Looking at the map I can’t help but think of a lobster claw.  Mike would say I have a warped sense of perspective.  I prefer to call it a creative way of looking at things.  But still, it’s a claw.  A claw that begs us to explore, so like Dorothy and her tin man we follow the yellow brick road to Mount Desert Island, which shelters the magic land of Acadia.  Others feel as I do (about this being a magic land) because along the road I see a replica of Dorothy’s tin man kneeling in a yard.

Our plans are to explore the perimeter of one side of the lobster’s claw.  But plans change.  We are waylaid by a visitor center promising knowledge and expertise.  Grabbing one of the few parking spaces left we are greeted with a sign that tells us the visitors center is only 50+ stair steps up. When isn’t there the promise of stairs to climb?

Mike presents his Golden Eagle pass, he in turn is presented with a large packet of information with the assurance that he is all set.  We watch a short film.

Lunch

We decide to have lunch and then explore the park. We head to Bar Harbor.  Unfortunately, everyone else in Maine also seems to have the same idea.  We circle the public parking lots, side streets, and main streets. The only parking spaces available are in the parking lots of hotels and inns—reserved for guests only. 

“We could get a room,” I say.  Jokingly? 

At the edge of town, we pass by a place called the Downtown Lobster Pound; the residential side road has one space left down at the far end. I love eating outside, but the day is gray and cold, and so I opt for walls sheltering the table where we will dine.  Sitting in the almost empty interior, it is colder in than out.   Sometimes I just choose wrong. Our meal, mediocre at best, ensures our stomachs will behave as we traverse the park loop.

Exploring Acadia

We are unprepared for the onslaught of humanity. Traffic is light on this one-way road, only because everyone is parked on the right side of the road and walking to and fro on the left. We stop.  The people themselves are the scenery. Popovers and hot tea, an Acadian tradition at the Jordan Pond House are out. There is no room at the inn.  Again.

Climbing Cadillac mountain, with the heat turned high and the convertible top down low, the hordes are waiting to greet us.

Thunder Hole

When the right size wave rolls into the naturally formed inlet, a deep thunderous sound emanates. The cause is a small cavern just beneath the surface of the water. When the wave pulls back just before lunging forward, it dips the water just below the ceiling of the cavern allowing air to enter. When the wave arrives full force, it collides with the air, forcing it out, resulting in a sound like distant thunder. Water may splash into the air as high as 40 feet with a roar!

Cadillac Mountain

At 1,530 feet, Cadillac Mountain is not only the tallest mountain in the park, but also the tallest mountain along the eastern coast of the United States. Cadillac Mountain is accessible via a winding, narrow, 3.5-mile road. The road closes from December through April 14 and whenever weather conditions (e.g. dense fog or ice) require.

We find a path that apparently interests only a very few people.  Sitting in solitude, we watch the waves wash in and out; calming our fractured tourist nerves.

8/20/2014 10:33:41 AM