Lighthouses and (Light)Foliage - Sep/Oct Trip to Maine and New Hampshire
Oct 16th, 2015, 05:38 PM
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Lighthouses and (Light)Foliage - Sep/Oct Trip to Maine and New Hampshire
About 3 years ago our DD in Tampa hooked up with a guy from Maine. Much to our surprise she suddenly found herself trading in palm trees for pines, Cubano sandwiches for lobster rolls, and tropical breezes for northeaster squalls….and loving it.
For a number or reasons which in hindsight seem completely irrelevant, we had never visited with them as she/they always wanted to come to Puerto Rico for their vacations. When a family event presented itself (in combination with the fact that I quit my job early in the year and now only need to consult the bank balance for travel approval) DH and I decided that it was high time to remedy the situation. A two week family visit in combination with a little sightseeing and leaf-peeping was quickly arranged.
As this was not exactly an action-filled trip, I will not proceed with a longwinded trip report (hopefully) but will just give the useful highlights and commit into writing the details that will soon be forgotten by my menopausally-fickle memory.
September 22 – Arrival to BOS, DD picked us up and we drove to the Berwicks where we finally got to see the boyfriend, and meet his parents and the grandpup. We were delighted! Boyfriend had previously received a wholehearted seal of approval, now it was also extended to his immediate family as well. The grandpup was adorable. We overnighted at DD’s.
September 23 – 24 – Stayed at the family camp house in Acton / Great Eastern Lake with DD and the grandpup. We moseyed around, cooked, attempted to fish and drank wine by the campfire. To say that these two days were magical does not even start to scratch the surface.
September 25 – 27 - Bar Harbor-MDI / Acadia National Park
We picked up the rental car in Somersworth NH (half of the time we did not know in which state we were) and kissed DD goodbye for the next 5 days. Our first stop was at the Maine Visitor Center in Kittery where a very (very!) elderly lady gave us all kinds of maps and brochures.
The drive (5hrs) was not particularly interesting until we got to Penobscot with its quintessential New England houses, mansions and inns. We crossed the Ellsworth bridge and drove without problems into Bar Harbor and our hotel.
The Bar Harbor Villager Motel - This was sort of a last minute trip so availability was low and prices were high, resulting in the fact that I would have been raving about this place at a slightly cheaper rate. Location is perfect, rooms were comfortable and clean, breakfast was included, and it had parking.
Bar Harbor (pronounced ‘Bahaba’) was swamped with cruisers. Swamped. And they gathered in the souvenir shops. I must also say that ME in general and Mount Desert Island in particular is VERY dog friendly. This is very ok, except for people with their dogs on fully extended retractable leashes, not paying attention, and attempting to trip every passerby.
We started looking at menus and immediately got a bad case of Sticker Shock. You see, we have vacationed in Spain and Greece for the last few years. We are not used to paying more than $25 at the very most for a nice bottle of wine in a restaurant or more than $60 for dinner for two. Since we drink a lot of wine this made a significant dent on the budget.
The temperature was dropping quickly into to the 40’s and a slight drizzle interrupted our wanderings so we ducked into Cherrystone for a few pre-dinner drinks. We wound up staying for dinner as it was close to the hotel and it began to really rain. Ambiance was nice, service was prompt, and the food was good (but nothing to rave about). We could have done better for the $100+ that we spent.
Next morning we drove to the Acadia National Park Visitor Center where DH proudly purchased his $10 Senior Lifetime National Park Pass and we found out that the Loop Road was closed until noon. A quick shuffling of plans resulted in driving to the other side of the park to sightsee:
- Somesville
- Seal Cove
- Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse
- Seawall
- Southwest Harbor
- Carroll Homestead Interpretative Trail (very nice, easy 2 mile walk)
- Northeast Harbor
- Seal Harbor
We drove into the park loop road to return to Bar Harbor. We had a late light lunch at Peekytoes Provisions, excellent smoked chowder and steamer clams (pissers). For $45 it was the best value meal of the ones we had in Bar Harbor.
