We went to Acadia on 10/7.  It was another sunny beautiful day.  I had never been to Acadia and it did not disappoint.  We didn’t get to hike though.  Dad is still recovering from another knee surgery, so we took the Park Loop Road around the park.  It is a scenic 27 mile loop, but it took us about 4 hours to complete it.  We stopped at all of the scenic overlooks, Thunder Hole, Cadillac Mountain, Sandy Beach and the not to be missed Jordan Pond Lodge that is famous for their popovers.  I’m not a big fan of popovers, but they certainly know their stuff and served them piping hot with butter and homemade strawberry jam.  Of course the day was not complete without my obligatory lobster.  So, I had my first lobster roll.  I have to be honest and tell you that I am getting sick of lobster!  OMG!  I never thought that I would say that, but it’s true.

The park is a stunner.  The trees are at their peak right now and every time you stop, it takes your breath away.  I was sadly reminded again that I had left my camera at home.  My phone and iPad take okay pictures but I’m sure they are not as good as if I had had my camera.  I’m sure that no picture would do it justice though.  We intend to go back in a couple of days and take the carriage ride thru the park that goes over the 7 stone bridges that apparently were built by Rockefeller.  Driving up to Cadillac Mountain is not for the faint of heart.  You drive on, what looks to be, right on the edge.  Several times, I just had to look away from the side and concentrate on the road because it made my stomach flutter.  I’m by no means a wimp either, but it was pretty scary.  Mom kept saying “Don’t LOOK!”.  I tried not to but I wanted to see the view.  At one of the over-looks we also saw a boat sink.  There was no one on board and there was a coastguard ship circling it as it sank.  There were a lot of people that had stopped along the road to watch.  No one was sure why the coastguard didn’t do anything.  But, I doubt they could’ve saved it.

Yesterday was the first crappy day we’ve had.  It rained all morning and dad decided to go home.  He is still having trouble with his knee and needs to go home and recuperate some more.  Unfortunately, the flight that we booked him on, out of Bangor, was cancelled.  The gate agent said that it had to do with the fire that was set in the airport in Chicago.  I believe that was done a couple of weeks ago and we were not sure what that had to do with anything.  She wanted to book him on an early morning flight this morning, but it would’ve taken him 12 hours to get home and they didn’t have another available flight out of Bangor until next week.  She gave me an 800 number to call and I was on the phone in the airport for 2 hours talking to someone from India, trying to get another flight.  We ended up getting a flight out of Portland this morning and he got into Indianapolis today at 11:14am.  So, dad is home now, but we will see him Christmas or maybe earlier if he feels better and wants to fly somewhere and meet us.

Since we had to be in Portland so early, we drove down last night and spent the night.  After dropping dad off at the airport, mom and I took highway 1 back up the coast.  We stopped in all the small towns along the coast: Bath, Booth Bay, Falmouth, Camden, etc… and we found a Walmart along the way so that we could get a camera!  It took us 12 hours!!!!    But we did stop for lunch and dinner, so I don’t think it counts as driving for that long.  I still think that I like Bar Harbor the best though.  It is the most picturesque.  Booth Bay is now kind of cheesy and over- run with cheap, crappy t-shirt stores.  And not good t-shirts either.  Mothball smelling t-shirts.  You know the kind I’m talking about.

So, We are back now and I’m exhausted.  I hope my dad gets feeling better soon.  We met a couple from Michigan and a couple for Minnesota that are one their own travels and they are now headed to Niagara Falls, so they are sort of doing the reverse of what we just did.  I wish them happy and safe travels!

Good night.  Happy Trails.