Travelogue: Maine (Acadia NP and Down East)

One of the casualties of 2020 was a planned 2.5 week trip to Maine in August. One of the many benefits of getting vaccinated in March/April was being able to take the trip in late May/early June. The impetus was my husband's desire to take a 2-week class at the WoodenBoat School in Brooklin. 

We flew into Portland late in the day and stayed the night near the airport, then headed up to Freeport for breakfast (Freeport Cafe--very good and very local) then a pilgrimage to the LL Bean complex. 

Beginning the great Maine adventure in front of the LL Bean boot.

Then we worked our way  north to Camden, stopping to bird along the way using the excellent Birdwatching in Maine. 

Guess what? We saw a cardinal! I know, I know. They're a so-what bird in the eastern US, but they are a rarity in Colorado so that was a good omen for the trip.

We stopped for lunch in charming Camden at Peter Ott's on the Water where we had our first lobster roll and crab roll of the trip. Tied to the dock opposite our table were a pair of beautiful wooden boats, Olad (a 50-foot schooner) and Owl (a cutter). We decided that we would figure out a time when we could book a trip on Olad while in Maine. 

Beautiful Camden Harbor

Acadia National Park 

We stayed two nights in a cute cabin in Trenton, just outside Mt Desert Island, where the bulk of Acadia NP is located. I honestly had no idea there were so many places to stay on Mt Desert Island--probably next time we will stay on the island as it was a bit of a drive to get in and out of the park. 

Big News! Our first stop was at the visitor's center where I got my lifetime senior National Parks pass. One of the perks of turning 62 is qualifying for this pass. Red letter day!

Proud owner of National Parks Lifetime Senior Pass

Loved driving up Cadillac Mt, highest point in the park. It was the only place in the park that required advance reservations. 

Loved Sieur de Monts garden--chatting with the botanist ranger was super cool. I haven't met a ranger yet that I didn't really like. They all seem to love their jobs, talking with visitors, etc. 

Had an absolutely magical meal at Salt & Steel in Bar Harbor--ate my first fiddlehead ferns there. What a cool plant!

On our second day we explored the western part of Mt Desert Island...in the rain. It was rainy and cool and windy for the two days we were in Acadia. Hiked the Ship Harbor Nature Trail and visited the Bass Harbor Head lighthouse, then had a fabulous lunch at Sips Cafe in Northwest Harbor. Oh, and we saw a couple of new birds...

Northern Parula - new bird for this westerner

White-throated sparrow -  yes, another new bird

Brooklin

The WoodenBoat School is located in Brooklin, a one-store, one-restaurant tiny town. We rented a cottage (actually an apartment over a garage), that was the best Airbnb type place we have ever stayed. Brooklin is also where E.B. (aka Andy) White, author of Charlotte's Web, et al, and his wife bought a farm while both were still working for The New Yorker. They worked remotely, and it was at this farm where White wrote about Charlotte and Wilbur. I found the house and smiled every time I passed it.

My temp office at Duck Cove Cottage with a view of Herrick Bay

While my husband went to class, I had 3 days of vacation to play before settling in to work remotely from Brooklin. Here's what I did.

Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland - a mere 2-hour drive from Brooklin, I went down to check out the paintings of 3 generations of the Wyeth family. Wonderful museum--fell in love with the paintings of N.C. Wyeth, Andrew, and Jamie all over again. Here are a couple of my favorites.

Maga's Daughter, by Andrew Wyeth (this is his wife Betsy)

The Harbor at Herring Gut, by N.C. Wyeth

Bangor - did I mention how cold, rainy, windy it was when we arrived in Maine? Well, I packed for summer and so drove over to Bangor to buy long pants and long-sleeved shirts. I found a mall and did my minimal shopping then went for a walk along the Penobscot River.

Jordan Pond, Acadia - back to Acadia NP. Did a 7 mile hike around Jordan Pond and down the Jordan Stream Path to the cobblestone bridge and back and rewarded myself with lunch at Jordan Pond House where I feasted on chowder and popovers with butter and strawberry jam. I was told this was a must-do in Acadia and it was! 

Cobblestone bridge spanning Jordan Stream

Jordan Pond House - yes, the popovers are as good as everyone says they are!

The Bubbles by Jordan Pond

Weekends 

We made a pilgrimage to Deer Isle, which is where John Steinback started his road trip that he chronicled in Travels with Charley. Did a little birding, ate more chowder in Stonington, and dodged the rain and wind.

Did a little lighthouse exploring. If you've ever looked at the Maine coast line, it's easy to see why the coast is jam-packed with lighthouses.

Owl's Head Lighthouse

Went for a 2-hour cruise on the Olad out of Camden, with a 26-year old captain and his 25-year old mate. They both have been sailing since they were young kids, and were personable, capable, and very impressive. It's wonderful to see people who are able to pursue their passions. 

The Olad

Jeff helping to raise the main sail

Went out for 2-hour cruise out of New Harbor with the Hardy Boat Cruises--went to Eastern Egg Island specifically to see Atlantic Puffins. We had seen Tufted Puffins in the Strait of Juan de Fuca between Washington state and British Columbia a few years ago, so it was natural to seek out their east coast cousins. We also saw Common Eiders, Laughing Gulls, Black Guillemots, Common Terns, Herring Gulls, and other black-and-white birds!

The guide was from the Audubon Puffin Project--another example of someone doing their dream job, well, maybe not dealing with a boatload of tourists, but he is a biologist working on the island as well as educating the public.

A pair of puffins

The one that got away...

Common Eider - love how their beak slopes

Portland - we finally got to the Old Town near the docks where we had a fabulous final meal in Maine at David's. They were completely booked when we wandered in but were able to sit at the counter opposite the chefs and enjoyed watching them work.

Flowers

I was blown away by all the flowers, wildflowers and garden flowers. The road sides were blanketed with wild lupines, and I discovered so many cool new plants.

Yellow lady slippers

Lupines everywhere