Before starting off on our Acadia adventure, it was Sunday so we wanted to take care of the first priority for the day.  Finding a church in the areas we have been staying has been a challenge but here in Bar Harbor we knew there was a Church of Christ just 4 miles from the RV Park.  In fact, we saw it as we drove in.  Not a big building, but still a decent size building  but that doesn’t really matter, it’s the people who are the church.  There was a 10 am Bible Study and 11 am worship and we planned to attend.  What we found when we arrived was the Evangelist had pass away suddenly two weeks ago and someone from Bangor was coming over to help out but most people did not realize it.  Bible Study consisted of us, one other person and the Teacher.  Things picked up for Worship but ended up with only 9 including the Evangelist.  Of the 9, there were 4 visitors.  We would have to say this was the smallest congregation we have ever visited.

Afterward, we went home, had lunch and headed to Acadia National Park to explore our options for the week.  At the Visitor’s Center you have to climb four flights of stairs consisting of 52 steps to get from the parking lot to the building. Not a good sign if this is an indication of the physical ability you must have to enjoy the park.  Inside we showed our Senior Pass and got a ticket for the whole week.  For anyone who is 65 or over, you can get a lifetime pass to all National Parks for a one-time fee of $10.00 sold at any park.  We got our three years ago at Canaveral National Seashore and have used it many times since.

We decided to drive the Park Loop Road today, making all the tourist stops along the way  with the crowds.  There were some spectacular sights and we pulled off for each of the planned Kodak Photo Spots, but as we came around one turn, we were surprised by a row of trees all decked out in their fall best.  Worthy of a picture for sure!

1st trees turning color in Acadia Nat’l Park

On to Thunder Hole where the surf coming in echos like thunder and forces the water through a hole worn away over years causing a spout.  It’s more dramatic as the tide comes in so maybe we will be back later in the week.

Thunder Hole – Acadia Nat’l Park

We skipped Jordan’s Pond mostly because there were too many cars and not enough parking spots.  We are coming back tomorrow with our bikes and there is a trail that goes right by here.  Then on to Cadillac Mountain.  What an awesome view!

View of Bar Harbor from Cadillac Mountain

They have actually put in concrete walks all around the top of the mountain to keep people from walking on the entire top surface and wearing it away.  We walked all around it, stopping occasionally to sit on the rocks and just take in the vistas.  There is no camera or photographer that can truly capture what the eye sees from this mountain top.  You just need to plan to come here some day.

One last stop before we headed back was to the Northeast Harbor.

Northeast Harbor

This is a part of the island that isn’t on the tourist circuit.  It is, in fact, not even part of the park.  It is more like the harbor towns we saw in Canada and Lubec.  The town streets were lined with small shops owned by individuals and not many people.  But unlike the towns up north, this was not a working community.  Instead of commercial fishing boats we saw lots of privately owned recreational boats and yachts.  The town had several large condo buildings looking out into the harbor and we even passed a golf course on our way out of the town.  A beautiful community for those who like the lifestyle.

We headed home looking forward to tomorrow’s more leisurely exploration of the carriage trails by bicycle.

We left Lubec for Bar Harbor yesterday.  It was overcast and windy as you can see.

Leaving Campsite in Lubec, ME

It was a short trip of only 2 hours and totally uneventful.  We noticed that almost every non-evergreen tree now has a touch of color.  It may only be one leaf, but they are turning.

Our new RV park is not actually in Bar Harbor but about 10 miles away and we have a huge campsite with lots of room.  It was a fairly nice day yesterday, considering it was supposed to rain, and we just hung around here.  Since it was our day off, we decided to skip cooking and went into Bar Harbor to eat dinner.  Below is a picture Jim took of the boats docked in the harbor.

Boats in Harbor at Bar Harbor, ME

Downtown Bar Harbor

Unlike the last stop, this area is teaming with tourists and more commercialized.

