Wednesday, September 19, 2012 Wonderland and Bass Harbor Trails
Today should be an easy day. Why, you may ask? I really don't know, although I suppose it has something to do with the fact that we aren't quite familiar with our surroundings yet. Or perhaps it's because we had rain overnight and the sky is currently threatening. Note: after noon, the day cleared to be mostly sunny and reasonably warm, with a high temp in the high 60s.
The day started with a hearty breakfast in the RV after which we went to a "restaurant" for a WiFi connection. The Common Good Soup Kitchen is a bit unusual. It is apparently a soup kitchen in the winter, helping to feed hungry families and folks who can't seem to make ends meet when the tourists leave. Their situations are exacerbated in the winter because of generally lousy weather and a tourist industry that is in hibernation and lack of other viable work.
Right now, they serve food to the likes of us without charging a fee. Rather, they ask for a donation. We had Pop Overs and tea and surfed the net, and left a generous donation as we exited the establishment.
We walked the Wonderland Trail; an easy walk with ocean views and pounding surf crashing on the granite rocks that line the shore. After a short drive, we walked a short trail to the Bass Harbor Lighthouse. There were quite a few other folks doing the same.
We then took a self guided auto tour of the area from Bass Harbor, Tremont, West Tremont and Seal Cove. Each community had a cove and each cove was dotted with colorful boats; very typical of what you'd expect to see in Maine.
In Southwest Harbor, we found the Hamilton Marine Store and got a great deal on a few small items. That wasn't the case at the local West Marine, where one item was $10.00. Amazingly, we purchased three such items at Hamilton Marine for less than that!
Before returning to the CG, we stopped at the local grocery store for a few items we needed for dinner.
Thursday, September 20, 2012 The Acadia Mountain Trail
We don't measure our hikes by distance travelled anymore. Elevation gain is more important to us. But wait, there's more. It's not just elevation gain, but how rapidly that elevation is gained. Today's hike up Acadia Mountain, with an altitude of a mere 681 feet, was as challenging a hike as we have had to date. We gained that altitude in about one-quarter mile, scrambling over boulders, in crevices and on the edge of granite ledges. It was strenuous, at least for us. No less than eight hikers passed us along the way. Most were younger folk and a few were kids! As it turned out, most didn't do the whole trail. They made it to the summit and backtracked. We did reach the summit and soaked in the fabulous views, then continued along the trail. Heading down the South side of the hill was even steeper than the north side. At one point we lost about eighty feet of elevation in a horizontal distance of about ten feet. All told, we walked a distance of almost four miles, but it took three and one-half hours to do it.
On the way back to the CG, we picked up some corn-on-the-cob at the grocery store and two lobsters at Sawyer's. We made it in time to take advantage of their $4.95/lobster (already steamed). Once back at the CG, we feasted on Lobster Cacciatore. Dinner is usually followed by an evening stroll through the CG. Tonight was no exception. There are at least five Airstream TT's here tonight. The number has been fairly constant since we arrived a couple of days ago. Some have left, but new ones come in a short while later.
Friday, September 21, 2012 The Ship Harbor Trail
By any measure, today's trail was EASY! It was very scenic too, and we passed several folks who were doing the same.
Saturday, September 22, 2012 Riding the Free Bus, Snow and a 3 1/2 Pound Lobster!
Had a nice, relaxing day. Rode the bus to the Village Green in Bar Harbor where we saw SNOW(?) on the side of the street! Holy cow, it didn't feel that cold!
We rode the next bus to the Jordan Pond House for one a final taste of Popovers and Tea! After returning to Bar Harbor, we walked around for a few minutes before boarding the bus to go back to Sea Wall CG.
At dinner time, we went to Sawyer's Lobster Pound for what will probably be our last lobster dinner of the trip. This time we splurged and bought a 3.2 pounder. The beast was HUGE! It was also very tasty, accompanied by an ear of Maine corn.
Tomorrow we leave for another stop in Freeport where we'll visit LL Bean again. We want to express our gratitude for their support of Acadia NP in person! LL Bean sponsors the bus system and we made great use of it during our stay!
Sunday, September 23, 2012 Goodbye Acadia!
It's time to move on! We had a great visit to Acadia N P, biking and hiking eleven trails. Freeport, home of LL Bean is today's destination. We want to check some options for picnic shelters for next year's Grand Canyon/Yellowstone Adventure. While we're there, we'll say thanks for their contribution in making Acadia even more special than it already is!
Monday, September 24, 2012 Blackberry Crossing CG, White Mountains National Forest, on the scenic Kancamagus Hwy near Conway, NH - Hiking the Rocky Gorge and the Lovequist Loop around Falls Pond
Freeport was in our rearview mirror by 0900 hours. Our departure was delayed by a visit to Starbucks for a quick breakfast. Camp at Blackberry Crossing CG was set up by 1200 Noon. Hiking, our chosen activity for the day was postponed by intermittent rain showers that took a few hours to pass.
In the meantime, we took a scenic drive through Conway and North Conway. In each of those towns, we stopped to check out a few of the shops. The score of the day was made at Eastern Mountain Sports where we purchased a half gallon of New Hampshire medium dark grade Maple Syrup.
To break in the new hiking boots we procured at LL Bean yesterday, we hiked the Rocky Gorge and Lovequist Loop trails around Falls Pond. Rocky George has quite a famous story (from 1942) about a swimmer who was swept into the Gorge. She was held under by rocks and the force of the water for hours. When her friends and the rescue party finally found her (it took awhile since they had to fill sandbags to divert the flow of the water) and brought her to the surface, they thought she was dead. The rescue guy reached into the icy water to grab the hand of what he thought was a corpse, when he started pulling, her hand actually tightened around his. Of course he was shocked! The area has been heavily posted with "No Swimming" signs since.
I got some shots from the trail that show the fall colors are not far off!
Tuesday, September 25, 2012 The Portland Pudgy
The Portland Pudgy is a yacht tender, dinghy, sailboat and life boat all wrapped in one. I've been a fan for years. Today, we scheduled a visit to the factory to talk with David Hulbert, designer/manufacturer, about its suitability for our needs.
We had a great visit. Unfortunately, there was no way to try the dinghy out on the water. We need to do that so we can see if it meets Anna Marie's strict stability test. None-the-less, it was a nice visit to Portland, and only an hour and forty-five minute drive from the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012 Hiking the Flume Trail at Franconia Notch and Another Cool Movie Theater/Cafe!
Rain showers put a damper on our hiking plans today. Instead of hiking, we drove the 34 mile length of the scenic Kancamagus Highway. The leaves are really starting to "pop!" their colors were muted by the dreariness of the day. Clouds hung in the mountain tops giving an ethereal appearance to our surroundings.
