told us that Bar Harbor Oceanside KOA had won the Founders Award!
This is one of the top awards given out by KOA based on customer satisfaction. We were thrilled to be part of it! And how awesome to be recognized as part of a successful team!
And speaking of great campgrounds, Boston Cape Cod had lots of green space and large shady RV spots. We made ourselves at home and pulled out some maps to check out the area.
We wanted to see the beach and decided to start with Nobska Point Lighthouse. The Nobska Point Light is located at the southwestern tip of Cape Cod, in Massachusetts. It overlooks Martha’s Vineyard and Nonamessett Island.
The light station was established in 1826, and the current tower dates to 1876.
If you don’t know by now, I simply cannot pass up a lighthouse photo.
Or a fun bird photo for that matter. It was rainy that day and the ocean was full of white caps and foam which made for a cool background in this seagull photo.
After a day of perusing the beaches, we stopped at the local diner.
One of the many things I love about the New England area is all the vintage diners. Yummy food served quickly and in a nostalgic atmosphere. This diner, interesting enough is called “Dave’s Diner“. Easy to remember, right?
While it looks like a vintage diner, it was actually built in 1998. The diner colors, layout and decor were carefully chosen to create the fun and colorful look of the 50’s era.
And the food was delicious!
Of course, no trip to Cape Cod would be complete without a visit to Plymouth Rock, right?
Upon entering the town of Plymouth, we saw this impressive structure along the shore. The rock was waiting for us inside! We prepared ourselves to be duly impressed. This rock had seen so much history!
Here is where the pilgrims first stepped onto shore from their ship, the Mayflower!
Well…it must have been a small ship. Or the rock shrunk. Or something. I wasn’t prepared for how small it actually was.
And it turns out after some research that no historical evidence exists to confirm this rock as the Pilgrim’s actual stepping stone to the New World. Plymouth rock is more of a symbol of the courage and faith of the men and women who founded the first colony in New England.
And that is okay with me. Even if it was slightly underwhelming.
According to my research, the rock as it exists today is estimated to be only about 1/3 to 1/2 of it’s original size due to being broken and chipped away at by 18th and 19th century souvenir hunters.
Oh, and notice the scar across it? Apparently sometime in the 1800’s, it was decided to move part of the rock to the center of town where folks could better enjoy it. That part was eventually moved back to join the rest of the rock a few years later, and “frankensteined” back onto the other half.
We might have been a tiny bit disappointed by the rock, but the replica of the Mayflower definitely made up for it. And the beautiful sunset behind it.
Red skies at night means “sailors delight”.
New England was beautiful. Someday, we hope to return and spend a bit more time there. But time was going fast. We had to be in Atlanta by November 1 for my daughter’s wedding and then onto our new job in St. Pete.
So we hit the road again.
The dog’s snagged their favorite spots in the front of the coach, and we set out for our next stop, Lake Hopatcong, NJ.
New Jersey, you say? What the heck is in New Jersey? Well, you just might be surprised…
We officially left the state of Maine on October 2. What a fabulous six months we had! We met so many wonderful people and enjoyed an amazingly beautiful area of the country. And now the adventure continues!
Dave wanted to check out the White Mountains in New Hampshire. Faith was much more interested in seeing if there were any roadside hotdog stands.
Since Dave was driving, those hotdog stands would have to wait until another day…
It wasn’t too long and we left the state of Maine and all it’s Moose Crossing signs behind. Did we ever see a moose? Well, no. Lived there six months and the closest I got to a moose was this sign.
And I was a bit worried that I wouldn’t see a Fall leaf change too. Fortunately, we got to see plenty of colorful trees on the way to New Hampshire. Fall is definitely here!
Dave wanted to ride the Cog Railway to the top of Mount Washington. So, we chose the closest KOA, which happened to be Twin Mountain KOA. This was a beautifully maintained privately owned campground at the base of the White Mountains.
We enjoyed talking to the owners who told us that they purchased this particular campground sight unseen several years ago. Since then, they had done many upgrades including beautiful private tent areas and even a caboose as a “cabin” rental!
It is the world’s first mountain climbing rack and pinion railway. It is the second steepest railway in the world with an average grade of over 25%, and a maximum grade of 37.41%!
The three mile trek up Mount Washington takes about 40 minutes as you ascend to the summit peak at 6,288 feet above sea level.
