New England Trip 2022 (Part 2)

continued from New England Trip 2022 (Part 1)....

8/7/22 SUNDAY

We packed up and checked out out of the InnSeason. From there, we took the scenic Kancamagus Highway on our way to Maine. We stopped a few times to check out the views and take a short hike to a waterfall.

-Hancock Overlook

-Pemigewasset Overlook

-Sugar Hill Overlook

-Sabbaday Falls

We tried to eat our picnic lunch at Range Pond State Park once we got into Maine, but that was a bust. It would've been expensive just to eat quick and not enjoy the park so we turned around and found a different spot. Then it was raining pretty hard and stormed a bit during our drive. You could see hail on the road that we thankfully missed driving through. 

We arrived to our little cottage Airbnb in Sedgwick, ME around 3:15pm. We quickly deposited our bags, repacked our backpacks, and then made a mad dash driving to Bar Harbor so we could find some food before our Sunset Cruise. Subway ended up being closed so we grabbed a hot dog, some chili dogs, and a pulled pork sandwich at a stand. They were crazily over priced, especially Tim's pork sandwich, but we were hungry so we just ate.

Then it was time to board our boat. On the cruise, we learned about some of the buildings along the coast, saw some lighthouses, and caught some glimpses of an eagle, harbor seals, and some harbor porpoises. Between being out on the ocean and the smell of the sea, Sonya felt a little seasick even with a dose of dramamine and some seabands. Towards the end of the cruise, she seemed to be enjoying things a little more.

Seals!! (There are three in this photo)

Since our dinner was subpar and we were hungry, we enjoyed some ice cream after the cruise and checked out a few shops in Bar Harbor before heading back to Sedgwick. (You can tell that Caleb was super enthused for this pic. haha! I think we were all tired by this point. It was a long day).

8-8-22 MONDAY

Acadia National Park - Bar Harbor, ME

Acadia doesn't have a lot of parking in the park itself so we chose to use the free shuttle system. We parked in the main lot, grabbed some food, and took a shuttle to our first stop, Sand Beach.

Then we hiked along the Ocean Path to Thunder Hole. Sonya was still feeling a bit nauseous from the drive to the park and from the smell of the ocean so she didn't have as much fun as Caleb who was climbing every giant rock he saw.

Thunder Hole

Thunder Hole is a rock that has been carved out by the water that creates a thunder sound when the waves come in fast and hard. It was kind of cool, but there were a lot of people hanging out in that area so we didn't stay long.

More hiking along the Ocean Path. The views were stunning and we all enjoyed climbing up and down the rocks along the coast.

A weird tree... and a weird Tim (haha!)

Jordan Pond

From Thunder Hole, we caught a shuttle to Jordan Pond. It's a beautiful lake with a boardwalk trail that circles it. We just walked about 1/3 of the way around and then turned around so that we could make the shuttle back to our car and not be stranded there. 

Froggy

We tried to hit up KFC in Ellsworth for dinner, but the line was really long since they didn't have indoor seating at the time. So we went to Wendy's where we ran into the same situation, but just decided to wait. Once we had our fries and sandwiches, we drove over to the marina park to eat by the water and then drove back to the house where we watched "Superman" before bed.

8-9-22 TUESDAY

Barred Island - Deer Isle, ME

We packed up our belongings before driving to Deer Isle where we hiked along the Barred Island Preserve trail. The terrain along the trail was like waves of different colored moss. The photos don't even do it justice. Barred Island is separated from the mainland by a sandbar that is only accessible during low tide. Otherwise, the sandbar gets buried by 5 feet of water during high tide. It was a fun place to climb more rocks and look for crabs.

A nice guy left me a note in the sand :-)

We tried to grab a snack at a local cafe, but they were out of baked goods by the time we stopped. So we ate our picnic lunch by the causeway and then got some donuts at Dunkin Donuts. Then we drove to Tidal Falls Preserve.

Tidal Falls Preserve - Hancock, ME

This is where we saw a TON of starfish. We had to be careful while walking along the edge of the water because there were so many hiding under the little rocks and in small pools. 

lobster traps

hermit crab

 

Acadia National Park - Schoodic Peninsula, ME

We decided to visit a different area of Acadia National Park, not as highly trafficked. Schooner Point was our favorite spot where the view was amazing and there were more rocks to climb around on. 

We also did a quick stop near Prospect Lighthouse. We couldn't get closer because the road was blocked off by the military.

Ruth & Wimpy's Restaurant - Hancock, ME

Tim and I had never really had lobster before since we're not a huge seafood family. But, when in Maine, one has to have lobster. So we stopped at Ruth & Wimpy's Restaurant where the wait was supposed to be only 15 minutes or so. It ended up being closer to an hour (and then waiting another 30 minutes for our food). Rather than going with a full lobster and having to deal with cracking it open, etc, we got one order of lobster claws cooked in butter. (The kids didn't even try it... lol)

Since dinner took longer than expected, we got to our hotel in Waterville, ME later than planned and pretty much just crashed for the night.

8-10-22 WEDNESDAY

We ate breakfast at the hotel and then made our way from Maine, through New Hampshire, to the Vermont airport. On the way, we stopped by the World's Largest Telephone and had lunch by Cannon in Franconia Notch State Park. 

A really old gas pump that was still in use

World's Largest Telephone - Bryant Pond, ME

One of many little churches along our drive

Once we arrived in Burlington, we grabbed some subs at Subway and drove to the airport. No hitches in our direct flight to Chicago. We actually arrived early and the shuttle bus was there to take us to our car. We made it home by 9:30pm-ish. The end. :-)

Chicago