When we got to the west side of the highway, we checked out the Hobo train. It was too dismal to ride it today. Clark's Trading Post was another spot we wanted to check out. The original building looked the same, but additional building and activities have been added.
After our visit to Clark's we headed north on Route 3 bound for Franconia State Park and the Flume. The two mile hike ( with 500 foot elevation change was invigorating. The scenery was even more fantastic than I remember it.
About nine years ago, the iconic Old Man of the Mountain collapsed. It made the national news. Well, the Old Man is back! He is visible from profile park. You really have to see it to believe it! We thought it incredulous that the Old Man was back, but we saw him with our own eyes! Incredible!
It was late afternoon when we headed back to the eastern side of the forest. We had time to check out the movie theater in Conway. The Marquee indicated that Ruby Sparks was playing and that there was a buffet on Wednesdays starting at 1800 hours.
As we discovered, the Conway Cafe runs the Majestic Theater. It has one screen and the first showing is at 0800. That's right, 0 8 0 0! The last show begins at 2100. It also happens that Wednesday night is not only buffet night but open mike night as well. The assembled crowd ( there was standing room only) was enjoying the buffet and the local singer/songwriters. We watched 1/2 dozen performers and they were very talented indeed. This was nothing like the open mike night experiences we have had in Marathon! This was more like a coffee house that happened to be a restaurant. The musicians were great as was the crowd. It was an entertaining night.
Before heading back to the CG, we stopped at the local WalMart to make a few purchases.
Thursday, September 27, 2012 Hiking the Boulder Loop
This trail is aptly named. There are boulders, large and small everywhere. Some weigh 300 tons and more. The smaller ones can be problematic on the trail. They present significant tripping hazards. You must make sure of your footing with every step. With an 1150 foot gain in elevation it was slow going. The climb was steep and steady. It took two hours to reach the summit. Once there, the views to the east, south and west are spectacular and make for a very rewarding hike.
The down hill bubble had a lot of tripping hazards too. We made it to the bottom in an hour and a quarter, feeling great with nary an ache or a pain.
Sunshine almost always makes me high! (John Denver)
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Acadia NP Week 2: The Daily Journals - September 11 - 18
Tuesday, September 11, 2012 Hiking Across the Bar!
Last night, right about bedtime, the refrigerator shut down. A quick inspection seemed to indicate that we had run out of propane. It was too late and too dark to do anything about it, so we hit the sack. It was cool enough that we didn't worry about the contents spoiling.
In the morning, presuming that we'd have to make a propane run, I went outside to get the empty propane tanks. The bottles did not feel empty so I fiddled with the valve. Anna Marie checked the appliances. She reported that the stove's burners lit! And the fridge re-lit automatically. OK, so we still have propane. Could the wind have blown out the fridge's burner last night? Don't know! At least we don't have to make a propane run this morning. Note: Everything worked fine for the rest of the trip!
Not having to do a propane run freed up a lot of time. We caught the free bus into the Village Green. We walked to the waterfront and found the sandbar across the water to the Bar Island Trail. Within an hour and a half on either side of low tide, one can cross the sandbar to Bar Island. Part of Acadia NP, the island has a nice trail to the summit where one can find a fabulous view of Bar Harbor and it's surroundings. Quite a few people had the same idea. I wouldn't say it was crowded, but, were you looking for solitude, you wouldn't have found it!
We spent the rest of the day in town. We purchased a few dinner items for a Lobster fest we planned to have when we returned to the Campground.
Speaking of dinner, tonight's feast was to be a typical taste of Maine. I roasted two ears of corn and two Maine Lobsters. Anna Marie made Crab Soup and Blueberry Crisp which I cooked in a cast iron Dutch Over. The dinner was awesome!
We capped the evening off with the "Sounds of Acadia" program by Ranger Todd. A light-hearted, funny guy with a great sense of humor and the talent to make one really appreciate nature. It was a fine program indeed!
Wednesday, September 12, 2012 Ilesford (Little Cranberry Is.) Boat Trip
This morning, we boarded the "Sea Princess" for a ranger-led trip to Ilesford, an inhabited island in the Cranberry group of islands between Somes Sound and Frenchman's Bay. Our tour began in Northeast Harbor, a delightful community of some wealth. The harbor is loaded with pedigreed boats such as Morris and Hinckley, all in bristol shape.
From the boat we saw Gillimots, Loon, Cormorants, Harbor Seals, Bald Eagles, and Harbor Porpoise along with the usual mix of Herring and Great Backed Gulls.
Ilesford is a small community and eking out a living appears to be hard work. While there, we purchased a couple slices of famous Ilesford gingerbread cake and a beverage.
Ranger Ann provided almost non-stop commentary about the natural history, geology and culture of the area. It was another in a growing line of great programs by the National Park Service.
In the evening, we attended a program entitled Picture Acadia. It was marvelous! The ranger offered a few photographic tips and showed some of his handiwork. At the end of his presentation was a show-within-a-show. Highlighted by his poetic narration, it made for an awe-inspiring program!
We've been thinking about going to the movie theater to see the "Bourne Legacy" but don't want to miss any of the ranger programs. They are that good!
Note: After we disembarked from the boat we took a short drive (Yes, we had to drive to the boat. Because the NE Harbor bus was scheduled to arrive well after the boat left the dock.) through the town. Along the way, we found a fisherman selling lobster out of his house for $4.50/pound. Needless to say, we bought two.
Since we were out and about in the truck, we thought it appropriate to visit the summit of Cadillac Mountain. We walked the trail at the summit soaking in the magnificent views. After taking a few pics we headed home to cook those lobsters.
Thursday, September 13, 2012 The Witch Hole and Paradise Loop
Today's bike ride of twelve miles began when the Bicycle Express dropped us off on the north shore of Eagle Lake. We pedaled north and west on the carriage road to the intersection with the Witch Hole Road to the north.
As usual, there were hills to climb and the scenery was spectacular. None more so than the high point of the Paradise Loop summit where we had a spectacular view of Bar Harbor and Frenchman's Bay. Two cruise ships were anchored in the harbor bringing the total we have seen this week to five.
From Paradise Loop we headed back to the east side of the Witch Hole Loop. Along the way, we stopped to photograph the iconic triple-arched Deer Brook Bridge, one of many built by J. D. Rockefeller for Acadia's 45 miles of carriage roads.
We returned to Eagle Lake for a back-pack picnic lunch in a great spot on the shore. Rather than return to Bar Harbor, we took the suggestion of the Bicycle Express Driver who suggested a route back to Bar Harbor that was "all down hill."
He was right. We literally rolled down hill for almost five miles to West Street. The most difficult part of the trip was negotiating the heavy traffic in town. The town isn't particularly bicycle friendly in that the streets are narrow and there is a lot of car traffic. The sidewalks are filled with tourists so there really isn't any place to ride.
