Wow! Did we ever time the Fall Foliage right here in Maine.
Change is in the air as the long summer days transition into fall where the days in Maine are perfect – sunny and warm! After a few days of resting up and getting the truck and trailer washed and cleaned, we decided to head over to Bar Harbor, a popular resort town with bustling boutiques. Bar Harbor is both a town and a village.
The town occupies approximately one-third of Mount Desert Island. The cruise ships dock in 
Frenchman’s Bay and within minutes after their arrival, the streets are flooded with tourists. After a few hours looking at the shops and making a couple of purchases (McKenzie decided she definitely needed an Acadia National Park T-shirt as we were planning on grooming her in the next day and she would need a t-shirt to avoid getting sunburned),
we had lobster bisque and clam chowder at one of the outdoor restaurants. We then took a scenic drive thru Acadia National Park via the Park Loop Road. This road provides the best introduction to the park and though it can be driven in an hour, we spent several hours exploring the many sites along the way.
Acadia National Park protects more than 47,000 acres of granite-domed mountains, woodlands, lakes and ponds, and ocean shoreline. For hikers, naturalists, or just someone wanting to commute with nature, ANP is a wonderful place to go. There are more than 100 miles of hiking trails, and you can bike or walk the 50 or so miles of carriage roads as they meander thru the
park. These roads were conceived and designed by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and are closed to automobiles. It is a wonderful opportunity to see all types of wildlife – deer, raccoon, squirrels, chipmunks, porcupine, beaver, fox, eagle, osprey, and hawks.
The scenic Park Loop Road led us to Sand Beach which is a popular ocean beach located in ANP. The arctic current controls the water temperature here and at the time we visited, the ocean temperature was a chilly 50 degrees.
McKenzie and George strolled along the sand (dogs are allowed on the beach after September 15th) enjoying the spot where the sea meets the land. As is typical this time of year, the weather is very changeable and the sunny morning we had experienced quickly changed to cloudy, drizzling, windy cold temperatures. Though it was getting late and the weather was certainly more blustery, we took the short hike to Cadillac Mountain.
At 1,532 feet it is the highest elevation in the park and also the highest point on the United States Atlantic Coast. It began as a molten magma that intruded into older, overlying rock. As it cooled, it hardened and crystallized. It glistens with quartz crystal and pink feldspar gives this granite its pink hue. From the smooth summit, there is an awesome 360 degree view of the jagged coastline that runs around the island. 
We had been told that Bar Harbor had some of the best lobster around so we just had to try some. Several folks had recommended that we try the Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound and it was quite a treat, in more ways than one. We walked into the small building and the first thing we had to do, was choose our lobster from a large holding pen.
The price was based on the weight of the lobster. We decided a two pounder would be just about right for each of us. The lobsters were then taken outside to the large boiling pots to be cooked.
We ordered corn on the cob and cole slaw, which was extra and were told to find a spot to sit til our number was called. The tables were fairly large, so you just introduced yourself and sat down at any available chair. When your number was called, you went up and got your tray with the whole cooked lobster and the sides you had ordered. Though we felt it was pretty expensive, it was definitely the best lobster we had ever tasted, very sweet and tender. 
An hour later, our tummies were filled and we were ready to head back to the trailer.
The next day, we drove to Freeport, Maine to visit the LL Bean flagship store and were we ever glad we did. We both found numerous items we didn’t even know we needed!
There are actually several LL Bean stores there. The flagship store, the outlet store, a biking and camping store, and boating and hunting store, and these are just LL Bean’s. Freeport’s Main Street is an outlet shoppers paradise with stores such as GAP, Coach, Timberland, Leatherman, Yankee Candles, etc. We spent all day there and made several trips back to the truck. It was definitely worth the trip if for nothing else than to just say you have been there and seen it.
Before we left Wiscasset, Maine, we had to try Red’s Eats! It is just a small dive which is well
known for serving the best lobster rolls around. Once again, it was a pricey sandwich ($18.00) but you got a whole pound of lobster on the roll. George ordered crabcakes as he is not as crazy about lobster as I am and he said they were delicious as well. 
McKenzie got a tidbit of lobster and decided that it was a pretty good treat!
After several days in Maine, we headed over to New Hampshire and stayed in a lovely little campground amidst all the trees with their lovely red, orange and yellow leaves.
We visited Portsmouth and Concord. Portsmouth was founded in 1623 and was home to sea captains, beer barons and revolutionaries. Many of the old homes of the sea captains and merchants have been restored and are in beautiful condition. One of the ones we especially liked was the Moffatt-Ladd House. 