We had a plan for today and it didn’t really turn out as conceived.  We were going to take some pictures that showed the tide changes and hang around for lunch in Lebec.  After lunch we were just going to read and relax back at the RV.  The first difference was the weather.

Fog in the Harbor at Lubec, ME

It was not sunny at all.  In fact the fog rolled in early this morning and never left.  The weather was dismal, but the other aspects of the day turned out better.

We went back over to Campobello Island to take some pictures of the tide change at the Mulholland Lighthouse.  While we were there we saw seals bobbing in the water.  There had to be 20 or 25.  We also saw two bald eagles; one mother and a juvenile.  Wherever the mother went, the juvenile would follow and there was constant chatter between them.  From there we went into Lubec looking for a hardware store and some little things we needed to help make our RV more workable.  I was struck by how helpful the person was, knowing full well we were not looking for anything expensive.  This friendly helpful attitude was exhibited in Frank’s where we had lunch and even in a shop where we looked for miniature lighthouse replicas.

Franks restaurant and downtown Lubec, ME

From these friendly people we found out that most people in Lubec do not own cell phones.  The FAA has a landing strip here which means they cannot have a cell tower, and therefore, most calls go through as International Roaming on Canadian towers.  In the shop where we asked about the lighthouses, she was going to call across to Campobello gift shops to see if they had them.  Talk about going an extra mile to help someone.

We decided to go back over to Campobello, to the visitor center and find the gift shops on the island.  Now this is the fourth time in four days we are in Canada and the border guard is starting to look at us funny.  At the visitor center they told us about the tide being out around 3:45 Atlantic Time.  If you remember, the last time we went to the East Quoddy lighthouse it was high tide and we couldn’t walk across.  Well since we were so close and it was only a little over an hour before 3:45 Atlantic Time, we decided to take a chance and see what it was like.

What an adventure!  Two ladies who live on the island volunteer and take people across to the lighthouse and then give them a tour of the lighthouse.  This is not a trip for the faint of heart or weak of knees.

Path at bottom of stairs leading to the lighthouse

MG walking across the bottom of bay at low tide going toward stairs to Lighthouse

There is a steep stair case that takes you down to the bay floor.  The volunteers have managed to scrap out a narrow path through the rocks and seaweed.  Jim kept cautioning me not to slip and to be careful (like the last two broken limbs were due to carelessness).  Once we walked through the main portion of the bay floor we went up an equally steep flight of steps to get onto the next rock platform.  Then across a wooden walkway and more rocks slick with seaweed and water.  Then up another metal stairway to the actual base of the lighthouse.  I would say we had to have walked a minimum of a quarter-mile or even half a mile.

The lighthouse was last occupied by a full-time keeper in 1982 and had fallen into major disrepair because of some juvenile vandalism.  The residents and volunteers have brought it back to a charming residence and property with lots of  private donations, some grants, and just plain hard work.  The lady providing the tour is actually the great-granddaughter of one of the keepers.  Her great-grandmother had two children while living at the lighthouse.  The entire time, she was telling us story after story of the what was involved in the refurbishing of the lighthouse and historical information.  It was delightful and fascinating when you think we were walking on the bay floor and that within three hours it would all be underwater again.

Picture taken at high tide, take notice you cannot see walkway

We finished off the day with a trip to the chocolate shop, and a wonderful dinner.

THERE ARE THREE POSTS FOR SEPT 13TH.  MAKE SURE YOU VIEW THEM ALL.

When we originally planned our itinerary, we wanted to stay in this area long enough spend a day in Nova Scotia. We wanted to see the Bay of Fundy and the dramatic tide change.  We had heard it could be as much as 50 feet at full moon.  What we didn’t realize is that Lubec, where we are staying, is also on the Bay of Fundy and we have been witnessing huge tide changes right here without the long drive and ferry ride.  The nice thing about travelling this way is you can change your mind without much trouble.