After dinner, we went to Jackson Lab (an amazing medical research facility) for the keynote address kicking off the Night Sky Festival. The speaker, Baybayan Kelepe, a master Hawaiian Navigator who sails large canoes retracing ancient roots from Hawaii to Tahiti and back without benefit of instruments. His presentation was fascinating, stimulating and entertaining! They even had a troupe of Hula dancers to honor his appearance. We had a great time!
Following the keynote, we drove to downtown Bar Harbor and the local historic Movie Theater where we saw the Bourne Legacy. As with the previous trilogy, w enjoyed this movie very much. But the numerous flashbacks and staccato of the cuts had us a bit confused at times. This is one movie we'll be glad to watch again!
Friday, September 14, 2015 The Great Head Trail and the Night Star Boat Cruise (Day 2 of the Night Sky Festival)
The trailhead of the Great Head Trail is found on the north side of Sand Beach. It was to be the first of two trails we hoped to do today. This trail rises on a peninsula to an elevation of 145 feet. Parts of the trail are steep and rocky but it is a relatively easy walk with spectacular views of the coast and ocean below.
While on the trail, we received a call from the Chamber of Commerce informing me that I had won the pair of tickets from yesterday's drawing. The tickets could be picked up at town hall before 1600 hours. Suddenly, we didn't have time to do the second trail. We skedaddled to the bus stop where we caught the #3 bus to the Village Green, walked several blocks to town hall where we picked up the tickets.
After a quick beverage, we were back aboard a bus headed back to the campground for a quick dinner and warmer clothes. We expect it to be rather cold on the water tonight.
We arrived back in town as the boarding line was forming. While waiting, we had a pleasant conversation with a couple of Mainers.
The boat trip was great. When we left the dock, clouds had completely blocked out the night sky. Not to worry... there were a couple of guest speakers to entertain and inform the 125 passengers on the power cat Freedom V. The first to speak was a native American Wakanabi Chief who told ancient stories of his people. Kalepa Baybayan, the Master Navigator from last evenings program taught a bit about the art of navigating without instruments. Lynn Havsall, was the astronomer for the evening. When it was her turn to speak, the cloud cover was still blanketing the sky. She started telling a story about the hunters and the bear (Ursa Major), when the clouds began to break a bit. The stars began a game of peek-a-boo, becoming visible for a few moments, then suddenly gone from view. Still, we learned a lot. As time went on, the stars were visible for longer periods of time. In fact, as we were headed back to the dock, the Captain stopped the boat because the night sky became clear. It lasted for about ten minutes before the cloud cover returned. When the clouds returned, we were back underway. The Captain selected some "Star" music which played over the sound system until we reached the harbor.
We had a great time and were glad to have won the tickets!
Saturday, September 15, 2012 The Shore Path and Reel Pizza!
Before doing anything, it's time to run the generator to charge up the battery. We charged it for three hours and then walked through B Loop of the campground. This CG is huge! In 40 minutes, we didn't cover all of the roads in the loop.
After lunch, we took the bus to town. The day was overcast so we didn't have much hope that the Star Gazing on Cadillac Mountain would be any good. (We later found out that it was spectacular! Lots of people showed and twenty volunteers brought their telescopes so folks could get greats views of the stars.) Instead, we chose to walk the Shore Path and hang out in town for a bit. The trail afforded great views of the harbor and some of the nice homes (mansions) that line the shore.
For entertainment we went to Reel Pizza, an interesting concept that is both movie theater and pizzeria. One can watch a movie while dining on pizza or other Italian entrees. We chose to see a quirky, offbeat film entitled, "Moonlight Kingdom."
We caught the last bus out of Dodge and made it back home right around 2100 hours.
Sunday, September 16, 2012 Night Sky Activities All Day!
Following a lazy Sunday morning, we took a drive to Winter Harbor on Schoodic Peninsula. Our destination was the Schoodic Educational and Research Center in the Schoodic District if Acadia NP.
We attended a presentation entitled, "Meet the Telescopes." the speaker, Bert Probst, is the resident volunteer Astronomer. Besides filling our heads with information on scopes, he provided information on volunteering in the National Parks. He volunteers at Acadia because he gets to use worker housing in the park!
After his presentation, we joined some of the festival participants for dinner. By the time it got dark, about one dozen volunteers had set up their scopes, all trained on different stars. We got to look through the scopes and marveled at the things you can see. We are grateful to those who let us use their equipment so generously.
Monday, September 17, 2012 The South Ridge Trail
You need a lot of water for hydration when hiking and biking. Until yesterday, we carried two water bottles on each bike and one while hiking. On several occasions we consumed all of the water we had before the activity was completed. We'd rather have water left over for use in an emergency. On the way to Schoodic yesterday, we stopped at WalMart to pick up a few items, including a couple of Hydration Systems. We chose the hydration/backpack model. It can carry lots of gear and holds 2 liters of water.
They came in handy today. We changed our plan to hike Gorham Mountain, a mere 4.2 mile hike that would have included the Bowl and the Beehive Trails. Instead, we chose to hike the 7.2 mile Cadillac Mountain South Ridge Trail. The trailhead is in this campground, no bus needed!
The trail rises continually to an elevation of 1180 feet before dipping to about 900 feet where it starts up the hulking Cadillac Mtn. ultimately reaching 1528 feet.
Along the way we ran into a NPS trail crew of three men. They were erecting steps on a steep part of the trail in an effort to hinder water run off from destroying the trail. With just some had tools, pulleys and ropes, they quarried granite slabs weighing as much as four tons, shaping them and moving them quite a distance from where they were quarried to where they would be placed on the trail. This was no small feet of engineering!
After passing Eagle Crag, we reached a granite ledge which afforded great views of the islands to the south. To the west was Pemetic Mountain and to the east was Gorham Mountain. We were already well above its summit.
The South Ridge Trail is very popular and well used. We passed or were passed by about 6 to 8 hikers during the course of our walk. When we reached the granite ledge just before Cadillac Mountain, we could see a dozen or more others hiking to or from the summit.
All told, we hiked in excess of 8 miles and gained over 1100 feet in altitude. That's a high mark for us flatlanders.
Back at the campsite, I grilled pork chops over the wood fire. We enjoyed a fine meal on our last day in Blackwoods CG. Tomorrow we move out to Seawall CG by Southwest Harbor on the "quiet side" of Acadia NP.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012 Moving Day!
After twelve very busy but absolutely great days at the Blackwoods Campground, we have moved to the "quiet side" of Mt. Desert Island and will reside in the Sea Wall Campground for the next twelve days or so.