The Cog Railway originated in 1852 when after becoming lost near the summit of Mount Washington, Sylvester Marsh decided to create a better way for people to reach the highest mountain peak in the Northeast.
One Hundred and Forty Years later, The Mount Washington Cog Railway is a National Historic Engineering Landmark! The vintage steam engines, replica coaches and biodiesel locomotives are well worth the visit.
We loved the running commentary from the brakeman on board who filled us in on the history of the railway, the mountain, and other fun facts. And then there was the cool optical illusion of the trees and structures along the side of the tracks being extremely tilted. (When in fact it was us that was tilted!)
And then there was Mount Washington! The summit was cold and clear and we could see for miles!
In fact, in the photo above if you look where the sky meets the land on the horizon, there is a strip of blue there. That is the Atlantic ocean!
Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at 6,288 ft (1,917 m).
The mountain is famous for dangerously erratic weather. On the afternoon of April 12, 1934, the Mount Washington Observatory actually recorded a windspeed of 231 miles per hour (372 km/h) at the summit. This was the world record for most of the 20th century.
Like most big mountains, it makes it’s own weather and conditions at the top are often poor. We were fortunate to arrive on a clear day as more often than not, clouds cover the peak.
At peak of the mountain, there was a museum to enjoy which included an exhibit titled “Extreme Mount Washington“. This video is a bit about the exhibit and the crazy weather that Mount Washington loves to share.
And here above the clouds is the Appalachian Trail! One of things I’ve always wanted to do is take that trail from Georgia all the way to it’s end point in Maine on Mount Katahdin. I didn’t realize that not only did you have to tackle that huge mountain in Maine, but you had one quiet a bit larger just a state away!
The state of New Hampshire dressed up and greeted us with beautiful leaves, amazing weather and a wonderful start to our trek heading south.
Dave has a good idea every now and then. But don’t tell him I said so.
We are now on our way south, heading to St. Petersburg, FL for our winter destination. I wanted to put together a final post on the beautiful area of the country that we had the pleasure of living in- Bar Harbor, Maine.
One of the questions that I was asked the most while working at the front desk of the campground was, “What are the best things to do in Bar Harbor?”
Well, I have the answers for you, at least from our point of view. These are the things that you should really not miss if you ever get the chance to enjoy the coast of Maine.
Cadillac Mountain
Cadillac Mountain is located in the nearby Acadia National Park and at 1,530 feet, it is the highest point along the North Atlantic seaboard. There are various hiking trails to the summit, some more challenging than others. There is also a paved road to the top.
From the summit, you can see most of Mount Desert Island. On a clear day, it is a beautiful site to see!
At certain times of the year, Cadillac Mountain is the first place in the United States to see the sunrise. Getting up to see a sunrise from the top of the mountain is a common attraction.
Sunsets there are beautiful too.
Schoodic Point
Schoodic Point is the only part of Acadia National Park that is located on the main land of Maine rather than on Mount Desert Island. For that reason, Schoodic is a much more secluded, less crowded opportunity to actually see some wildlife. Because of the fact that it is located away from barrier islands, you can enjoy the crashing of the waves from an unobstructed Atlantic Ocean.
It is about a 45 minute drive from the tip of Mount Desert Island, but well worth the time. From Schoodic, you can see the peak of Cadillac Mountain and enjoy another beautiful Maine sunset.
Schoodic is where we ran across several huge porcupines. I’d say they were as big as my VW Bug, but I’d be exaggerating just a tad. Suffice it to say, they were huge!
Restaurants
Nearly everyone that checked in at the campground asked me, “Where do the locals go?” As visiting “locals”, we soon discovered our favorites:
Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound– in Maine, any place that sells lobster by the pound is called a Lobster Pound. Imagine that. There are many of them all over Mount Desert Island and the mainland. They all compete with each other, sell similar items and their prices are very similar depending upon the varying prices of lobster. Trenton Bridge has the advantage of a great view and awesome Maine atmosphere.
Chart Room Restaurant– This restaurant is located right along the water on Route 3 headed toward downtown Bar Harbor. Because they are not downtown, they are not usually as crowded as those in Bar Harbor. You can eat right on the water and the food is just amazing. Loved their Stuffed Haddock. They also serve steak for those of us that are a bit tired of seafood, and of course, lobster!
