Bar Harbor, ME - Day 2
Wednesday, September 20, 2023
Our day started early on Wednesday because it was a work day for Andi & we wanted time to do an activity together in Acadia National Park before he was busy all day. We pulled out of Blackwoods Campground at 7:00am and drove to the designated RV parking spaces by the athletic fields in Bar Harbor, Maine. We’re camping at Blackwoods Campground again tonight, but we weren’t able to keep our same camp spot so we had to leave with our RV and then re-check in later today. It worked out OK though. In town, Andi set up the Starlink satellite internet so he could work inside the RV today.
As soon as the RV was set, the four of us hopped into the Jeep and drove to the Gorham Mountain trailhead located on Acadia’s Park Loop Drive. Yesterday the audio tour “talkie guy” (as the kids affectionately called him) mentioned this hike which is filled with rock climbing and tight squeezes through boulders. I’ve never seen Tory and Aden more adamant about doing a hike! His commentary made them both excited for this one.
It was, in fact, a great hike full of hops and jumps from rock to rock, cliffs to climb using rung ladders, and gorgeous ocean views. We added the optional Cadillac Cliffs trail onto the Gorham Mountain trail for an added challenge. In no time at all, the four of us were peeling off layers of clothes as we worked up a sweat in the morning air. Why does Tory look like a teenager in this picture with her shirt tied around her middle?!
After our hike, we returned to the athletic fields in Bar Harbor to drop Andi off at the RV. I grabbed our school books and Tory, Aden, and I drove the Jeep to Jesup Memorial Library to do our work there. That left Andi to peace and quiet in the RV.
Jesup Memorial Library a beautiful, old building and probably not a place most tourists go during their visit to Mount Desert Island. The kids and I found a quiet table in the balcony to work. Afterwards, Tory and Aden lounged in the comfy pillows and forts made up in the kids area of the library.
Andi had planned to meet us for lunch, but his calls ran late so Tory, Aden, and I walked downtown to find something to eat together. Downtown Bar Harbor is busy at all times of the day with tourists shopping and sightseeing. There’s a pretty grassy square in the middle where we saw a lot of people relaxing and eating their lunches outside.
I didn’t have a specific place in mind for lunch; the three of us just walked around until a restaurant caught our attention. One such place called Bar Harbor Route 66 Restaurant did just that. After glancing at the menu on the sidewalk, a restaurant host led us through an alleyway into a lively restaurant. The 50’s-themed restaurant was perfect for the kids who loved looking at all the memorabilia decorating the walls. I let Tory order a strawberry milkshake and fried pickles for an appetizer to share. “You sure are being nice today, Mom!” she said. I’ll take that as a compliment … I guess?
For my meal, I decided to try a lobster roll. We are only in Maine for a few more days, after all. At the Route 66 restaurant, lobster rolls are served warm with butter or cold with mayo — the customer’s choice. I chose the “warm with butter” option, as I felt the first lobster roll I tried a few days ago would have been tastier that way. This serving of lobster meat was pretty meager for $30, but it was delicious dipped in melted butter.
Aden ordered his usual chicken tenders with hand-cut French fries and proclaimed them to be the best French fries he’s ever eaten. 10/10 he rated them. He liked them so much, he ate my fries too. Tory had a kids size burger and fries which she also liked.
More than the food, the three of us really enjoyed having lunch together. It was one of those special times when everyone was happy and glad to be together. We searched for different pieces of memorabilia on the wall, ate our meals, laughed, and talked. Afterwards, we walked back to the Jeep parked by the library and then spent the rest of our afternoon in Acadia National Park.
Tory reminded me that we still needed to collect our Junior Ranger badges, so we decided to do that before we ran out of time. Since there’s only one visitor center in Acadia National Park, the park has a few more collection sites with rangers available. We were close to the Sieur de Monts Nature Center, so I pulled into that location to meet with a park ranger.
The park ranger working at the nature center was so friendly, and chatted with us kindly while she looked over the kids’ Junior Ranger booklets. “Keep doing these packets,” she said. “It’s a great way to learn about the parks.” Then, she made an announcement to all the other visitors who happened to be standing around the nature center at the moment. “Attention! We have a Junior Ranger ceremony about to take place. Attention everyone!”
I thought Tory was going to drop dead right then and there. The look on her face told me she felt absolutely mortified. I already knew I was pushing my luck having Tory complete this Junior Ranger packet. Admittedly, it is too easy for her age and we’ve also collected dozens of these badges from other national parks, seashores, monuments, etc. This is old hat for her. Boring!
Nevertheless, she was a good sport and participated in the swearing in ceremony to collect the plastic Junior Ranger badge. I think Aden still has a few more years left in him before he bocks at participating in this endearing national park ceremony. Acadia National Park makes the 23rd national park our family has visited together.
With Junior Ranger badges in hand, the three of us headed to Sand Beach. This is, by far, Tory and Aden’s favorite place in Acadia National Park. Andi and I had to peel the kids away from the beach yesterday and they begged me to return after school was done today.
Except today, Tory and Aden were surprised to see that the stream of water they were playing in yesterday was all dried up today. It must only flow after heavy rains like we experienced on Monday. Still determined to make a “potato village” as Tory called it, the kids worked to re-build their dams and homes in the sand. Tory found some clay mud to work with soon they were both covered from hand-to-elbow and feet-to-knees in mud and sand. Aden turned his clay into sugar donut holes by rolling the mud balls in the sand and setting up a display.
Around 5:30pm, I peeled the kids away from Sand Beach once more. I’m sure Andi was wondering where we were, and without any cell service in the park I couldn’t call or text him to let him know. The kids washed off their arms and legs in the spigots near the entrance to the beach, and then we drove 20 minutes back to the town of Bar Harbor. Andi was still there working in the RV when we arrived.
One of the many perks of traveling with your home on wheels is having everything you need with you at all times. Tory and Aden each took quick showers to wash off the remaining bits of sand and mud. Then, the four of us left the RV parked by the athletic fields and walked around downtown Bar Harbor.
We noticed that town wasn’t as busy as it was yesterday and concluded it was the absence of a cruise ship parked in the harbor which made the difference. I can imagine that Bar Harbor is completely nuts during the summer at peak tourism times. Today wasn’t bad at all. The four of us visited a few shops and bought a sticker to put in our RV travel book. Then, we walked down to the pier and back. It was a lovely evening by the water.
We still had to check into our campsite at Blackwoods Campground, so we decided we better get a move on before it got dark. Finding our designated camp spot was easy; it was literally across the row from where we camped last night. We pulled in, put down the jacks, and started making dinner.
It gets dark so early in the evenings on the East Coast, so Andi and Aden had to cook using flashlights. The boys made us fried and blackened fish for dinner. I was honestly still full from lunch, but the freshly caught fish from Maine tasted fabulous. We all enjoyed it.
Tomorrow is our last morning in Acadia National Park and then we’ll slowly start making our way west toward Wisconsin. I’m sad to say good-bye to the coast of Maine. We’ve really enjoyed its beauty & will most definitely be back.
