Belfast, ME

Thursday, September 21, 2023

We were on the road by 7:00am this morning to visit the west side of Acadia National Park, often known as the “quiet side” of Mount Desert Island. It was a beautiful morning drive as we followed the coastal road toward that side of the island. Andi pulled into Ike’s Point on Echo Lake and we left the RV parked there so we could adventure more freely in the Jeep.

In the Jeep, we followed the scenic loop road listening to the audio tour we purchased for the park. Andi cruised through the Seawall Campground to see what we missed staying on the other side of the island, and then we parked at the Wonderland trailhead to get out and walk around the southern shores.

I’m not sure I’d even call the Wonderland trail a hike; it was a pretty flat trail through the woods that led to large rocks great for tide pooling. It was low tide around 8:30am this morning, so we spent time sitting on the rocks admiring the ocean views and scouring the small pools of water for sea creatures. No luck in that department. The rocks were wet and slippery which made walking around on them difficult to do.

Next, we stopped at Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse on the southern tip of the island. We followed a set of stairs leading down to big cliffs on which the lighthouse is perched. There were quite a few people gathered there so we only hung out long enough to snap a picture.

From there, we continued following the Park Loop Road along various ocean coves. This really is the quiet side of the island; we didn’t see many cars or people for that matter. Lots of pretty views of the ocean and forest. Eventually, the loop road brought us back to our RV parked near Echo Lake.

Andi had some work calls to make and I needed to check in with my mom, so Andi set up the Starlink satellite internet in the parking lot so we’d have a cell / internet connection. National parks are notorious for being cell/internet dead zones, so traveling with our satellite internet has been helpful. The kids sat in the RV on their iPads for an hour while I talked to my mom in the Jeep and Andi paced around the parking lot on his phone. When we were finished, we left Mount Desert Island heading 1 1/2 hours east to Belfast, Maine.

After three days of dry camping in Acadia, we desperately needed showers, laundry, and electricity. Andi splurged on a campsite at Moorings Oceanside RV Resort in Belfast, Maine for the night. We arrived there mid-day. Located at the mouth of the Passagassawakeag River estuary on Belfast Bay and Penobscot Bay, the ocean waters in this coastal town are calm and relaxing — much different from the rocky, wild waves on the open coastline.

The staff and a few campers at Moorings gave us some awesome recommendations for a seafood lunch. We decided to eat at Harborside Cafe located down by the marina and enjoyed fish tacos, clams, chicken wings, and Caesar salad. We’re trying to eat as much seafood as we can while we’re on the coast of Maine. Andi, Aden, and I are loving fresh lobster and a local white fish called haddock which is used on most fish sandwiches, tacos, etc. Tory isn’t a big seafood person, but she did say the fried fish Andi made for us at our campsite last night was “actually pretty good.”

After lunch, the four of us walked around downtown Belfast. The town has a beautiful sidewalk that follows the water with interpretive signage about the history of the town and lots of sailboats docked in the harbor. It was a gorgeous afternoon to walk around with the sun shining brightly and a warm, comfortable fall temperature outside. We really enjoyed downtown Belfast — a quintessential coastal town in Maine.

I saw this sign while we were walking around town and it perfectly summed up how I’ve been feeling during this fall trip. Our kids are growing up so fast. Thinking back to past RV roadtrips we’ve taken together, I’m amazed how much Tory and Aden have grown and changed. We’ve seen some awesome places together and shared so many great experiences as a family. Lately I’ve been reminded that life is short; stay present and purposeful because these moments as a family are our highlight reel. The memories we’re making today with our kids are the ones they’ll fondly look back on one day.

We’ve reached the part of our trip where Tory and Aden expect ice cream every single day. They lured Andi into The Chocolate Drop and Candy Shop in downtown Belfast. I’m not sure how they could’ve eaten another bite (I was still full from lunch!) but Andi and Tory managed to make room & split a sundae. Aden opted for a $4 allowance to buy sour candy — his favorite treat.

Neither Andi or I felt like cooking dinner tonight, so we stopped by the grocery store next to buy a few items we needed for the RV and got a slice of pizza and chicken for the kids. We also splurged on a bottle of wine with plans to sit down by the water at our campsite and enjoy the beautiful evening together.

This RV park was interesting because it was less about nature and more about socializing and grilling. Just about every RV parked at the resort had a big grill setup outside their camper, and were outside enjoying cocktails together. Andi introduced himself to a German couple parked next to us who had a whole outdoor dining setup with placemats, wine glasses, and a flower centerpiece for their picnic table. It’s so interesting to see how people camp; everyone does it differently and there’s no wrong way!

We spent most of our time walking or sitting down by the water. And when we weren’t doing that, we were switching out our laundry at the RV resort facilities.

Tomorrow, we’ll say good-bye to the coast and head inland toward New Hampshire.