We had a really spectacular trip to Acadia last week. Our friends Tim and Neil from London joined us for a week of bicycling and hiking in one of the most beautiful settings in North America. Acadia is a national park on Mount Desert Island in the northernmost part of Maine. In addition to gorgeous views of the Atlantic Ocean and the rocky coast of Maine, Acadia has mountains to hike and climb. It also has 40 miles of carriage roads that are closed to automobile traffic. So, we could ride our bikes along the hilly paths without fear of getting hit. Did I mention there were mountains. These were not the easiest of bike rides.
Our 4th floor condo looked over Southwest Harbor, what is known as the quiet side of the island. That said, the entire island was quiet because the season doesn't really get going until the end of June. Did I mention that MDI is way north? We walked every morning to the Little Notch Bakery and had two amazing meals at the Red Sky Restaurant in Southwest Harbor. We also spent some time in Bar Harbor exploring the shops, ice cream and fudge in the village at the northern end of the island about 15 minutes away. We all wondered how we could have such an active vacation and still gain weight.
We had only occasional internet access, so it was strange being unconnected for so long. But probably good ultimately for our mental health. And it was truly spectacular to have so much precious time with Tim and Neil.
On the way back, we stopped in Freeport, the most visited place in Maine. Freeport is a town that has been converted into an outlet mall. As a curiosity it was kind of interesting to see a firehouse that had become and Abercrombie and Fitch Outlet, and Freeport is the home of L.L. Bean, which has five huge stores in a three-block radius. As a quality shopping destination it lacks the places Lee and I tend to shop. It focuses more on outdoor gear, though we got some fun things from Horny Toad and Banana.
You can see some of the pictures from our trip in a slide show, just click here.
Tim and Neil also spent last week in Keene. They headed off yesterday to Concord and Boston for five more days. Lee and I head down to Chester, Connecticut this weekend to see 13, the new musical by Jason Robert Brown in a pre-broadway mounting.
