The Gratts in New England: Maine

Today the Gratts would leave New Hampshire and travel to Portland, Maine for a one-night stay to break up the long drive from New Hampshire to Bar Harbor, Maine.  After breakfast, the Gratts got on the road, stopping first at Cathedral Ledge State Park.  

This was a mile-long drive to the top of 700-foot Cathedral Ledge with views across the Saco River Valley.  I thought this would be a nice stop for them to make on their way out of New Hampshire.

A last look at New Hampshire.

There were people with a loose dog and a small child out on the edge of the ledge itself, crazy!

Don't be these people.

Ben got a tip from a local in Jackson about a place to have lunch on the way to Portland, a restaurant called Krista's, so they stopped there for lunch. Everyone enjoyed what they had.

Once in Portland, my plan for them was to visit Fort Williams State Park to have a lobster roll at the famous Bite Into Maine food truck. There was also a very iconic photo of a lighthouse I wanted Ben to take for me.

Ben said this was the best lobster he had the whole trip!  He ordered it Connecticut style which is with no mayo and warm butter poured over the top.

What a $40 lobster roll looks like

And here it is, the iconic picture of Portland Head Lighthouse that Ben took for me!  I love it!

They checked into the Hilton Garden Inn and then headed over to the waterfront for dinner.

I made a reservation for them at a restaurant along the waterfront.

Ben got a lobster roll of course!

He got a butterscotch sundae which he said was his favorite dessert of the trip.

The next morning, the Gratts prepared to make their last long drive of the trip, from Portland, Maine to Bar Harbor.  I had plans for them to drive the coastal route and had a long list of stops they could make.  Fran wanted to stop at the famous Edgecomb Pottery to do some shopping.

Fran bought me a teapot and these lovely mugs that I now use for afternoon tea! Thank you Fran!

From Edgecomb, Ben mapped them straight to Bar Harbor, which bypassed the coastal route I had mapped for them.  Ben said since it was foggy, he decided to take the faster route instead.    

One stop they were able to make was at Wasses hot dogs, a famous food truck that I had on the itinerary just for Harvey.  I know how much he loves hot dogs so I was happy they made it!

They drove over the Penobscot Bridge and Observatory which was a stop I told Ben to make if it was a clear day.  But since it was foggy, they just drove over the bridge without stopping at the observatory.

Nothing to see here.

Since they drove a more direct route, now they had the afternoon to enjoy Bar Harbor before Jason and his friend Ryan arrived from Boston. 

This would be the nicest day they would have in Bar Harbor so it was good that they got there early to enjoy it.

In Bar Harbor, we chose the Ullikana Inn which had the perfect location for exploring Bar Harbor. Ben would finally be done driving!

Fran and Harvey had a nice big room

Ben's room was tiny!

I had a very special dinner planned at the Reading Room restaurant at the Bar Harbor Inn. 

I scheduled dinner early so that they would be able to enjoy the beautiful view. 

Everyone was happy to see Ryan who joined Jason from Boston

Ben got lobster and I told him he HAD to get blueberry pie which Maine is famous for!

This was a huge hit with everyone and I was patting myself on the back for this one!

The next morning started with breakfast which was included at Ullikana.

Today the plan was to drive the 27-mile Park Loop Road in Acadia National Park.  The first stop on the drive was Cadillac Mountain, which is the highest point along the eastern seaboard and has fantastic views from the summit.  It is so popular, I had to make a reservation for the drive weeks in advance.

So imagine my dismay when Ben sent me this picture!

Unfortunately, the weather had other ideas! 

This shows what they were supposed to see at the top!

Oh well, you can't win them all!

The next stop on the drive was Sand Beach.  From here, they would walk along the Ocean Path to Thunder Hole where the waves crash into a small underwater cave. This is a very popular walk to do along the shoreline in Acadia.

Then it was over to the Asticou Inn where I had a reservation for lunch.  The hotel is best known for its popovers and also the beautiful gardens adjacent to the restaurant.  I thought this would be a nice place to have lunch before heading back to Bar Harbor.

Unfortunately, this was not a hit.  I found out later that this place is about to be totally renovated and when the Gratts visited, their oven was broken and they weren't serving their famous popovers.  Ben had to make do with a subpar lobster roll instead.

We can't all be winners

Fortunately, all was not lost because the beautiful gardens next door to the restaurant were stunning!

No editing was done to any of these beautiful photos!

Back in Bar Harbor, Fran and Harvey relaxed while the boys went into town for a drink.  Ben texted me for a recommendation and I steered them in the direction of the Cottage Street Pub.

I had a reservation for dinner that night at West St. Cafe., a casual spot in Bar Harbor that had great reviews.  No one took pictures of the restaurant, but here are two from the website. 

 

Ben got his lobster roll "Maine style" this time.  If you're counting, Ben's lobster count is now at 5.

He also got blueberry pie, and said this was the best one.

The next day was their last full day in New England and Tropical Storm Lee was due to hit Bar Harbor that afternoon.  Determined to make the most of it, they started by walking out to Bar Island. 

Bar Island is connected to Bar Harbor by a gravel trail that is only exposed at low tide.  I sent Ben the tide chart so he would know when it would be safe to walk over.  You don't want to get stuck!

On the other side!

Once you cross over, you are in Acadia National Park.  

Today the plan was to take the Island Explorer shuttle bus to the Jordan House Restaurant inside Acadia National Park for lunch and their famous popovers.  This was another reservation I had to make weeks in advance.  

It was not patio weather

The famous Jordan House popovers!

And of course more lobster!

After lunch, they walked around Jordan Pond.  

One of several cobblestone bridges near Jordan Pond

Their last dinner was at Geddy's, another Bar Harbor restaurant famous for -- what else?  Lobster!

Ben said his 7th and final lobster was one of the best.  He ate so much lobster, he broke out in hives!  At least he ended on a high note.

And one last piece of blueberry pie!

The tropical storm blew in just as they were finishing dinner.  Ben got soaked and destroyed an umbrella going back to get the car!  The boys went to the bar at the Bar Harbor Inn to watch the storm.

And with that, the 12-night, 1,100 mile road trip over six states that took me six months to plan came to a triumphant end.  Gratt family, I hope you had as much fun on the trip as I had planning it for you!  

Thank you Fran and Harvey for this opportunity, and to Ben for making me feel like I was there every step of the way.  It truly was the next best thing to being there.

Until the next vacation!