The Maine Thing

Over the past twenty-five years, Kevin and I have tried to mark significant anniversaries with some kind of extravagant indulgence - usually in the form of a special vacation. We maintain our aspiration to make sure each trip has the potential to top - or at lest equal - the last one. 

With that in mind, we managed to create some diverse experiences for ourselves. For our fifth anniversary in 2006, we spent an extended weekend with a friend at her timeshare in Orlando and I saw Disney World for the first time. For our tenth anniversary in 2011 we realized our long held dream of staying on a horse farm in Tuscany. We celebrated our fifteenth anniversary in Hawaii, which also helped us with our goal of visiting as many national parks as possible (in this case Volcanoes). Unfortunately, our twentieth in 2021 was a dud due to COVID, so we were determined to make twenty-five extra special to make for that.

Choosing a destination wasn't easy. We had all kinds of ideas from taking a canal barge cruise in France (with a bit of extra time in Paris - a city we have always hoped to revisit) to a ten-day jaunt through Scotland, to an expedition cruise in the South Pacific to a Vegas trip. We also thought it would be a good time to see another national park. Given the state of the world right now, and the mess the airline industry has turned into, we have become a bit skittish about traveling abroad, so the national park idea won out. We also thought it best to stay as close to home as possible. Acadia is on the east coast. It's not a long flight so less can go wrong (it would even be drivable if we felt up to the task). Maine is the only state on the east coast I have never visited, so it would be a novelty for me. What sealed the deal was that our favorite eco-tour company, Natural Habit Adventures runs a tour of Acadia and the surrounding area in the early fall, conveniently around the time of our anniversary. Picking that trip was a no-brainer.

So, with no further ado, I'll tell you all about it.

Day 1

Some vacations you know are going to be special right from the start. The travel gods were smiling on us from the moment we left. Our taxi ride to the airport was quick and free from traffic. We reached the airport and the TSA employees were friendly and cheerful. (Also, the newly-refurbished LGA terminal is gorgeous.) Our flight was on time and boarded quickly. The flight was fast and smooth. We landed in Bangor exactly when we were supposed to.

As we descended, I looked out the window and saw live for the first time the distinctive, glacially-created coastline full of islands and coves and peninsulas. It looks like it could be a doodle by a small child (or Slartibartfast). 

Our guides, Arthur and Tiffany were there at the terminal pick us up and take us to our hotel.

We stayed at the Bangor Residence Inn for only one night. We had a few hours of free time before dinner, so we went to walk and explore. 

Bangor doesn't have much to offer in the tourism department. We started with the landmark Paul Bunyan statue adjacent to our hotel.

Then we followed to the Penobscot river to a waterfront park where there was an interesting flea market going on. The most impressive part of the walk was a display of work by local artists posted along the fence line. The paintings all depicted aspects of life in Maine - some in a more realistic way than others.

We returned to the hotel and I went to the pool to swim a few laps and loosen up those muscles that were forced to sit much of the day. Then it was time to have dinner and our welcome presentation. This was also the time we met the other guests.

The hotel provided us with a private room with food from their excellent restaurant (said to be the best in Bangor). They put out quite a spread for us. We all introduced ourselves and then Arthur gave us a slideshow with our itinerary (which is never set in stone) and what our expectations should be.

There were six of us on this trip. We traveled with two other couples: Winslow and Charles from North Carolina and Pat and Greg from Michigan.  Fortunately there were no divas among them. Everyone was easygoing, friendly, and fun to hang out with. All of them were retirees with an impressive list of travel experiences in their pasts. 

Kevin and I were the youngest of the group and far less well-traveled and at times I felt we were the odd people out. Kevin isn't even that much younger than the rest of them (after all, he is recently retired himself) but they often referred to us as the "young people". If there was one thing that bothered me about this trip it is that I often felt excluded from conversations. One of my traveling companions said on the last day how quiet we were. I said nobody ever accuses me of being quiet! I even made a bit of a snarky comment that I wouldn't be quiet if people bothered to talk to me. I would try to get in on conversations and they would railroad right over me. (I suppose it serves me right given how I tend to do that to other people.) They also seemed to monopolize a lot of the conversation with the guides. There was one fellow traveler who did make more of an effort to talk to me directly (the same one who called me quiet). I'm not saying this to disparage these people. They were all kind and I don't think they were trying to exclude us, I think they sort of assumed we were younger than we were (one of them guessed I was in my early forties - a delightful assumption) and that we wouldn't have much in common. Kevin was less bothered, but I'm both an extrovert and rather sensitive, so it sometimes did make me feel a bit rejected. Again, this didn't spoil the trip for me all. In general, the group had plenty of fun together.