We're not sure if there's enough to do for twelve days, but we'll find out soon enough. The Islander Explorer Bus has service from this campground to the Village Green in Bar Harbor where we can connect with any of the other busses. If we run out of things to do here, we'll just hope the bus to go back to the "not so quiet side" of MDI.
After setting up camp we checked the place out by riding along Routes 102 & 102A. We did the laundry in Southwest Harbor and on the way home, found Sawyers Lobster Pound. Between the hours of 2:00 and 4:30, one can get a steamed lobster for $4.95. That's right, two lobbies for under $10.00! Unheard of!!
Rain is in the forecast for tomorrow. If we can, we'll start exploring this part of Acadia by foot, there are several trails we hope to traverse. If it rains, we may ride the bus.
Last night, right about bedtime, the refrigerator shut down. A quick inspection seemed to indicate that we had run out of propane. It was too late and too dark to do anything about it, so we hit the sack. It was cool enough that we didn't worry about the contents spoiling.
In the morning, presuming that we'd have to make a propane run, I went outside to get the empty propane tanks. The bottles did not feel empty so I fiddled with the valve. Anna Marie checked the appliances. She reported that the stove's burners lit! And the fridge re-lit automatically. OK, so we still have propane. Could the wind have blown out the fridge's burner last night? Don't know! At least we don't have to make a propane run this morning. Note: Everything worked fine for the rest of the trip!
Not having to do a propane run freed up a lot of time. We caught the free bus into the Village Green. We walked to the waterfront and found the sandbar across the water to the Bar Island Trail. Within an hour and a half on either side of low tide, one can cross the sandbar to Bar Island. Part of Acadia NP, the island has a nice trail to the summit where one can find a fabulous view of Bar Harbor and it's surroundings. Quite a few people had the same idea. I wouldn't say it was crowded, but, were you looking for solitude, you wouldn't have found it!
We spent the rest of the day in town. We purchased a few dinner items for a Lobster fest we planned to have when we returned to the Campground.
Speaking of dinner, tonight's feast was to be a typical taste of Maine. I roasted two ears of corn and two Maine Lobsters. Anna Marie made Crab Soup and Blueberry Crisp which I cooked in a cast iron Dutch Over. The dinner was awesome!
We capped the evening off with the "Sounds of Acadia" program by Ranger Todd. A light-hearted, funny guy with a great sense of humor and the talent to make one really appreciate nature. It was a fine program indeed!
Wednesday, September 12, 2012 Ilesford (Little Cranberry Is.) Boat Trip
This morning, we boarded the "Sea Princess" for a ranger-led trip to Ilesford, an inhabited island in the Cranberry group of islands between Somes Sound and Frenchman's Bay. Our tour began in Northeast Harbor, a delightful community of some wealth. The harbor is loaded with pedigreed boats such as Morris and Hinckley, all in bristol shape.
From the boat we saw Gillimots, Loon, Cormorants, Harbor Seals, Bald Eagles, and Harbor Porpoise along with the usual mix of Herring and Great Backed Gulls.
Ilesford is a small community and eking out a living appears to be hard work. While there, we purchased a couple slices of famous Ilesford gingerbread cake and a beverage.
Ranger Ann provided almost non-stop commentary about the natural history, geology and culture of the area. It was another in a growing line of great programs by the National Park Service.
In the evening, we attended a program entitled Picture Acadia. It was marvelous! The ranger offered a few photographic tips and showed some of his handiwork. At the end of his presentation was a show-within-a-show. Highlighted by his poetic narration, it made for an awe-inspiring program!
We've been thinking about going to the movie theater to see the "Bourne Legacy" but don't want to miss any of the ranger programs. They are that good!
Note: After we disembarked from the boat we took a short drive (Yes, we had to drive to the boat. Because the NE Harbor bus was scheduled to arrive well after the boat left the dock.) through the town. Along the way, we found a fisherman selling lobster out of his house for $4.50/pound. Needless to say, we bought two.
Since we were out and about in the truck, we thought it appropriate to visit the summit of Cadillac Mountain. We walked the trail at the summit soaking in the magnificent views. After taking a few pics we headed home to cook those lobsters.
Thursday, September 13, 2012 The Witch Hole and Paradise Loop
Today's bike ride of twelve miles began when the Bicycle Express dropped us off on the north shore of Eagle Lake. We pedaled north and west on the carriage road to the intersection with the Witch Hole Road to the north.
As usual, there were hills to climb and the scenery was spectacular. None more so than the high point of the Paradise Loop summit where we had a spectacular view of Bar Harbor and Frenchman's Bay. Two cruise ships were anchored in the harbor bringing the total we have seen this week to five.
From Paradise Loop we headed back to the east side of the Witch Hole Loop. Along the way, we stopped to photograph the iconic triple-arched Deer Brook Bridge, one of many built by J. D. Rockefeller for Acadia's 45 miles of carriage roads.
We returned to Eagle Lake for a back-pack picnic lunch in a great spot on the shore. Rather than return to Bar Harbor, we took the suggestion of the Bicycle Express Driver who suggested a route back to Bar Harbor that was "all down hill."
He was right. We literally rolled down hill for almost five miles to West Street. The most difficult part of the trip was negotiating the heavy traffic in town. The town isn't particularly bicycle friendly in that the streets are narrow and there is a lot of car traffic. The sidewalks are filled with tourists so there really isn't any place to ride.
After dinner, we went to Jackson Lab (an amazing medical research facility) for the keynote address kicking off the Night Sky Festival. The speaker, Baybayan Kelepe, a master Hawaiian Navigator who sails large canoes retracing ancient roots from Hawaii to Tahiti and back without benefit of instruments. His presentation was fascinating, stimulating and entertaining! They even had a troupe of Hula dancers to honor his appearance. We had a great time!
Following the keynote, we drove to downtown Bar Harbor and the local historic Movie Theater where we saw the Bourne Legacy. As with the previous trilogy, w enjoyed this movie very much. But the numerous flashbacks and staccato of the cuts had us a bit confused at times. This is one movie we'll be glad to watch again!
Friday, September 14, 2015 The Great Head Trail and the Night Star Boat Cruise (Day 2 of the Night Sky Festival)
The trailhead of the Great Head Trail is found on the north side of Sand Beach. It was to be the first of two trails we hoped to do today. This trail rises on a peninsula to an elevation of 145 feet. Parts of the trail are steep and rocky but it is a relatively easy walk with spectacular views of the coast and ocean below.
While on the trail, we received a call from the Chamber of Commerce informing me that I had won the pair of tickets from yesterday's drawing. The tickets could be picked up at town hall before 1600 hours. Suddenly, we didn't have time to do the second trail. We skedaddled to the bus stop where we caught the #3 bus to the Village Green, walked several blocks to town hall where we picked up the tickets.
After a quick beverage, we were back aboard a bus headed back to the campground for a quick dinner and warmer clothes. We expect it to be rather cold on the water tonight.