We have become, however, quite the international travellers!  Not only is our cell phone coverage popping in and out of Canada but so are we.  Yesterday we went to Campobello Island and today we made our way north on the coastal road to see other towns and made our way into Canada again.  I love these small coastal fishing villages with maybe three blocks of shops and restaurants.  We went to Eastport, Calais and then decided to go into St Andrews, New Brunswick which was my favorite.  The person at the Visitor Center told us that St Andrews reminds her of Bar Harbor before it got commercialized.

There was a long pier with a floating dock filled with small boats.  We finally realized these small boats were how the fisherman got back and forth to their boats anchored in the bay.  This was the Passamaquoddy Bay named after the local tribe of indians originally settled in this area.  It was warmer here than in Eastport or Lubec and we walked along the village stopping in several stores to see if there was anything we absolutely needed to have.  It was now 4pm Atlantic time and we had been up a long time.  I was ready for coffee.  We found a small coffee shop with specialty coffees and baked goods and a second floor back porch looking over the water.  We took our lattes, blueberry scone and chocolate mint muffin to our raise perch and watched the water.  What a great way to get re-energized!

It was time to start back which was probably going to take over an hour.  We did a little more exploring and found the Algonquin Resort which looked like it was once a fabulous place, and yet another lighthouse.

Pendelbury Lighthouse in St. Andrews, New Brunswick

On the road back we also saw our first really good proof that Fall is coming to the area.

The alarm clock rang and shook me back to reality.  I glanced with one eye at the clock and it was only 5:30 am, but the Energizer Bunny (Jim) next to me jumped up and took control of stopping the loud noise.  Unlike me, he didn’t lay back down with his eyes closed.  As usual, he clicked into high gear and began moving about with such intent,  it was hard to ignore him.  This was the morning we were going to watch the sunrise from the West Quoddy Lighthouse, the easternmost point in the USA.  Last night it sounded like a much better idea than it did this morning.

We dressed warmly, got some coffee and headed about 4 miles down the road.  When we got to the park, it was obvious there were other crazy people in the world because we were not alone.  Obviously this is what one does when you vacation in this area.  There was a rim of clouds at the horizon and Jim thought it probably was not going to be a good sunrise.  All I could imagine was we were going to do this again tomorrow morning as well. UGH!  Just then a thin sliver of orange appeared at the horizon.  Click, click, click.  The cameras all around me began capturing this moment for posterity.  Jim said, “God is always on time”.  The orange sliver turned into a semi-circle.  From the north, you could see a fishing boat heading south to point where it would cross our line of vision in front of the sun and make a beautiful picture.  Click, Click, Click.  More pictures and silence.  I’m not positive, but I think these sunrise worshippers feel a certain reverence when this happens.  For me, it’s  just that I don’t talk this early in the morning.  The orange ball was now complete with a small cloud just creasing the edge and the boat heading into the camera shot.  Click.  Jim was now alone.  All the others had begun walking back to their cars content with the moment captured in their cameras.  I looked at Jim and realized he was not finished.  He must have read my mind because he expained he wanted to wait for the sun to rise to the point where it cast an orange glow on the water.  Of course.  Why didn’t I think of that!

I was cold and tired and slowly walked back up the hill to the place we left our truck, leaving the photographer to his profession.  Eventually he joined me and when we got back to the RV, Jim showed me the pictures he took.  I was blown away.  Check the Sunrise Gallery.  What do you think?

We spent the majority of the day on Campobello Island and it was so worth the trip up here.  The lower portion of the island is the Roosevelt Campobello International Park.  The island is actually in New Brunswick, Canada but it was such an integral part of the Roosevelt family and history of our president, the two countries agreed to create a co-ownership situation in 1964 and the park is still managed by a commission equally represented by Canadians and Americans.  Many of the residents on the island actually hold dual citizenships.