Ben & Bill’s Chocolate Emporium located on Main Street in Bar Harbor has lots of fun flavors in their homemade ice cream selection including Dulce de Leche, Bubblegum, (KGB) Kahlua and Bailey’s Irish Cream base ice cream with a Grand Marnier fudge swirl, Rum Raisin, Root Beer Float, and many more!
Oh, and Lobster icecream! Yes, I tried it. Imagine butter pecan with little chunks of meat in it… yeah, that. I have to say that it wasn’t my favorite, but at least I can say I tried it! Ha!
Blueberry Hill Dairy Bar- If you love soft serve, good prices and lots of ice cream for money, you can’t beat Blueberry Hill Dairy Bar. It is located off of Mount Desert Island in the little town of Ellesworth right on Route 3.
It was one of our most frequent stops when going back and forth to Ellesworth for groceries. While the ice cream is fabulous, the folks that worked there never seemed to like their jobs much. I have to say it was a very surly group of individuals. Cash only. No samples. Make sure you know what you want when you get to the window.
In spite of the help, the ice cream was awesome! And well worth the stop.
Mussel Fishing
Hadley Point is a great place to go if you love mussels. In the state of Maine, you do not need a license to go mussel fishing. Simply wait until low tide. In Maine, the tide drops 10 to 20 feet depending upon where you are. This leaves quite a bit of the seaweed covered rocks exposed. Put on some boots march out there, and start lifting up some of that seaweed. Underneath you will find mussels!
Place them in a bucket of salt water, add about a cup of cornmeal and let them sit overnight, stirring them and adding fresh water every now and then. This will get them to spit out any sand. Rinse them and then either steam or boil them with garlic.
A true Maine experience!
Whale Watching, Lighthouse Cruises
The town of Bar Harbor is the base for many different boat tours including Whale Watching, Lighthouse Cruises, Wildlife cruises, Schooners, Lobster Fishing and more.
Which one is the best?
Well, we think they all have their good points. Pricing can be as much as $50 per person, so be prepared. Decide what you would best enjoy and take advantage of the opportunity to get out on the water. You will love it!
Oh, and take a warm jacket and some anti-motion sickness meds with you just in case. It is at least 20 degrees colder out on the water and windy too!
Acadia Park Loop
Acadia National Park offers much to do including hiking, biking, kayaking, rock climbing, and more. For those of us that love to watch nature in action, it is a fabulous place to go. The Acadia Park Loop is a 27 mile road beginning at the Hulls Cove Visitor Center (near Route 3 on the northern side of the island) and connects the Park’s lakes, mountains, forests, and rocky coast.
Baxter State Park
Want a chance at seeing a moose? Head about 2 hours northwest of Acadia to Baxter State Park in central Maine. It is worth the trip. Miles and miles of wilderness where the opportunity to witness wildlife is at its best.
If you love to hike, you can climb to the top of Mount Katahdin which is Maine’s highest peak at 5,267 feet (1,605 m). This mountain is also the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail.
Some things to note: Baxter State Park has restrictions- no pets, no RV’s, no motorcycles, no large trucks. It is remote, so little to no cell phone coverage.
West Quoddy Lighthouse
The little town of Lubec is the home of the beautiful West Quoddy Head Lighthouse. But even more interesting, Lubec is the easternmost town in the contiguous United States. Since we have already been to Key West (the southern most point); it seemed fitting!
A visit to this beautiful lighthouse and the area around it is a must-see!
Pemaquid Lighthouse
Located about 2 hours south of Acadia is Pemaquid Point Lighthouse Park. And…it is the lighthouse on the Maine State Quarter, making it the first lighthouse to be featured on a piece of US currency!
Coincidentally, this particular lighthouse is a top destination for weddings with its beautiful rocky cliffs and crashing waves. The lighthouse is one of the most photographed on the Maine coast.
So there you have it! Unfortunately, the list leaves out so many things. I could talk on and on about how much there is to see and do in the area. We are currently on our way south, and are already missing it. Who knows? One day we just may return!
Our youngest daughter is getting married in November. Since Dave has to walk her down the aisle, it was necessary this week to take a trip back into civilization and get measured for a tuxedo.