We arrived back in town as the boarding line was forming. While waiting, we had a pleasant conversation with a couple of Mainers.
The boat trip was great. When we left the dock, clouds had completely blocked out the night sky. Not to worry... there were a couple of guest speakers to entertain and inform the 125 passengers on the power cat Freedom V. The first to speak was a native American Wakanabi Chief who told ancient stories of his people. Kalepa Baybayan, the Master Navigator from last evenings program taught a bit about the art of navigating without instruments. Lynn Havsall, was the astronomer for the evening. When it was her turn to speak, the cloud cover was still blanketing the sky. She started telling a story about the hunters and the bear (Ursa Major), when the clouds began to break a bit. The stars began a game of peek-a-boo, becoming visible for a few moments, then suddenly gone from view. Still, we learned a lot. As time went on, the stars were visible for longer periods of time. In fact, as we were headed back to the dock, the Captain stopped the boat because the night sky became clear. It lasted for about ten minutes before the cloud cover returned. When the clouds returned, we were back underway. The Captain selected some "Star" music which played over the sound system until we reached the harbor.
We had a great time and were glad to have won the tickets!
Saturday, September 15, 2012 The Shore Path and Reel Pizza!
Before doing anything, it's time to run the generator to charge up the battery. We charged it for three hours and then walked through B Loop of the campground. This CG is huge! In 40 minutes, we didn't cover all of the roads in the loop.
After lunch, we took the bus to town. The day was overcast so we didn't have much hope that the Star Gazing on Cadillac Mountain would be any good. (We later found out that it was spectacular! Lots of people showed and twenty volunteers brought their telescopes so folks could get greats views of the stars.) Instead, we chose to walk the Shore Path and hang out in town for a bit. The trail afforded great views of the harbor and some of the nice homes (mansions) that line the shore.
For entertainment we went to Reel Pizza, an interesting concept that is both movie theater and pizzeria. One can watch a movie while dining on pizza or other Italian entrees. We chose to see a quirky, offbeat film entitled, "Moonlight Kingdom."
We caught the last bus out of Dodge and made it back home right around 2100 hours.
Sunday, September 16, 2012 Night Sky Activities All Day!
Following a lazy Sunday morning, we took a drive to Winter Harbor on Schoodic Peninsula. Our destination was the Schoodic Educational and Research Center in the Schoodic District if Acadia NP.
We attended a presentation entitled, "Meet the Telescopes." the speaker, Bert Probst, is the resident volunteer Astronomer. Besides filling our heads with information on scopes, he provided information on volunteering in the National Parks. He volunteers at Acadia because he gets to use worker housing in the park!
After his presentation, we joined some of the festival participants for dinner. By the time it got dark, about one dozen volunteers had set up their scopes, all trained on different stars. We got to look through the scopes and marveled at the things you can see. We are grateful to those who let us use their equipment so generously.
Monday, September 17, 2012 The South Ridge Trail
You need a lot of water for hydration when hiking and biking. Until yesterday, we carried two water bottles on each bike and one while hiking. On several occasions we consumed all of the water we had before the activity was completed. We'd rather have water left over for use in an emergency. On the way to Schoodic yesterday, we stopped at WalMart to pick up a few items, including a couple of Hydration Systems. We chose the hydration/backpack model. It can carry lots of gear and holds 2 liters of water.
They came in handy today. We changed our plan to hike Gorham Mountain, a mere 4.2 mile hike that would have included the Bowl and the Beehive Trails. Instead, we chose to hike the 7.2 mile Cadillac Mountain South Ridge Trail. The trailhead is in this campground, no bus needed!
The trail rises continually to an elevation of 1180 feet before dipping to about 900 feet where it starts up the hulking Cadillac Mtn. ultimately reaching 1528 feet.
Along the way we ran into a NPS trail crew of three men. They were erecting steps on a steep part of the trail in an effort to hinder water run off from destroying the trail. With just some had tools, pulleys and ropes, they quarried granite slabs weighing as much as four tons, shaping them and moving them quite a distance from where they were quarried to where they would be placed on the trail. This was no small feet of engineering!
After passing Eagle Crag, we reached a granite ledge which afforded great views of the islands to the south. To the west was Pemetic Mountain and to the east was Gorham Mountain. We were already well above its summit.
The South Ridge Trail is very popular and well used. We passed or were passed by about 6 to 8 hikers during the course of our walk. When we reached the granite ledge just before Cadillac Mountain, we could see a dozen or more others hiking to or from the summit.
All told, we hiked in excess of 8 miles and gained over 1100 feet in altitude. That's a high mark for us flatlanders.
Back at the campsite, I grilled pork chops over the wood fire. We enjoyed a fine meal on our last day in Blackwoods CG. Tomorrow we move out to Seawall CG by Southwest Harbor on the "quiet side" of Acadia NP.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012 Moving Day!
After twelve very busy but absolutely great days at the Blackwoods Campground, we have moved to the "quiet side" of Mt. Desert Island and will reside in the Sea Wall Campground for the next twelve days or so.
We're not sure if there's enough to do for twelve days, but we'll find out soon enough. The Islander Explorer Bus has service from this campground to the Village Green in Bar Harbor where we can connect with any of the other busses. If we run out of things to do here, we'll just hope the bus to go back to the "not so quiet side" of MDI.
After setting up camp we checked the place out by riding along Routes 102 & 102A. We did the laundry in Southwest Harbor and on the way home, found Sawyers Lobster Pound. Between the hours of 2:00 and 4:30, one can get a steamed lobster for $4.95. That's right, two lobbies for under $10.00! Unheard of!!
Rain is in the forecast for tomorrow. If we can, we'll start exploring this part of Acadia by foot, there are several trails we hope to traverse. If it rains, we may ride the bus.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Acadia National Park - Week 1
Internet connections are rare in Acadia. We have no signal at the campground. We can catch up in Bar Harbor at an Internet cafe. Postings will be few and far between as we don't get to town very often!
NEW ENGLAND RV TRIP
September 5 through October 11, 2012
Tuesday, September 4, 2012 Summer Is Over!
Summer is unofficially over. The kids left us at about 1830 hours. That's how we know summer is over! It's time for school, time for the kids to reconnect with friends, play sports and join in other activities. Speaking of school, Geoffrey, Claire and Madi start tomorrow. Rose and Josh start the next day.
About five hours after they left, we tried to get some shut eye. We wanted to get some sleep before our planned 0300 departure for our trip to New England.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012 No Sleep!
After two hours of trying, neither one of us slept. I decided that since we are awake, we might as well get under way. We can always stop in a rest area if we get sleepy, I reasoned. That's how our New England trip got started.
