Acadia, Bar Harbor, and Bellies Full of Lobster

The drive to Maine took about 7 hours, but was a scenic one. We left around 10:30am and took some mountain roads into a couple small towns. The roads took us right through the White Mountains which was pretty cool. We stopped at a McDonalds for breakfast in one of the towns, sat down, and ate. I got a hot fudge sundae which was heaven. I was going to use the wifi to post some stuff on the blog, but didn’t want to delay our arrival in Maine any longer.

When we finally crossed into Maine we could tell a difference. Even though it was the same type scenery, it just seemed more picturesque. Rivers and winding roads started to pop up and we just so happened to have been lucky enough on all of our drives to have beautiful sunny weather and this was no different. 

At one point Finnley and I were jamming out in the car to some music when we felt a thump and a loud noise come tunneling from the back wheel. We thought we were having a blow out, but when we pulled over Finnley discovered a 12in nail sticking out of  the plastic around my tire well that had been grinding the asphalt as we drove, literally an inch away from my tire. It was a close call there, but he just pulled it out, I kept it, and  we kept on driving.

The previous night I looked up some campgrounds in the Acadia area and found one that seemed suitable or so I thought. We arrived around 3:30pm and drove to said campground. At this point I could already tell we were on the quiet side of Mount Desert Island, which is a polite way to say boring. I was whining to Finnley about a hotel and being in Bar Harbor, but he made a good point about conserving funds and that we should just take a look. It didn’t help either that it was grey and gloomy out.

Suffice to say my suspicions were confirmed when we pulled up to what looked like someone’s backyard. The campsites were bare with no trees around. It was teeny tiny, all RVs and to top it off at the back where all the tent campsites were, there was a brown fence that on the other side literally bordered someone’s backyard. I made Finnley turn right around and even though he was pissed about it, he knew that was not what we were looking for. 

What really sucks about camping in the fall and winter season is tons of campgrounds close. So that makes finding one twice as hard. Along the way we’ve found out that many State Parks that close actually let you camp still and for free after closing, but with no amenities. And while that is a good option for many, for me being the chicken that I am, camping where there aren’t at least a couple people around freaks me out. 

We drove off to a nearby famous lighthouse to brain storm. There we parked and I started getting very upset after this because Finnley was mad and got out of the car and I tried calling my mom for help because I had no internet on my phone, but she was busy. It was getting late and I just felt alone. Finnley realized after a minute and decided to try and comfort me and help me find somewhere for us to stay. My mom also called me back later to try and help us find a place. Before that though we walked over to check out the lighthouse and take some pictures. We drove by a couple campgrounds, but many were closed or of the same type as the other one. 

After an hour of this and finding the cuteness that is Bar Harbor, we gave in and got a nice hotel right on the ocean. Which turned out to be just what the doctor ordered because a shower and a heated room never felt so good. We felt like different people after that, like normal society people and it was refreshing. We booked it for two nights opposed to the week we were supposed to spend there, but it was enough time.

On the drive in earlier we had decided that we needed to eat lobster and well we go big. After our showers we walked into Bar Harbor to get some dinner. We found a nice restaurant and sat down. Both of us ordered to 1 1/4 LB lobster and had our feast. It was good, but I think I like Florida lobster better. Plus, I prefer to not eat anything while it’s still wearing it’s face. The rest of the night we just relaxed, laid around, watched TV, and I blogged a little.  

The next morning we woke up and had our complimentary continental breakfast. Then we headed off to Acadia National Park, which literally just opened from the shutdown the previous day. It was a rainy morning, so we decided to drive Park Loop Road, which is exactly what it sounds like: a road that takes you through most of the park. I also purchased my National Park Annual Pass there so from now on we can get into all the parks for free.

It took us about 3 hours to drive the loop which included the many stops we made to get out and take pictures or do short hikes. It was very beautiful there and reminded me of Big Sur in California how the cliffs met the ocean and the great burst of waves that proceeded from each meeting. 

We drove up to the top of Cadillac Mountain as well, but it wasn’t very scenic due to immense fog. The wind was barreling it in and I was freezing, but we did a short hike around the top any way, every once and while seeing into the distance when the fog would temporarily subside. While not much to see, it was a cool experience because it felt like we were in the clouds, almost other-worldly. 

