2011 Vacation: Day Eight: Acadia National Park

We spent day eight of our vacation at Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, ME.  The views were tremendous!  We couldn’t have asked for nicer weather.  It was in the 70’s most of the day and sunny.

Tom and Sam climbing toward the top of Mount Acadia
Tom and Sam climbing toward the top of Mount Acadia

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

View of Somes Sound from atop Mount Acadia
View of Somes Sound from atop Mount Acadia

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

We had lunch in a sandwich place in Bar Harbor and then headed to the park headquarters.  Then we drove along the park loop, enjoying the views.

Sammy at Thunder Hole
Sammy at Thunder Hole

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

Climbing one of several "ladders" up to the Beehive
Climbing one of several "ladders" up to the Beehive

Tom, Sam, and I decided to climb a mountain near Thunder Hole, called “The Beehive.”  This 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.  The climb involved several ladders up sheer cliffs, shuffling along rock ledges, and scrambling over rough terrain.

Is that Arnold Scwartzenegger?
Is that Arnold Scwartzenegger?

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.  We got behind a very overweight man who looked both petrified and exhausted, so we hung back a little.  I was worried he was going to fall off one of the ladders and take Sammy with him.

View from atop The Beehive
View from atop The Beehive

This picture doesn’t really do the view justice.  It was amazing up there!  It was well worth the 40-minute climb.

The Beehive from the ground
The Beehive from the ground

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

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

One of the competitions at the Great Maine Lumberjack Show
One of the competitions at the Great Maine Lumberjack Show

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

Sammy learning to be a Lumber Jill with a cross-cut saw
Sammy learning to be a Lumber Jill with a cross-cut saw

At intermission, they show the kids how to use a cross-cut saw.  Sammy said the saw did most of the work and that it was really easy to cut the log.  We went to this show because it looked unique and fun.  It was a good choice.

Tomorrow we’ll spend a little more time in Acadia and then off to Moosehead Lake.