The driving was easy even in pockets of rain, light rain and drizzle. At about 0700, we stopped at a rest stop in Massachusetts for a few winks of shut eye. We were awakened from our slumber at 0900 when a work crew began running tree branches through a chipper in the parking spot next to us.
Our destination is Freeport, Maine, home of the LL Bean campus of stores. We arrived at about 1500 hours. Once in the RV parking area, we took another two hour nap. Refreshed, we strolled through the village, window shopping along the way.
One of the local dining establishments featured a Maine Lobster Roll. That's what we had for dinner. It must have had a half pound of lobster in it. Delicious!
We returned an old LL Bean hat for a store credit. The hat was really old and tattered and had certainly seen better days. We didn't have a receipt, but they gave us a credit for twelve dollars. We made a couple of small purchases before heading back to the 5er. We are spending the night in the LL Bean parking lot.
Thursday, September 6, 2012 Acadia NP
Reveille sounded at 0630! By 0730, we made one last pass through LL Bean and then to their coffee shop for a light breakfast and morning drink. By 0900, we were on the road to Acadia National Park. The drive, about four hours or 130 miles, was uneventful, except for the fact that the fuel gauge needle for the front tank, which hasn't budged off "E" in the five or six years that I've owned the truck, showed a full tank. Observation showed that the needle was moving erratically. Can't imagine what happened to get it off "E."
After a visit to Hulls Cove Visitors Center where we picked up a plethora of informational pamphlets, we made Blackwoods Campground. It took about 1/2 hour to set up camp and get the bikes off the racks.
After a shot test ride on the bikes, we drove to Bar Harbor, found a nice place for dinner, and attended the Ranger Program on Astronomy at Sand Beach.
The talk was excellent! We learned some new stars and some Greek mythology. While stargazing, we saw two satellites and a comet!
By 2100 hours we returned home.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Bicycling is the order of the day! All the busses are equipped to carry six bikes. The first bus leaves the CG at 0950. That's the one we boarded. The driver gave us a quick lesson on the operation of the bike rack, and we were off to the Village Green in Bar Harbor.
When we arrived, we loaded the bikes onto the Eagle Lake Bike Express. It was a 15 passenger van with a bike trailer that holds about the same number of bikes. Without delay, we were whisked away with about eight other folks to the carriage road at Eagle Lake. Our intent was to circumnavigate the lake.
The carriage roads are well maintained, wide and generally easy to pedal. Easy, that is, except for the uphill parts which were significant! A lot of people walked their bikes up the steepest hills.
It took about 1.5 hours to complete the loop. Along the way, we made a couple of stops to take some photos and and eat a snack.
After the ride, we made our way back to the CG via the busses where we did a couple of chores before heading back to the bus stop. We wanted to return to Bar Harbor for a late lunch/early dinner.
The Lobster Roll was not up to standard set in Freeport, but the Blueberry Twist ice cream cone more that made up for it!
Rather than go shopping, we returned to the CG for a nap. The bike ride had us exhausted. The planned one hour nap turned out to be two hours. We woke up in time to attend a ranger talk on hiking in Acadia. That's tomorrows activity!
Saturday, September 8, 2012 Sieur De Monts Spring, Etc.
Today's jaunt found us riding the bus to Sieur De Monts Spring where we strolled the "Wild Gardens of Acadia." the Gardens provide a microcosm of the plat life that can be found in Acadia National Park. The environments included a bog, pond, stream, fresh and salt water marshes, forest, and rock, to name a few. The gardens were fascinating to say the least.
We then hiked Jessup Path which provided a nice walk through a mixed forest complete with a rapidly flowing stream.
After the hike, we rode the Park Loop Bus. It travels the 20 mile loop road and stops at the service road for Blackwoods CG. From the bus stop, it is perhaps a quarter mile walk back to our campsite.
Sunday, September 9, 2012 Bicycling The Jordan Pond/Bubble Pond Carriage Roads
Today we had quite a challenge! We hoped to circumnavigate Jordan Pond by way of Bubble Pond. The total distance is 9.7 miles with a couple of 200' (almost) elevation changes.
Anna Marie was especially challenged by some of the elevation inclines and on one or two occasions had to walk up the steepest parts of two mountains. I reached 25 mph on one 168' decent before I had to brake for a sharp turn. Twenty-five is plenty fast on a bike.
We took advantage of the scenic picnic area at Bubble Pond. Anna Maria packed apples, chicken salad and crackers, peanuts and a couple of chocolate chip cookies for lunch. It was a delightful setting and, after all that exercise, particularly welcomed.
After lunch, we only had three miles left to complete the loop. We had consumed enough calories to give us the energy needed to climb a few more hills before we reached the Jordan House.
Having completed almost ten miles, we thought we deserved a treat. Enjoying Tea and Pop Overs is a long standing tradition at the Jordan Pond House. We thought we'd give it a try. The Pop Overs are served piping hot. There are several tea selections available. Anna Marie chose the Jordan Pond Blend and I had the Maine Blueberry tea.
So here we are, having just completed a moderately strenuous bike ride, sitting outside on a 60+ degree overcast afternoon, enjoying the spectacular view of the Bubbles (North and South Bubble Mountains) in the background with Jordan Pond in the foreground, sipping tea and munching on absolutely perfect and delicious Pop Overs. Could life get any better than this?
Outside the Jordan Pond House, we boarded the Park Loop Bus for the trip back to the CG. At times, we were the only passengers on the bus. The driver was very friendly and offered us tips on things to see and do that were off the mainstream list of activities in which people usually engage. We may try a couple of his suggestions!
Monday, September 10, 2012 Hiking the Jordan Pond, the South Bubble and Bubble Divide Trails
Oh what a day! It all began with a ride on the Loop bus to the Jordan Pond House where we walked the nature trail to its intersection with the Jordan Pond Trail.
The Jordan Pond Trail (3.2 m), on the east side of the pond, is relatively flat and easy to walk. We were able to keep a pretty quick pace, only watching out for water run-off cuts in the trail.
In about 30 minutes, we made it to the South Bubble Trail. One look at this trail and we knew we were in for a challenge. While only .4 mile long, it quickly rises to 768 feet (and I do mean quickly). We started our way up climbing over boulders as we went. Eventually the trail surface was completely boulders and rock. At one point we were on the edge of a cliff several hundred feet up admiring the spectacular view! On two sections of the trail, we had to remove our packs so we could fit in the crevices and pull ourselves to the next level. This was certainly not our typical hike! We made it to the top in one hour! Pretty good going we think. The trip down the mountain, on the north side was a piece of cake in comparison. That is, until we got to the Bubble Divide Trail. That's the trail between the North and South Bubble. For 7/8 of its length, it was a steep decent walking on the surface of boulders the entire way.
