The weather in Bangor has been really nice -- in the high 60s to low 70s during the day. We are taking care of a 16 year old cat and while he does have medications in the morning and the evenings, he does not require a lot of care. He does like to go outside from time to time and will sit out on the deck or walk in the yard. Then he comes and stands by the door until you let him back in.
It is just over an hours drive to Acadia National Park, so we decided on Thursday to drive to Acadia after feeding Fido (the cat). As you arrive at Acadia, you see beautiful wooded shorelines as go across a bridge to the island. The national park and private lands share the scenic island. Our first stop, was the visitors center, to find out information on what to see and where to hike. Lafayette National Park with its Mount Desert Island became the first eastern national park in 1919. In 1929, Lafayette National Park was renamed Acadia National Park. Much of the park was land acquired from private owners who wanted the Federal government to preserve the natural features of the island.
Visitor's Center
After talking with the park volunteer, we decide to hike the Precipice Loop Trail first. We understood from the volunteer that this hike is as much a climb as a hike for the .9 miles up to the summit of Champlain Mountain. He described it as a rung and rail trail. At points on the trail, you climb straight up. There are metal rungs on some of the straight up climbs and rails are placed along some of the paths that are narrow. Although it is a challenging hike, it is worth it when you get to the top. As the views of the Atlantic and the surrounding islands is phenomenal. The path back down to the bottom is much more gradual. Although the hike is just over 3 miles, it takes several hours to complete.
Photos from the Precipice Trails
After that, we head to another challenging trail called the Beehive Loop. This is also a rung and rail trail, but the climbing part is only about .3 miles of the 1.4 mile loop. From the top of Beehive you can see down to Sand Beach and Atlantic. The views were beautiful. After taking the gradual path down from the Beehive, we head to the Sand Beach. The sand at Sand Beach is made finely crushed shells that have collected in this unique cove. We drive on to Thunder Hole, which is a carved out inlet where rushing water can create a thunderous noise before high tide.
We made our way back out to the bridge and back to Bangor. We decided to head back to the house to feed Fido and then we went to the Sea Dog Brewing Company for dinner. The restaurant sits by the river and we were able to sit outside and eat under the outdoor heater. The restaurant first started in Camden, Maine and now has other locations in Maine, New Hampshire, and Florida.
Friday, we drove back to Acadia to do the walk up Cadillac Mountain. This is a 3.5 mile hike (7 miles round trip). It is a gradual uphill walk through forest with mossy undergrowth and later on a ridgeline of exposed granite. The trees are at peak or just slightly past peak. If you stopped walking on the forested part of the trail and stood perfectly still, you could hear the sound of leaves, acorns, and needle falling like a quieter version of a rain stick that has been turned over. There were great views from the trail to Cadillac Summit and even more beautiful views at the top.
Photos from the hike to Cadillac Mountain
After the hike, we drove to Bass Harbor Lighthouse. We took a short walk on the Shipyard Trail first and headed to the lighthouse just as the sun was setting. The parking lot was crowded, but it was worth the wait to see the views.
Sunset Bass Harbor
After two very strenuous days of hiking, it was nice to head back to our housesit to relax.
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