So we made the two hour drive south to Augusta, Maine, where the closest Men’s Wearhouse was. We were not looking forward to the drive and the fact that it would take up a whole day off to accomplish. A two hour drive for a fitting that took all of ten minutes…
Now what to do?
We decided that since we were in the general area, maybe we should check out Pemaquid Point Lighthouse. After all, on the map it was just east of Augusta, and a trip up the coast would be beautiful!
And the lighthouse was beautiful, of course. We arrived after hours, so were not able to tour the inside, but were able to spend plenty of time enjoying the scenery.
Pemaquid Point Lighthouse was originally commissioned in 1827 by John Quincy Adams and built that year. Due to poor workmanship (salt water was used in the mortar mix), the lighthouse began to crumble and was replaced in 1835.
Most lighthouses in the US were converted to the Fresnel Lens in the 1850’s, and Pemaquid Point received it’s lens in1856. The lens is one of only six Fresnel lenses still in service in Maine!
Pemaquid Point Lighthouse Park is managed by the Bristol Parks Commission. And…it is the lighthouse on the Maine State Quarter, making it the first lighthouse to be featured on a piece of US currency!
Coincidentally, this particular lighthouse is a top destination for weddings with its beautiful rocky cliffs and crashing waves. The lighthouse is one of the most photographed on the Maine coast.
While taking photos, the whole scene seemed very familiar to me.
And then it occurred to me that I had painted the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse back in 1998 in a series of lighthouse paintings for a calendar! It had hardly changed at all!
Beautiful rocky shores, deep blue waters and a setting sun make this trip totally worth it. We were very glad that we decided to make the stop.
Our boring trip to Augusta turned out to be pretty fabulous.
…and then we had to go back to work. The park at Oceanside is full to capacity and has been so since the beginning of July. The boss says excitedly that this is a record year.
We are just tired. LOL!
Of course, the campground still has it’s beautiful scenery to enjoy. On our days off, we can wander about the rocks at low tide with the dogs and look for shells.
…and rescue tiny crabs from Ralph’s mouth.
The summer here is nearing it’s end and the wild apple trees on the campground are just full of apples. I was told that they make great pie, so I am waiting for them to ripen.
One of our guests had a dog that could have been Ralph’s twin.
Ralph thinks he looks much younger and cooler, though.
Oh…and in our down time, we apparently enjoy taking uncomplimentary photos of each other. This is Dave’s take on my humongous BLT courtesy of one of the local restaurants…
We stayed for several days at the Branson, MO, KOA – Mar 2015, while we attended the KOA Boot Camp. This was the first time we had ever been to Missouri, and were very excited to not only learn more about KOA, but experience the city of Branson.
We were welcomed at the front entranceway by a miniature Elvis himself! Cute!
Branson was going to be lots of fun!
Setting: I have to say right off that I might have had a different impression at a different time of the year. We were put in a Premium Full Hook up Site near the campground’s Convention Center.
A large part of this particular campground is placed along the side of a steep hill, with each campsite terraced above the one below. The premium sites were separated by white picket fences and included picnic tables.
Those that do not get around well might have issues exploring this campground due to the terrain.
It worked well for us as we were only there for a few days, and didn’t spend a ton of time outside, however, for those that are there to enjoy the camping experience, the lots were pretty small.
This photo of Branson KOA & Convention Center is courtesy of TripAdvisor
I do have to say that there was a large variety of spots, many of which were plenty big enough for larger rigs, and plenty of room for maneuvering.
This photo of Branson KOA & Convention Center is courtesy of TripAdvisor
And along with the variety of spots, there were several Deluxe spots that included grills and patios. These were particularly nice.
Amenities
Bathrooms were in great shape and very clean.
WIFI- The park offers it for free and while it might be different during peak times, I never had an issue getting on line.
Laundry- They have a nice laundry room available 24 hours a day.
Activities- this park includes a swimming pool, a huge convention facility, fitness center, golf cart rental, horseshoes, a hot tub, playground and pontoon boat rentals. Lots to do on site!
This photo of Branson KOA & Convention Center is courtesy of TripAdvisor
In season, they also offer free breakfast, and food service including pizza, hot wings, fudge and ice cream brought to your campsite.
This is one of the fun perks of KOA!
Staff was friendly and available to help out if needed. They made a great first impression by meeting us at the front gate and directing us inside. They were quite knowledgable about the area. The office can even get you discount tickets at some of the shows and attractions in Branson!
