Saturday June, 27
Warning: This is a long one, because it was a long day. You’ll probably be tired by the time you finish reading this one.
At about 3:20 a.m., we got the wake-up call to get out of our warm, comfy, plush beds. Why do beds always feel better in the morning? (Especially at 3:20.) It was time for a big adventure in Acadia National Park! What better way to kick it off than with a sunrise, right?
We got up, put on our clothes, packed up, checked out, and headed off. Sunrise in Bar Harbor was a ripe 4:51 a.m., so that meant we needed to leave our hotel by 3:50 to allow enough drive time, especially since we would be driving up the famous Cadillac Mountain in Acadia. Due to it being such a popular viewpoint, you’re required to purchase a summit pass to drive up the mountain in addition to your park pass. They release them in portions on two days—one batch 90 days in advance and the other 2 days in advance—and the passes often sell out in minutes.
We reached the booth to show both our passes and began the summit. The drive up to the top was mostly in the dark, so visibility was limited, and the fog didn’t help. But once we started climbing the mountain and light started to peek through, you could see better. It was like driving through the clouds because eventually we got so high up we made it past the dense layers of fog that had rolled in overnight.
Once at the top, we went to secure our spot with all of the others who had already made it up. I wonder how early the first person there had to get up.
I think the fog made it feel like you were walking through some fairytale forest. The trees were all lush looking as they surrounded the stone paths and rocks. The wooden signs marked trails and cutoffs, giving it a natural wonderland look. The fog made it feel like you were walking around in the clouds, because you were, I guess. I could have walked around up there a lot longer. I can’t even imagine what it looks like with clear visibility!
We sat down on the rock and waited to watch the color show begin. Slowly but surely, shades of pink, orange, and yellow began appearing in the sky through batches of fog passing by. It’s one of the prettiest sunrises I’ve ever seen, even though it was foggy.
As the sun was getting close to the horizon, the colors began to subside until we finally saw the sun pop up—or what we could see of it, at least. Regardless, it was one of the prettiest and most amazing sunrises I’ve seen. It felt like we were sitting on a puffy cloud watching the sun rise.
Even though I wanted to linger a little longer, we were on a schedule. Yes, a schedule at 5:55 in the morning. Remember in my first post when I said on trips like these we don’t vacation, we travel? Well, that’s why.
A few months back, when we decided to make it up to Acadia, I began looking at the must-see spots and must-do activities in the park. One of those was the Beehive Trail. I’ll say more on that shortly, but without giving too much away, my parents opted out of this one. While we hiked, they took a well-deserved nap in the car.
We jumped in the car and drove back down the mountain through the layers of fog until we reached the Sand Beach parking lot. This is where you could walk up the hill and access the trailhead to get going. Anna and I jumped out and got a move on.
At first, it was an inclined trail up to what would be just a small taste of what we had to summit. The landscape began to get more and more rocky, requiring more climbing and maneuvering than walking. This was just a warm-up.
Once we reached the actual start of the Beehive Trail, we jumped right in and started climbing… yes, you read that right, climbing.
The trail itself features a thrilling 1.5-mile loop made up of a climb of 450 feet using the iron rungs, ladders, and natural rock holds and formations built into the cliff. It requires a good amount of leg strength and only decent upper-body strength. You do all of this off the face of a cliff, making your way up to the top, all while overlooking one of the best views in Acadia National Park. Now, don’t get your hopes up to see that view in my pictures because the fog was just too dense. Also, just keep in mind we were doing all of this at 5:30 in the morning.
Also, you know I had to represent T-town all the way up in Acadia National Park!
Let me tell you, this was probably the hardest hike I’ve ever done—it was really more of a climb—but it was a blast! By going first thing, we may have sacrificed the view, but we avoided the crowds of people. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be on a cliff face with dozens of people. We ended up only seeing 2–3 other groups of hikers, which is like nothing compared to what the traffic usually is. Take a look below for what Memorial Day looked like this year. No thanks. (It’s a bit blurry but you get the idea.)
Thankfully, we missed the rain until the very end of the hike on our descent, but even then, it was just a drizzle. Yes, the rocks were still wet. No, you shouldn’t do it when the rocks are wet, but most were only damp, and besides, what if I never come back? (I definitely will.) Thank goodness for hiking boots with good traction.
By the time we got to the top, I was out of breath and worn out, but it was one of the most satisfying things I’ve done in a while.
There were little wooded access trails going to and from the large rock formations, guiding you along the trail. The flat paths were a nice break.
We took a stop to rest and take some photos before heading back down. After all, there wasn’t too much to look at up there.
The hike back down was much easier, but it still required careful attention. It was a mix of big rocks, steps, and wooded paths. At some points, you kind of just had to slide down the rock because it was a pretty big step down.
It was so peaceful. Me. Chipmunks. Drizzling rain. Chirping birds. What a way to relax. It really felt like I was alone in the woods in some far-off place, yet I was just a mile or so from the main roads. I wish I could put up a video of it.
Just as I had almost made it to the car, the sole of my right boot came unglued. Great timing!
We were on schedule—it was about 7:00. So, while waiting for Anna, I changed shirts before we headed to our next activity.
One of the activities my mom really wanted to do on this trip was renting e-bikes. We did this at the Grand Canyon, and it was a complete blast. Well, maybe not so much for Anna, but the majority of the time it was. See more on that here.
The company we rented from, Acadia Ebike Adventures, would meet you at the Hulls Cove Visitor Center, within the shop if you rented them for the full day rather than you going to the shop. So, we arrived 15 minutes early at 7:45 for our safety briefing and instructions before setting off at our 8:00 rental time.