I took off for a run along the harbor and the historic trail under the huge harvest/red moon. Something that I was extremely grateful for as the trail and sidewalks were very dark. This is intentional as to prevent light contamination, but it still freaked me out a bit.
Dinner was at Blaze, we had a 20min wait on a Saturday night. It was a better choice than the night before but I still would not drive for miles to eat there. I had a lobster risotto (not a true risotto but still tasty though lukewarm) and DH had a nice steak (but the wedge/steak fries that came with it were not fully cooked). The inside was packed and noisy and we agreed to sit outside because the heaters were on but we still never got to the point where we removed any piece of clothing.
In the second full day we took on the Park Loop Road. We were about 2 weeks too early to see true autumn foliage but the yellows were still delightful. We stopped at almost every outlook.
- Sand Beach (we planned a hike but the soles on DH’s ancient hiking boots decided to break off, throwing askew our plans for the day and sending us on a quest for duct tape)
- Thunder Hole (we did not hit the right tide for full effect)
- Jordan Pond (no hiking due to broken boots though we finally got some duct tape from a group of cyclists in the parking lot as we were leaving)
- Cadillac Mountain (very, very windy! But worth the trip by itself)
Back in Bar Harbor we did the Bar Island hike. I loved walking on the tide sand bank but the viewpoint from the island was a tad disappointing as the trees are somewhat overgrown. I also expected a loop trail but this seems to be closed to public now. Still, highly recommended.
Dinner was at McKay's Public House, lovely garden but too cold to sit outside, the interior was nice and cozy so it was still ok. The Jerk Chicken Wing appetizer was outstanding, I had very good swordfish served with a ridiculously inedible rice and DH had a seafood rice which was quite decent.
Next morning we checked out of the hotel and drove back to Jordan Pond so that we could do the hike that we had left pending. Two thumbs up for this walk! One thing, if you start clockwise you will very soon find yourself walking on rustic planks and scrambling over stones (nothing extreme) so you know early on the type of trail you have to deal with. However, if you start counterclockwise from the pond house, you will be 2/3’s of the way on a very smooth and even trail, before the trail goes rugged. We saw some elderly people turning back.
Next: Camden
For a number or reasons which in hindsight seem completely irrelevant, we had never visited with them as she/they always wanted to come to Puerto Rico for their vacations. When a family event presented itself (in combination with the fact that I quit my job early in the year and now only need to consult the bank balance for travel approval) DH and I decided that it was high time to remedy the situation. A two week family visit in combination with a little sightseeing and leaf-peeping was quickly arranged.
As this was not exactly an action-filled trip, I will not proceed with a longwinded trip report (hopefully) but will just give the useful highlights and commit into writing the details that will soon be forgotten by my menopausally-fickle memory.
September 22 – Arrival to BOS, DD picked us up and we drove to the Berwicks where we finally got to see the boyfriend, and meet his parents and the grandpup. We were delighted! Boyfriend had previously received a wholehearted seal of approval, now it was also extended to his immediate family as well. The grandpup was adorable. We overnighted at DD’s.
September 23 – 24 – Stayed at the family camp house in Acton / Great Eastern Lake with DD and the grandpup. We moseyed around, cooked, attempted to fish and drank wine by the campfire. To say that these two days were magical does not even start to scratch the surface.
September 25 – 27 - Bar Harbor-MDI / Acadia National Park
We picked up the rental car in Somersworth NH (half of the time we did not know in which state we were) and kissed DD goodbye for the next 5 days. Our first stop was at the Maine Visitor Center in Kittery where a very (very!) elderly lady gave us all kinds of maps and brochures.
The drive (5hrs) was not particularly interesting until we got to Penobscot with its quintessential New England houses, mansions and inns. We crossed the Ellsworth bridge and drove without problems into Bar Harbor and our hotel.
