September 27, 2022
Enchanted Princess/Bar Harbor, Maine
70s, cloudy, fog,
some sun
As we took the tender/water shuttle to Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island at 9 a.m. this morning,
it was low tide, and we could see many lobster traps “buoys” on the way in. I
wore my jacket, sweater, and turtleneck expecting it to be quite cool, but the
weather turned out to be just right today. The town of 5,000 was like a lot of other resorts, Estes Park, Corning, Skagkway, and more--quaint, lots of shops, restaurants, ice cream, and bakeries.
TK planned a tour that was just perfect with Acadia National Park Tours
(www.acadiatours.com). The van was
clean and the driver/tour guide, Ron, was very congenial and knowledgeable. He
was the kind of person who just pulls you in with his stories and information. For example, he told us about Martha Stewart and Dick Wolf, who both have homes here. He also mentioned that there are 2000 islands that are part of the state of Maine.
near where we were picked up by the van
where we secured our pre-paid tickets
view of Main Street and the ocean
Our first stop on the tour
Cadillac Mountain is the highest point on the eastern seaboard It is 1,527 ft. high. As my stomach started to get just a little queasy I remembered my visit to Estes Park--this mountain was easier on my stomach.
At the summit
TK found wild Maine blueberries!
Along the road--very foggy. If not foggy, one can see the ocean from here
The Great Meadow
The Wild Gardens of Acadia
These gardens were a nice surprise. The Wild Gardens of Acadia in Acadia National Park, Maine were created and is maintained by a group of volunteers. The gardens reflect the typical habitats that are found on Moount Desert Island. More than 300 native species are labeled in nine different display areas.
Coniferous woods area
Pond area
Meadow area
New England asters
Mountain area
TK
Thunder Hole
According to Ron, Thunder Hole is a carved out inlet along the rocky eastern shoreline of Mount Desert Island. When a storm or the turning tide forces waves into this narrow channel, the air escapes with a thunderous reverberation that is both deafening and thrilling. We did not hear the thunder.
Testa Bar & Grill
TK did his homework and researched where the best lobster rolls were--others concurred, but said they are good most places. We chose Testa
Testa Bar & Grill
TK
Janie at Testa
Ironically, Randy and Coleen were at Testa on June 26, 2004!
This is Randy's photo! The big lobster is no longer there.
My delicious lobster roll and my favorite fries
Close up of Janie's lobster roll!
TK opted for lobster roll, homemade chips, and chowder
Blueberry pie!
Total cost: $102 + $20 tip USD--lobster isn't cheap
Obviously we lingered in many shops before we ate, but now it was time to return to our ship. We were quite surprised to see the longest line we have ever seen queuing up for a tender--at least 500 people. Many people were not happy happy. I do not know what caused this situation, the tide, the lobster pots all along the "path," the lobster boats, to the ship, the fog, lack of planning, who knows. We waited over an hour. Finally two tenders came and we were able to board, but many were still left behind to wait for another tender.
On our way back to the ship-there were lots of lobster boats !
It took almost 3 hours to upload the photos in this post--Internet has become very slow. It worked out because we were too full to go to dinner and I spent some of the time writing and uploading photos while listening to live music in the atrium. Now it is time to prepare for tomorrow at St. John and we turn the clock forward an hour!
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