We took the scenic route towards Maine through Vermont.  Unfortunately, we took one wrong turn and ended up on a road that had a 10 foot covered bridge.  Yes, we had to unhook and backtrack about five miles.  I don’t need to repeat some of the language my husband uttered.

No it didn’t come to this…yet!

We spent the first night at Camping on the Battenkill, which was a lovely, forested campground. The second night we stayed at Alpine Mountain RV Park.  The water there was contaminated so we did not hookup.  Our winding mountain route took us through small towns like Woodstock, Manchester and Bridgewater, where everyone seemed to be having a garage sale.

We arrived in Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island, at the Desert Narrows Encore RV Resort by early afternoon on the third day. I had booked a space facing the bay and it was a stunning view.

After getting settled, the next day we drove to Acadia National Park, one of the most famous National Parks in our nation.  Our first stop was Cadillac Mountain, which afords you an expansive, stunning view of the entire valley and the ocean below.

Then we headed to Bubble Rock. I thought it would be a view of a rock in the ocean, but it really was a huge rock on the edge of a cliff where everyone one takes a photo of themselves looking like they are pushing it off the cliff.  Tourists are funny that way! And we hiked UP about half a mile to do that!

Lobster rolls were on the agenda for lunch. We drove into Bar Harbor and found it so crowded there was hardly room on the sidewalk to pass by.  Fortunately, Stewman’s Lobster Pound allowed dogs on their terrace and we had a delicious lunch there.  Practically all the casual restaurants that serve lobster in this area are called Ponds.  A pound is a large holding area in the ocean to keep lobsters in.  In the evening we chatted with our new neighbors, Steve and Tara from Long Island in our new mosquito net, dining tent. We love that tent!

Because we were disappointed with the crowds in Bar Harbor, the next day we drove south to Deer Isle and the small fishing village of Stonington.  The setting was idyllic and after a lunch on the terrace of Fisherman’s Friend Restaurant, we took the mail boat to the Isle Au Haut, part of the Acadia National Park, just for the ride through the off lying islands.

That night we spent the evening chatting with our friends, Steve and Tara again, sharing stories of the day’s travels. Tara is hilarious when she tells stories about her life.  She should write a book!

Steve’s beautiful Harley

Schoodic Point called our name the next morning.  It is also a part of Acadia National Park, but about a 45 minute drive north.  There were very few tourists, so we were able to just drive and stop to take photos of the spectacular coast line as we wished.  We continued up the coast line to the Quoddy Head State Park to see the Quoddy East lighthouse. Then drove to the Eastern most point in the United States, Lubec, Maine. And on to New Brunswick after having a lobster roll at McDonalds of all places.  Lennard said it was actually great.

We crossed the Roosevelt International Bridge into Canada to Campobello Island and stopped at the Roosevelt Summer Home.  We took the self-guided tour and found the home was maintained with impeccable taste, keeping almost all of the original furniture and décor.  I had forgotten how important Eleanor Roosevelt was to human rights and FDR’s New Deal.  I had also forgotten he contracted polio after visiting a Boy Scout camp. He only returned to his beloved summer home three times after that. The home and the view of Funday Bay was spectacular.  The Bay of Funday was formed about 200 million years ago when Europe broke off from North America and the Atlantic poured through.

The sister lighthouse is to the Quoddy East lighthouse is Quoddy Head West Lighthouse on Campobello Island. It is only accessible when the tide is out.  We were lucky to get there when we cold cross over to it. When I say lucky, I say it lightly, as it is a dangerous trek through rocks covered with seaweed and up and down three high metal ladders and across one bridge.  We had to carry Bella and Gypsy up the ladders. It was worth it.  The view was beautiful and the lighthouse was a historical monument in working order.  We loved walking around it.

Not my best side!

The weather which had been threatening to rain all day, began pouring down just as we reached the car and continued all night.  We had dinner on the way home at a quaint little lobster pound of course. Not just raining, but pouring.  We were glad we weren’t in a tent! No chatting in our dining tent tonight.

August 12…our anniversary.  We decided to go back to Acadia Park, and after a drive down the ocean side of the park to see Sand Beach and Thunder Hole, we had an exquisite lunch at Jordan Pond on the lawn overlooking the pond.  It was a foggy day and we could see the fog settling over the pond among the forest.  It was just like Downtown Abbey except there were other people there.  We finished the day at the other end of the island at Bass Harbor Lighthouse.  In the evening we had dinner in our tent and then sat with Tara and Steve telling stories in their new dining tent.  (Like ours, they ordered theirs from Amazon and had it delivered here at the RV Park.) Satisfied our Amazon crave for a while!

Okay, laundry and cleanup before we head down to Rockport for a night and then Portland Maine where we will meet Scott and Donna Yea!

As we were driving around the Northeast Harbor on Mount Desert Island.

The cloudy day made for lovely views on the last day of our sightseeing on Mount Desert Island. This was on the far side from Bar Harbor, away from the maddening crowds!