We made it back to the Jordan Pond Trail and continued along the western shore. It was completely different than the eastern shore. Here, there are bridges to traverse and a boardwalk along the shoreline, designed to protect the fragile ecosystem, that was at least one mile long.
By the time we made it back to the Jordan Pond House, three hours had elapsed. It was too cold and blustery, and we were too wet, to sit outside and enjoy pop overs and tea. There was at least a half hour wait for an inside seat but the bus schedule had us a bit pressed for time.
Back at the CG, we enjoyed dinner and a ranger program on Thoreau's interest in astronomy.
NEW ENGLAND RV TRIP
September 5 through October 11, 2012
Tuesday, September 4, 2012 Summer Is Over!
Summer is unofficially over. The kids left us at about 1830 hours. That's how we know summer is over! It's time for school, time for the kids to reconnect with friends, play sports and join in other activities. Speaking of school, Geoffrey, Claire and Madi start tomorrow. Rose and Josh start the next day.
About five hours after they left, we tried to get some shut eye. We wanted to get some sleep before our planned 0300 departure for our trip to New England.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012 No Sleep!
After two hours of trying, neither one of us slept. I decided that since we are awake, we might as well get under way. We can always stop in a rest area if we get sleepy, I reasoned. That's how our New England trip got started.
The driving was easy even in pockets of rain, light rain and drizzle. At about 0700, we stopped at a rest stop in Massachusetts for a few winks of shut eye. We were awakened from our slumber at 0900 when a work crew began running tree branches through a chipper in the parking spot next to us.
Our destination is Freeport, Maine, home of the LL Bean campus of stores. We arrived at about 1500 hours. Once in the RV parking area, we took another two hour nap. Refreshed, we strolled through the village, window shopping along the way.
One of the local dining establishments featured a Maine Lobster Roll. That's what we had for dinner. It must have had a half pound of lobster in it. Delicious!
We returned an old LL Bean hat for a store credit. The hat was really old and tattered and had certainly seen better days. We didn't have a receipt, but they gave us a credit for twelve dollars. We made a couple of small purchases before heading back to the 5er. We are spending the night in the LL Bean parking lot.
Thursday, September 6, 2012 Acadia NP
Reveille sounded at 0630! By 0730, we made one last pass through LL Bean and then to their coffee shop for a light breakfast and morning drink. By 0900, we were on the road to Acadia National Park. The drive, about four hours or 130 miles, was uneventful, except for the fact that the fuel gauge needle for the front tank, which hasn't budged off "E" in the five or six years that I've owned the truck, showed a full tank. Observation showed that the needle was moving erratically. Can't imagine what happened to get it off "E."
After a visit to Hulls Cove Visitors Center where we picked up a plethora of informational pamphlets, we made Blackwoods Campground. It took about 1/2 hour to set up camp and get the bikes off the racks.
After a shot test ride on the bikes, we drove to Bar Harbor, found a nice place for dinner, and attended the Ranger Program on Astronomy at Sand Beach.
The talk was excellent! We learned some new stars and some Greek mythology. While stargazing, we saw two satellites and a comet!
By 2100 hours we returned home.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Bicycling is the order of the day! All the busses are equipped to carry six bikes. The first bus leaves the CG at 0950. That's the one we boarded. The driver gave us a quick lesson on the operation of the bike rack, and we were off to the Village Green in Bar Harbor.
When we arrived, we loaded the bikes onto the Eagle Lake Bike Express. It was a 15 passenger van with a bike trailer that holds about the same number of bikes. Without delay, we were whisked away with about eight other folks to the carriage road at Eagle Lake. Our intent was to circumnavigate the lake.
The carriage roads are well maintained, wide and generally easy to pedal. Easy, that is, except for the uphill parts which were significant! A lot of people walked their bikes up the steepest hills.
It took about 1.5 hours to complete the loop. Along the way, we made a couple of stops to take some photos and and eat a snack.
After the ride, we made our way back to the CG via the busses where we did a couple of chores before heading back to the bus stop. We wanted to return to Bar Harbor for a late lunch/early dinner.
The Lobster Roll was not up to standard set in Freeport, but the Blueberry Twist ice cream cone more that made up for it!
Rather than go shopping, we returned to the CG for a nap. The bike ride had us exhausted. The planned one hour nap turned out to be two hours. We woke up in time to attend a ranger talk on hiking in Acadia. That's tomorrows activity!
Saturday, September 8, 2012 Sieur De Monts Spring, Etc.
Today's jaunt found us riding the bus to Sieur De Monts Spring where we strolled the "Wild Gardens of Acadia." the Gardens provide a microcosm of the plat life that can be found in Acadia National Park. The environments included a bog, pond, stream, fresh and salt water marshes, forest, and rock, to name a few. The gardens were fascinating to say the least.
We then hiked Jessup Path which provided a nice walk through a mixed forest complete with a rapidly flowing stream.
After the hike, we rode the Park Loop Bus. It travels the 20 mile loop road and stops at the service road for Blackwoods CG. From the bus stop, it is perhaps a quarter mile walk back to our campsite.
Sunday, September 9, 2012 Bicycling The Jordan Pond/Bubble Pond Carriage Roads
Today we had quite a challenge! We hoped to circumnavigate Jordan Pond by way of Bubble Pond. The total distance is 9.7 miles with a couple of 200' (almost) elevation changes.
Anna Marie was especially challenged by some of the elevation inclines and on one or two occasions had to walk up the steepest parts of two mountains. I reached 25 mph on one 168' decent before I had to brake for a sharp turn. Twenty-five is plenty fast on a bike.
We took advantage of the scenic picnic area at Bubble Pond. Anna Maria packed apples, chicken salad and crackers, peanuts and a couple of chocolate chip cookies for lunch. It was a delightful setting and, after all that exercise, particularly welcomed.
After lunch, we only had three miles left to complete the loop. We had consumed enough calories to give us the energy needed to climb a few more hills before we reached the Jordan House.
Having completed almost ten miles, we thought we deserved a treat. Enjoying Tea and Pop Overs is a long standing tradition at the Jordan Pond House. We thought we'd give it a try. The Pop Overs are served piping hot. There are several tea selections available. Anna Marie chose the Jordan Pond Blend and I had the Maine Blueberry tea.
So here we are, having just completed a moderately strenuous bike ride, sitting outside on a 60+ degree overcast afternoon, enjoying the spectacular view of the Bubbles (North and South Bubble Mountains) in the background with Jordan Pond in the foreground, sipping tea and munching on absolutely perfect and delicious Pop Overs. Could life get any better than this?
Outside the Jordan Pond House, we boarded the Park Loop Bus for the trip back to the CG. At times, we were the only passengers on the bus. The driver was very friendly and offered us tips on things to see and do that were off the mainstream list of activities in which people usually engage. We may try a couple of his suggestions!