Dog Friendly– This campground had a very nice fenced in area for the dogs. Walking the dogs was enjoyable and there were plenty of areas in the campground to take them to.
The positives? Great park! Very near downtown Branson and all it has to offer. In my opinion, it is a great place to stay if you are in town to enjoy Branson. In season, there is plenty to offer in the park to keep the kids entertained.
Any negatives? Well, I really hesitate to say this because it truly isn’t the fault of the campground, but this area of the country can be quite volatile in the spring and summer. While we were there, we were holed up in the RV each evening while thunderstorms, hail and potential tornados made their way through.
We ate dinner the first night looking out the window as hail the size of marbles came down on our VW bug and motorhome. (No damage- unless you want to count the indigestion…)
For the record, Branson KOA does not offer a tornado shelter.
One of the hardest part of our life transition was leaving our family behind. Talking to them regularly on the phone is great, but we do miss seeing them in person. They were curious about our adventure and wanted to come visit. So this past week, we were delighted to host my daughter, mother, sister, sister-in-law and sister’s mother-in-law.
It was so much fun to see them again! Of course, we had to show them around! Our first stop was the top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park. Cadillac Mountain at 1,530 feet, it is the highest point along the North Atlantic seaboard. A perfect place to show them some of the beautiful sights of the coast of Maine!
My daughter will be getting married in November, and we had lots of catching up to do. I will be creating some of her wedding decor, so be sure to stay tuned to my other website, Suzy’s Sitcom for the latest wedding craft project!
Of course, she shares my sense of humor. There are many reasons why we call this the Sitcom!
We then took them to Hadley Point where we went mussel fishing at low tide. The Georgia brigade purchased boots just for this! Mussels can be found attached to the rocks under the seaweed when the tide goes out. This particular area has thousands of them.
We let them sit in cold water and corn meal overnight to get most of the sand out of them, and then boiled them in wine, chicken stock and garlic. Yumm!
Of course, you cannot go to Maine without a taste of lobster! The campground that we work at, Bar Harbor Oceanside KOA, has their very own lobster man! He serves fresh lobster dinners every evening from his tent in the middle of the campground.
We then sat around a campfire and enjoyed another beautiful sunset. (Note the bottle of bug spray near my feet). My boss likes to say that there isn’t a single mosquito in Maine. They are all married with large families…
Proper s’more techniques were taught.
…and her last night there, we decided to go with my daughter to see the sunrise from the top of Cadillac Mountain.
As you can see, the hubby isn’t very good about sharing blankets. And I have a very scary looking face at 4:00 AM.
It was freezing! In July!
But very much worth it! What a beautiful sight! The sun begins to rise in Bar Harbor about 4:00 AM. And as you can see, we weren’t the only crazy people there checking out the view.
We had so much fun with the family here and were able to show them just a bit of the sights and experiences of this beautiful part of the country.
Our new lifestyle is exciting and we very much love our decision to take a chance and start traveling, but seeing the family again will be one of the highlights of our summer.
We have been in Bar Harbor for two months now, working on the campgrounds. The weather has been very different from what we are used to, with many blustery, windy days. At one point, I wondered when it would actually green up!
And then suddenly the trees grew leaves and summer happened. Well, at least Maine’s version of summer. It is still chilly at night, but we now are having beautiful days in the 70’s . Apparently the trees need to work fast because they only have a few months to be green!
With a few nice days of warm sun, we emerged from our work schedule and RV to create a nice front yard to enjoy. It is truly beautiful here and we wanted a nice place to sit and enjoy it!
This is work camper row. We all have designated spots behind the cabins. They aren’t as green and scenic as the rest of the park, but we made do with what we had to work with and really do like our neighbors.
The work camping thing? Well, it has definitely gotten more intense. We are now working close to 40 hours a week and have gotten to the point where we definitely look forward to our days off.
We’ve had a few coworkers quit and move on already. Seems that work camping is not for everyone. Dealing with customer service and often physical labor can be difficult at times. We have our bad days too, but fortunately for us, the good days outweigh the bad. We have met lots of fun campers in the past few weeks- many from Georgia!
And now that the weather seems to be cooperating, we are spending more time outside in the evening, enjoying our newly decorated front yard and the beautiful park.
