{"id":683,"date":"2011-08-07T11:23:50","date_gmt":"2011-08-07T11:23:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/?p=683"},"modified":"2011-08-07T11:30:35","modified_gmt":"2011-08-07T11:30:35","slug":"2011-vacation-day-eight-acadia-national-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/?p=683","title":{"rendered":"2011 Vacation: Day Eight: Acadia National Park"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We spent day eight of our vacation at Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, ME. \u00a0The views were tremendous! \u00a0We couldn’t have asked for nicer weather. \u00a0It was in the 70’s most of the day and sunny.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Tom<\/a>
Tom and Sam climbing toward the top of Mount Acadia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After I completed an eight-mile run through a portion of the national park, we set out to do some hiking. \u00a0Our first stop was Mount Acadia for a “strenuous” (according to the hiking map) hike to the top. \u00a0Sammy led the way, and occasionally forgot to watch for the blue blazes on the trail, so we wandered off the approved path twice.<\/p>\n

\"View<\/a>
View of Somes Sound from atop Mount Acadia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We made it to the top without too much trouble and enjoyed the cool breeze. \u00a0It was just after 1000, and the morning fog hadn’t burned off yet, so all our pictures have that Smokey Mountains look to them.<\/p>\n

We had lunch in a sandwich place in Bar Harbor and then headed to the park headquarters. \u00a0Then we drove along the park loop, enjoying the views.<\/p>\n

\"Sammy<\/a>
Sammy at Thunder Hole<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We stopped at a site, called Thunder Hole. \u00a0A couple of hours before high tide, the tide rushes into the gap between the rocks and makes a crashing sound like thunder. \u00a0We arrived about a half hour late to hear Thunder Hole, but the views over the pink granite cliffs were outstanding. \u00a0We took some time here to take a batch of pictures.<\/p>\n

\"Climbing<\/a>
Climbing one of several "ladders" up to the Beehive<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tom, Sam, and I decided to climb a mountain near Thunder Hole, called “The Beehive.” \u00a0This is another strenuous climb, so Candy decided to hang out near the Sand Beach (the only sandy beach on the island) and ogle, while we climbed. \u00a0The climb involved several ladders up sheer cliffs, shuffling along rock ledges, and scrambling over rough terrain.<\/p>\n

\"Is<\/a>
Is that Arnold Scwartzenegger?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Again, fearless Sammy left the trail and had us climbing over terrain we had no business climbing until we backtracked and got back on the trail. \u00a0We got behind a very overweight man who looked both petrified and exhausted, so we hung back a little. \u00a0I was worried he was going to fall off one of the ladders and take Sammy with him.<\/p>\n

\"View<\/a>
View from atop The Beehive<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This picture doesn’t really do the view justice. \u00a0It was amazing up there! \u00a0It was well worth the 40-minute climb.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The Beehive from the ground<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As we were climbing up, we were concentrating on the climb and the views. \u00a0We didn’t realize until we got back down how steep or tall The Beehive was. \u00a0If you look very closely, you can see one small white speck just over pine tree. \u00a0That is someone’s shirt. \u00a0That gives you some perspective on the climb.<\/p>\n

We drove back into Bar Harbor to find a restaurant that had been advertised on the tourist TV station. \u00a0They claimed that “we do garlic right.” \u00a0Well that appealed to me. \u00a0When we found the place it turns out that they may do garlic right, but they charge you an arm and a leg for it. \u00a0We went to the pizza joint next door for calzones. \u00a0Both Tommy and I had fresh garlic in our calzones. \u00a0They were not skimpy with the garlic, and Tommy and I were safe from vampires well into the next day of the vacation.<\/p>\n

\"One<\/a>
One of the competitions at the Great Maine Lumberjack Show<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After dinner we drove into Trenton, MA, just over the bridge from Mount Desert Island, for the Great Maine Lumberjack Show. \u00a0The owner and host of the show, Timber Tina, apparently was on one of the earlier incarnations of Survivor. \u00a0The show was really a lot of fun. \u00a0The humor was family friendly. \u00a0She took the time to explain the various lumberjack skills and competitions before they began, so it was also a bit of an educational experience.<\/p>\n

\"Sammy<\/a>
Sammy learning to be a Lumber Jill with a cross-cut saw<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At intermission, they show the kids how to use a cross-cut saw. \u00a0Sammy said the saw did most of the work and that it was really easy to cut the log. \u00a0We went to this show because it looked unique and fun. \u00a0It was a good choice.<\/p>\n

Tomorrow we’ll spend a little more time in Acadia and then off to Moosehead Lake.<\/p>\n