Day 2

We began our adventures the next morning. I hit the gym before breakfast because I knew I wouldn't have too many opportunities to lift during the trip. After breakfast we were on the road.

Our first stop was Steven King's house. He no longer lives there, but his foundation keeps and maintains the house as a place to archive his work and as a writer's retreat. The house looks the way one would expect his house to look. It's a sprawling Victorian. The gates are decorated with bats and spiders. Bizarre wooden carvings decorate the lawn and the porch. Someone also cleverly decorated the gate with a clown mask and a red balloon.

Then it was time for the nature part of the trip. We started in the Bangor City Forest, which led to the Orono Bog, a major research spot for the University of Maine as well as a public park. The bog was formed by glaciers, and maintained by rainwater. It has a one-mile loop of boardwalk so hikers can walk without sinking into it. It was here that I first began to understand how special and unique Maine's natural beauty is. Everything looked pristine. It smelled fresh. There were ecosystems within the ecosystems. Moss, lichen, mushrooms, and tree saplings could all live symbiotically in a patch as if Mother Nature was planting a special garden there. The bog is filled with mushrooms and pitcher plants and blueberry bushes. I never knew until this trip blueberries turn a brilliant orange color in the fall.

Once we were back in the van Arthur noticed we were all breaking into the snack box, so we decided to stop for lunch. Most days we would have a picnic lunch. Arthur would text us the menu from a local deli and pick up our orders for us and bring them to a scenic picnic site. This was a smart move on his part since restaurant lunches take up time that could be better served exploring outdoors. However, Sunday afternoon was an exception and we had lunch at Archers on the Pier.

We headed to our next spot after lunch, the Owl's Head Lighthouse, one of Maine's fifty-seven lighthouses. I always think of lighthouses as tall structures, but this one wasn't tall, but sat on a high bluff, so it is still visible.

The lighthouse has a sweet legend attached to it. In the 1930s the keeper family had a springer spaniel named Spot who was trained to bark and ring the fog bell when the mail boat came in. One night there was a blizzard and the dog became distressed that the boat wasn't coming. The boat had become lost in the blizzard. Spot began barking and ringing the bell and the boat heard him and was able to to make its way safely to the island.

It started raining steadily at this point, so Arthur had to scrap the plan to hike to another lighthouse that afternoon. But on a NatHab trip, the guides can always come up with alternatives. We went to the Project Puffin Visitor's Center. This is an Audubon-sponsored project that reintroduced the Atlantic Puffin to the waters of Maine. I don't have any photos because there wasn't much to take photos of, but we learned the fascinating story of an ornithologist who brought a group of chicks to one of the small uninhabited bay islands to see if they would migrate back and reproduce. The project was successful. However, I saw no puffins on this trip as they are migrating at this point. (I saw some in Iceland. I'll be happy with that.)

The day was coming to an end so we moved into our new hotel for the evening, Lord Camden Inn in Camden. This is a beautiful little town on the Penobscot Bay. Our room had a balcony overlooking the town and the bay. We settled into our room and did a little pre-dinner shopping around the charming shops.

Our dinner that night was at an eclectic spot called Fresh & Co (no relation to the NY-area salad chain). 

(I know I am not doing food blog posts or food photos on this trip. I felt like the food wasn't really the focus on this trip and didn't take notes or photos for most of my meals. I am trying to give shoutouts to all the great restaurants regardless.)

Day 3

This was a day of nonstop adventures.

We had breakfast at Lord Camden Inn that was to die for. Think of your typical chain hotel breakfast. Now imagine that breakfast being completely homemade instead of reheated Sysco food. 

We started our day at Mount Battie in Camden Hills State Park (another example of how NatHab gets travelers away from the major tourist sites and shows them the local spots as well). We hiked to the peak and took in the view of Camden from there.

It was a tough hike to the top, but a beautiful one. The rains from the day before were gone and we had beautiful sunshine. The view of Penobscot Bay was beautiful from our hotel. Camden is also beautiful viewed from above.

But wait, there's more! There was still another way to view Camden. This time it was from the water. We bundled up and boarded a historic schooner, Surprise, for a sail around Penobscot Bay. We had an ornithologist on board, but the bird viewing wasn't impressive that day. I was happy to do nothing more than sit in the sun and enjoy the ride. We spotted local lighthouses and other schooners along the way.

