Day 29: Walking the Ocean Path in Acadia National Park

Most of Acadia National Park is located on Mt. Desert Island. There is so much to do in the park and on the island, including in the main town, Bar Harbor, that even if you're there a week, you can barely scratch the surface on all there is to do.  We know this because we were there for a week that seemed so fun and full of activity, and yet we left with both happy memories and a list of "what we want to do next time."

Our first day there we walked out on the bar near low tide. On our second day there, we were joined by Petunia's grandparents, who left their idyllic camp to come spend a few days with us near Bar Harbor.  The main activity of the day was walking the breathtaking-at-every-turn Ocean Path.

The Ocean Path is an easy walk along a 2 mile stretch of shoreline that delivers above and beyond what it asks of the hiker.  In fact, you can opt to stay on a flat or very gradually sloping path the whole time, if you choose; although there are many options for short detours that provide for a little more exertion and even more stunning sightseeing angles.

Scenes of this path are so varied, too!  You start at a sand beach, go by Thunder Hole, of course see sweeping views of the water with all kinds of boats, take a short walk through a forest, and end up on a cliff!  How is that for a little variety?

What a magical hike we got to enjoy in perfect weather!

The Ocean Path starts above the sand beach in the background. We had walked a while, obviously, to be able to turn around and get this shot.

What does Mark see through his lens?

This cute fella taking a nap in the sun on the rocks below!

Petunia and her Nana love sharing adventures together!

Some "bunny" was here with her crew watching Thunder Hole in awe! We got some good waves that day. Thunder Hole is active because of a small cave below sea level. When the waves come in and the air pushes them out *technical talk* anyway...sometimes there is a big, loud sound like thunder. It's fun! We even got sprayed a couple times.

These are the views from the path out to the deep blue sea.

Mark turned his camera over to Petunia and climbed a few rocks.

As you can see here, most of the path is flat and easy.

Until you decide to go down to Boulder Beach, anyway.

Cairns are used as trail markers along several of the hikes in the park and so they have popped up even along the beach and other places in the park. There were several standing on Boulder Beach when we down to it, and Petunia built a small one herself.

And then you walk through the forest! What magical light!

And our final destination was the tip of those cliffs! We went right out and I sat close enough to see over so I could look for rock climbers who sometimes scale the cliff.

Here is the rewarding view from atop Otter Cliff!

With all that beauty, these are my favorite...

...views of the day!

To get a perspective of how big the island is, take a look at this map.  If you're looking at the map as a clock, then just a little "past 3:00" you will see Sand Beach and can follow it to Otter Cliff. All that scenery and adventure took place in that small percentage of the island.

We had a wonderful walk and worked up an appetite for our delicious seafood dinner in Seal Harbor, where Martha Stewart has her summer home. We ate at the Lighthouse and our butter was served in real half shells. Now that's my kind of whimsy!

Days 17 - 27: Summer Camp in Maine!

We have gone to summer camp at the lake! And the best part about this summer camp is that it is our parents' home on Cold Stream Pond in Maine, so we have enjoyed the best of lake life and activities along with lots of family time--grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, 2nd or 3rd cousins (I have never completely figured that out) and new friends!

There have been day-long playdates and sleepovers for Petunia, and she spends most of her time in or on the water--with a cousin or friend, if at all possible.

Enjoying beautiful weather, we have had the opportunity to go kayaking, swimming, boating, and tubing a few steps from our door.  When not in the water, we have been enjoying playing games and eating copious amounts of good food, often with some extended family.

Although you could spend a full summer right here at camp, we have pulled ourselves away a couple times for some fun outings, too.  One day we went to eat at a restaurant on Lake Millinocket, and enjoyed hanging around a bit to soak in the amazing views of Mt. Katahdin in the background.

We are gearing up for our next adventure for a few days but are grateful and excited that we'll get to come back to "home camp" for a few more days before we leave Maine.  This state deserves every bit of its reputation as an awesome place to be!

Mark and I were out kayaking when he got this shot of me with "camp" in the background. What a lovely place to be!

Some version of this is Petunia's most common attire.

Picnic on Waffle Island with her cousin who is a special friend. I wonder how many hours total she's logged on Waffle Island so far?

For this journey, we didn't even leave our lake, just went to another part of it. Petunia did a great job as captain.

Petunia and another cousin, who are anxiously anticipating going ashore!

The water here is so clear and beautiful, and the sand glitters with gold specks, like we're on some exotic faraway island.

Petunia showing off a piece of gold.

Closer to home, we have enjoyed watching the playful--and sometimes aggressive with each other--hummingbirds at the feeder.

When one starts humming right by you, it is surprisingly loud!

Magnificent creature!

We caught another sight of our friend, Mr. Bald Eagle

Petunia is standing between her grandparents, who came with us in the RV to take us to lunch in an enchanted setting.

We ate lunch just up from this view! Lake Millinocket with Mt. Katahdin in the background.  Breathtaking!

Petunia captured this pic of us.

"Keep Maine Beautiful" as it is indeed a beautiful state!

These days at camp have been a delightful mix of lake activity, socializing, resting and sightseeing. Lots of talking and laughing! What a blessing to do all this with family.  

Memory Monday: Whale Watching in Maine

 Whale watching in Maine is a fascinating experience!  I feel extremely blessed to say that I have gotten to partake in all sorts of neat adventures and activities in my lifetime, but whale watching is in the top few on a short list!

We rode on the Atlanticat, a state-of-the-art catamaran, according to the company who operates it.  This was a much appreciated gift of an outing, from and with Nana and Gramps Fuzz, Petunia's grandparents, who are part-time residents in Maine. (Yes, that means more posts will be about Maine in the future! It's a lovely place!)