Acadia National Park June 2011

Pictures from our Maine/New Hampshire Vacation this week:   Click on the links below to see them all!

Santa's Village

Camping in Maine @ Acadia National Park

The Camping Trip

View Larger Map
Friday, June 17.  After a crazy amount of packing and preparation we left on our trip to Bar Harbor, Maine.  We made the 7-hour drive and arrived at Blackwoods around 6pm.  We set up camp and ate dinner.  I made a point of setting up my giant tarp just in case it decided to rain.  Guess what?  It did that night. 

Saturday morning we were off for a hike!  The Great Head hike.  The kids did an amazing job of not falling off the rocks into the ocean  Our hike.

View Larger Map

 Afterward there was a little down time so Rachel could have a nap.  Then we found a church, Holy Redeemer, in Bar Harbor and went to the vigil mass.  All 3 kids took turns falling asleep, but Luke woke up just in time for communion.

Sunday was Fathers' Day!!  We started the day with a great breakfast at Jordan's restaurant.

View Larger Map
 Best blueberry muffins and pancakes you can find.  We followed this with a bike ride leaving from Eagle Lake going the long way around to Bubble pond.  Our bike route.  The day ended with a very cute Fathers' day presentation at the amphitheater by Luke and Rose just for me.

Monday we split up.  Andrea took the kids to a ranger program which involved a hike around "The Tam" a pond between Blackwoods and Bar Harbor.  I watched the baby.  When she got back I took the kids to Sand Beach and Thunder Hole.

View Larger Map

Tuesday was another hike and bike day.  We started at the Bubble rock near Jordan Pond, for a ranger program.  All 5 of us hiked to the top and stood next to the "rock".  After the hike, we were off for picnic at the Jordan Pond House.  We walked down to the water and explored.    After lunch more Carriage road riding along the route that leads to Day Mountain and going up the back way to Bubble Pond and back again.  We ended the day with a little time at Seal harbor so we could put our feet in the ocean.

Wednesday was our "Quiet Side" day.  After a slow start we went to Echo lake for a swim.  Then off to Southwest Harbor where we did not find my buddy Bob who owns the local bike shop.  Then to Bass harbor and the The Bass Harbor Head light.   For Dinner: Thurstons Lobster Pound!!  but that's not all.  To end the day we drove the Park loop Rd so Luke could get one more look at Thunder Hole.  It was not spectacular given where the tide was at.

Thursday was our day to leave.   We ate a breakfast and the started the laborious process of packing up.  I cant wait for a bigger camper to simplfy the pickup process.  Everything we bring has to be packed very well to fit it all.  While packing Andrea took the big kids down to the Ranger Station to get sworn in as Jr Rangers!  Jr Ranger badges in-hand we set off one more stop to pick up some Jr Ranger hats for the big kids.  We ended the day in Gorham NH.  It was pouring rain so we opted to stay in a flea bag motel instead of a campsite and set up for just one night. 

Beyond camping:

Friday was Santa's Village!!  55 degrees and raining yet the kids had a blast.  Even Rachel could go on rides.  No lines so we got to go on everything at least 3 times.  The log flume, train ride, & antique car driving were big hits.  Brought our picnic lunch in and while making sandwiches, a show started where we were sitting and the kids were invited to join the show and dance.  

A very, very enjoyable vacation for all of us.

How It All Started

For me (Andrea), it all started back in the summer of 1984 when I was 7 1/2 years old and got a scholarship to attend one session of Girl Scout camp: Camp Murray in East Haven, CT.  After that followed many years of Girl Scout camping experiences.  We also had friends that did a lot of camping and even though my family didn't camp, on occasion my Mom, my sister & I would join them for a weekend.  Aaron went to 4-H camp as a kid and he loved it.  And later, spent a lot of summers camping in Maine during his teenage years.  So it seems ever since childhood, we've been hooked on camping.

I've done backpacking, canoe camping, a lot of tent camping, but now as a family of 5 we're into car camping with our minivan towing the pop-up camper.  We've never tried winter camping but that sure would be interesting.  In July of 2007, we bought our Fleetwood Tuscon pop-up which has served us well.

Our kids are hooked too.  Luke & Rosie keep asking us all winter long, "when will we be able to go camping?"  There's just something about being outdoors that we just can't get enough of:  the smell of the campfire, being able to see the stars & constellations, waking up to the birds singing.  These are wonderful moments that we want to share and we are making many precious memories in the process.