the journey
It's 2016. We decided to opt out of flying and instead decided to take an eighteen hour road trip to the most northeastern state in the USA... Maine... the land of blueberries, moose, lobsters, honeybees, rocky coastline and lighthouses. The journey was long but it was definitely worth it... the sight seeing from town-to-town was spectacular. The local eateries and pit stops held our attention as we sampled different styles of food and toured the small towns ladened with cobblestone streets. After two full days of traveling, we finally ventured onto Mount Desert Island (the largest island off the coast of ME) and into Bar Harbor, ME.
jordan pond
To beat the rush of the tourists during the summer months, we rose with the sun each morning to venture out. One of our first stops was Jordan Pond, located on the western side of Park Loop road. We stood in awe as the fog rose above the mountain tops to reveal 187 acres of clear, pure, and vibrant water that appeared as glass. The beauty, serenity and silence of this magical place is maintained as kayaks and canoes are the only permitted non-motorized boats here.
Latitude 44.322836; Longitude -68.253771
flora
The highest point along the North Atlantic seaboard is found at the summit of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park (elevation 1530 feet), named after French explorer Antoine Laumet de La Moth, sieur de Cadillac.
With its rich history and beautiful landscapes, we decided to hike the Cadillac Mountain S Ridge Trail from the base of the mountain to the top (a 7.1 mile roundtrip). The mountain flora gave way to rocky crevices and cliff overhangs. The variety of vegetation was spectacular; I aimed to capture the beauty of mushrooms we came across on the trail.
bar harbor
Bar Harbor, ME- a town named for the sandbar that is displayed in the Frenchman Bay at low tide. One can venture across this bar to the adjacent island however, must make quick work of it in order to get back to Mount Desert Island before the tide comes back in. Many cars have been swept away as novel adventurers drive across the bar to go for a hike that should've been cut short to avoid the damnation of high tide.
salisbury cove
When finalizing our trip plans, we wanted to be in close proximity to Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor, ME but we didn't want to spend all of our change on tourist based BNBs that were within the bustle of downtown, especially since we planned on venturing outdoors for the majority of the trip. That being said, we stumbled across Kelly's Private Guest House located in Salisbury Cove- just minutes from downtown Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. My-oh-my was this lofted guest house just perfect! With a fully equipped kitchen, we could whip up some homemade meals and then hit the trails. Susan, our host, was absolutely wonderful; she and her husband were great sources of information for best star gazing spots, best moose lookout spots and they had phenomenal suggestions on eateries and sunrise locations as well! We couldn't have asked for better hosts and their guesthouse was just lovely. If your planning a trip to Bar Harbor and ANP, you definitely have to check out Kelley's Private Guest House in Salisbury Cove- you can find them on homeway.com.
