Skip to main content

New England Road Trip Day 3 - Acadia National Park

The ultimate destination of the New England Road Trip was Acadia National Park.  We arrived at Acadia at about 1 pm along with our travel companion for the trip - known as fog.  Though the fog stayed with us for most of our time on Mount Desert Island - the time spend there was awesome.  And it is somewhere I certainly hope to visit again and spend more time.



664

As you can see the fog was with us for most of our time at Acadia.

We weren't able to do the entire loop road or get to Cadillac Mountain.  However, what we did see was some of the signature rugged coastline that Acadia and the Maine Coast is famous for.  The flickr set for the Acadia Loop Road is here.

One of the first stops on the Park Loop road is an overlook of Frenchman Bay.  The Porcupine Islands and the town of Bar Harbor are two of the main features of Frenchman Bay.

Heading into the abyss

Just prior to the park's main entrance station - there is a small offshoot road that leads to a scenic view of Egg Rock and allows you a chance to explore the rocky coastline.

574

576

Sea Gull Profile

You also can share your time with a feather friend or two.

Sand Beach on warm sunny afternoon's is a very popular spot.  It's not as much on a chilly foggy day'; however, the character of this little cove really comes through.

605

608

615

654

From Sand Beach to Otter Point - the opportunities to stop and take photos and explore the coastline are endless.

628

The rocky cliffs of Acadia National Park

Otter Cliff - at 110 feet above the Atlantic Ocean - is one of the most impressive - or frightening - spots in all of Acadia National Park.

660
658

As you can see it's a long way down!

663

668

After Otter Point, the loop road continues to run along the coastline at a more gentle slope.

684

Just beyond the Wildwood Stables, we headed off the loop road and back on to Maine 3 to head Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse which is one of the most popular spots on Mount Desert Island.  Once we got on ME 3, we came across this rather interesting highway shield.

689

Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse is the only lighthouse that is physically located on Mount Desert Island.  It has been in operation since 1858 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The lightkeeper's home is the residence of the commander of the local US Coast Guard Unit.

My set of photos from Bass Harbor is located here.


Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse

The best vantage point of the light, cliffs and waters around it is to take any of the trails to the left or the right of the lighthouse.  Be very careful on the cliffs though.  There are not any railing or other pathways on the cliffs.

700

704

711

Fortunately, the fog started to lift as we were there.

719

Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse is also the key feature in a modern version of the classic WPA style posters that Rand Doug Enterprises has made for Acadia National Park.  Now, that I have visited the park I will certainly be buying one to add to my collection.  (I need to blog about that some day).

Acadia and Mount Desert Island was a great visit.  I only wish we had more time to explore more of the park and Bar Harbor.  Cadillac Mountain and biking the numerous carriage roads within the park are still on the to do list.  Hopefully, I will get to do that next time.  But even if it is only for a half day to explore and drive around the park, it is certainly worth it.



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Interstate 40's Tumultuous Ride Through the Pigeon River Gorge

In the nearly 60 years Interstate 40 has been open to traffic through the Pigeon River Gorge in the mountains of Western North Carolina, it has been troubled by frequent rockslides and damaging flooding, which has seen the over 30-mile stretch through North Carolina and Tennessee closed for months at a time. Most recently, excessive rainfall from Hurricane Helene in September 2024 saw sections of Interstate 40 wash away into a raging Pigeon River. While the physical troubles of Interstate 40 are well known, how I-40 came to be through the area is a tale of its own. Interstate 40 West through Haywood County near mile marker 10. I-40's route through the Pigeon River Gorge dates to local political squabbles in the 1940s and a state highway law written in 1921. A small note appeared in the July 28, 1945, Asheville Times. It read that the North Carolina State Highway Commission had authorized a feasibility study of a "...water-level road down [the] Pigeon River to the Tennessee l...

Massena Center Suspension Bridge

The Massena Center Bridge, also known as the Holton D. Robinson Bridge, has had quite the tumultuous history. Situated on the Grasse River just east of Massena, New York in the hamlet of Massena Center, the Massena Center Bridge is a reminder of the efforts the community has made in order to connect over the river. The first and only other known bridge to be built at Massena Center was built in 1832, but that bridge was never long for this world. During the spring of 1833, the Grasse River dammed itself due to an ice dam, flooded and lifted the bridge off its foundation, destroying the bridge in the process.  The floods were frequent in the river during the spring, often backing up the river from Hogansburg and past Massena Center, but not to nearby Massena. After the first bridge disappeared, local residents had to resort to traveling seven miles west to Massena to cross the next closest bridge, and that was no easy task for a horse and buggy. However, it was many decades befo...

The Dead Man's Curve of Interstate 90 and Innerbelt Freeway in Cleveland

"Dead Man's Curve" refers to the transition ramp Interstate 90 takes between Cleveland Memorial Shoreway onto the Innerbelt Freeway in downtown Cleveland, Ohio.  Said curve includes a sharp transition between the two freeways which is known for a high rate of accidents.  Currently the curve (not officially named) has a 35 MPH advisory speed and numerous safety features intended to mitigate crashes.  When the Interstate System was first conceived during 1956, Interstate 90 was intended to use the entirety Cleveland Memorial Shoreway and connect to the Northwest Freeway through Lakewood.  The Innerbelt Freeway was initially planned as the northernmost segment of Interstate 71.  The extension of Cleveland Memorial Shoreway west of Edgewater Park was never constructed which led to Interstate 90 being routed through the Innerbelt Freeway.   Part 1; the history of Cleveland's Innerbelt Freeway and Deadman's Curve The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 was signe...