Leaving at about lunch time we stopped at a Hannafords along the way to pick up something to eat. We ate lunch in the room and relaxed for a bit. After that we decided to go on this famous walk called the Shore Path which was right behind our hotel. It ran along the ocean from a raised boardwalk. By this time the cloudy weather was no more and it was sunny and perfect out. Every now and again amidst strolling the path we would climb down to the beach below and check out the rocks and the washed up whatnots. 

When done we went back to the hotel and got ready to walk around town. I instantly fell in love with Bar Harbor when I first saw it. To me it was like a mixture of Key West and San Francisco. Little unique shops and restaurants line the road and they also have a little park. If looking down the road you can see the ocean and the harbor as well. Finnley and I browsed some of the shops, but didn't find anything but some hand and feet warmers which I knew I was going to need for future camping. We did meet some cool girls in the North Face and Patagonia stores though. 

By nightfall we went back to the hotel and ordered some room service. I ended up spending the rest of the night blogging and trying to find a place to go next. We settled on a State Park in upstate New York called Allegany State Park. The next morning we woke up, had our breakfast, and were on the road once again. 

Before completely leaving the state we decided we needed more lobster. We stopped at this random restaurant along the road out of Mount Desert Island and had a feast. This time Finnley had a 1 3/4 LB lobster and I had a 1 1/2 LB lobster. Granted it was a good idea at the time, but I got a belly ache from it. No more Maine Lobster for me :-).

On to the next...

“Watch For Moose With Me”

It was a slightly sad departure from grandmas, not only because I probably wont see her for a while and I kind of wanted to stay another day, but also because that was supposed to be the end of comfort for a while. We set off around 6:45 that morning for Pawtuckaway State Park in New Hampshire. The sun was just rising and it was going to be a long drive. The previous day I had booked a cabin for the night as a layover spot between Maryland and Maine, but also ended up finding a nice camp spot at another state park for a few days after, before Maine. 

All morning we drove through Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and finally New Hampshire. Had to pay a bundle in toll roads too or else the drive would have taken 2 hours longer. 

It was very cool driving past New York. We originally had plans to spend some time in the city, but decided not to on account of we rather spend that money skiing in Colorado or something in the future. A big city just seemed like more of a hassle than what its worth, maybe another time. When we were driving past I started to better understand The Great Gatsby lol. Everything looked so dirty and industrial. I swear the city just had this ugly grey haze over it all. It’s weird because I know people always say LA has bad pollution, but I don't think it has anything on New York City. The buildings looked like big grey monsters in the distance. 

However, when we got closer and onto Washington Bridge it didn't look so bad. I actually felt like it looked very unique and historic. The traffic wasn’t terrific, we had some delays, but it wasn’t too much of a bother because it was nice to look around. That was the most interesting and eventful part of the drive. The fall leaves were also beautiful as always. In a way it kind of all starts looking the same, but then again not really because it’s so different from what we are used to. 

We arrived at Pawtuckaway State Park at around 3 and tried to get comfortable. It was very pretty there with forests all around. The campsites they had were so cute, probably cuter than the cabins, but putting all our gear together for one night would have been too much of a hassle. We got some dinner from a local Hannafords, which I guess is like their Publix, and just relaxed for the rest of the night. 

At one point we walked around what they called the beach. It was more like a lake, but I guess during the summer people swim there. Later that night we had a fire and went to bed pretty early. For some reason this place scared me. I think it was because there weren’t many people around and it was so dark because of the way the trees canopied everything. We couldn’t even see the moon. Suffice to say I didn’t get a good night sleep. 

The next day we woke up early and went shopping for camp groceries. Then we packed up the car and were off on a refreshingly short drive to Franconia Notch State Park to camp for 2 nights. It was funny because there were signs all over the said “Moose Crossing” I didn’t mention it before, but Finnley is really scared of hitting a deer so when he saw moose crossing he was so paranoid. He asked me to watch with him out of nowhere and I thought it was funny. 

Now this park was so beautiful. The white mountains towered all around us and our camp sat in a valley between ranges. However, this campground did get off on a rocky start. We went to drive around to look at sites to see which one we wanted when some guy came out of one just wearing his long johns and a fleece sweater. He flagged us down and asked if we wanted his campsite and that he already had a fire going. Now the whole time I’m thinking “No! No!” creeper alert, stranger danger because this guy was giving off crazy bad vibes. He wouldn’t even look us in the eye. He had driftwood across the handle bars of his motorcycle and asked if we could jump it because his battery died. 

