We converted the motel room back to a truck, packed up and hit the road early. It had rained most of the night, but little was wet (just the patio roof). We stayed warm and dry in our room. We wanted to get a head start over the morning rush hour traffic and succeeded. Our destination was Bar Harbor, Maine located on Mt. Desert Island.
After about an hour and a half on the Interstate, we exited the raceway and took to the back roads. Our first planned stop was a seafood restaurant in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. This place has the best fried clams in the universe. There is no better way to start a day than with a fried clam breakfast. To our dismay, though, it was closed. It was now the off-season and they only opened on the weekend. RATS!!! Plan B…cold Pop Tarts.
We drove the coastal roads all the way to Mt. Desert Island stopping for photo opportunities. There were lots of them. Quaint fishing villages and lots of tourist traps. We stayed out of those. Our itinerary called for us to spend three nights in the Acadia National Park near Bar Harbor. That would give us enough time to explore everything on the island we wanted.
The campground was on the southwest side of the island called the “Quiet Side”. Not much tourism along these routes so it would make for quite nights. We arrived around 4 PM after the leisurely drive up the coast. We set up camp, made dinner and kicked back for the evening. That’s when the wind started to pick up. The wind howled all night long and it made for restless sleeping. Oh well. Mother Nature.
The next day we toured Bar Harbor itself. Bar Harbor is located on the east side of the island and was once considered a small fishing and ship-building community. Today, it is a tourist destination (with tourist prices). We were surprised, it being a weekday and the off-season, at the amount of tourists on the street. Surprised until we walked into view of the harbor and saw a tour ship anchored there. Oh well. Our timing really stinks sometimes.
Once we became tired of elbowing our way through the sightseers, we headed to a lobster pound we had picked out for our lobster dinner. The lobster industry is old and a staple of income for many on the Maine and Canadian coast. Click this link ..Lobster.... to learn what a lobster pound is and about the lobster industry.
After a wonderful dinner….mmmmmm..lobsta (Maine pronunciation)….we went back to camp and settled in for the night. It had gotten very cold since the morning (mid 40F/7C) and we wanted to make sure we got a good, warm night’s sleep. And we did.
The next morning was down right cold. Our thermometer read 36F/2C. We decided to get a hot shower and get coffee on the road. Thank goodness the bathhouse was heated. Our plan for the day was to see the natural sights of the island and visit some of the fishing villages. The National Park has a scenic route taking you through the mountainous region of the island as well as the rough, rocky seacoast. With the leaves changing color and a cool nip in the fresh sea air, the day was filled with sights beyond description. Check out our album link below for a glimpse of what we experienced.
Worn out by our exploring we headed back to camp for an early turn-in and an early start the next morning to our next destination: Maine’s northern coastline.
See Day 2 Album: Click here.
See Day 3 Album: Click here.
See Day 4 Album: Click here.
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