We went back to Camden Hills for a picnic lunch at the base of Mount Battie and then took our adventures indoors for a while. We went to the Sail Power & Steam Museum. When I saw this on the itinerary, I wasn't too excited about it. I wanted to be outdoors exploring and not looking at old sailboats. As soon as I entered the place and met the curator, I changed my mind. The curator, Captain Jim Sharp, is some of the best local color you can find. This nonagenarian is an antique boat and maritime history enthusiast who owned many refurbished historic boats, chartered windjammer tours, sings sea shanties, and still hosts music jams every Sunday afternoon (his guitar hangs above his desk). 

The collection in the museum is unbelievable. For example, Nathaniel Bowditch literally wrote the book on marine navigation. This museum serves as the caretaker for some of his navigation instruments and a first edition of his book. 

He has artifacts from the arctic once owned by Donald McMillen who was one of the first explorers to reach the North Pole.

Some of Captain Jim's personal items are no less impressive. When you walk in, one of the first items you see is a large bowsprit. Jim goes on to tell the story of the ship it came from, that he later restored. There is a model of the ship in the museum as well and we spotted the ship in the harbor a few days later (he no longer owns it).

It goes to show you that you need to trust the NatHab guides when they take you somewhere. Whatever the experience, it won't disappoint.

Anyway, if I had been itching to stay outside, I had my chance. We did one last hike for the day. This time we walked to the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse. This was a fun walk (if a little bit tricky) across a granite breakwater to another lighthouse. This turned out to be a surprising spot for wildlife viewing. We saw porpoises, harbor seals, and cormorants.

It was a long day. I usually like to go back to my room and change into a nicer outfit for dinner. We had to go straight to the restaurant. We ate in an Italian restaurant called 40 Paper, which was once part of an old paper mill. I can't complain about the food, but the service was terribly slow. The server was apologetic and said it was due to a huge party that had come in at the same time, but it made for a long evening and we were all already exhausted from the day's activity.

Day 4

After a beautiful sunrise it was time to pack up yet again and leave Camden. We were  back on the road for the next hike.

We went to the observatory at the top of the Penobscot Narrows Bridge. Who would have thought of making a bridge tower into an observation deck? The tower is forty-two stories high and is the only bridge observatory in the US.

The views were not the best ones I saw on this trip. Mountains are better than bridges for views. However, I give the experience many coolness points.

The group noticed the old fort (Fort Knox, but not the Fort Knox) in the park next to the bridge. We decided we wanted to explore it. The history of the fort isn't all that exciting. The fort was more of a training facility and never saw battle, but it was fun to explore. We didn't have time to take a deep dive and tour the full facility, but we had some fun exploring the lower floors. We looked at the powder room and the bakehouse (I have to see the bake house!) as well. 

After lunch we made our first foray into Acadia. Most of my life I assumed Acadia existed entirely on Mt. Desert Island. Acadia occupies other bits of the surrounding area as well. Today we went to the part that resides on the Schoodic Peninsula. This was once a naval base and is now an educational center. 

We hiked a short trail, observing the fauna and taking in the sunshine (it's called Sundew after all), up to Schoodic Point, a beautiful granite beach. 

We ended our day at the old barracks buidling, now serving as an educational center and gift shop.

We headed to our next lodging, The Ark on Deer Isle. This place I describe as almost "painfully" charming. The owners clearly planned all the decor to the tiniest detail. I joke that if Martha Stewart were to stay here, she would say to them, "Guys, you don't have to work so hard." Words like "twee" and "kitsch" often came to mind when I was in the dining room, but I'm cool with that. I would rather too much attention to detail than not enough and I wish I had the skills to create an experience like this.

The building is quite old and the floor in our room was so uneven the furniture had bolsters under it to keep it from rocking. It also was set next to a beautiful pond. 

I had to excessive photos to capture the uniqueness of the place. 

It's main drawback was it was remote. There was no cute town to walk around. That wasn't a big loss given that our day was so busy we did little more than sleep there. We had dinner that night at the inn's excellent farm-to-table restaurant. 

Day 5

I jokingly called this day a three-course meal. We had three hikes that I said were like an appetizer, main course, and dessert. I suppose it was also like a typical workout with a warmup and cooldown.

Our first hike was in Deer Isle at the Settlement Quarry preserve. We hiked to trails that led to former granite quarries. During my trip I learned Deer Isle and nearby Crotch Island were major suppliers of granite to some of the most important structures on the east coast. Rockefeller Plaza, the New York Public Library, and the Washington Monument all contain Deer Isle granite. Deer Isle is no longer a major granite supplier, but Crotch Island is. (In case you are wondering why it is named that, they call it Crotch Island because it looks like a pair of pants when viewed from above.)

We had a little fun with group photos that day. The men decided to do an album cover photo. The women in the group had taken to wearing our hair in braids, so we called ourselves the Heidi Hos.