Finnley advised him we would go look around more before we decided on sights and would be back, but when he got in the car I begged him to please not go back. He told me he was also getting bad vibes from him too mainly because he was trying to jump his motorcycle with a car and Finnley didn't think that would work because of the differences in batteries. He also told me he saw that on the guys fire ring he laid his pants, but the fire was just burning his pants, not drying them out. 

Anyhow we told the office and they also said he was acting kind of weird and was supposed to be out of there by 11:00am and it was 2:00pm. So they went and got him to leave and thank goodness for it because I wouldn’t have felt comfortable sleeping there if he was still there. 

We eventually found our spot. It was right across from the bathroom, a major plus for me, and was a big and lovely spot with chipmunks running all over and the fall leaves spread throughout trees and piles on the ground. As well as wonderful views all around and a short walk from the trail we hiked the next day. 

We started to set up camp and were done about an hour later. We made hot dogs and rice for dinner and sat around the fire and enjoyed the environment. It’s starting to get dark out so early so by 6 it was pitch black and we didn’t know what to do with ourselves. We waited so long to go to bed that it seemed we were the last ones awake in the campground. Which didn’t sit well with me so basically I had a bad night. My feet were so cold and I couldn’t get them to warm up and I was scared of everything. 

In the morning I felt better because it wasn’t dark and Finnley made me a delicious breakfast of bacon and eggs. We were feeling good and ready to hike. After getting our packs ready we set off to the Lonesome Trail. It was a steep mile and a half hike up to Lonesome Lake. Fairly easy, but hard on my unfit thighs. The hike took about an hour and a half and had some cute sights to see like small streams and cliffs that overlooked the mountain ranges. 

When we finally made it to the top we saw Lonesome Lake and all it’s glory. It was just a  random lake right smack in the middle of the mountain. What was really cool was there was this lodge on the lake which is partially a part of the Appalachian Trail where people who hike it can stop and have a resting spot. Supposedly there are multiple points along the trail that have these lodges for the hikers. After taking quite a few pictures and freezing my butt off from a random wind that blew in as we arrived chilling the area down from 59 to 45 in like 5 minutes we started to hike down. Now I know why they recommend hikers layer the way they do. At one point I was regretting bringing all the jackets that I did, but after that I definitely wasn’t. 

Hiking down sounds like it would be easier, but I think it’s just as challenging just in a different way. It works out different muscles and you can move faster, but that also means you have to think faster and pay more attention. When we got back to camp I was exhausted and hungry. Finnley made us hot dogs and we just relaxed a while. 

We ate a yummy dinner of chicken and rice around 6 and went to bed at 9 knowing we had to wake up early the next morning to set off for Maine. I slept fairly well that night probably because I was so tired, but unfortunately when we got up at 7 it was raining. Not the best motivator to get up and start organizing and packing gear and yet it had to be done. 

We finished up packing in about two hours and set off for Maine not knowing 100 percent where we would be staying. 

On to the next...

The Great Smokey Mountains & Grandma’s House

On Wednesday of last week we set off from GMatt’s and on to Hot Springs, NC. It was about a 7 hour drive, but ended up taking more like 8 due to some crazy mountain roads. A couple hours in we started hitting some postcard looking territory. The mountains started to grow out in the distance and the hills carried us along. We could see the cloud’s shadows reflected on the mountains which we both thought was cool because we had never seen that before. It was then also that we started to see the autumn leave change. Bright red and orange bushes stuck out in seas of green. 

As beautiful as this all was I regretfully have no pictures. Both my cameras batteries were dead and regardless once we got into what they called “Rattler Road” that bared a sign with a skull and a snake going through it, I was so paralyzed with fear of the cliff sides and in awe of the cartoon forest looking perfection that I was literally unable to focus on anything but that. 

While it was the most terrifying experience yet, “Rattler Road” also proved to provide me with some of the most dreamy and picturesque images of my life. The trees canopied the road in fall colors and the mild wind swept the falling leaves all about (Finnley calls it “Tunnel of Colors”).The cliff sides dropped miles below and along it a small river ran parallel. The road was beyond winding. I’d say it was borderline race car track status. We even felt like we were on a roller coaster some of the time the way the hills steeped. Mind you they expect people to drive 55 mph on this road (Oh hell no!), but we did more like a modest 40. 

