Acadia National Park amazed us, and we also caught up with Paul Bunyan.

Strap yourselves into your travel chairs, we’re back on the road and we couldn’t be happier to be sharing our travel experiences with you. In this post, we begin our journey affectionately called “Canada or Bust”. First stop, a place people call “down east Maine”. Downeast Maine refers to the eastern coastal region of Maine, stretching from the town of Ellsworth eastwards to the Canadian border. We’re talking about the rugged and rocky Maine coastline, with its historic fishing villages, and the first National Park east of the Mississippi, Acadia National Park. And OMG, what a park. As awe-inspiring and picturesque as Yellowstone. It seems Mother Nature substituted spouting geysers and the fantastic colors of the “Grand Prismatic Spring” with thunderous sounds of the sea crashing into the rocky coastline at “Thunder Hole”, and the majestic granite outcropping of “Otter Point”.  

Judy, Morgan & Steven Walking to Echo Beach

Acadia National Park is located on the 108 square mile Mount Desert Island. The park encompasses much of the island, which also includes several small towns such as Bar Harbor, Northeast Harbor, and Southwest Harbor. Our RV campsite in Southwest Harbor abutted the Acadia Park hiking trail network and we had easy walking access to Echo Lake Beach and the Beech Mountain Trail. Which is where our story will begin, because we returned to this lovely spot several times for hiking and to go to the beach with chairs in hand.

 

Beech Cliff Trailhead

Echo Lake is a picturesque freshwater lake encompassing 236 acres and reaching depths of approximately 66 feet. Motorboats are prohibited, maintaining the exceptionally clean water, so you can actually see the minnows swimming by the shoreline. Additionally, the lake's water temperature is notably warmer than that of the ocean.

Acadia National Park is a distinctive destination that highlights the rugged coastline of Maine. The park encompasses a diverse array of landscapes, including mountains, forests, and rocky shores.  As the only national park in the northeastern United States, Acadia offers remarkable scenery, vibrant sunrises and sunsets, abundant wildlife, and numerous opportunities for outdoor recreation. With such a wide range of activities available, we endeavored to document as much as possible during our visit. We were also pleased to have our daughter, Morgan, and her friend, Dani, accompany us for several days, which contributed significantly to the overall momentum of our activities.  

We spent much of a day at Sand Beach, a highly frequented location that requires early arrival due to its popularity. Nestled between impressive granite cliffs, the beach features sand composed primarily of fine shell fragments and is bordered by notably cold ocean waters, with temperatures typically in the lower 50-degree range. From our position beneath a beach umbrella on the 290-yard stretch of shoreline, we enjoyed remarkable views of the surrounding granite cliffs and adjacent pine forests, while waves from the Atlantic Ocean consistently broke upon the shore.

Sand Beach

You cannot go to Acadia without taking a car ride around Park Loop Road. This is a 27-mile-long loop around the outer edge of the park which features some of the most stunning scenery. There is Thunder Hole, where people go at high tide to hear the noise made from the waves crashing into a rock formation that creates a thunderous roar. Further down Park Loop Road there is a place called Otter Cliffs. At 110 feet above the ocean, they are one of the highest coastal headlands in North America. There are so many scenic overlooks and breathtaking views, it would be hard for me to do them all justice. The whole loop is a must do for any trip to Acadia.

Rodick's Lobster Roll atop Cadillac Mtn

Cadillac Mountain Road is another notable attraction in Acadia, featuring a 3.5-mile drive up the rear side of Cadillac Mountain to its summit, which stands at 1,527 feet above sea level. While not the highest peak we have ascended by car, it offers some of the most remarkable views, including clear vistas of Bar Harbor, Bar Island, Bald Porcupine Island, Turtle Island, and much of the Mt Desert Narrows inlet. The most sought-after time to visit Cadillac Mountain is at sunrise, as it is renowned for being the first location in the United States to witness the sun rise. Due to high demand, vehicle access is regulated through a “timed entry” system, requiring visitors to secure a reservation online, especially for sunrise slots around 5:20 am. Instead of opting for sunrise, we scheduled our visit during sunset, successfully obtaining a 6:00 pm entry slot. We drove to the summit with a picnic dinner featuring lobster rolls, salad, and dessert, and observed the sunset at 8:20 pm. The experience was truly memorable, and the view from the summit at sunset will remain unforgettable.

    

 

Wait, I’m not quite done. There’s just so much to do in Acadia, and whilst I still have your attention, let me tell you, as briefly as I can, how we spent a morning walking around Jordan Pond on Jordan Pond Path. This 3.3 mile trail circles the glacially formed pond, which is noted for its clear freshwater and views of surrounding mountains. The path follows the shoreline and includes segments along boardwalks, sections with rocky terrain, and areas featuring both wooden and stone bridges.

Steven, Dani, Morgan, Judy at Jordan Pond

Steven, Morgan, Dani, Judy at Paul Bunyan Statue

Without a doubt, the highlight of Morgan’s visit was attending “Timber Tina's Great Maine Lumberjack Show.” This engaging event features two teams of lumberjacks competing in a series of 12 events, including wood chopping, sawing, tree climbing, ax throwing, and log rolling. Over the course of the 90-minute performance, attendees also receive an informative overview of the logging industry in the 18th century, highlighting Maine's historical significance as a leader in the timber trade. Timber Tina serves as the host and master of ceremonies for the event. Her given name is Tina Scheer, and she has achieved distinction as a world-class competitor, significantly contributing to increasing opportunities for women in lumberjack competitions. Timber Tina also provided information regarding the Paul Bunyan statue located in downtown Bangor, ME. For anybody who has followed this blog, you know that I'm drawn to quirky sideshow attractions. And I have a particular soft spot in my heart for Paul Bunyan, who I first spotted in Bemidji, MN. (See blog post “The Charming City of Duluth, MN and a visit with Paul Bunyan”, posted July 22, 2024.) So, when I heard that there was a 31-foot-tall statue of Paul Bunyan in Bangor, well we all just had to go. It did not disappoint!

 This stop was mostly about the National Park itself, but we did do some other fun things both on and off the Island. We took a “Bar Harbor Ghost Tour” where we heard ghost stories of the Wabanaki Indigenous spirits, as well as personal accounts of ghostly activity in and around the Bar Harbor area. Whilst in Bangor, ME, we took time to visit the Orono Bog Boardwalk. This is a one-mile loop trail located in the Bangor City Forest, which extends into the Orono Bog, a unique ecosystem with its diverse vegetation and wildlife.

Readers of this blog may be aware that, generally, Judy and I spend about a week camping in one area. Initially, during our RV travels, we moved every 4 or 5 days but have since extended our stays to allow for a slower pace. On this current "Canada or Bust" trip, our stops range from 8 to 9 days, providing additional time to explore local areas and absorb the local flavors. Our first stop is an excellent example of this newly found freedom. On this stop, with the extra time we got to travel around not just in Mount Desert Island & Acadia National Park but also north and into Bangor, ME. We’re off to an amazing start to this trip and we are taking you all along for the ride.  Let’s see what we find on our next stop in St. Andrews by the Sea in New Brunswick, Canada as we tell… the Rest of the Story.