I put together a fun project last week. This one involves a wooden plaque, sharpie pens and chalkboard paint! Inspired by the area, I drew up of the local sea life and created a fun chalkboard. You can find the free pattern here!
On the tourist level, we’ve been to Cadillac Mountain several times now. Cadillac Mountain is located in the nearby Acadia National Park and at 1,530 feet, it is the highest point along the North Atlantic seaboard.
You can travel to the top of Cadillac Mountain several different ways. You can drive to the top in your vehicle, take several different hiking trails, or enjoy a trolley tour of the mountain.
Oli’s Trolley
We checked out Oli’s Trolley simply because they not only take you around the area, but offer a fully narrated tour about the area’s history, historic sites, mansions, and the summit of Cadillac Mountain.
This area has an interesting history behind it, and we definitely recommend a ride on the trolley to learn more about it. Amongst many other things, we learned about the great fire of 1947 that nearly destroyed all of Bar Harbor. You can still see stone foundations of mansions that used to be amongst the trees on the hillsides of the town.
The area is also the home of the Rockefellers and Martha Stewart! We are told that you can take boat tours into the harbor where you can see their homes.
As for Cadillac Mountain, there are various hiking trails to the summit, some more challenging than others. There is also a paved road to the top.
From the summit, you can see most of Mount Desert Island. On a clear day, it is a beautiful site to see! The photo above shows the town of Bar Harbor in the distance below.
In this photo you can see Bar Island. When this photo was taken, the tide was out and you can see a sand bar that goes from the island to the town of Bar Harbor. Folks like to hike or even drive their cars across that bar of sand during low tide to explore the island.
Timing is crucial as it is not unusual for folks to find themselves stranded on the island during high tide. For a tidy sum, boaters will rescue those that do not want to wait another 8 hours for low tide.
Oh, and the little guy in the photo? That is a very ingenious seagull. He figured out that if he stands there looking all sweet, folks will feed him snack food. He waited patiently for us to find something in the car for him, and then went to the car behind us to see what they had.
An interesting fact about Cadillac Mountain is that it is the first place to view the sunrise in the United States from October 7 through March 6.
Want to view a sunrise from Cadillac Mountain?
You have to get up mighty early. The sun is up by 4:00 AM right now! Check the time for sunrise and give yourself plenty of time to get up the mountain. It takes about 20 minutes from the village of Bar Harbor or 30 minutes from the KOA campground.
Dress warm! It is always windy on top of Cadillac and particularly chilly even in the middle of summer.
For more comfort, consider bringing blankets and chairs.
Bring some coffee or tea in a thermos to keep warm. Or plan for a nice breakfast in downtown Bar Harbor afterwards.
Us? Well we do not do mornings well. We may decide before the summer is out to check out a sunrise. I mean, we need to try everything, right? But in the meantime, we did drive up to the top last week to see a sunset. The sun sets about 8:00 PM right now and that worked out well for us.
My camera doesn’t do it justice, but here is a brief look at that beautiful sunset.
Sunsets are beautiful here both on Cadillac Mountain and at the campgrounds. I think that they will be one of the many things I will look back on fondly when we do eventually move on.
Spring has finally come to our part of Maine! The grass suddenly greened up, the weather has warmed up a bit, and the dandelions are in full bloom!
Back in Georgia, the schools have let out for summer and I’m sure it is very hot and humid there. While we are totally not missing that, it is a bit strange to be celebrating spring weather when it is nearly June.
The park is starting to fill up. We had a big crowd over the Memorial Day weekend and our first taste of how busy it will get as the weather warms up here.
When Dave and I lived and worked in Atlanta, we carpooled every day- an hour and a half each way in heavy traffic.
We still carpool, but this is our new ride! Cute, right? Takes us about 5 whole minutes to get to work and the traffic? Other than an occasional seagull or goose, it is nonexistent!
We get two days off a week and plan to use them to explore the area. The Bar Harbor Oceanside KOA is located on Mount Desert Island. It is a huge island with lots of areas to explore including a Acadia National Park, tons of hiking trails, lots of coastal towns, lobster fishing, beautiful mountains, and even a lighthouse or two!
This past weekend, we took a trip down to Southwest Harbor, Bass Harbor, and the Bass Harbor Lighthouse. Southwest Harbor is the largest town on the southwestern “quiet side” of the island. The town has some great shops, galleries and restaurants worth checking out more thoroughly in the near future.