The Bar Harbor Villager Motel - This was sort of a last minute trip so availability was low and prices were high, resulting in the fact that I would have been raving about this place at a slightly cheaper rate. Location is perfect, rooms were comfortable and clean, breakfast was included, and it had parking.
Bar Harbor (pronounced ‘Bahaba’) was swamped with cruisers. Swamped. And they gathered in the souvenir shops. I must also say that ME in general and Mount Desert Island in particular is VERY dog friendly. This is very ok, except for people with their dogs on fully extended retractable leashes, not paying attention, and attempting to trip every passerby.
We started looking at menus and immediately got a bad case of Sticker Shock. You see, we have vacationed in Spain and Greece for the last few years. We are not used to paying more than $25 at the very most for a nice bottle of wine in a restaurant or more than $60 for dinner for two. Since we drink a lot of wine this made a significant dent on the budget.
The temperature was dropping quickly into to the 40’s and a slight drizzle interrupted our wanderings so we ducked into Cherrystone for a few pre-dinner drinks. We wound up staying for dinner as it was close to the hotel and it began to really rain. Ambiance was nice, service was prompt, and the food was good (but nothing to rave about). We could have done better for the $100+ that we spent.
Next morning we drove to the Acadia National Park Visitor Center where DH proudly purchased his $10 Senior Lifetime National Park Pass and we found out that the Loop Road was closed until noon. A quick shuffling of plans resulted in driving to the other side of the park to sightsee:
- Somesville
- Seal Cove
- Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse
- Seawall
- Southwest Harbor
- Carroll Homestead Interpretative Trail (very nice, easy 2 mile walk)
- Northeast Harbor
- Seal Harbor
We drove into the park loop road to return to Bar Harbor. We had a late light lunch at Peekytoes Provisions, excellent smoked chowder and steamer clams (pissers). For $45 it was the best value meal of the ones we had in Bar Harbor.
I took off for a run along the harbor and the historic trail under the huge harvest/red moon. Something that I was extremely grateful for as the trail and sidewalks were very dark. This is intentional as to prevent light contamination, but it still freaked me out a bit.
Dinner was at Blaze, we had a 20min wait on a Saturday night. It was a better choice than the night before but I still would not drive for miles to eat there. I had a lobster risotto (not a true risotto but still tasty though lukewarm) and DH had a nice steak (but the wedge/steak fries that came with it were not fully cooked). The inside was packed and noisy and we agreed to sit outside because the heaters were on but we still never got to the point where we removed any piece of clothing.
In the second full day we took on the Park Loop Road. We were about 2 weeks too early to see true autumn foliage but the yellows were still delightful. We stopped at almost every outlook.
- Sand Beach (we planned a hike but the soles on DH’s ancient hiking boots decided to break off, throwing askew our plans for the day and sending us on a quest for duct tape)
- Thunder Hole (we did not hit the right tide for full effect)
- Jordan Pond (no hiking due to broken boots though we finally got some duct tape from a group of cyclists in the parking lot as we were leaving)
- Cadillac Mountain (very, very windy! But worth the trip by itself)
Back in Bar Harbor we did the Bar Island hike. I loved walking on the tide sand bank but the viewpoint from the island was a tad disappointing as the trees are somewhat overgrown. I also expected a loop trail but this seems to be closed to public now. Still, highly recommended.
Dinner was at McKay's Public House, lovely garden but too cold to sit outside, the interior was nice and cozy so it was still ok. The Jerk Chicken Wing appetizer was outstanding, I had very good swordfish served with a ridiculously inedible rice and DH had a seafood rice which was quite decent.
Next morning we checked out of the hotel and drove back to Jordan Pond so that we could do the hike that we had left pending. Two thumbs up for this walk! One thing, if you start clockwise you will very soon find yourself walking on rustic planks and scrambling over stones (nothing extreme) so you know early on the type of trail you have to deal with. However, if you start counterclockwise from the pond house, you will be 2/3’s of the way on a very smooth and even trail, before the trail goes rugged. We saw some elderly people turning back.
