Acadia
Wow.
Maine was another first for both of us, for all of us, and it did not disappoint.
Justin’s parents visited somewhat recently and spoke of its beauty, but we weren’t prepared.
Driving down the coast, I kept seeing houses overlooking the water and just wondered what it would be like to have that kind of view day after day.
Do people that live there ever get tired of the view or are they in constant awe of it? I can’t imagine getting bored with it, but how many things do I take for granted just because I see it everyday?
The drive from Portsmouth to Acadia was a short one, so we pulled into the campground, set up camp, and wasted no time in getting over to Acadia National Park.
This park has everything…Mountains. Lakes. Beaches. Rocky shorelines.
Seriously stunning.
And what did my kids like the most?
The beach of course!
Guess who jumped in first without a care in the world?
If you guessed Edley, you’d be correct!
The other three quickly followed her lead and before long, all three were drenched…and happy.
From there, we didn’t make it far.
Why?
Because Justin saw rocks.
Yup.
Rocks.
And we all now understand what happens when Justin sees rocks, right?
He HAS to go and climb on them and of course the kids quickly follow his lead…
From the rocks, we went to Jordan Lake - a nice flat trail that didn’t make me anxious, unlike the rocks (except for the part where we had to keep the kids from dipping even a toe in the water since it’s the water supply for the town. Have you ever tried to keep one of my kids from getting in the water? It’s nearly impossible!)
We finished Park Loop Road, ran into Bar Harbor to pick up some dinner, and took it to the top of Cadillac Mountain to watch the sunset.
Even with all the layers, it was freezing, but it was worth it to see the sunset from the highest mountain on the east coast.
Definitely an epic ending to an amazing first day.
Day 2 at Acadia started back at Jordan Lake. The trail around the lake was recommended, but a quarter of a way through we realized that was an unattainable goal and decided to turn around. We probably could have done it if one kid wasn’t kicking a rock the whole time and having to go find it in the bushes every 5 steps, but we did have one of those and she was very bummed when she lost the rock the last five minutes of our hike. Womp womp. So we called it and went to where we all wanted to go…Sand Beach!
Actually, Justin and Aubyn hiked Beehive Trail while the rest of us went and played (or read) on the beach.
Proof Avett and Embry can get along!
After hours on the beach, we packed it up and headed to Bar Harbor.
FYI, for the love of all things holy, please do not ask Justin to pronounce Bar Harbor in a Maine accent (Bah Haaaaah Bah). After the third time, I don’t think my eyes could have rolled any further back in my head.
I heard that there are conflicting opinions on Bar Harbor, but as a tourist, I have to say I thought it was lovely. Definitely touristy, but quaint and easy to get around, and I loved it. We stopped by the Bar Harbor Inn, which my sister-in-law’s family owns and that she used to work at during summers in college. It was fun imagining her running the front desk of this beautiful hotel.
After the Inn, we picked up some pizza and sat in the square sharing our favorite moments from the day and from the trip. This is as far north as our camper is gonna take us and the time has come to start heading back to the south. Crazy to think the trip is coming to an end.
Sometimes I get cranky with my crew, and like the houses on the coast, take for granted the beauty that is staring me in the eyes. But it is moments like these that remind me just how fortunate I am. This crew can drive me crazy, but they are also the most beautiful blessings in my entire world and I love having these adventures with them. I know I’m fortunate, just sometimes need to shift my focus and not take for granted my everyday beauties. Maybe that’s what I’ll start calling them?
If you hear me refer to my everyday beauties, you’ll know I’m talking about my crew and where it came from and that makes my face smile.
