Acadia National Park

It is impossible to see Acadia National Park in one day. Luckily, Noreen and I have been there on multiple occasions, but we wanted Mike to get see as much as possible. The Park Loop Road passes many of the park’s natural attractions, so we started there after a fabulous breakfast at the inn.

We stopped at the main visitor center and then at Thunder Hole. Here, as wind-driven tides sweep into a narrow channel, air becomes trapped and escapes with a thunderous roar. That’s always fun to see and hear. As we continued along the Loop Road, we had beautiful views of Frenchman Bay.

I Always Try to Get a Photograph of Every National Park Sign

The Rocky Shoreline Along Frenchman Bay

Beautiful Views Along the Park Loop Road 

Since we hadn’t planned to go hiking, my best idea for getting away from the crowds was to take a carriage ride. I had taken one years ago and remembered it as a way to experience one of the park’s picturesque features. Because John D. Rockefeller, Jr., who became one of the park’s benefactors, wanted to travel on car-less roads into the heart of Mount Desert Island, he worked with engineers to design 45 miles of roads that follow the contours of the land and take advantage of scenic views. Today, these roads are viewed as the best and most extensive network of broken stone carriage roads in the country.

Noreen and Mike were up for a carriage ride, and we were able to book the two-hour “Mr. Rockefeller’s Bridge Tour.” As we circled Day Mountain and meandered in out of the woods, we were able to see three remarkable bridges, another unique feature of the carriage road network. Rockefeller financed 16 stone-faced bridges to span streams, waterfalls, and roads, and each bridge is unique in its design. We also passed the Jordan Pond Gate House, one of two gate lodges that serve as impressive entrances to the network.

Our Carriage

The Lovely and Peaceful Carriage Roads

Each Bridge Is Unique

Bridge Details

Jordan Pond Gate House

I wanted to stop at Jordan Pond, one of the prettiest places in the park, but finding a parking space was impossible. Instead, Noreen dropped Michael and me off. He was able to appreciate the view from afar, and I was able to get my passport stamp. I should mention that I also collect National Park passport stamps, and Acadia has nine locations. Noreen and Mike were determined to get me to every one of them!

Jordan Pond and the Bubbles

I had planned to end our day at the summit of Cadillac Mountain, the highest peak in the park with to-die-for views. Reservations were required to drive the road, so I had reserved a time on Recreation.gov. When we reached the entrance station, the ranger couldn’t find my reservation. Somehow, I had made it for the wrong day! Ugh! I was so bummed that we wouldn’t be driving to the summit today.

Instead, we drove back to the inn, relaxed for a while, and headed to the harbor for a fabulous seafood dinner.

Noreen and Mike

The Waterfront in Bar Harbor

A Sunset Cruise Would Have Been Nice!