Stop 6: Acadia National Park, Maine

Ok, you all know how I said that Cape Cod was straight off a postcard?
Forget that.

Maine.

Maine is a postcard.
Maine is an entire issue of "Coastal Living Magazine."

Maine is breathtaking.

So breathtaking, in fact, that I did not even complain about the cold. (It was in the 50s a couple of the nights! Can someone please tell that state that is summer!?!)

Everyone who knows me knows that Hawaii is my #1 place ever. In terms of beauty, I gotta say that Maine was right there. (I kept telling the boys: "Now imagine all this beauty, these cliffs, the blue ocean...and add palm trees, warmth, and a beach lifestyle. That's Hawaii.")

I will go ahead and give you the disclaimer right now: in spite of the 400+ pictures and videos we took, I could not find one that truly does this place justice. And it wasn't just the sights: it smelled so amazing there (and no, it wasn't just the buttery lobster). I now understand how air can smell "crisp." Ben even said, "I hadn't realized how much air pollution we have back home until now." And when it wasn't just smelling clean, it smelled like Christmas tree. As Floridians, we were so amused by the fact that we were surrounded by "Christmas trees" everywhere we went.

We stayed at Hadley's Point Campground, just outside of Acadia National Park and about 5 miles from the town of Bar Harbor. We were supposed to be there only 3 days, but within a few hours of arriving, we were discussing the possibility of extending this stop.

We started our first day there with Diver's Ed Dive-In Theatre, a local must-do for the kids. He takes you on his boat "The StarFish Enterprise" with Captain Evil (his wife and sidekick), his Newfoundland dog Leviathan, and his diving buddy Mini Ed (a Lego diver), and dives with special camera equipment so the people on the boat stay dry while learning about the underwater creatures. He then brings a bunch up for a hands-on lesson/stand-up comedy act. The kids (and adults) loved it.

They were allowed to pick up and touch all the sea creatures

The flat screen TV on the boat that showed us everything Diver Ed was seeing,
including his diving buddy, Lego Mini Ed (intended to give us perspective
on the size of things as he found them underwater)

My kids didn't think I'd kiss the nasty, slimy sea cucumber...
(no jokes, please...I don't want to have to put my Adults Warning back on my blog)

After the (freezing) boat ride, we went into the town of Bar Harbor, to hike onto Bar Island. It's an actual island right off the harbor that you can walk to only during low tide, when a natural land bridge becomes exposed. It was the coolest thing and hard to wrap your head around the idea that where you were walking would be covered with water in a few short hours. If we hadn't had the kids with us, we would have been tempted to sit at the nearest bar across the island and drink as high tide comes in and watch the people scrambling to make it over in time. (Kinda like when you go on a cruise and it leaves a drunken port like Cancun late at night...you wait on the top deck of the ship and watch the drunk passengers running to make it on board as the ship is getting ready to depart....oh wait...you've never done that? You must. It's hilarious. And no, we were not the drunken passengers rushing.)

That whole area is ocean except at low tide!
Aidan was amazed that "technically, we are walking on the bottom of the ocean."

The view of the landbridge from the island, looking over into the town

We did a very easy hike up to the summit of the island for some beautiful views:

Acadia: one of his Bucket List Places!

 k

That hike, however, was "just walking" as Aidan Kai called it. The next couple of days we did some heavy duty hiking in the main area of Acadia National Park. They were all pretty strenuous for a 6-year-old (Aidan Kai was a little bad-ass on the trails) and a 9-year-old, and some parts were even strenuous for a 42 year old with bad knees (I'd like to think I was still a little bad ass too). The views were spectacular everywhere you looked.

Ocean Trail, Acadia

Thunder Hole, Acadia

Hiking down (and then back up!) Cadillac Mountain

Some of those great smelling Christmas Trees!!

 

Although some of those precipices look dangerous, we were really cautious and made sure everyone was coming home in one piece. But we did have a little fun with photo angles:

One of our favorite hikes was around Jordan Pond, a 3+ mile loop with planks and rocks that started and ended at Jordan House Restaurant, where you we had popovers and drinks. I don't know what was better: the popovers, the beer, or the views.

No matter how many times I've gone through my photos and debated which to add, it is nearly impossible to truly show the beauty of this place. Hubby and I discussed many times that we definitely want to go back sans kids (gasp!) to do some of the more strenuous hikes and kayaking and enjoy the town of Bar Harbor at night, with its romantic Shore Path walk and great little bed and breakfasts.

Mansions along Bar Harbor's Shore Path

Our "We-are-SO-coming-back-here-for-a-getaway!" picture

What'd I tell ya? Coastal Living Magazine!

Loving my rock cliffs Acadia sticker.
Maine, check!

Our next stop is New Hampshire, where we were supposed to spend 2 days doing some more outdoor adventure stuff. But because we extended our stay in Maine by a day (we loved it so much and had some really bad weather kill one of our days there), the next part of our trip was slightly affected. When we sat down to discuss that, we both admitted we were longing for some palm trees and heat and feeling a little road exhaustion. As much as we are loving this adventure, we are all missing home a bit, and looking forward to turning the RV south. The kids, I think, have had enough of sightseeing, and I have had enough of 60s and below weather. So we've scratched Niagara Falls and are cutting back down to Charlottesville right after New Hampshire, and then returning to our beloved OBX for some more bliss before the concert in North Carolina on the 10th. Although we aren't actually going to be home any sooner, we will be heading in that direction and sitting on the beach along the way. The good thing is that everyone in the family wholeheartedly agreed with the decision to head south. I guess the only thing running through this family's veins more than gypsy blood is salt water!

