Back to the States!

WEEK SIXTEEN (continues) Next stop is Burlington where we check off Vermont on our Golf in All 50 States list. It's a gorgeous day, perfect for a round of golf. The course is very nice. I haven't played golf since January so don't know what to expect, but surprisingly, I played well for me, shooting 100—maybe I should start playing this game more often!

Kwiniaska Golf Course outside of Burlington.

Since Elizabeth Polis Stroot went to school in Burlington, I emailed her for suggestions which she quickly provided—Sweetwaters American Bistro, check; the pedestrian restaurant and shop-lined Church Street, check; and a stroll on the waterfront walkway along Lake Champlain, check. We even found a dog park for Zoey! Burlington is a great little town. We had fun.

Church Street.

We decide to drive up to Stowe since we were in the neighborhood. Primarily known for its ski slopes, Stowe seems to be a four season destination. It was quite busy. It is just one more cute Vermont town. (There seem to be, according to Deborah, three kinds of New England towns: oh so cute, really cute and isn't this the cutest town you have ever seen? And I can't tell the difference...)

Inn in downtown Stowe.

Our next destination is Bar Harbor and the Acadia National Park. Our motel is actually a few miles outside of Bar Harbor in Trenton, ME. It's called the Acadia Sunrise Motel and is only about 30 minutes from the park. We arrive in Trenton around 10am. 

Acadia Sunrise Motel.

Our room isn't ready but the proprietor kindly lets us drop our bags and we head into Bar Harbor for lunch and the afternoon. It's gorgeous and everything I expected—quaint downtown, lots of flowers in beds and baskets, good restaurants, cute New Englandish houses—and something I didn't expect—the Shore Path which follows the coastline for about a mile and a half on the east side of Bar Harbor. It's lovely—the ocean on one side and beautiful mansions and almost-mansions on the other. 

Huge mansion along the Shore Path.

Photos below all views from the Shore Path. (This is the best photo of me
 Deborah has taken in years. I look so young and skinny.)

(My action shot of our action photographer.)

Jim found a great spot for lunch—the Fish House Grill right on the water next to the Bar Harbor Whale Watching Company. The lobster rolls were fantastic—hot-dog style buns piled high with big chunks of delicious lobster! This would become the first of four consecutive meals of Maine lobster! How much better does it get???

Deck of the Fish House Grill.

Cute downtown Bar Harbor.

After browsing the local shops (Where I actually bought a long sleeve tee on account of it was going to be in the high 40s that night) for a couple of hours, we returned to our motel where we found a secluded sitting area at the back of the property for the cocktail hour. It was a very nice spot with only one issue—it was adjacent to the Bar Harbor Airport where small planes and jets were frequently taking off. This aside, it really was a nice spot and the weather was perfect. 

I really was happy and yes, it was a cocktail in a coffee cup.

Dinner was at the Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound recommended by motel staff. He quickly explained that we should have our lobsters in Trenton not Bar Harbor because the Trenton Lobster Pounds "know how to prepare them properly" which is boiled outside over charcoal in salt water not inside over gas in fresh water. We took his advice and the lobsters were amazing and cheap—$20 each!

The Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound...yum, yum.

Six huge vats for cooking this evenings
lobster dinners—over charcoal as advised.

Zoey wanted a lobster but just
got a bib!

Jim got a bib AND a lobster!

My first whole Maine lobster! (Don't let her kid you. This was
her first lobster on THIS trip. Deborah can pretty much always
pass as refined, but put a lobster in front of her and it's liking
watching a zombie feeding on a whole classroom of brains.)

The next adventure is exploring Acadia National Park. Although it is one of the few national parks which allows dogs, we opt to board Zoey for the day. We can't drop her off until 8:30am so we don't make it to the park to witness the first glimpse of sunlight on the continental United States (it's actually only the first place for half the year, from October to March; the rest of the year, the honor goes to Mars Hill which is less than one mile from the border with New Brunswick, Canada). It is a spectacular park. It is the first park east of the Mississippi designated as a national park; it has the highest peak on the Eastern Seaboard, Cadillac Mountain; and it has 2.5 million visitors a year. The visitation is understandable. It has 145 miles of hiking trails; 57 miles of carriage roads; numerous lakes; a 20-mile Park Loop Road that crosses the ridges, descends to the coastline, travels along coves and goes to the top of Cadillac Mountain.

Our Bar Harbor expert, Kathryn Scurci who went to school at the College of the Atlantic, recommended that we go to Jordan Pond House for popovers; hike the Bubbles; go to the top of Cadillac Mountain; and drive the loop.

We arrived at the park and found the Park Loop. Our first stop was Sand Beach.

Sand beach—it was quite foggy at the beginning of our day
at Acadia.

Not only was it foggy, but a little chilly—these beach
beauties were all covered up.

We had an early lunch including delicious popovers with house-made strawberry jam at Jordan Pond House next to Jordan Pond, a glacier tarn with depths up to 150'. 

Gorgeous view from the lawn seating at the
Jordan Pond House.

You can see the Bubbles in the background. (Ken Jones, notice 
how I don't mention what they should have named those two 
Dolly Parton mountains?)

After lunch, we hiked the 3.6 mile trail around the pond then drove more of the loop to the top of Cadillac Mountain. The views did not disappoint. We saw the Bubbles but after walking around Jordan Pond, we were out of juice—it's good to have a reason to come back! (You can choose to go up either the east or west coast of the lake. We chose east. Bad decision. Once you get to the farthest point away, the path turns from easy dirt/and walkway to boulders you have to climb over. Those go on for about 1/2 mile at which point you start walking on boardwalk which is rough hewn logs, two logs wide, so when you meet someone coming the other way you either have to jump down or get VERY close. There were some very cute young ladies on the path, but I jumped down for everyone else. This portion of the trail runs for over a mile...)

Picture above and those below are from the top of Cadillac Mountain. 

                                                               (My new tee shirt!)

This man was gracefully seeking clarity through
Tai Chi at the top of Cadillac Mountain.

 Acadia is a fabulous park. The only wildlife that we saw were seabirds but moose, bear and, of course, whales are all found in or around this great park. Offshore, there are puffin nesting grounds but you have to take a boat to the right place at the right time of the year to see them...another reason to return.