The bikes were really nice with a cargo basket on the back, comfortable seats, phone clamps, and a front pouch. The perfect sightseeing mobile for the Carriage Roads of Acadia.
This 45-mile network of trails was gifted by John D. Rockefeller as an automobile- and noise-free way to take in the natural beauty of Acadia. You can only access these trails one of three ways: by bike, carriage/horseback, or on foot. Unfortunately, we forgot our horse and carriage at home and couldn’t cover much ground on foot, so e-bikes were the best option.
After our test ride, we rode over to the visitor center for a quick bathroom and souvenir stop. Then, we were off on our adventure.
The company had digital maps and directions through an app, which was super nice. You could pick the Around the Lakes route or the Tri Lakes route. Of course, we picked the one with the most hills, but it didn’t matter because we had that nice pedal assist! Some may call it cheating, but I call it smart.
Over the course of 25 miles, our route took us past multiple historic bridges built in the early 1900s. Some were over the trail, while others towered over small streams or waterfalls below. They were each different in their own way.
The trails themselves were very nice and well maintained. They weren’t paved but were covered with smooth gravel, and all paths and roads were well marked with wooden posts at the intersections.
We cruised through the trails, getting to see the breathtaking scenery of Acadia while breathing in some of the freshest air ever and listening to the birds. Safe to say we were all loving life.
When 11:00 rolled around, we had worked up quite the appetite from our morning adventures. We rode until reaching Jordan Pond House, where visitors can enjoy a sit-down or grab-and-go lunch while taking in the views. You are looking straight out over the pond at two big mountain-looking humps called “The Bubbles.” There’s another great hike there, but we just didn’t have time.
We walked up a short path to reach the front of the house, where we saw the ridiculously long line to eat at the restaurant. This is because of the famous popovers that are served at Jordan Pond House. They are basically a pastry that’s a cross between a muffin and a biscuit. They get their name because they pop over the top of the pan when you bake them.
Anyways, we opted for the grab-and-go café on the top patio, serving quick bites like wraps and sandwiches, where there was no line. The food was really good, but the view was even better. We took a break to enjoy our lunch and take in the scenery before moving on.
After we finished, we headed to the walk-up Popover and Prosecco Bar to experience these famous pastries. We placed an order for two, and they came right out. They cook over 5,000 of these fluffy, golden pastries a day during the busy summer months.
I can’t say they were the best thing I’ve ever had, but they were good. They’re served with butter and jam—the perfect complements. It tasted pretty much like a fluffy biscuit to me. It’s definitely a core Acadia experience, though!
After that, it was time to ride on. This is when we found one of my favorite areas we saw—a small rocky creek with the cutest little wooden bridge going over it. We parked the bikes and walked down for some pictures.
By this time, I was definitely reminded by my backside that I had been sitting on a bike seat for the past four or five hours. We finished out the ride, making some more stops and taking in our last moments on the beautiful carriage trails. The bikes were definitely a highlight of the trip and let us see things we otherwise wouldn’t have gotten to see.
We ended up riding all 25 miles—maybe more—of the Around the Mountain trail, giving us a chance to really see Acadia, at least the more wooded part.
Acadia truly is one of the most unique and beautiful parks I’ve visited. It seems like a fairytale world, at least with fog. It truly is where the forest meets the ocean. I’ll definitely be back again. It’s one of my favorites.
You can see our trail here: (My watch was paused for some of the time, but this is pretty close to being accurate.) You could say we covered a lot of ground.
Once the bikes were turned in, we headed out of the park and made a quick stop at the bike shop for a sticker and the Gateway to Acadia Visitor Center so I could change.
So before 1:00, we had seen a sunrise on top of a mountain, hiked up a cliff, and ridden 25 miles on bikes. I earned my calories Saturday, that’s for sure.
Now it was time to head south to Everett, Massachusetts, for our Boston stint.
About midway we stoped in Freeport, Maine to see the L.L. Bean flagship store.
When we pulled up to park, we saw some sort of festival going on. So, naturally, we went to check out what was happening. It turned out to be the annual Maine Oyster Festival. There were more raw oysters in one place than you could ever dream. Each vendor shucked their oysters fresh and served them up, all vying for first place. My dad bought a couple of tickets to try some oysters, but I’m not a raw oyster eater. Oysters Rockefeller sure are good though!! I’m glad we got to experience such a fun Maine tradition.
After walking through the festival and holding a live lobster and starfish, we walked across to the store. It was definitely the biggest store I’ve ever been in, and there were multiple stores on the campus this size. They are separated into different hobby areas like boating, fishing, hunting, camping, and more. Unfortunately, the actual flagship store is under renovation, so they’re set up in a temporary building that looks like one of the tents they sell. However, don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s any less shocking how much merchandise is in there. It’s basically a tent-shaped permanent store.
I ended up purchasing a lightweight black rain jacket since I’ve been needing to get one for a while. It’s pretty cool that I can say I got from the flagship store in Maine!
Shout out to my parents for driving while Anna and I took naps. The drive was about 4.5 hours, but with stops and a quick dinner at Panera, we arrived at about 9:00, which was our goal.
We Our Airbnb was in a suburban neighborhood just outside the city. It took a second to find the house because of how they were numbered, but we did it. To our surprise, there was a party in the backyard. It was an apartment, which meant we had neighbors on the top and bottom floors. While it was alarming at first, it turned out it was just a big family party watching the World Cup. Whew! That could have put us in an awkward situation. They even left our parking spot open for us.
We unloaded, got showers, and went to bed. It was time for some VERY MUCH NEEDED rest.
I wouldn’t trade the adventures we got to have today for anything… especially sleep.
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