The Only National Park in the NorthEast

We have had enjoyable experiences at National Parks in the west such as Grand Canyon, Great Basin, Glacier, Rocky Mountain and Sequoia so we are hoping that the only National Park in the northeast, Acadia, will be a good experience as well. We scheduled some time on the “quiet side” of the park, the Schoodic Peninsula and also some time in the main area, Mount Desert Island.  Schoodic was very nice, we had a couple great weather days, cool and sunny.  Campground was new, had big sites, hookups, great bathrooms but no showers.  It was very quiet.  We were able to hike across the peninsula and catch the bus back to camp.  Saw the wild blueberries above on our hike. You can catch the bus to a small village called Winter Harbor where you can get ice cream.  Not much else in town except a ferry to Bar Harbor, a five and dime, a library which is only open one day a week and a lobster co-op.  Funny, when I hear the word “co-op” in a town I think surely it is a place that sells fruits and vegetables, not in Maine, here everything is about lobster, lobster, lobster.

Tim decided to get the bikes out and we had a great ride around the park.  Roads are smooth and there is a big section where it is two lanes going one way, so the cars have plenty of room to go around.  Everything was going great until we got back to the campground and were just looping around the roads when Tim’s chain fell off the chain ring, going uphill, he couldn’t get the chain to catch and couldn’t unclip and ended up going down.  Well his wrist was hurting and swollen, the same one he broke a few years ago.  We decide we should go to the “big city” and get an x-ray just in case it is broken again.  This leaves me to get the bikes apart and back into the van.  Wow, what an ordeal.  At least Tim was coherent and able to give me instructions but it was very difficult.  Front wheels and seats come off. Wheels go into their special bags after the spindle is taken out.  Bikes have to be put in a certain way to get close together and take up the least amount of space, which means the pedals have to be in a certain place, the handlebars keep getting hooked on each other.  And the front forks have to clamp into their preset holders. Wow, to me this setup really does not seem workable at all, but that’s another discussion. We make it to the urgent care place before closing, they take the x-ray and the PA says she does not see a break but it will be examined by the radiologist to be sure.  They put a wrist brace on and send him on his way.  So now, no more biking for a while.  Also we are finding most of the hiking here in the east requires using your hands to climb over rocks, so that would be difficult with a bum wrist as well.

On to Mount Desert Island.  Campground is not as nice, sites are close, no hookups, no cell phone/internet service, bathrooms are not bad but have no showers.   We did go to the last evening program of the season in the campground which was about bats.  Apparently bat numbers at Acadia have been dwindling and they are not sure why.  The last few years they have been studying and tagging bats here.

There is a free bus that goes into the town of Bar Harbor which is a busy tourist town with restaurants, shops, boat trips, bus trips.  At least there is cell phone service there.  With rainy days here we find ourselves getting on the bus to go into town just so we can use the internet on our phones, pathetic. And who can resist the cupcake store when you are depressed?  Oh and did I mention everything is wet?  It has been rainy and humid, no hookups means we cannot run the dehumidifier in the van, it would take too much power.  There is no sun for the solar panels to recharge the batteries.  Sheets, clothes and bodies, damp.  The floor in the bathroom at the campground has been wet for days, I am not sure why, it is indoors, why is it wet all the time?  A new element here by the ocean, fog!  There was a cruise ship in Bar Harbor blowing its fog horn, that was interesting.

The last day we had nice weather.  The highlight at Acadia was definitely hiking Cadillac Mountain which is the highest point on the eastern seaboard.  The trail is really not very difficult at all, it is rated moderate.  We were able to leave from the campground, hike up one side to the top then hike down the other side and catch the bus back to camp.  All worked out great.