Next: Camden
Oct 17th, 2015, 08:52 AM
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September 28 – 30 - Camden
After our lovely hike at Jordan Pond we drove about two hours to Camden. We were already on watch for the potential effects of Hurricane/Storm Joachim but so far the weather was holding. We checked into Camden Riverhouse Hotel and Inn, their parking lot was still full of sunflowers in bloom and the rail covered in tomatoes and grapevines. Big improvement over our charmless previous hotel.
I have no desire to return to Bar Harbor (once was wonderful but certainly enough) but I can so see myself spending a lazy week in tiny Camden. The town commons was gorgeous and lovingly manicured. The harbor is big enough to make it interesting but small enough to keep it quaint. We spent the afternoon walking around, menu reading and having a glass of wine at Waterfront. Their terrace was perfect to enjoy the great view under the 60 degree sun and the wind barriers kept it warm enough. The food that was brought out looked decent.
After lounging off the afternoon we went for dinner at Fresh. The ambiance was quite pleasant, it was packed for a Monday night and we were sat next to the bar as we had no reservations. We shared a Calamari appetizer which was a bit disappointing as I dislike when the batter falls off (silly pet peeve of mine…. Yes I am a demanding patron).
I had a lobster ravioli dish that had at least a pound of meat in it. If it had had less sauce it would have been an outstanding dish but the crispiness of the pasta was lost and a soup remained in the plate after I was finished. Still, it was very tasty and I would have it again. DH went back to steak and it was very nicely cooked and well seasoned. Overall an above-average rating. (Final bill was $124).
The nicest thing about the hotel is that they light their firepit every evening –they also provide all the ingredients to make smores- so we settled in with our glasses and enjoyed lovely conversations with the other guests as they came and went.
The weather killed our plans to hike up to Mount Battie in the morning so we drove up after breakfast. This was included in hotel fare and had a lot of carb options (waffle maker and all) but not as much on the protein side. I was able to make do with yogurt, hard boiled eggs and peanut butter.
We still wanted to go up Mt Battie so we drove up, however the ominous rain clouds obscured the view to the mountains. Time to completely ditch hiking thoughts and turn to lighthouses.
- Owls Head Light – the little harbor was shrouded in fog and the boats were rolling in quickly, even the fog horns were activated. It did not make for great pictures but the experience of the lighthouses actually serving their purpose on the fickle New England weather was just as amazing. The light house was pretty nice too.
- Rockland Breakwater Light – this was an experience. The lighthouse is built at the end of a one mile (1.6km) long seawall. The path is not difficult but the stones are set apart so that you do need to watch where you step. It also lets the water come up with the waves. We were there in high tide and the overall level of the sea was one inch below the wall. We actually could not make it to the lighthouse as the path was underwater for the last 100 yards. It is not a very heartwarming feeling to see the big bad clouds rolling in as you are literally standing a mile into the sea. Yes, I'm a chicken that way.
We returned to Camden as it actually started to rain and opted for a light lunch at Cappy’s Chowder Bar. This place suffers from what I call ‘too much staff’. We waited a long time to be seated while half of the tables were empty and the waiters were joking and looking at their phones.
Best trip anecdote: DH defected to the bar while I waited to give our names. This rather handsome elderly gentleman walked up to me and almost whispered ‘those jeans you are wearing look wicked good.’ It was funny in soooo many ways. But since I have been working out faithfully for the last few months, flattering comments about my butt are greatly appreciated. He made my day. And week.
Anyway, we were eventually seated upstairs by the huge picture windows and the view by itself was worth the wait. Table service was adequate. We had two huge bowls of chowder so laden with seafood and fish that the light part of the lunch was lost.
Once again we lounged off the late afternoon until it was time to go for dinner. We had made this reservation in the afternoon and it was a good thing we did. Long Grain was highly recommended in Chowhound and while DH has a love/hate relationship with internet recs, he loves his Thai, so he agreed wholeheartedly to come here. We had not dined here the night before because it is closed on Monday night, otherwise we would have eaten here twice.
