Acadia National Park
It has been a few days since my last blog post and, boy, do I have some fun (and funny) updates! For ease of reading, as well as comedic effect, I have decided to organize things by subject matter. Happy reading!
Whales
The starting premise was noble -- to see a whale in its natural habitat, rather than an aquarium -- but as the saying goes, "Whenever a man does a thoroughly stupid thing, it is always from the noblest motives" (Oscar Wilde). Allow me to set the scene.... Standing in our prime spot at the bow of the catamaran, we set off on our adventure. Never mind the obvious question -- why were there only two other people in this area with us (in fairness, there were a few others on the other side, but it was still a miniscule number when you consider that there were 200 people aboard the boat)?! Well, it wasn't long before we had our answer -- gusting winds, rain and rocky sea! After calling it quits and safely, if unsteadily, making our way inside the boat, Peytin coped by lulling herself to sleep, while I took full advantage of the boat-provided barf bags. Fast forward forty-five minutes, we hit calm open waters and, oh my, there is a humpback whale a few hundred yards in front of us! We spent the next hour standing outside in the rain and capturing some beautiful pictures -- woo hoo! Pictures secured and everyone feeling good, we headed back to shore. Sadly, our joy was short-lived as a geyser of vomit suddenly emerged from Peytin's mouth, covering her coat, stuffed animal, pants and shoes. Big sister Sydney stopped eating her snack long enough to grab assistance and, after returning with said assistance, continued to enjoy her snack. I cannot make this stuff up! So, here are a few questions and answers for you - 1. did we all have a great perspective in spite of all the hiccups -- yes (Peytin is a real trooper!), 2. did I earn my mommy stripes -- double yes, and 3. was it worth it -- absolutely!
Maine Hotels
One of the benefits of staying in a less-than-four-star hotel is the fact that they offer valuable (yet overlooked) amenities not provided by the more name brand / boutique hotels of the world -- namely, washers and dryers. And so, rather than having spent a fortune for laundry service at one of those fancy hotels, I was able to wash and dry two loads of smelly laundry for $7.50. Priceless!
Lobster
In keeping with the Bubba Gump theme, please add lobster fra diavola and lobster cocktail to the list of "101 ways to prepare and eat lobster".
Acadia National Park
Acadia is the oldest national park east of the Mississippi River and the only national park in the Northeast. And while Acadia may be the fifth smallest national park by land area, it is among the top ten most visited, hosting more than 2 million people each year. We loved exploring the diverse landscape -- lakes, mountains, forests, rocky coast and carriage roads -- and had a blast frolicking in the water at Sand Beach (still cold water, but more tolerable), completing the girls' Junior Ranger activity workbooks, hiking to the top of Bubble Rock (a half mile trek that was pretty tough and, quite frankly, scary once you reached the top -- no guard rail!), and driving to the summit of Cadillac Mountain which, at 1,532 feet, is the highest point along the North Atlantic Seaboard and is the first place to view sunrise in the US from October thru March. Hey, that CD guide for $12.95 was worth every penny!
Moose
Spotting a moose in Maine is almost as difficult as spotting a Black person! With respect to the former, we never saw a single moose, and with respect to the latter, I honestly don't think I saw more than a handful of Black folks during our entire trek through Maine. It bears repeating that everyone was incredibly friendly, but it's still an interesting tidbit in such an increasingly diverse country!
Camera Lenses
Now that I have upgraded my camera body, it is time to invest in some new lenses. I cannot tell you the number of photography enthusiasts I came across with some serious hardware. Let the research begin!
Closing Thoughts
Acadia National Park will always hold a special place in our hearts as it is the first national park we ever visited and our first encounter with the Junior Ranger program, a great way to get kids interested in conservation and the environment.
Overall, an amazing experience in an incredibly beautiful and diverse (geographically, of course) state! Already looking forward to a return trip.
Drive to Montreal
If you truly want to experience a state or country, then try driving to your destination! The total trip mileage was 337 miles, with 260 of them consisting of a single lane highway through the countryside -- both in Maine and Canada. Wow, who knew there was so much farmland and that the Canadian countryside would look nearly identical to that of Maine?! Unfortunately, it rained most of the way, but I managed to stay awake by taking in the beautiful scenery, keeping an eye out for deer and moose (my favorite sign was the one depicting a deer with the words "high hit area" -- how's that for ensuring you stay alert?!) and trying to decipher Quebec traffic signs. Here's my favorite, although keep in mind that the straight line can appear at various points along the arrow:
A Google search reveals that it depicts a curved road with a "side road junction" which, in this case, would be on the right side. Go figure!
Montreal Hotels
We arrived safely into Montreal and made great time. Please ignore my earlier shoutout to less-than-four-star hotels. We just checked into our Montreal hotel and this is how travel should look -- junior suite, room service, and a glass bottom indoor pool -- now, that's truly priceless and much needed after the longer journey (did I mention that I am doing all the driving (smile))?!
Okay, that's it for Blog Number Two. Heading to bed so that we can get an early start on the next leg of our adventure!
P.S. In the interest of full disclosure, I had never heard and/or used the Oscar Wilde quote before but, hey, there's a reason the guys behind Google are billionaires!