By now things start to get very quiet in Maine. What tourists there were are mostly gone and residents begin hunkering down as weather dips into the 30’s. Before becoming housebound I decided to wander with the destination being Acadia National Park.
Between Rockport and Acadia, there’re not many attractions, but one that always gets my attention is the new bridge that crosses the Penobscot River and connects the mainland to Verona Island. One of these days I’m going to take the time to go up to the observatory which is the tallest on a public bridge in the world. Rising 420 feet, it should provide quite a view of the surrounding area.
With lobster being a featured food in Maine, it is not uncommon to find lobster shacks along the coast. Most are now closed, but this one had lobster pots steaming making it possible for me to have one more lobster roll!
Arriving in Acadia, I determined my destination to be Jordan Pond and Cadillac Mountain, two of the most visited sites in the park. By the way, do you know that Acadia is second only to Yellowstone when it comes to attracting visitors?
En route were several opportunities to stop and capture the view. While leaves were past their peak, there was still enough color to be breathtaking.
Since Acadia is on the coast, there are some magnificent water views opening to Frenchman Bay and its islands. Much of this coastal area was mapped and named by Samuel Champlain in the early 1600’s. He is also credited with naming much of what is on Mount Desert (pronounced dessert) Island, and those names reflect the area’s French heritage.
Winding my way to Cadillac Mountain I could not help but think about how difficult it must have been to cut a road through the heavily forested and rock covered land. Thinking about that was a reminder not to take anything for granted.
At the top of the mountain, the tallest on the eastern seaboard, the view of the Atlantic Ocean, Maine’s rugged coastline and surrounding area is majestic.
It feels like you can see forever at least until the fog starts rolling in making it impossible to see much more than what is right in front of you. Believe me, that happens in the blink of an eye!
It got cold and windy on the mountain top in a hurry, so it didn’t take much for me to leave and head to Jordan Pond.
What many people enjoy here is the restaurant famous for its popovers. With Covid restrictions it was not seating its usual crowds, but there were people lounging in the grass enjoying the splendor of the surrounding view.
Jordan Pond is a great starting place for hikes through the woods. Most of these are not too challenging and provide opportunity to experience quiet beauty. A plus is there is ample parking.
Though there wasn’t a lot of time for hiking, I did take advantage of place to do a short walk through the woods. Being surrounded by nature is one of my favorite things.
A day isn’t long enough to experience Acadia, but a taste of it was enough for a perfect day of wandering. I know there will always be a next time.
Lulu's Musings 
We enjoyed Acadia National park on our visit there…it was a sunny summer day and couldn’t have been nicer. Thanks for the memories.
My pleasure. Acadia is lovely in all seasons.
What a lovely outing, beautiful scenery, a walk in the woods and a lobster roll!
Jenna
You recognize it for what it was…perfect!
Beautiful photos, Linda. We sure hope to travel to Acadia National Park in the future.
I’m waiting for you to come to Maine!
Wonderful Special You.
Love your spectacular photos of Maine’s beauty any time of the year.
Thank you. There is so much beauty here.
We enjoyed Acadia National park! Actually we enjoyed Maine very much. Thanks for the beautiful memories! Your captures were superb!
Thank you. Easy to get good shots when there is so much beauty.
I’ll have to put Acadia on my list of places to try to go to. I love that last photo.
About two, maybe three, years ago we spent the whole month of October in Castine. Everything just about shut down on Columbus Day — even the small grocery store there. But the colors were spectacular. We went up to the top of that new bridge, and the view was spectacular. I’d do it all over again, if I could. With or without the grocery store!
Yes, after Columbus Day things get pretty quiet in these parts and even more so as winter sets in.
Lovely photographs…would love to visit that part of the world one day !
Lulu I love the photos! Lobster rolls are my favorite so I’m jealous! I’m so glad you got one! Yippee!!
Wow. I have been how lobster rolls are made?
Sometimes it’s lobster mixed with a little mayo on a buttered toasted split top bun. Others are lobster on the bun with a side of melted butter. Anything else is not a real lobster roll by Maine standards.
Thanks for the info! I probably had another version in Connecticut! 😦