The place does not even have a sign outside and seems completely nondescript from the sidewalk. The interior is cozy but very loud. DH has hearing issues and he did not enjoy the ‘experience’ part as much… but the food? WOW. Best meal of the trip -AND- for the best price. We regretted those filling chowder we had for lunch as we were still too stuffed to try different appetizers/plates.
I had ‘Spicy Wide Rice Noodles with Thai Basil, Greens, Mushrooms and Pork’ (Pad Ke Mao) and DH had the daily Curry (Panang) with Beef. Both dishes were superb. I would be willing to make a significant detour if I found myself in the area to eat in this place again. It was that good. Food presentation was very nice as well. The waitress was a bit eager to move us along after we were done eating but with the noise level we did not feel like lingering either. As soon as we finished our wine we retired for another evening of sitting by the firepit in the hotel.
We left in the morning under a steady rain. Our plan for the day was to visit DH’s friend in Damariscotta and see the Pemaquid Lighthouse. Maybe stop in Portland/Cape Elizabeth before we went back to DD’s house for the evening.
What we did not count on was Noah’s Flood coming to New England. Let’s just say it was an interesting day. The visit with the friend was absolutely lovely, she invited us to have lunch by the lighthouse just around the time the real deluge started. OMG and all other superlative acronyms.
I was able to take a picture of the lighthouse and we did manage to get out of the car and into the lunch place, so that was a success. DH had the fried haddock sandwich and I had my first lobster roll. Both were really good. The view from the safety of the restaurant into the stormy sea was worth daring the flood. We enjoyed watching the cormorants diving into the water while battling the wind.
Under the prevailing conditions we opted out of the Portland/Cape Elizabeth detour and headed straight to DD’s house.
Next: Portsmouth and off to New Hampshire
After our lovely hike at Jordan Pond we drove about two hours to Camden. We were already on watch for the potential effects of Hurricane/Storm Joachim but so far the weather was holding. We checked into Camden Riverhouse Hotel and Inn, their parking lot was still full of sunflowers in bloom and the rail covered in tomatoes and grapevines. Big improvement over our charmless previous hotel.
I have no desire to return to Bar Harbor (once was wonderful but certainly enough) but I can so see myself spending a lazy week in tiny Camden. The town commons was gorgeous and lovingly manicured. The harbor is big enough to make it interesting but small enough to keep it quaint. We spent the afternoon walking around, menu reading and having a glass of wine at Waterfront. Their terrace was perfect to enjoy the great view under the 60 degree sun and the wind barriers kept it warm enough. The food that was brought out looked decent.
After lounging off the afternoon we went for dinner at Fresh. The ambiance was quite pleasant, it was packed for a Monday night and we were sat next to the bar as we had no reservations. We shared a Calamari appetizer which was a bit disappointing as I dislike when the batter falls off (silly pet peeve of mine…. Yes I am a demanding patron).
I had a lobster ravioli dish that had at least a pound of meat in it. If it had had less sauce it would have been an outstanding dish but the crispiness of the pasta was lost and a soup remained in the plate after I was finished. Still, it was very tasty and I would have it again. DH went back to steak and it was very nicely cooked and well seasoned. Overall an above-average rating. (Final bill was $124).
The nicest thing about the hotel is that they light their firepit every evening –they also provide all the ingredients to make smores- so we settled in with our glasses and enjoyed lovely conversations with the other guests as they came and went.
The weather killed our plans to hike up to Mount Battie in the morning so we drove up after breakfast. This was included in hotel fare and had a lot of carb options (waffle maker and all) but not as much on the protein side. I was able to make do with yogurt, hard boiled eggs and peanut butter.
We still wanted to go up Mt Battie so we drove up, however the ominous rain clouds obscured the view to the mountains. Time to completely ditch hiking thoughts and turn to lighthouses.
