Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor, Maine

If you ask any of us individually which part of our tour this summer was "the best," we would each be hard-pressed to name anywhere other than Maine for several reasons. First, we spent a little time there, with time for fun and relaxation, second it was unique in its proximity to nature as compared to the larger cities went spent most of our time in. Finally, we made major efforts to try out lots of fun activities.

We drove Acadia National Park's 20-mile Park Loop Road and the 3.5-mile road up Cadillac Mountain, and walked the short trail loop at the top of the mountain. It was mostly paved and had ramps for the little one's stroller, plus it was accessible to a parking lot - all things that are appreciated by the parents at this stage of the game. Here is a glimpse at the views we had in the park.

On Park Loop Road

Atop Cadillac Mountain

Here you can see the sand bar connecting the island on the left with Bar Harbor, Maine. At low tide, you can walk or drive across to the island, but you'd better leave before high tide, or you will spend the night in an unplanned wilderness adventure.

Our cabin was right around the corner from a unique natural water feature: Tidal Falls Preserve. In the middle of the river was a small fall that reversed direction with the changing of the tide.

The falls are behind us. It was about an hour from the reversal and peak viewing at that point.

We stopped by the local airport more than once (not surprising to anyone that has ever met Franz). When he was young, his parents had taken him to Acadia and Franz still has fond memories of an aerobatic glider ride over the park. We decided to give a similar memory to the girls. Franz and I took turns going up with one of the girls, while Jackson ran around the grassy area outside the fence watching planes with whichever of us was not up in the air at the time.

Franz and Madeline took an open biplane ride, and wore helmets with built-in communication equipment to hear each other.

Katie and I took a glider ride with a pilot who spends half his year flying out of the tiny airport off Lake Pleasant Road less than ten minutes from our home in Arizona! Small world!

Here you can see our tow plane attached to the front of our glider by a rope, taking us up over the park.

A view through the clear canopy at what lay below us.

Since we were in Maine, and we have such adventurous eaters, as you know, we couldn't pass up the roadside lobster shack. This particular establishment also happened to be known for its barbeque, which we returned to try another day. I'm not sure if the best part of this place for the kids was the food they ate, or the chance to hold Jumbo, the mascot. He was a huge lobster they kept in their tank for the summer for P.R. purposes, and released to freedom at the end of the season. Every year they have a new Jumbo. It didn't seem to bother them that they held a live lobster and ate a not-so-live one. They loved the food!

Maddie holding Jumbo.

Jackson's favorite parts of poor Jumbo were his eyes.

Katie with our lunch. She'd rather hold the one that didn't wiggle. In this picture, she is not betraying how extremely HOT this lobster was. It was surely burning her fingers right then.

Mmmmm! They also served a variety of delicious blueberry desserts! In case you are wondering, Jackson loved the lobster.

Clam chowder, one of my personal favorites! Jackson mostly liked the accompanying oyster crackers.