As we entered Southwest Harbor, we stopped to admire the amazing views. You can see the open ocean here, dotted with various small islands. And just check out the rocks! I had immediate plans of gathering a bunch and creating a whole new batch of Painted Paisley Stones!
…and apparently they knew I was coming. It appears that I may not be the only one who loves a pretty rock.
Our next stop was the lighthouse. My ultimate goal on this trip is to visit every lighthouse in the area, and with nearly 60 lighthouses on the Maine coast, I have my work cut out for me!
Built in 1858, Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse is the only lighthouse located on Mount Desert Island. There are not currently tours available for this lighthouse as it is maintained by a private family, but you can take the walkway right up next to the tower and lighthouse viewing area where you can see a panoramic view of the harbor and the islands in the distance.
To the left side of the lighthouse is a path that leads to the rocks below where you can capture some amazing photos of the cliff and lighthouse. Here I am in my KOA yellow parka checking out the view before I carefully picked my way down.
We sat here for quite some time enjoying the view and keeping an eye out for seals along the shore. I hope to come back here soon around sunset and get some more beautiful photos.
The little town of Bass Harbor is not only picturesque, but is known as one of the most lucrative lobster-producing ports in the state. The town also has terminals for two different ferries which can take you to more of the surrounding islands.
We plan on taking some of the ferries in the near future and will let you know more about them then.
But for now, we have work to do back at the Oceanside KOA. And a few beautiful sunsets to enjoy there!
I’m a firm believer that I should make an attempt to try out life as a local where ever I end up. So with that said, apparently those that live in Maine have a thing for lobsters. Which means I will have to make the sacrifice and eat a lobster meal.
It will be tough, but we will just have to do it…
So where to go? Well, I could name fifty restaurants in the Bar Harbor area and hundreds more along the Maine coast that sell lobster. You see signs of that red pinchered thing everywhere.
See all those white floats in the water just off the shore? Everyone of those is a lobster trap. They go as far as you can see in all directions. A passing lobster just doesn’t have a chance in Bar Harbor.
Lobsters, lobsters everywhere. Lobster shirts, lobster signs, lobster salt and pepper shakers, lobster Christmas lights, lobster cookie cutters, lobster calendars…
Even Lobster Ice cream! And yes, it had real chunks of lobster in it. Ben & Bill’s Chocolate Emporium located on Main Street in Bar Harbor has lots of fun flavors in their homemade ice cream selection including Dulce de Leche, Bubblegum, (KGB) Kahlua and Bailey’s Irish Cream base ice cream with a Grand Marnier fudge swirl, Rum Raisin, Root Beer Float, and many more!
My personal goal is to try each flavor before the summer is out. Will let you know how that goes! For the record- I have already tried the Lobster Ice cream. It was ummm…. interesting.
Dave just asked me about that diet I was planning to go on… Ice cream has lots of calcium, right?
And speaking of diet, let’s take in a bit of seafood, why don’t we? For our first stab at eating a real lobster, we checked out Stewman’s Lobster Pound.
Ever eaten a whole lobster? Well, it is an adventure. Our waitress recognized the slightly alarmed looks on our faces as these red crustaceans were set in front of us and took us under her wing. She showed us how to break the the claws off, and then how to twist the tail off the body to get to the tail meat.
After warning us that we needed to remove the “chute” in the tail, she left us to our adventure.
Okay. I’m not thrilled about looking for a “chute”, but here goes…
So, here is what we learned. DO NOT twist the tail off the body while holding it over your plate! Bleh! There is green stuff that will fall onto your plate. This is the lobster tomalley, which is apparently the lobster’s liver and pancreas. Many people, especially in New England, consider it a delicacy, and eat it along with the rest of the lobster.
We did not. I will only take this “eating as the locals do” just so far!
But we both did agree that the lobsters were delicious. Especially the tail and claws. Now that we have officially been broken in, we plan on trying a few more before we leave the area. After all, we are experts now!
On the home front, the dogs are getting used to their new surroundings. Ralph has discovered red squirrels (which are the pretty red cousins to his nemesis the gray squirrel in Georgia). Turns out that they are not afraid of him either.
Ralph now spends an enormous amount of time staring out the window looking for a squirrel sighting so that he can bark like a girl.
