TRAVELOGUE
Thursday May 14, 2009
Bar Harbor, Maine
Hello again everyone ~
We sailed into Bar Harbor, Maine around 8:00 a.m. It was a hazy day in Bar Harbor, no fog or clouds, just hazy. As we glided along the channel into Bar Harbor we noticed “our” Ghost Ship – The Margaret Todd – the four masted sailing ship that I took a picture of through the fog at sunset two years ago. She was anchored out in the harbor and because it is so early in the season, that is exactly where she stayed.
After breakfast, we took the tender ashore and hopped on our tour bus. Today we were touring Acadia National Park, Cadillac Mountain, Thunder Hole, a mansion at the College of the Atlantic and the Oceanarium (to learn all about lobsters).
As the tour bus departed downtown, our tour guide, Liz, was very informative about local history and information about the National Park. The bus curved around the island passing the beautiful Maine coastline and the bay below as we approached our first stop, Thunder Hole. This is something similar to a blow hole where the ocean water gushes in then “thunders” out with a terrific smashing sound and crashing water back out against the water pushing inside. Because the tide was so low, the effect was easy to see.
Along the way up through the National Park and up to the top of Cadillac Mountain (the highest point on the Atlantic coast), we passed scrub brush and bushes down low, but as we climbed the curves up to the top of the mountain, we passed flowering pear trees and cedar trees. The wind was blowing quite strongly at the top of the mountain, which made the temperature a bit “brisk” to say the least.
From the top of Cadillac Mountain we could the Maasdam down in the harbor below and the numerous islands that are off the coast of Maine. The view is spectacular any way you look. Whether you are looking out towards the Atlantic Ocean and seeing the actual coastline, or looking inland and viewing the spectacular spring colors and the hills dotted with too many fresh water lakes and rivers that we couldn’t keep track of all of them. We bought some local fresh blueberry jam and a popover mix that is supposed to be from a nearby famous place called Jordon Pond (supposedly the best popovers you will ever have).
After leaving Cadillac Mountain, the bus wound down the mountain to the College of the Atlantic where we saw a home built of two foot thick granite walls that was one of the only homes to withstand the famous fire in Bar Harbor of 1947. Although it was circa 1895 and quite impressive from the outside, the inside is now used as part of the college offices, and nothing to get excited about inside. BUT, the grounds around this “home” were spectacular with the expansive lawns lined with massive European Birch trees that didn’t look like Birch trees, but instead large oak trees with beautiful rust colored leaves. Also on the property were huge bushes called forsythia – a flowering yellow bush that was just a mass of yellow. Those, alongside the gorgeous magenta and shocking pink azaleas were a sight to see. One thing to note in this part of the country – they LOVE their dandelions in the grass – so all of the lawns are dotted with yellow flowering dandelions right now. It is actually quite pretty. That adds another whole dimension to all of the fabulous colors we have been treated to on this trip.
Our last stop was the Oceanairium, where we were supposed to learn all about lobsters fishing. Unfortunately, we only had about 20 minutes of our tour time left before we had to rush back to the pier to catch what was literally the last tender of the day. The waves in the harbor were pounding the tender as we crossed the bay to the ship and the seas were quite rough as we departed. There were many people that did not make it to dinner last night – but we did!
The Maasdam sailed out of Bar Harbor at 2:30 p .m. on her way to Halifax. As we left Bar Harbor, the weather changed dramatically and it began to rain. The temperature has dropped down to the mid 50’s with hardly any humidity as opposed to the balmy 90 degree weather we had in Fort Lauderdale and Charleston when we started the trip a week ago. The jackets and sweatshirts have come out and the shorts and flip flops have been packed away!
The jigsaw puzzle group finished the second puzzle in the evening last night. We have been going down every afternoon and evening adding our few pieces and getting to know the people participating in that. It’s a very nice group. We haven’t found any card players to teach Euchre to so far, but you never know what tomorrow will bring.
We shall be in touch tomorrow from Halifax, Nova Scotia.
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