- Owls Head Light – the little harbor was shrouded in fog and the boats were rolling in quickly, even the fog horns were activated. It did not make for great pictures but the experience of the lighthouses actually serving their purpose on the fickle New England weather was just as amazing. The light house was pretty nice too.
- Rockland Breakwater Light – this was an experience. The lighthouse is built at the end of a one mile (1.6km) long seawall. The path is not difficult but the stones are set apart so that you do need to watch where you step. It also lets the water come up with the waves. We were there in high tide and the overall level of the sea was one inch below the wall. We actually could not make it to the lighthouse as the path was underwater for the last 100 yards. It is not a very heartwarming feeling to see the big bad clouds rolling in as you are literally standing a mile into the sea. Yes, I'm a chicken that way.
We returned to Camden as it actually started to rain and opted for a light lunch at Cappy’s Chowder Bar. This place suffers from what I call ‘too much staff’. We waited a long time to be seated while half of the tables were empty and the waiters were joking and looking at their phones.
Best trip anecdote: DH defected to the bar while I waited to give our names. This rather handsome elderly gentleman walked up to me and almost whispered ‘those jeans you are wearing look wicked good.’ It was funny in soooo many ways. But since I have been working out faithfully for the last few months, flattering comments about my butt are greatly appreciated. He made my day. And week.
Anyway, we were eventually seated upstairs by the huge picture windows and the view by itself was worth the wait. Table service was adequate. We had two huge bowls of chowder so laden with seafood and fish that the light part of the lunch was lost.
Once again we lounged off the late afternoon until it was time to go for dinner. We had made this reservation in the afternoon and it was a good thing we did. Long Grain was highly recommended in Chowhound and while DH has a love/hate relationship with internet recs, he loves his Thai, so he agreed wholeheartedly to come here. We had not dined here the night before because it is closed on Monday night, otherwise we would have eaten here twice.
The place does not even have a sign outside and seems completely nondescript from the sidewalk. The interior is cozy but very loud. DH has hearing issues and he did not enjoy the ‘experience’ part as much… but the food? WOW. Best meal of the trip -AND- for the best price. We regretted those filling chowder we had for lunch as we were still too stuffed to try different appetizers/plates.
I had ‘Spicy Wide Rice Noodles with Thai Basil, Greens, Mushrooms and Pork’ (Pad Ke Mao) and DH had the daily Curry (Panang) with Beef. Both dishes were superb. I would be willing to make a significant detour if I found myself in the area to eat in this place again. It was that good. Food presentation was very nice as well. The waitress was a bit eager to move us along after we were done eating but with the noise level we did not feel like lingering either. As soon as we finished our wine we retired for another evening of sitting by the firepit in the hotel.
We left in the morning under a steady rain. Our plan for the day was to visit DH’s friend in Damariscotta and see the Pemaquid Lighthouse. Maybe stop in Portland/Cape Elizabeth before we went back to DD’s house for the evening.
What we did not count on was Noah’s Flood coming to New England. Let’s just say it was an interesting day. The visit with the friend was absolutely lovely, she invited us to have lunch by the lighthouse just around the time the real deluge started. OMG and all other superlative acronyms.
I was able to take a picture of the lighthouse and we did manage to get out of the car and into the lunch place, so that was a success. DH had the fried haddock sandwich and I had my first lobster roll. Both were really good. The view from the safety of the restaurant into the stormy sea was worth daring the flood. We enjoyed watching the cormorants diving into the water while battling the wind.
Under the prevailing conditions we opted out of the Portland/Cape Elizabeth detour and headed straight to DD’s house.
Next: Portsmouth and off to New Hampshire
Oct 17th, 2015, 09:11 AM
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It sounds like you adjusted to the weather very nicely and as we say "if you don't like the weather, wait a minute", sometimes it's better and usually it will be different.
Thanks for the report, keep it coming.
Thanks for the report, keep it coming.
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