A Quickie in Baw Ha Baw

September 5-9, 2018
Bar Harbor, Maine

Bar Harbor has a definite "theme".

Everyone knows the coast of Maine is beautiful. At the northeast corner of the country, the camping season is short. I didn't route us here until late June. Add this all together and the options are expensive.

I'm able to get the Passport America, 50% off discount, for three nights at Mt Desert Narrows. I add two full price nights at the electric/water site. We're unable to get level, but we have a slim view of the pretty inlet. While here I unsucessfully look for places to extend our stay. The FHU sites at our park are $94/night! Ridiculous.

With only 5 days, choosing what to see/do is overwhelming. I've seen what a fellow blogger enjoyed with a couple months here. I get planning-paralysis!! 

I finally relax and decide that as long as we have lobster, check off Bill's bucket list item, see the highlights of Acadia, and make our way to Schoodic Peninsula I'll be happy!

None of those things is having good BBQ, but our first evening we eat the best we've had - ever! Add a blueberry ale, and Mainely Meats at Atlantic Brewery is a big hit!

While we're arriving in Maine, our 34th state, guess who's starting pre-school?!

Ezra and Daddy on the big day.

Wednesday we visit Acadia National Park, and I buy my lifetime Senior Pass!! Almost as exciting as getting my social security :-)) Almost.

So many beautiful views.

The rugged beauty of Acadia's coast.

Eagle Lake

The highest point on the Atlantic shore north of Brazil - Cadillac Mountain.

So different from that other ocean!

After waiting in line for a space in the tiny parking lot, we catch a glimpse of the 4th order Fresnel lens at Bass Harbor Lighthouse.

We visit the side of the closed keeper's house and learn later that the "real view" is from the rocks below on the rocky shore. The light was active from 1878 to 1974.

Both the original 1878 bell and the larger one that took its place in 1898 are displayed here.

There is a wonderful relationship between rock and tree here.

The trailhead at Beech Cliffs is enchanting.

Crowds at Jordan Pond and Thunder Hole turn us away. We have good intentions, but we don't make it back. 

My bucket list includes seeing snow on the coast, which we aren't going to check off on this trip! But seeing the sun rise over the ocean is on Bill's, and that we can do. It means getting up at 4 AM!

We're aiming for arrival at Cadillac Mountain at 5:30 with plenty of time for the 6:00 event. About half way up there are wisps of fog. By the time we get near the top our visibility is reduced to about 5 feet, and we're crawling behind several other vehicles with more behind us. At the top, cars are lining the road, the wind is blowing hard, I have the windshield wiper on. Oh my!

We snag one of the last spots, parking along the sidewalk. The wet fog means taking our time getting to the viewing area where we can make out dozens of others already here. The parking lot says there's a lot more here, but we can't see them. Sort of makes it feel like we're more alone.

It's so wet we can't wear our glasses, my camera is tucked inside my large pocket, the wind is blowing the fog in waves toward the horizon. This is very exciting! But will we see the sun rise?

Looking more like cairns, other hopefuls dot the rocky cliff.

We see a lot of this.....

The wind moves the fog out in short bursts, giving us hope.

And there he is!! Nothing like I've seen in photos from this point. But for us, this is the perfect capture of our real experience. 

Why are we hanging out in a cloud?

Bodies materialize from the mist as we leave.

Down the mountain we stop to catch the more traditional view.

Glow of early morning. Not something we see - ever.

After breakfast at Great Maine Breakfast (the blueberry pancakes not as good as Boothbay), we drive to West Quoddy Lighthouse. 

The cloudy skies stay with us to the Macias River.

Tiny plovers share a rock along the water. I love their reflections.

Strangely....West Quoddy Lighthouse is the eastern most point of the contiguous U.S. I thought Cape Blanco or Point Reyes was the most western (both places we've been), but Cape Alava, Washington, holds that honor. We'll have to go find it next summer!

At 49', she's a real beauty. Nice blue skies welcome us.

The bridge to Canada from Lubec, Maine, the most northeastern point in the U.S. 

We're always looking at what's affordable in beautiful places....

Lubec Channel Light.

Go ahead - enjoy that pumpkin-everything.

Amazing how much day you have when it starts before the sun arrives!! We find back roads for our way home, enjoying the beauty of the New England countryside. 

Not surprising, Thursday we sleep late! It looks like Hurricane Florence is going to wreak havoc on the east coast, directly along our planned route. While she'll be long gone before we'll arrive, it's very likely that the flooding, power outages, and destruction will have an impact. The heat is sticking around as well. 

I spend most of the day changing plans, including adding a couple more days in a less expensive area of Maine. As a reward for all my hard work, we have lobster for dinner. Even better, we have the "lazy" variety!

Scrumptious!

Fingers crossed that a post-Labor Day Saturday won't be too crowded, we head for Schoodic Peninsula. 

Winter Harbor Lighthouse on Mark Island.

Rocky rock shores.

At the point we find this group

who all stay in the parking lot with their steeds.

Schoodic Point feels like I think the coast of Maine should. Under bright blue skies, the ocean sparkles, the waves crash, the sun bakes the rocks, and the gulls follow a pod of dolphins just off shore! We spend a long time just enjoying the beauty of this amazing place.

Not good for zoomies, but the fluffy dog is a fan of the fun rocks!

A single small wave splashes through the rocks.

We love watching and listening to the waves on the rocks.

Retreating waves leave behind temporary falls at different levels.

Being watched while we watch.

The large pod of dolphins stays in the area, but I just relax and enjoy them rather than trying to catch a photograph. It's exciting to watch them breach in pairs - they look like they're having so much fun!

We'll always remember this spot.

Bill finds us a small road to the water in Winter Harbor. We have the place to ourselves. 

This little fawn pauses for a quick look at us.

In addition to avoiding chain restaurants, we like to try local specialties. Most of them have been between good and delicious. Today's addition to the list falls short. 

Imagine a rubber won-ton in vinegar.

I can understand eating them in tough times, but delicacy is a stretch!

We'll come back to this beautiful corner of the country. As much as we loved it here, I feel like I shorted us by not planning early enough. There's much more to see (carriage road and it's pretty bridges), and places we want to spend more time enjoying. Wish it wasn't so "far away"!

Sunday we'll take a short drive west to spend a few more days in Maine.

The end.....