Mount Desert Island

We arrived on Mount Desert Island on Thursday morning around 11:00 AM.  This island is home to Acadia National Park.  This unique and beautiful park was first established in 1916 by then President Woodrow Wilson.  It was originally named Sieur de Monts National Monument.  The name was changed to Acadia National Park in 1929.  It was Charles Buckman Dorr, an American preservationist, that is considered the father of Acadia National Park.  He spent most of his adult life overseeing the park's formation and expansion.  It was his vision that ensured the land would be protected and preserved for future generations.  John D. Rockefeller Jr. donated money and oversaw the construction of miles of carriage roads throughout the park between 1915-1933.  Today it is slightly over 49,000 acres with miles of hiking trails and carriage roads in addition to the main paved Park Loop Road.  The average summer temperature is 67 degrees F and the average winter temp. is 27 degrees F.  Over 3.5 million people visited the park last year.

Our first two days was on the western side of the island in Southwest Harbor.  This is called the "quiet side" of Acadia.  It is more out of the main portion of the park with fewer tourists.  There are still some beautiful spots on this side of the island however.  Keith and I took the shuttle bus to Ship's Harbor Trail one morning and had a lovely walk along the water and through the evergreen forest that leads up to the ocean.

Walking along the Ocean

Tide pool on our walk

This one had some green seaweed like stuff in it

Another tidal pool

Lighthouses seem to be everywhere in Maine

We also had quite the good fortune to be next to a lobsterman on the dock.  Keith bought 6 lobsters from him right off the boat.  Between those and the several we had purchased at Swan Island ( 2 that were 3 pounders), we have had some really nice lobster dinners.

Our lobster connection

Saturday July 26th we left our first marina in Southwest Harbor and cruised the 6 miles up into Somes Sound.  Somes Sound is a fjard.  This is a deep body of water extending into the land mass with high cliffs along the sides.  Once designated the only fjord in the eastern United States it was changed to a fjard (with an "a") since it does not have cliffs as high or water as deep as the classic fjords of  Norway and Alaska.  It is impressive, however, and does reach 175 feet in depth.  It was chiseled out by glaciers thousands of years ago.

We grabbed a mooring in the harbor at the end of the sound for our stay.  There were several seals lounging on a float in the harbor near where we moored with Southern Style.

This was the smiley seal face

And this was the waving seal (notice the one in the back who appears to be waving)

oh the cuteness!!

We had a nice time in Somes Sound.  The excitement on Saturday evening was just before we left for dinner.  Keith and I were sitting on the back of the boat and we saw a sailboat in the mooring field that appeared to have lost its engine and was drifting with the wind (no sails up) with no control through the mooring field.  There were 3 people on board and they kept running to the sides to push themselves off other boats.  A couple in a dinghy came along-side the sail boat and tried to pull them to a mooring ball.  There was also another sail boat that kept following the distressed boat ( I think in case they started getting too close to running aground on shore.  It took several tries and the dinghy getting its propeller wrapped in the tow line before they finally got them tied to a mooring.  It was quite the show.

Sunday morning we left the sound and cruised to Bar Harbor for a spot at the docks right in downtown.  

This is a view of Cadillac Mount as we are coming around Mount Desert Island

The lighthouse off in the distance had fog hanging over it even through the western portion of the coast was very clear.

This is called "The Spindle".  It is a large rock that is not visible above the water when the tide is higher.  As we passed, the tide was just covering it but the water was hitting it and splashing up.

The Porcupine Islands just off Bar Harbor

As we approached Bar Harbor, there was a private yacht anchored near a cruise ship.  The yacht looked to be about as big as the cruise ship.

We explored downtown Bar Harbor on Sunday afternoon.  There are many shops and restaurants in town.   I found fabric!!  So excited!!  I found some with lobsters, anchors, boats, and some with seagulls.  Fun, fun, fun.  

We have a rental car for two days (Monday and Tuesday July 29th and 30th) so we can do more exploring throughout the Acadia National Park.  Monday morning was very foggy.

This was the view from our dock Monday morning

Once the fog cleared we were off to explore the national park.  My dear husband is a saint.  He carried my tripod and camera gear, and followed me all over the park.  We made a trip to Schoodic Peninsula.  This is the only part of the national park that is on the main land.

Schoodic Peninsula

After spending an hour or so on the peninsula, we drove back onto Mount Desert Island and continued to the top of Cadillac Mountain for a great view down into Bar Harbor.

Bar Harbor and cruise ship anchored there.

We continued along the eastern shore side of the island for some dramatic views

Lots of crashing waves

Classic pebble beach like so many in eastern Maine

There is one sand beach in Acadia

Walking just off the Park Loop Road

"Thunder Hole"

This is a rock formation where the water rushes in the makes a thundering sound.

It was a great day in the park and we ended it with a very nice dinner at The Reading Room of the Bar Harbor Inn.

The view from our table at dinner

Tomorrow is another day to explore.  We plan to bike through Acadia tomorrow.