We fell in love with Maine on our honeymoon and have dreamed about it each and every day since we left there 2 years ago. Despite our crazy schedules with school, we knew this trip was an invaluable investment into our mental health! :) There are so many reasons that we are in love with Maine (more specifically, Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, ME)...I could not list them all.
Things you can only find in Maine (in no particular order...)
*It is back-in-the-day safe. The lady we rented the cottage from has not owned a house key in 25 years. She leaves the keys in the ignition of her car unlocked each night.
*Blueberries. Everything, and I mean, EVERYTHING is made with blueberries. Wine, beer, pop, glazes on top of steaks. Maine folks love their blueberries.
*Cadillac Mountain Stout by Bar Harbor Brewing Company. Dan said it beat Guinness fifteen times in beer competitions as the 'best dry stout in the world.'
Above, the boys enjoying a post-hike Cadillac Mtn. Stout or two.
*We both got sunburned at Sand Beach but it was much too cold to swim....peculiar indeed. Sand Beach's water temp was a balmy 54 degrees on average when we were there. Dan played in the water skipping stones and I joined in to keep the sand flies from biting me!
*Three words. Ladder Rung Trails. Dan and I climbed the Beehive, one of our favorite trails, our first time in Maine. It is a steep little bugger with lots of tight corners, boulders to pull up on and of course, ladder rungs. We took Jason and Moon out to hike the Beehive, the Bowl Trail, some of the Bear Brook Trail, up to the peak of Gorham Mtn and down to the Sand Beach Trail where we began our day. It was precarious (Moon's word of choice for the Beehive) but incredibly fun. The humbling views from the top are well worth the effort.
Yup, that's the trail on the edge of a cliff. A view of Sand Beach and the big blue is in the background.
Ladder rungs! You can see Moon, Jason and me making our way up the rock face.
Top of the Beehive. My mountain men & me!
*You can enjoy surf & turf (a pound and a quarter of freshly caught Maine lobstah with an 8 oz filet) for under $30. Dan and I each plundered a surf & turf after our insane hike our first full day there. We hiked non stop at a strenuous pace either straight up or straight down for over 6 hours. More on that trail later...
*We took advantage of the possibly once in a lifetime experience of being the first people in the United States to watch the sunrise. We drove to the top of Cadillac Mtn (tallest mountain on the Eastern seaboard at 1530 ft, just a tad taller than the Sears Tower) and camped out and waited for the sun to greet us.
Deliberately watching the sun rise, something that is normally taken for granted, gave us the gift of patience, perspective and gratefulness for nature and the beauty that is around us.
We loved everything about Maine...from the leisurely sunny days spent hiking and enjoying nature to the delicious, laughter filled dinners with Jason & Moon. Dan and I learned alot about ourselves on our first day of hiking. We tested our bodies and our minds further than we thought possible. We overcame challenges and though I mooned the trail at one point (okay, twice) because it was so freakin tough, I told Dan as we neared the end, "We now have no excuse. This proved there is nothing we cannot do." What a great way to cherish nature and test your strength. Here is an excerpt from Dan's illustrated journal about our killer trail:
"Walked the Tarn. Saw cormorants sunbathing. Massive boulders. Over and under. Hot sun. Two belted kingfishers flew over the Tarn. Finally made it to Ladder Trail trailhead. Stopped for snack. Began ascent of Ladder Trail. 1000's of steps. 1000's. Step after step. Up and up. Narrow crevice. Ladders and iron rungs bolted into rock. So many steps. Another section of rungs. View from side amazing. Tree variety changed from hardwoods-->stunted junipers & pines. Watched the scenery. Listened to the wind blow through the juniper. Smelled only what evergreens can make. Laid down and stared into the sky. Saw nothing. Saw Blue. Saw everything. finally made it to top. Amazing view. Down the Cadillac/Dorr Trail to Gorge. Very steep. Very stunning. Gorge trailhead. Down into chasm. Words cannot describe the intense descent. Numbers cannot categorize the number of boulders. Twisting ankles. Bruising limbs. The hardest mental challenge in memory. Never ending brutal beauty." We cannot wait to return. For more pics from Maine see the sidebar.
Peace and Love,
Dana & Dan
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