It is one of America’s finest urban Georgian merchant estates. The site includes the mansion, two outbuildings, and a terraced Colonial Revival garden. Commissioned by the merchant, John Moffatt in 1760-63, the house remained in the hands of his descendants until it became a museum in 1912. Signer of the Declaration of Independence, William Whipple and his wife Katharine Moffatt Whipple lived here throughout the Revolution. Moffatt’s great granddaughter, Maria Ladd and her husband Alexander Ladd took ownership of the house in 1819. We thoroughly enjoyed strolling through the town and visiting the small shops and could easily see why it was chosen as one of the Top 50 Best Walking Cities in America.
As we were in the prime week of Fall Foliage, we drove several of the roads just looking at the beautiful autumn colors.
George was justifiably impressed with the colors, having spent most of his life in Texas. The sugar maples, sycamores, and aspens were definitely showing off their rich hues with pride. 
Moving on to Vermont, we noticed that the trees were dropping their leaves very quickly. Upon arriving at the campground, we learned that they had had two nights of frost, which explained the knee-deep piles of leaves. Vermont’s hills and valleys are laced with an abundance of scenic roads and highways.
It is also the home to more than 100 covered bridges, of which more than 50 have been extensively repaired or restored and many listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Staying outside Brattleboro we drove scenic Route 5, up to Hanover, stopping at the King Arthur Flour Mill in Norwich which claims to be the biggest, best baking store in Vermont. We also drove over the the Colony Mill Marketplace in Keene, NH. In 1838 the prominent Faulkner and Colony families constructed a large brick building to house their woolen mill. The mill produced the finest materials for the Union troops of the Civil War and for the Allied forces of World Wars I and II. In 1953 when it closed its doors, the mill was the second oldest textile mill in the U.S. to operate under the same management in the same location. In 1983, the mill building was restored and transformed into a regional marketplace with 
wonderful, unusual shops inside.
Winter seems to have set in. It is barely 40 degrees today, cold, windy and drizzling, but it is just temporary. Tomorrow will be a beautiful fall day once again with temperatures in the 50’s. We stayed at home today and just relaxed and were thankful that we didn’t have to get out in the weather. Tomorrow we will head for Connecticut for a week. We are thoroughly enjoying taking our time and moving much slower than we have for the past four months. Life is definitely good!
Change is in the air as the long summer days transition into fall where the days in Maine are perfect – sunny and warm! After a few days of resting up and getting the truck and trailer washed and cleaned, we decided to head over to Bar Harbor, a popular resort town with bustling boutiques. Bar Harbor is both a town and a village. The town occupies approximately one-third of Mount Desert Island. The cruise ships dock in Frenchman’s Bay and within minutes after their arrival, the streets are flooded with tourists. After a few hours looking at the shops and making a couple of purchases (McKenzie decided she definitely needed an Acadia National Park T-shirt as we were planning on grooming her in the next day and she would need a t-shirt to avoid getting sunburned), we had lobster bisque and clam chowder at one of the outdoor restaurants. We then took a scenic drive thru Acadia National Park via the Park Loop Road. This road provides the best introduction to the park and though it can be driven in an hour, we spent several hours exploring the many sites along the way.Acadia National Park protects more than 47,000 acres of granite-domed mountains, woodlands, lakes and ponds, and ocean shoreline. For hikers, naturalists, or just someone wanting to commute with nature, ANP is a wonderful place to go. There are more than 100 miles of hiking trails, and you can bike or walk the 50 or so miles of carriage roads as they meander thru the
park. These roads were conceived and designed by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and are closed to automobiles. It is a wonderful opportunity to see all types of wildlife – deer, raccoon, squirrels, chipmunks, porcupine, beaver, fox, eagle, osprey, and hawks.The scenic Park Loop Road led us to Sand Beach which is a popular ocean beach located in ANP. The arctic current controls the water temperature here and at the time we visited, the ocean temperature was a chilly 50 degrees.
McKenzie and George strolled along the sand (dogs are allowed on the beach after September 15th) enjoying the spot where the sea meets the land. As is typical this time of year, the weather is very changeable and the sunny morning we had experienced quickly changed to cloudy, drizzling, windy cold temperatures. Though it was getting late and the weather was certainly more blustery, we took the short hike to Cadillac Mountain. At 1,532 feet it is the highest elevation in the park and also the highest point on the United States Atlantic Coast. It began as a molten magma that intruded into older, overlying rock. As it cooled, it hardened and crystallized. It glistens with quartz crystal and pink feldspar gives this granite its pink hue. From the smooth summit, there is an awesome 360 degree view of the jagged coastline that runs around the island. We had been told that Bar Harbor had some of the best lobster around so we just had to try some. Several folks had recommended that we try the Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound and it was quite a treat, in more ways than one. We walked into the small building and the first thing we had to do, was choose our lobster from a large holding pen.
