Acadia - Part 2

July 31 - August 7, 2017

We are thrilled to learn that Houston neighbors, Chip & Patty, are planning a vacation in Maine!  We learn that they will be in Acadia while we are here, so we plan to meet for some hiking and a lobster dinner on board Sauvy B.

We meet up, then shuttle to Jordan Pond House to hike around Jordan Pond.

Jordan Pond - Robert, Carolyn, Patty, Chip

This log walkway needed work and was much more unstable than it looked! We appreciated a break for a photo op. 

Jordan Pond Trail, Acadia

We complete our loop around the pond and stop for the ritual tea/beer/wine and popovers.  What a gorgeous day and great to share it with friends!  Thanks to Chip and Patty for sharing their great photos, too.

Jordan Pond House, Acadia

Next, we shuttle back to Northeast Harbor to buy fresh lobster from a local boat.  Freshly caught and $4/lb is hard to beat!

Lobster boat, Northeast Harbor ME

Robert shuttles us to our mooring in our dinghy.

Robert & Patty in Cork

Can we start some rumors with these photos?  LOL!

Chip & Carolyn in Cork

Time for cocktails on board before dinner.

Robert & Chip

Live lobsters ready for the pot.

Chip & Patty

And finally, dinner!

Lobster dinner

Today we head for another hike in a more popular section of Acadia.  We will hike to the top of Gorham Mountain with promised panoramic views in three directions.  This view looks north to the Atlantic Ocean and the Schoodic Peninsula in the distance, also part of Acadia National Park.

Gorham Mountain view

The peak at last.  Lots of hikers on this trail today.

Gorham Mountain peak, Acadia

A closer view of Sand Beach at the foot of Gorham Mountain.  Fog is starting to roll in.

Gorham Mountain view of Sand Beach, Acadia

A side trail leads along some interesting geology, although the trail was a bit steep.

Cadillac Cliffs Trail, Acadia

Cadillac Cliffs Trail, Acadia

Cadillac Cliffs Trail, Acadia

Cadillac Cliffs Trail, Acadia

Carriage roads wind through the park with beautiful stone bridges crossing streams and paved roads.  Designed and funded by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., these roads were built between 1913 and 1940 for use by horse-drawn carriages, hikers, horseback riders and bicycles.  These roads are still a popular way to tour the park.  Rockefeller also donated about 1/3 of the total acreage of the park; he was passionate about preserving the area and providing ways for people to access it while preserving it's beauty.

Carriage road bridge, Acadia

We descend to the waterfront at Monument Cove to view spectacular cliffs rising from the pounding surf.  This is the quintessential Maine coast.

Monument Cove, Acadia

 Gee, it wasn't that tough of a hike!

Monument Cove, Acadia

Fog is now obscuring most of our view.  Time to catch a shuttle bus back to Northeast Harbor and our boat.

Monument Cove, Acadia

Looks like a nice day to take the dinghy to see nearby Southwest Harbor.  This was another option as a place to dock the boat, so we decide to take a look.  En route to Southwest Harbor, we pass the entrance to Somes Sound and are faced with a sea of lobster trap floats!  So glad we are in a small boat and can easily dodge them.

Somes Sound, Acadia

Nearby we see the sailboat, Rebecca.  At 135', she's one of the most beautiful sailboats we've ever seen.  We are told she belongs to Charles Butt of HEB Grocery stores.

S/V Rebecca

Here we approach Southwest Harbor.

Southwest Harbor, ME

This is more of a working harbor than where we are staying.  The Coast Guard maintains a station here.

Southwest Harbor, ME

Several lobster pounds and businesses catering to the commercial fishermen are based in this village.

Southwest Harbor, ME

Lots more boats here than Northeast Harbor.  While cruising around in our dinghy, we saw a boat with the home port of San Antonio TX.  We have also seen the two Texas flagged boats from our stop in Harpswell ME in Northeast Harbor.  What are the odds?!

Southwest Harbor, ME

We tied up the dinghy, walked into town for lunch, and returned to the waterfront to find the fog rolling in!  Oops - we weren't going to let this happen again!

Southwest Harbor, ME

By the time we slowly work our way back to Northeast Harbor and our boat, this is our view.

Northeast Harbor, ME

We have time for one more hike before leaving Acadia.  We choose to go to the "Quiet Side" of Acadia, thinking we will see few other hikers.  Dream on!  We hike to the summit of Acadia Mountain and back down to the shore of Somes Sound.

Acadia Mountain Trail

Although not very high in elevation, this is our most challenging trail.  The trail frequently passes across piles of boulders with no easy trail to follow.

Acadia Mountain Trail

Views from the summit are worth the climb!

Acadia Mountain Trail

We reluctantly plan our departure as we need to begin our trek back south to the Chesapeake.  We need to get south of New Jersey in the next month before days get too short to easily make the offshore run to Cape May during daylight hours.  Cold fronts will also become more numerous, causing rough seas offshore.