New England Road Trip: Bar Harbor Days 3-4

Today we would be spending the day in Acadia National Park and do our first big hike of the trip!  I saw a little bit of the sunrise when I looked out the window.

We had a quick continental breakfast and then hit the road for our drive to Acadia National Park.  We saw a deer crossing the road--I got excited at first thinking it was a moose but it wasn't.

Today we would drive the Park Loop Road, a 27-mile scenic drive in Acadia National Park. Along the way are lots of scenic spots, overlooks, and hiking.  There is also the popular Ocean Path where many of the overlooks can be accessed by walking instead of driving, which is what Ben and I planned to do.

Once again, Ben and I got an early start so we would stay ahead of the crowds.  Our first stop was Sand Beach, a very popular stop in Acadia and also where the Ocean Path begins.

Sand Beach looked very beautiful in the early morning and was almost completely deserted.

Our first look at the Atlantic Ocean.

We started along the Ocean Path, stopping at various overlooks.  

View of Sand Beach from above.

That red bush is a blueberry bush.

We got a view of Gorham Mountain which we would be hiking later that day!

About a mile down the path is Thunder Hole, a carved out inlet along the shoreline. When the tide forces waves into the narrow channel, the air escapes with a thunderous boom, thus the name "Thunder Hole."  The best time to view it is 1-2 hours before high tide.  So it wasn't thundering much when we were there, but it was still cool to see.

The best picture I got of the waves.

Continuing on down the path.

We saw rain clouds approaching!

This was a really pretty spot called Boulder Beach.

We walked almost two miles down the path and it started raining toward the end.  We wanted to continue a little further but the path was flooded so we retraced our steps back to the Gorham Mountain Trailhead.

Gorham Mountain is a two-mile hike up a 525ft mountain.  It is a very popular hike in Acadia with a beautiful view at the top.

There is a false summit before the top with a nice view.

Sand Beach way back there.

Headed to the top!

The sun came out and we had a beautiful view at the summit.

In Maine, the fall colors were just starting.

It was a great hike!

Because of the rain, heading down the rocky mountain was slick and sort of treacherous.  But we eventually made it!  

More overlooks along the Park Loop Road.

Then it was time for our 1:30 pm reservation at Cadillac Mountain.  At 1,530 feet, it is the highest point on the eastern seaboard and offers magnificent views.  It is so popular, you have to secure a reservation to drive up 90 days in advance.

Ben and his family didn't get to see anything on their trip up Cadillac Mountain.

Nothing to see here.

But we had a gorgeous view at the top!

There is the Norwegian Breakaway and just below is the town of Bar Harbor.

A great view of Bar Island in front of the cruise ship.

We walked around the .30 mile Cadillac Summit loop to see the views from all sides.

It was beautiful at the top of our second mountain of the day!

Making our way back down.

Back at the hotel, we headed straight to the Oasis bar for an afternoon cocktail and got our favorite table by the window.

Dinner was at Galyn's restaurant.  Ben and I planned to get lobster rolls and I couldn't wait!

But first another cocktail.

Another blueberry martini for me.

Then a crab cake appetizer which was yummy.

Then I had my first ever lobster roll.  It was so delicious!  I am still dreaming about it!

A blueberry crumble for dessert finished the meal.  

Everything was so good! This was probably my second favorite meal of the trip as far as the actual food goes (even though Reading Room got the edge for the view and overall experience).

The next day started with breakfast at a popular local spot called Cafe This Way.  We didn't have to be anywhere at any certain time so we could finally have a leisurely morning!

Sunrise from our room.

A walk down empty Main Street.

I got blueberry pancakes.  They were nowhere near as good as Polly's!  But breakfast overall was nice.

Our plan today was to make the 35-minute drive to Southwest Harbor where there were some easy trails to hike, a lighthouse, and I planned to have my first whole lobster at the famous Maine lobster restaurant, Thurston's.

When mapping to Southwest Harbor, Ben realized there were a few other stops we could make.  So we hit the road, stopping first at the Wild Gardens of Acadia, a botanical garden which features plants native to Maine.

Unfortunately, this was not the best time to visit as many of the plants were not at their peak and there was lawn maintenance going on which involved chainsaws and really made for an unpleasant experience.  

So we moved on to the Asticou Azalea Garden, which I knew would be beautiful thanks to Ben's visit last year with his family.  We strolled through the garden looking at all the beautiful plants.

Next we drove through Northwest Harbor where the gardens are located.

Then we stopped at Echo Lake Beach.  I thought there was a walking path here but I must have been thinking of Echo Lake in New Hampshire, oops!  But it was still a nice stop.

Then we were in Southwest Harbor.

And now we come to my one disappointment of the trip, Bass Harbor Lighthouse.  This is a popular lighthouse with a very small parking lot.  The line to get in was ridiculous because everyone waits their turn for a space to open up, causing a long backup of cars.  I finally told Ben I would just go snap my picture and come back while he waited in line.  I must have passed 20 cars walking to the parking lot.

It was then I realized I was supposed to have taken the Cliff Trail to the other side of the lighthouse to get the iconic picture of the lighthouse with the cliffs at the bottom.  But once Ben got to the front of the line, he would expect me to be there so we could leave and I wasn't sure how long it would take to get the picture.  

I am still kicking myself for this failure.  Please enjoy the picture I should have gotten that I found on the internet.

Once we were out of that traffic nightmare, we made our way to the 1.3 mile Ship Harbor Trail, which is one of the easier hikes to do in Acadia.

Most hikes in Acadia involve rocks in some shape or form and this one was no different. But it was fun.

Once we got to the shoreline, we had a beautiful view.

Finishing the trail.

We saw a squirrel eating a huge mushroom.

This is the point where I was going to regale everyone with the tale of my first whole Maine lobster at Thurston's.  But they had already closed for the season!  So we made plans to have lobster in Bar Harbor for dinner that night instead.

On the way back to Bar Harbor.

Happy hour at Oasis soon followed.

Then tea and cookies in the lobby.

Dinner was at West Street Cafe which I chose specifically because they have a lobster dinner on the menu that includes both New England clam chowder and blueberry pie.  Ben's family ate here last year also and everyone liked it.

We caught the sunset on our way to dinner.

Ben ordered a lobster roll and I ordered whole Maine lobster.  We started with clam chowder which I had never had before.  I loved it but would probably not eat it anywhere else but New England.

Ben with his lobster roll.

And here it is, my first whole Maine lobster that I had been waiting for!

Please enjoy this short video of me learning how to crack open a lobster.

I thoroughly enjoyed my lobster feast!  As far as actual lobster goes, I liked my lobster roll better but the experience of having a whole Maine lobster and all the trimmings was really fun.  We ended with blueberry pie which was yummy. 

And then the day Ben and I had both been dreading for two weeks was here--our last full day in New England!  I couldn't believe our wonderful trip was coming to an end!