Acadia

In a word - AMAZING!! Acadia National Park is one of the most beautiful places in the world.



Upon entrance to the park this morning, we encounter a very helpful ranger who gives us a good plan for our first visit. Beginning the 27-mile Park Loop Road at Sieur de Monts, our initial stop is at Sand Beach, completely deserted this time of year, and just stunning. It is here we find the trail head for our Ocean Path, about a 4-mile trek along the Atlantic Ocean! Breathtaking is an understatement.

There are so many different vistas, we can't believe how gorgeous it all is. Along the journey, we encounter Thunder Hole, though sluggish this morning, we can still hear it gurgling. Low and calm tides keep it fairly dormant, but our imaginations can create the explosion that consistently occurs here under the right conditions. It's still a bit chilly to get wet!
























The Otter Cliffs are fun to traverse and we climb and sit, taking in the moment. It is quite a moment!








This is what it's all about.





From here we continue the loop and make a stop at Jordon Pond. The tea room doesn't open for a few more weeks, no popovers today. But the trails are open and we take a portion of one of the many that surround the lake.


Crossing a stone bridge from the pond, we find ourselves amidst the maze of the carriage roads, an Acadia specialty, 45 miles of flat terrain, a gift from John D Rockefeller, Jr . As we've happened upon these by accident today, we don't have our map with us for these. We venture for a good distance, crossing several bridges, following a babbling brook, and taking in the stunning scenery that abounds. With reluctance, we retrace our steps after about a mile or so, as we are unsure exactly where these roads lead.


We will definitely revisit these roads armed with a map! They are spectacular.