The price was based on the weight of the lobster. We decided a two pounder would be just about right for each of us. The lobsters were then taken outside to the large boiling pots to be cooked. We ordered corn on the cob and cole slaw, which was extra and were told to find a spot to sit til our number was called. The tables were fairly large, so you just introduced yourself and sat down at any available chair. When your number was called, you went up and got your tray with the whole cooked lobster and the sides you had ordered. Though we felt it was pretty expensive, it was definitely the best lobster we had ever tasted, very sweet and tender. An hour later, our tummies were filled and we were ready to head back to the trailer.The next day, we drove to Freeport, Maine to visit the LL Bean flagship store and were we ever glad we did. We both found numerous items we didn’t even know we needed!
There are actually several LL Bean stores there. The flagship store, the outlet store, a biking and camping store, and boating and hunting store, and these are just LL Bean’s. Freeport’s Main Street is an outlet shoppers paradise with stores such as GAP, Coach, Timberland, Leatherman, Yankee Candles, etc. We spent all day there and made several trips back to the truck. It was definitely worth the trip if for nothing else than to just say you have been there and seen it.Before we left Wiscasset, Maine, we had to try Red’s Eats! It is just a small dive which is well
known for serving the best lobster rolls around. Once again, it was a pricey sandwich ($18.00) but you got a whole pound of lobster on the roll. George ordered crabcakes as he is not as crazy about lobster as I am and he said they were delicious as well. McKenzie got a tidbit of lobster and decided that it was a pretty good treat!After several days in Maine, we headed over to New Hampshire and stayed in a lovely little campground amidst all the trees with their lovely red, orange and yellow leaves.
We visited Portsmouth and Concord. Portsmouth was founded in 1623 and was home to sea captains, beer barons and revolutionaries. Many of the old homes of the sea captains and merchants have been restored and are in beautiful condition. One of the ones we especially liked was the Moffatt-Ladd House. It is one of America’s finest urban Georgian merchant estates. The site includes the mansion, two outbuildings, and a terraced Colonial Revival garden. Commissioned by the merchant, John Moffatt in 1760-63, the house remained in the hands of his descendants until it became a museum in 1912. Signer of the Declaration of Independence, William Whipple and his wife Katharine Moffatt Whipple lived here throughout the Revolution. Moffatt’s great granddaughter, Maria Ladd and her husband Alexander Ladd took ownership of the house in 1819. We thoroughly enjoyed strolling through the town and visiting the small shops and could easily see why it was chosen as one of the Top 50 Best Walking Cities in America.As we were in the prime week of Fall Foliage, we drove several of the roads just looking at the beautiful autumn colors.
George was justifiably impressed with the colors, having spent most of his life in Texas. The sugar maples, sycamores, and aspens were definitely showing off their rich hues with pride. Moving on to Vermont, we noticed that the trees were dropping their leaves very quickly. Upon arriving at the campground, we learned that they had had two nights of frost, which explained the knee-deep piles of leaves. Vermont’s hills and valleys are laced with an abundance of scenic roads and highways.
It is also the home to more than 100 covered bridges, of which more than 50 have been extensively repaired or restored and many listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Staying outside Brattleboro we drove scenic Route 5, up to Hanover, stopping at the King Arthur Flour Mill in Norwich which claims to be the biggest, best baking store in Vermont. We also drove over the the Colony Mill Marketplace in Keene, NH. In 1838 the prominent Faulkner and Colony families constructed a large brick building to house their woolen mill. The mill produced the finest materials for the Union troops of the Civil War and for the Allied forces of World Wars I and II. In 1953 when it closed its doors, the mill was the second oldest textile mill in the U.S. to operate under the same management in the same location. In 1983, the mill building was restored and transformed into a regional marketplace with wonderful, unusual shops inside.Winter seems to have set in. It is barely 40 degrees today, cold, windy and drizzling, but it is just temporary. Tomorrow will be a beautiful fall day once again with temperatures in the 50’s. We stayed at home today and just relaxed and were thankful that we didn’t have to get out in the weather. Tomorrow we will head for Connecticut for a week. We are thoroughly enjoying taking our time and moving much slower than we have for the past four months. Life is definitely good!
1 comment:
Hello guys, we love the fall colors and know you had a great time eating all those lobsters. What memories we had while enjoying your blog. Where will you guys be going this winter? Give us a call when you can. Shirley & George
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