After about 2 hours on that road and some lost years of my life due to stress we finally arrived in the small mountain town of Hot Springs at 3:00pm. We checked in to our reserved a cabin at the resort campground in town and made reservations for the hot spring later that night. The most exciting thing about the cabin was the little loft with a window, very childlike and nostalgic. 

It turned out that after we got there we realized we were amidst some hippie music festival called three days of light. What are the chances? Everywhere we turned there were dreaded out lovelies setting up stages and tents. At one point we decided to go for a walk around the campground. 

During this we were summoned by a guy who claims he speaks for the bees. He called us “Come meet my bees, come meet my honey bees” so we walked over and saw a container on his picnic table. He explained the magic of bees to us and told us “I’m going to open up their container and when I do shove your face in it and take a big whiff!” At this point I’m thinking what the heck is going to come out of there, very hesitant, but as he opened it up Finnely and I put our faces to it and there were bees. It didn't really smell like anything. He explained the elusive scent was the bees pheromones. He also shared his bee pollen and bee bread with us as he explained his life mission for the bees. As every minute passed I dwelled on when the acid would kick in and I would start hallucinating because obviously I have been drugged. 

And yet I never did start tripping. About the time we ended the conversation with Honey Bee Guy was the time we reserved for the hot spring. Earlier that day we had found out from the concierge that the tubs were “clothing optional” and thank goodness for it because I didn’t bring a bathing suit. We had decided to go at night for some unknown reason (I would have rather gone during the day) and were led out to a wooden structure that covered all sides but the one facing the river for privacy. The tub itself isn't natural, but the water is. They pump it in from 2 miles in the ground and it is supposedly rich in all kinds of vitamins and minerals. 

We soaked for an hour. It was overwhelmingly hot so we had to turn the misters on at one point which made it look really cool. It was an interesting experience being out there slightly fatigued with heat, butt naked, and feeling free along a river. Finnley claimed it helped his knee, but the only difference I noticed was it made my hair feel softer. 

I was pretty tired so Finnley and I went to bed fairly early that night and woke up around 8 the next morning. We had to organize the car before we left for grandma’s because it was getting a mess. We also took a short walk over to a part of the Appalachian Trail just to say we walked on it and took some pictures. When we were about to leave Finnley was giving away the rest of the fire wood to our neighbors who were there for the festival and we ended up talking to them for a couple minutes. They told us they were in one of the bands playing. They were so nice and the girl was such a cutie with her dreads. If I would have stayed one more night I would have had someone dread me out. 

We got on the road for Maryland at about 10:30am onto some more mountain roads, but not as bad. We ended up passing through the northeastern part of Tennessee and on into Virginia through the Shenandoah Valley. It was about a nine hour drive, but ended up taking us 12. An hour away from my grandma’s we got stuck for two hours trying to get across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. What a nightmare. If the bridge wasn’t scary enough as it is now we had to wait, pay and sit on it with 35mph winds blowing. 

Eventually we got through and showed up at grandma’s around 11:00pm. We were really tired that night so we ended up just talking to grandma for a while and going to bed. The next day we hung out at the house most of the day, but went into town to do some errands mid afternoon. Finnley chopped some wood for grandma and I played with the cute animals. She has a doggie and 3 kitties. For dinner grandma made some yummy lasagna for us and all my cousins. 

Our last day there we mostly just relaxed and at one point went into town again to try and find some good wifi, but the wifi at McDonalds was slower than grandmas internet. I was also stressing and scrambling around trying to find the next place to go. Luckily by the end of day we found a cabin at Pawtuckaway State Park in New Hampshire for 1 night and a camp spot in Franconia State Park for 2 nights, also in New Hampshire which we are actually heading to as I’m writing this. We went to grandma’s beach later that night to watch the sunset, but just missed it. 

It was nice seeing grandma and having that break to be comfortable and I’m very thankful and appreciative of her generosity. She even made us delicious sandwiches for the road from the thanksgiving-esque dinner the night before with snacks. It sucked saying goodbye because I kind of wanted to stay another night, but the fall leaves were falling fast in New England and I couldn't miss it.

On to the next...