Where do I start?  We were told we needed to arrive no later than 9 am because in the Spring of 2011 they started something called “Tea with Eleanor” and they only seat 20 people in the morning and 20 people in the afternoon.  You have to have a ticket to attend and they give them out promptly at 9 am.  By the way, they are on Atlantic time which is one hour later than daylight savings time.  We were lined up with all the other visitors, some of which had tried to attend yesterday and arrived too late to get a ticket.  We were first in line and got our 3pm tea ticket.  Admission to the park and tea and many tours are free.

Anyway, the park is actually 2,800 acres and includes a 34 room “cottage” given to Franklin and Eleanor by his mother as a summer home.  They call it a cottage because it has no foundation or insulation and is actually just built on stilts.  FDR’s parents had built a summer home on the island when their son was a child and he dearly loved the people and the place.  This island is actually where he was stricken with Polio all those years ago.  There is so much to see in the Park, this posting would go on forever.  I think Jim’s pictures will tell the story better than I could.

There are two lighthouses on the island and we went to see both.  The East Quoddy Lighthouse actually sits on a perch atop a huge rock formation.  At low tide you walk down a set of stairs to  the ocean floor and walk over to another staircase to walk up to the lighthouse.  During any other tides you just get to look from afar.  Unfortunately, it was not low tide.  But we did get to see a beautifully majestic bald eagle sitting watch over the area.  The atmosphere was so peaceful and quiet we found ourselves whispering.  Only the sounds of the water and birds occasionally broke the silence.

On the way back from the lighthouse, we stopped at a restaurant for lunch and experienced the best seafood chowder and homemade raspberry pie I have ever eaten.

We drove to various points in the park and then got back to the Hubbard Cottage in time for our tea reservation.  There we were with the other 18 visitors not really knowing what to expect.  There were tables set up with china tea cups, cloth tea napkins and fresh-baked cookies for us to enjoy while we listened to the story of the life of Eleanor Roosevelt including her trials and accomplishments.  This was the idea of the two ladies who shared the presentation and grew from a once a day occurrence to now twice a day.  It was delightful and made me want to reread some of the biographies I have read about this first lady.

Jim took lots of great pictures that I believe he will put into a gallery for today.  Make sure you check them out.  All I can say is, if you are ever in Maine do not miss the Campobello experience.  It would be like going to Plant City and not eating strawberries!

Oh my gosh!  We have landed in a little piece of paradise and I have fallen in love.  We are staying at the Sunset Point RV Park in Lubec, Maine which is the eastern most city in the United States.  This little park sits on the coast of the Bay of Fundy and jets out so you can see sunrises and sunsets.   I can’t wait to put some pictures of this place in the blog.

Sunset from rear of camper Lubec, ME

Sunrise at Lubec, ME Continue reading →

We drove for 6 hours on US 2, a two lane road, to get to Bangor and a really nice RV Park called Pumpkin Patch.  The first thing I noticed was we were next to a Prevost that looked like a train.  It has to be 45 feet long and I noticed this morning they trailer a car behind them as well.  I can’t imagine!

Pumpkin Patch Campground, Bangor, ME

Anyway, we got here at around 3 pm yesterday, got hooked up and went into Bangor.  We were told about a very good restaurant on the Penobsco River and went for a late lunch/early dinner to celebrate our arrival in Maine.  I had very good lobster bisque and Jim had a crab and havarti sandwich while we watched the scenery on the river.  Bangor looks like many larger cities and does not have the charm we saw in Montpelier.

Sea Dog Restaurant on Penobsco River

The 46 degree night-time lows have caused the trees to begin their leaf changes and every so often we see a beautiful yellow, reddish-orange tree in the midst of lots of green.  If it continues, this should be a beautiful fall season filled unforgettable vista and sights.  We only have 3 hours to drive today to get to Lubec, Maine which is the eastern most city in the U.S. and we are anticipating some spectacular sun rises.  Because we are so much farther east than in Ocala, sunrise here this morning was just after 6 am.  Lubec may be even earlier.  We’ll see.

We have seen this plant all through this area (VT to ME) can anyone identify it for us?  We have been too lazy to ask the locals.