After the hike we went to the dock and boarded the mail delivery boat to Isle Au Haut. Barrett. our captain, gave us plenty of local history on the tour and provided more local color.

Isle au Haut  is an occupied island with roughly 100 year-round residents and can only be reached by boat. It also is home to yet another less-visited section of Acadia. We had a beautiful hike to a secluded beach here. 

We saw Captain Jim's boat in the water!

This is Crotch Island

So many islands in the bay.

The Isle au Haut church

The Isle au Haut General Store

Would you believe this is lichen?

It's cute how visitors hang the lobster buoys that wash up on the beach in this tree.

After a happy day in Isle au Haut we boarded the boat for the ride back to Deer Isle (and spotted a cluster of habor seals). But the day wasn't over yet. After a full day, Arthur thought it would be a good idea to wind down with one more hike. We went to Lookout Rock, a gentle hike that gave us a view of the Deer Isle Bridge. 

Then we went to another park where we could see and shoot the bridge from the bottom.

We went out to dinner this night to a restaurant called Finn and Fern. It looked like a casual coffee shop, but had some rather sophisticated food. Some members of the group said it was their favorite. We had a group shot taken in this one.

Day 6

We packed our bags again and left Deer Isle for Bar Harbor. We would be spending the remainder of our vacation exploring the main parts of Acadia. This day was low key. After the intense hikes of the previous days, I guess Arthur thought it would be good to take it down a notch.

Before we entered the park, we stopped at Caterpillar Hill. This is a massive blueberry barren that overlooks Penobscot Bay. We had another chance to see that color of that blueberry fall foliage. We also looked for birds.

There is too much granite and not enough topsoil in Maine for any real farming, but blueberries can grow in anything. 

Then we entered Acadia and went for a horse and carriage ride on the Acadia Carriage Trails. We had an entertaining driver. She was a woman from Alaska who wanted to spend some time "down south" (direction is relative I suppose). It was funny hearing her complain about the hot Maine summers. She talked at length about how John D. Rockefeller Jr. gave much of his money to the park and was responsible for building the trails. He was so meticulous and didn't want to use motor cars, so it took twenty-seven years to build them. Every signpost on the trail is identical and built to his specifications. She then talked about George Dorr and the founding of the park. She said she grew up with horses in Alaska, but only had been driving for three years. Her previous experience was with driving single horses and she came to Acadia to get experience driving pairs.

After the ride I had to pose with Mike and Ike and give them a good neck scratch. Too bad I had no carrots for them.

Before we had lunch we took a stroll through the Asticou Azalea Gardens. These planned, cultivated, and manicured gardens were a complete deviation from the wild woods and shorelines of our previous days, but was a beautiful spot. 

The next part of our day continued on foot. We explored Eagle Lake and Beaver Ponds. These were flat, easygoing walks that allowed us to take in the fall foliage and whatever flora and fauna we could find along the way. We spotted a few frogs.

The final Acadia stop was out to Compass Harbor. The hike included the foundation and ruins of George Dorr's home. The beach beyond was once his favorite beach where he dug out a saltwater pool and swam daily. 

We headed to our final lodging at the swanky Bar Harbor Inn. Although our room was a pretty standard hotel room, the property was immaculate, stunning, and adjacent to the town for dining and shopping. I took some time to go to the gym before dinner (I hadn't lifted since Sunday) and then we readied ourselves for dinner. We went to a restaurant in town called Table Salt. This was a special night because it was designated an anniversary celebration for Kevin and me. (That meant we didn't have to buy our own drinks.) Dinner was delicious and we got a sparkler with our dessert. Stores stay open late in Bar Harbor, so we were able to stroll around and do a bit of souvenir shopping. 

Day 7

This was a day tinged with sadness knowing it was our last. It was also a day tinged with anxiety knowing the nor'easter was traveling up the coast and we had no idea if we would be able to fly home the next day. Ferries and tour boats were canceling their trips for Saturday and Sunday. Everyone was anticipating a storm. 

We had to be awake extra early that morning because we were doing the obligatory activity of Acadia. We had to watch the sun rise from Cadillac Mountain. The top of Cadillac Mountain is the first place to see the sun rise in the Lower 48. We drove there instead of hiked. I don't think even I could make that climb at that time of the morning. 

The early morning was worth it.

Group shot required

We returned to the hotel and Kevin and I went to breakfast at the hotel restaurant. The hostess gave us the table with the best view. Blueberry waffles and pancakes were required (or so I say).

