Checking out Acadia and a ride on the Carriage Roads.

Had a nice breakfast at the hotel where we met a family from California.  We chatted with them and hit the road headed for Acadia National Park which is only 2 miles from our hotel.  First stop was the Visitors Center where we talked to the workers and got our park map.  We headed out on the park loop road just to get the lay of the land more or less.  First stop was Sandy Beach.

It was pretty but after all the beaches in Nova Scotia where we were just about alone there were sure a lot of people there!

Next we stopped at a place Bill had remembered photographing when he was here with Tony Sweet's photo class years ago.  Bill called it boulder beach, the guy at the visitor center called it something much less impressive - maybe pebble beach?

And Bill had a buddy.

Then to Cadillac Mountain - the view from the top was impressive.  We will be going there tomorrow to attempt to photograph sunrise.

We had made arrangements to take a horse drawn carriage ride on the carriage roads the the Rockefellers made.  They were very involved in developing the roads and donated a great deal of land to the park.  It was a lovely 2 hr. ride and we learned a lot!

So this was the "office dog" in it's costume.

Our carriage.

Betty and Reba pulling us thru one of the stone bridges the Rockefellers built.

A second stone bridge.

At the third bridge - the only one that is cobblestone - we were able to get down and walk to see the lower part of the bridge.  Here are Betty and Reba.

The dated keystone.

When we got to a place where the carriage road crossed traffic someone had to open the gates - guess who did a fine job?

The gate keeper's house.

The horses turning around to accomplish a sharp turn.

I had to say goodbye and thank you to our new friends....

A couple of days ago one of my best friends in high school posted that she was visiting the Maine coast.  I replied where - we will be in Bar Harbor tomorrow and she and her family were going to be there!  So today, after they got finished hiking she sent me a message and we met them for a drink at a local brewery.  I have seen Barbie once in the last probably 30 years, so it was a real treat to catch up.  I think you can tell from this picture - my smile is almost exploding!

Later we walked down the street and ended up at Finback Alehouse for dinner - because they had an empty table - and it was delicious!  Tomorrow - sunrise at Cadillac Mountain. 

Back to the USA

It's a cool, clear morning to pack up and head back to the USA - but first - BREAKFAST!  We went back to Octopus's Garden for a most delicious breakfast.  I had my fave - eggs benedict - a  real treat! The first pic of the day will be from the door of the bathroom.  I got a huge kick, and great pleasure out of this sign after all the talk about who gets to pee where in the US.  Love it!

Our daughter-in-law spent some of her growing up years in New Brunswick and asked if they still had their world famous sticky buns.  We had seen the sign the day before but didn't stop.  So since they were so special to her, we decided to stop and get one for dessert later.  Unfortunately they were not open till 10, so we had to settle for a nostalgic picture of the sign to send her.  

Then we hit the road - seeing more and more color in the trees now.

We crossed into the USA with just a few questions and a glance at our passport - we were thru in about 10 min with one car ahead of us.  We had planned to stop and have lunch near the border at a spot Bill had seen on trip advisor.  It was a local diner, and our plan was to get lunch and make our waitress's day special by giving her a tremendous tip and just leave the remainder of our Canadian money for her.... we had maybe about $50.  Unfortunately it was packed - not a spot anywhere so we headed on down the road.  We'll hold on to the money for another trip or the trip of a friend, but oh how we wanted to make a waitress happy.  So we stopped at a "rest stop" just into Maine, which we had stopped at on the way up.  It was basically a hut next to a business and was maintained by the business.   It wasn't swanky but it got the job done.  The business was a "snack stop, camp store, restaurant" so I looked it up on trip advisor.  At quick glance it was definitely a local place with decent food and good prices.  So we'll try it.  WELL..... it was the MOST redneck place I have EVER been.  The walls were covered with signs that said things like we are rednecks here and you will find guns, prayer, and the national anthem.  Another said vegetarian is another word for bad hunter.  They were raffling off a semi-automatic weapon but had the note that you must be able to pass the background check to win it.  A guy came in and loudly proclaimed "Black Flies Matter - I'd love to have that shirt for where I'm going".  I found myself wanting to get the heck out of there as fast as possible and thought if I were a person of color I would NOT feel comfortable here.  Hell, I'm a white woman and I don't feel comfortable here.  So as soon as I took my last bite I bolted leaving Bill to finish his homemade pie which is what they apparently do best.  Another couple of hours and we are checked into our hotel in Bar Harbor.  Let the Maine fun begin!

Fundy National Park and back to Hopewell Rocks at high tide

It rained overnight, but the morning brought clouds with a weather report looking promising for clearing skies so off we went to Fundy National Park.  The park system here has been really great - well marked trails and roads, friendly knowledgeable staff, and well kept facilities.

This was the Caribou Plain trail.  It takes you thru a bog, and we had been told there was a chance of seeing moose here.  No such luck.

I could just SEE a fairy house being placed under this tree!

Some photographers don't pay any attention to warnings!

Then we went to do the Dickson Falls hike.  Very pretty trail to a nice waterfall.

This was at the top of the waterfall - amazing that this little stream could produce so much waterfall!  People had stacked rocks there.

The trail followed a babbling brook, and at times it was almost IN the brook!

Next we drove down Point Wolfe Rd. and it goes thru a covered bridge!

The view from just below the bridge.

We then went back into Alma to walk the small town.  I don't know what these plants are but they are quite pretty and we've seen a ton of them!

It was low tide, and the boats were beached.

This sadly is the closest I will get to a moose!

We went back to Hopewell Rocks to get pics of the Flower Pots at high tide.  What an amazing thing these tides are!  Yesterday we were walking around these. 

On the way back to our place, the sky was getting pretty so we pulled over for a pic.  It doesn't do it justice.

However, this was the waning sunset as we arrived at our accommodations... beautiful!

So goodbye Canada... tomorrow we head back to the US of A. 

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