Monday, September 10, 2012 Hiking the Jordan Pond, the South Bubble and Bubble Divide Trails
Oh what a day! It all began with a ride on the Loop bus to the Jordan Pond House where we walked the nature trail to its intersection with the Jordan Pond Trail.
The Jordan Pond Trail (3.2 m), on the east side of the pond, is relatively flat and easy to walk. We were able to keep a pretty quick pace, only watching out for water run-off cuts in the trail.
In about 30 minutes, we made it to the South Bubble Trail. One look at this trail and we knew we were in for a challenge. While only .4 mile long, it quickly rises to 768 feet (and I do mean quickly). We started our way up climbing over boulders as we went. Eventually the trail surface was completely boulders and rock. At one point we were on the edge of a cliff several hundred feet up admiring the spectacular view! On two sections of the trail, we had to remove our packs so we could fit in the crevices and pull ourselves to the next level. This was certainly not our typical hike! We made it to the top in one hour! Pretty good going we think. The trip down the mountain, on the north side was a piece of cake in comparison. That is, until we got to the Bubble Divide Trail. That's the trail between the North and South Bubble. For 7/8 of its length, it was a steep decent walking on the surface of boulders the entire way.
We made it back to the Jordan Pond Trail and continued along the western shore. It was completely different than the eastern shore. Here, there are bridges to traverse and a boardwalk along the shoreline, designed to protect the fragile ecosystem, that was at least one mile long.
By the time we made it back to the Jordan Pond House, three hours had elapsed. It was too cold and blustery, and we were too wet, to sit outside and enjoy pop overs and tea. There was at least a half hour wait for an inside seat but the bus schedule had us a bit pressed for time.
Back at the CG, we enjoyed dinner and a ranger program on Thoreau's interest in astronomy.
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| Bubble Rock |
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| South Bubble Summit |
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| View from South Bubble Trail |
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| The Jordan Pond Trail |
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Summer's Last Hurrah!
Summer's Last Hurrah!
This week, all the kids returned on Thursday for Shelley's birthday party. On Friday, we set about finishing two more Greenhead Fly Traps and designed a rack to hold their boats (two sunfish, an Opti and assorted paraphernalia). The kids worked diligently on their assigned tasks. The girls had to break early for Claire's belated Arts and Crafts Birthday Party at A. C. Moore. The boys and I continued on until a few minutes before dinner.
Following dinner, we piled into the truck for a trip to the Ocean City Boardwalk. We enjoyed strolling to boards and checking the sights. The evening was beautiful although warm and humid. We managed a walk on the beach before the kids choose to do some rides at the Wonderland Pier. The Log Flume proved to be the highlight of the evening.
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| Apprehensive faces on the first run |
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| Josh decided to join the gang on the second run. They were all a bit more relaxed this time. |
The King Crab!
The fifth annual King Crab contest ended at 1600 hours on Sunday, September 2. Prizes are awarded to all the contestants, but the real honor is being named the King Crab! The King Crab is the person who catches the largest crab of the season. There is a slight change this year in that the kids wanted to crab in teams. Madi and Claire teamed up as did Geoffrey and Josh and me and Rose. At one point or another during the season, each team held the lead. The teams of Claire and Madi and Geoffrey and Josh were tied for the lead at least a month. Their biggest crabs were 5 1/2 inches. Each day, Rose and I checked the traps with the hope that we would be rewarded with a record setting crab. The only big thing we caught was disappointment and that grew bigger with each day. As luck would have it, I pulled out a 5 1/2 inch crab on the morning of the last day. The contest ended in a three way tie!
At 1600 hours, the King Crab party commenced with lots of guests, Bocce games and a coin toss and a huge old fashioned Clambake. Anna Marie prepared crabs, steamed clams, clams casino, clam chowder, burgers and dogs, corn on the cob and potato salad. One of the guests brought fabulous baked beans and others brought "to-die-for" desserts. It was quite a meal and lasted for hours!
The day concluded with the King Crab awards. In total, $120 in prize money was awarded! I think some of the guests want to participate next year!!
At 1600 hours, the King Crab party commenced with lots of guests, Bocce games and a coin toss and a huge old fashioned Clambake. Anna Marie prepared crabs, steamed clams, clams casino, clam chowder, burgers and dogs, corn on the cob and potato salad. One of the guests brought fabulous baked beans and others brought "to-die-for" desserts. It was quite a meal and lasted for hours!
The day concluded with the King Crab awards. In total, $120 in prize money was awarded! I think some of the guests want to participate next year!!
The Mini Golf Championship!
Who doesn't like a round of mini golf? We like to play a few times each summer and usually end the summer with the West Crik ProAm Challenge. Having been a busy summer, we never made it to any of the myriad courses available to us, but Josh had to defend his title, so we hit the links to play 18 holes on the day after Labor Day.
The competition was fierce! There were several golfers who made holes-in-one, but there were several tough holes that really challenged the competitors. There were many lead changes. When the dust settled, Geoffrey was the winner in the male category, Claire took the honors for the ladies and Rose won the amateur challenge.
The competition was fierce! There were several golfers who made holes-in-one, but there were several tough holes that really challenged the competitors. There were many lead changes. When the dust settled, Geoffrey was the winner in the male category, Claire took the honors for the ladies and Rose won the amateur challenge.
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| The Competitors for the West Crik ProAm Challenge! |
Greenhead Fly Traps!
The gang has finished building four Greenhead Fly Traps. Even though we were near the end of the greenhead fly season, we deployed two of the traps. They actually caught some flies. We are ready for their return next season!Boat Storage Rack!
All the kids pitched in the help build a boat storage rack. We spent a few days in construction and when it was finished, we had a storage system to hold one Opti and two Sunfish sailboats not to mention tubes in which we can store all of the spars and sails.The Bank!
While the kids are with us in the summer, they get an allowance of $2.00/week. We started that practice several years ago in the hopes we could teach them a little bit about the importance of saving. The allowance is paid in appreciation for the normal everyday work they do. Things like cleaning their room, bussing their dishes and cleaning the dining table. They also earn extra for doing big projects like building greenhead fly traps.
Geoffrey is the first of the kids to save over $100.00! He amassed his savings by doing extra work. He is not a penny pincher. Each year he buys a game at the Game Stop. This year for example, he and Josh each bought a $40.00 game for their DS. All of the kids are near the $100.00 mark, but Geoffrey is the first to break that benchmark.
Congratulations to Geoffrey and all the kids. They are on their way to learning how to save their money!
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| Geoffrey cashes in $100 of his savings for a crisp $100 bill! |
So the summer is OVER. We really love those kids and with misty eyes, we bid them goodbye. Their attention now turns to school, friends, sports and other activities. We will fill our new found time with a trip to New England.
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