Our hike for the morning was the Jesup Trail and Hemlock Trail loop. It was an easy hike with plenty of beautiful foliage. The leaf color seemed to improve every during our trip. This was a bonus because late September is not that close to peak. 

After the hike we drove to Thunder Hole. This and Cadillac Mountain were the only places during the entire trip where we encountered any real crowds. I didn't see too many big waves at any of the beaches we visited during the week. At Thunder Hole the waves are huge and pounding and crash with great force against the rocks, giving the spot its name. We could have sat there for hours watching it. The challenge was trying to time our selfies with the big crashes so we would have the water spray in the background.

Then we walked along the Otter Cliff trail for more beautiful views. While it would be hard to pick a favorite view from everything I saw this week, these are definitely in contention for the top spot.

After lunch we returned to the hotel to relax or take a walk through town. I decided to hit the pool instead. The BHI only has an outdoor pool, but it's heated (although less heated in the shallow end than it was in the deep end, which made getting into it a little difficult) and there is a big firepit in the pool area to stay warm while you dry off. It kept my muscles from stiffening up after all the walking plus the buoyancy was therapeutic. While swimming laps was fun, I saw a woman buy a glass of wine at the pool bar and park herself in the hot tub. I wondered if perhaps that was the better idea.

I hadn't brought a swimsuit coverup with me and it wasn't easy trying to figure out the best clothes to wear walking to and from the pool knowing things would get damp. Of course it wasn't until after my swim and the return to my room that I discovered some beautiful plush bathrobes in my closet!

The day's activities weren't over yet. We had one more adventure left. We took a ride on a lobster boat. This was not a working lobster boat (I don't think lobstermen have time to be shuttling tourists around) but a boat designed like an actual lobster boat where they did demos of how lobsters are caught as well as talking about some of the sea life in general. We were supposed to go out as far as the Egg Rock Lighthouse, but the winds from the approaching nor'easter were kicking up the waves and it was too rough to go too far out of the harbor. This was not my favorite part of the trip. The boat didn't go anywhere interesting and lobster biology and fishing regulations are not huge areas of interest for me.

After the boat trip it was time to get ready for our last dinner. The hotel gave us a banquet in a private room that included a balcony with an oceanfront view. We gathered up there, drank wine, and talked about the trip. We talked about the things we learned and the adventures we most enjoyed. We took our last group photo.

Dessert was the obvious choice.

We started the day with a spectacular sunrise. We ended it with an equally spectacular sunset over the harbor.

Day 7

And so it ends. The storm had yet to reach the area. It was a beautiful, mild, sunny day. Still, we were hearing some scary reports about New York and our plane had to come to Bangor to pick us up and take us back to New York. Our inbound flight from LaGuardia was canceled, so it seemed like a matter of time before our flight from Bangor would be canceled. Since Arthur would be returning to the Residence Inn for the next group that would be doing the trip, he said if we were stuck he would take us back there and he even checked to see if they had rooms available. We wouldn't have to spend the weekend at the airport if we were stuck. We checked the flight regularly and we kept seeing reports that it was on time. The inbound flight was coming from elsewhere. We could only take the risk and go to the airport and hope that wouldn't change. We went to the airport and our flight arrived. The flight home was bumpy, but we made it back to New York in time. The gratitude that we were able to make it home made the end of our vacation a little less painful.

To sum up the trip, I would say Maine was worth visiting and I can now say I have been to every state on the east coast. We went at the right time too. Summer is crowded and October is crowded too. Late September is right in between. The foliage wasn't as impressive, but it was pretty enough. Maine is a special place. There is a reason travelers flock there. I have never been to a place so wild. When we were inland it always looked as if the woods were always about to overtake everything. Even on the more civilized and genteel coastal areas, it seemed that rugged coast always dominated the scenery. The air always felt fresh. I could always smell the plants and trees or the salt air. Being in Maine is finding the true meaning of "getting away from it all".

I also have to give a shoutout to Natural Habitat Adventures. This is an extraordinary tour company. We did our southwest canyonlands tour there in 2012 and it was one of the best things we ever did. NatHab

guides are naturalists with vast knowledge of the terrain, flora, and fauna. There is focus on both the major attractions and the smaller, lesser-known local spots. Every day is a mix of experiences and there are always alternatives. Groups are small to encourage camaraderie. Although the days are spent on the rugged trails, at the end of the day you stay in topnotch accommodations and eat in the best local restaurants. Yes, the price of these trips is equivalent to the value of your 401k, but they are worth it.

So that's the end of traveling for us in 2026. As we listened to our tour group's stories of their exotic travels abroad, we considered that maybe we should be braver and go abroad next year. I am already excited for what my next longread travel blog will be.