Stop 5: Cape Cod

Provincetown

Chatham Pier

Coast Guard Beach, Town of Truro

I had always wanted to visit Cape Cod.

"Spending summers on the Cape" just sounded so romantic and idyllic.

Straight off a postcard.

It always seemed so "Coastal Living Magazine."

And that's exactly what it was like.

But you know what else it was?

Cold!

I have come to realize that South Florida has spoiled me. Traveling up north (in the summer, mind you) has made me appreciate home all the more. As beautiful as Cape Cod was, I can't tell you how much I missed hair-ruining, make-up melting, sweltering South Florida humidity. I'm sure it didn't help that there was a bit of a cold front coming through (perhaps, ironically, the same one we were celebrating in New York) and it rained a couple of the days, but even on the hottest day, the temperatures never hit the 80s and the water was a bone-chilling 65 degrees.

The other thing I have been missing is Southern hospitality. I am amazed by how different the vibe is the more north you go. Not that anyone has been rude or unpleasant; but you just don't feel that warmth and laid back vibe of the South. 

When you take Cape Cod and compare it to Outer Banks, they are very similar on paper. Both are popular summer destinations with beaches, various little towns, beautiful views, and great seafood. Although Cape Cod is a peninsula and the Outer Banks are barrier islands, you're still talking about, essentially, a narrow piece of land with water on each side. The vibe should be the same, but it's not. It's funny: I felt at home in Outer Banks, like I could live there. I didn't feel that same energy in Cape Cod. 

This is one of the things I'm loving about this trip: you see all these places and get a feel for each. Then you walk away with a ton of awesome pictures, even better memories, and a new awareness and appreciation for not only new places but your own spots back home. (And you learn a little bit about yourself along the way, too, if you're paying attention.)

"Freddy and Fiona Flamingo," our tropical friends who travel with us

We stayed in the town of Truro, at Adventure Bound Campground, very near the eastern "tip" of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. The coolest thing about this campground was that many of the sites were seasonal, which meant that people paid for them by the year and left their trailers and campers set up all year long in order to return each summer to their vacation "homes." We had never seen set-ups like this: there were full blown gardens worthy of a magazine shoot, room additions built and attached to the campers, car ports, and even outdoor kitchens and water features. 

Surely this addition cost the owners more than the camper

A close up of the addition

This one had a log cabin facade in the front, complete with deck

The campground was along the edge of the beach, so we would bike or walk the wooded path each day. We grilled some nights and hung out at the campground a lot too, which was a much needed respite from the hectic go-go-go days of DC and NYC.

Trail to the beach

I was fascinated by the lack of seashells and abundance of gorgeous beach stones

The tides would create these cool "pools" and sandbanks everywhere

Check out the water on each side of us...we were standing on one of the sandbanks

We all braved the chilly waters on the warmest days (but for the record, I did NOT enjoy it!)

On one of the cooler days--and the first one with actual sunshine--I plopped myself on the warmest, sunniest spot I found. I have definitely confirmed that I am solar-powered.

As if the cold waters were not enough of a deterrent, check out the Great White advisory
that greets you at each beach.

The reason for this Great White population? The huge seal population!
We saw dozens each day. That little black spot in the water is one of them.

Playing in the campground: the boys made an "Air Chair"

It was strong enough to serve as a swing, too.

Adult campground fun: sitting by the fire pit drinking local beer.
The growler label stated that it was freshest within 12 hours of opening,
so we HAD to drink it all.

We were staying only 6 miles from Provincetown, so we spent some time there a couple of days, shopping, sightseeing, and eating.

Some of the cutest little houses ever

These hydrangeas looked fake, even up close

Where the Pilgrims first set foot

A new tattoo added to his collection...

...and new souvenirs for theirs

My absolute favorite restaurant and meal of this trip (and possibly my lifetime):

The Canteen in Provincetown

This lobster roll was so good that it made me extra glad I had done some personal experimentation prior to traveling to double check I am not allergic to lobster anymore. Thank God I am not, but maybe even if I were, this meal might have been worth a trip to the ER.

  And as if the food wasn't good enough, this the "backyard" of the restaurant:

Lobster rolls were followed by the best damn doughnuts from Happy Camper
and cupcakes from Scottcakes--cupcakes so amazing that they made
our Misha's Cupcakes back home taste like crap.

Loved this shop's name

One of our favorite things from Cape Cod was spending the afternoon at the Chatham Pier, watching the fishermen unload their catch and the seals waiting for their scraps! If you ever go to the Cape, don't bother spending a penny on a seal-watching cruise. You can watch them at the pier up close and for free!

We didn't get to do a few of the things we had wanted to, because Ben got sick and was out of commission for a couple of days, but we felt like we did enough to get a good feel for the Cape. It really is something out of a Coastal Living Magazine. And although I suspect we are a bit too hippie-surfer vibe for it, we still loved the postcard perfection of it.

Our next adventure: Acadia National Park, Maine.

3 more states added to the map

Cape Cod, check!