Making Friends and Carriage Roads

Our evening after touring and hiking Acadia lands us at a wonderful little pub, McKay's Public House, for dinner. As they are having a large party, seating is limited, but the option for dinner at the bar is one we decide to take. Boy, are we glad we did.


Service and food are excellent but the interactions we have with fellow "bar diners" is the real treat. We met several interesting folk, in particular, Judy and Rick from Charlotte, NC, who we just completely loved. Before leaving, we make arrangements to meet for dinner the following evening.














On this second Acadia day, upon the advise of our ranger, we find a really beautiful carriage road, taking us to a little waterfall off of one of the 17 stone bridges. A delightful hike, meandering through woods with enveloping mountain and water views



The road to Cadillac Summit is spectacular and much chillier and windy. We circle on the 360 degree top path before veering off onto the North Ridge trail. As we head down, we continue to remind ourselves there is going to be the return back up. But, it is so beautiful! After about a mile, we reluctantly begin the retreating climb. So worth the effort!!




We find yet another carriage road that takes us by a beaver dam haven. Signs of the little guys abound but an actual sighting does not occur. The only hikers, we do encounter several bikers also enjoying the beautiful trail. The 4 mile hike winds us down for the afternoon - we are true fans of these carriage roads. Wish we had time to do them all. A return trip seems likely.



Finding the Wild Gardens of Acadia seems to be the perfect setting for our sunflower planting. What a little gem we find here, as well. Blooming is just starting, another two weeks and the color here will be amazing. As we exit this national park, we take with us an incredible sense of wonder. There is still such beauty out there and taking the time to find and explore is essential!




Our final evening in Bar Harbor is delightful as we join our new friends for a lovely dinner. Wine. lobster, laughter and an incredible view makes for the most appropriate ending for our time here. We could easily spend another week, but there is still so much to see out there. We've managed to encompass quite a bit in these few days and we are eternally grateful for the gifts we received here!

Coastal Maine

After leaving Mass, we briefly skirt the New Hampshire coast before making our way into the beautiful state of Maine. Highway 1 provides the perfect access to all of the little villages along this spectacular shore.





An afternoon break for a short hike along the Marginal Way in Ogunquit is the plan. We find a shore path here that rivals, if not surpasses, the Cliff Walks in Newport - hard to imagine! As the day is coming to a close, the option to stay here for the evening is overruled by our excitement of getting closer to our ultimate destination in Bar Harbor. The decision to make the evening stop in Freeport makes the most sense and we find a wonderful Hampton Inn to rest, catch up on some laundry, and awaken fresh to journey in the morning. A darling little Greek/Italian restaurant, Antonia's Pizzeria, is across the street, where we find wonderful service and delicious food.




























The morning finds us refreshed and a quick trip to L.L. Bean seems a must while here. We find a couple of lightweight vests that will come in handy with this cold weather we've been encountering in New England. The retail outlet's base operation is quite impressive.



Midway to Bar Harbor, we take a break in the adorable village of Camden and find a delightful lunch spot at The Marriner's Restaurant, which serves a halibut reuben to die for and a water view to match. When we ask Esther, our very fun server, if there is anyplace in Maine that's not beautiful, she confirms no such place exists. We stroll the little harbor and park area outside after dining before continuing our journey east.

Bar Harbor is just around the corner!!!