Category: Exploring Maine

Posted in: Exploring Maine, Food, National Park, National Parks, Sightseeing

Jordan Pond House (Acadia National Park)

Written by tepetravels 1 Comment on Jordan Pond House (Acadia National Park)

After our morning hike, the boys and I stopped at Jordan Pond House for lunch. They are known for their popovers and tea.

The prices seemed a little high to me, although there was already a line and a waitlist when we got there a only few minutes after they opened.

We waited about 45 minutes and got a seat in the main room. There are some tables with a nice view of the pond, so I would ask for a window seat!

I ended up getting tea and we all tried a popover. They were good (but still just a regular popover). It was a beautiful setting to relax in. There was a trail around the pond as well (about 3 miles).

Posted in: Exploring Maine, Hiking, National Park, National Parks

Hiking Acadia: Hunters Beach Trail

Written by tepetravels

One of the trails that was recommended to us was the Hunters Beach Trail. Like a lot of the trails in Acadia, the trailhead is only marked by a wooden marker, which is really easy to miss when driving by. I loved having the AllTrails App, as it had the trail and gave directions on how to get to it.

The parking lot was small, maybe room for 3-5 cars.

The trail itself wasn’t difficult, as it was relatively flat. However, there were tree roots everywhere! It made the hike a little slower as we watched where we stepped. We did come back with one twisted ankle when a tree root sneak attacked and wasn’t laying as flat as it appeared to be.

There were a couple of little bridges and a small boardwalk. A lot of the trail ran next to the creek, which led to the open water. The beach was beautiful, but rocky.

Posted in: Exploring Maine, Hiking, National Park, National Parks

Hiking Acadia: Homans and Emery Paths

Written by tepetravels

School is winding down. The boys and I decided to take a hike in Acadia. Well, ok…I decided to drag them away from video games for a hike. I found one that was listed as easy on the AllTrails app, but looked like it might keep them occupied. It was a combination of two trails, Homans and Emery. I would say this trail was more towards the moderate level since it was mostly stone steps in both directions.

There were a couple of spots where the trail narrowed or you might have to duck down to get through. It was still a nice trail with some great views at the top. You could see a creek winding through a meadow, the town below, and the ocean. Nick liked all the rocks to climb and only hurt himself 2 or 3 times.

It was a neat trail, but not one to do if you have knee or ankle problems. My ankle twinged a few times even with hiking boots on.

Posted in: Animal Sightings, Exploring Maine, National Park, National Parks

Driving The Park Loop Road in Acadia National Park

Written by tepetravels 1 Comment on Driving The Park Loop Road in Acadia National Park

Acadia has a great Park Loop Road that shows you some of the amazing views in the park. There are several spots for pull-offs along the way for views and trailheads. We somehow turned off of the Park Loop at an intersection and had to find our way back in from one of the little towns. Cell phone signal is very spotty around the park, so get your GPS started while you have a good signal. (NOTE: You can get your park pass at the Hulls Visitor Center, Jordan Pond House, or there is a ticket booth area on the Loop.)

We saw wild turkeys, the water hitting the cliff areas, and lots of lakes and ponds. We stopped at Sand Beach and walked down to see it. It was a beautiful area with a sandy beach. Most of the beaches in Acadia are rocky, but this one had a nice fine sand.

Posted in: Exploring Maine, Hiking, National Park, National Parks, Sightseeing

Catching The Sunrise On Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park (Maine)

Written by tepetravels 2 Comments on Catching The Sunrise On Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park (Maine)

One of things we never do back home is wake up early to catch the sunrise. Apparently, this the thing to do when near Acadia! The sun rises a bit earlier here, so we woke up at 3:30 am to make it up to Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park. (Starting 5/26, you will need to buy a car pass ($6) to access Cadillac Mountain.)

The parking lot was already pretty full, but we did find a spot. We walked across the rocky top and found a spot to watch Mother Nature’s show. It was an amazing view overlooking the city, the islands, and the bay/ocean. When the sun peaked over the edge, the pinks and reds were reflected in the water.

I probably will not make a habit of watching the sunrise often, but it was definitely worth getting up early for.

Posted in: Exploring Maine, Sightseeing

Exploring Bar Harbor, Maine

Written by tepetravels 1 Comment on Exploring Bar Harbor, Maine

We finally made it to our Northernmost Eastern Coast stop: Maine. For our stay here, we focused on being near Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park.

We had never been to Maine and were eager to explore. Bar Harbor is a cute waterfront town. There are several parking lots and the streets are lined with parking meters. We saw a sign stating that paid parking was in effect May to October. The lots are pay by machine or app, and the parking meters are pay by credit card/quarters or app. The weekend was very busy and parking was hard to come by. I was not expecting it to be this busy so early in the season. The town itself didn’t really open up until around 10:00 for most stores.

Town: fountain, park overlooking water, playground and little library, shops

We found the one pressed penny machine in town inside a store. (The National Park did not have one, so if you collect pressed pennies, you have to go into town.)

There was a great walking path around the water called the Shore Path. There were also historical signs around the town called The Museum In The Streets. There was some interesting information on them and are found throughout Bar Harbor.

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