When we think back to Maine so many things will come to mind. Some of the things we'll remember are
...simple lake trails where you scramble over rocks on the far side
...pine forests and trails covered in soft pine needles
...shades of green everywhere
...moss and lichen covered rocks and trees
...forest floors covered in green ferns that turn golden in the fall
...ocean views from mountaintops
...rocks rocks and more rocks
...leathery lichen, reindeer lichen, coral lichen. filamentous lichen, I like 'em all
...a rainbow of mushrooms and fungi
...lowland valleys covered in lupine
...gladiolas and hydrangeas blooming in Septmber and October
...big mosquitos
...biting bugs
...berries: wild blueberries, blackberries and cranberries
...mountain trails lined with blueberries
...taking 2 hours to hike 1 mile because we had to keep stopping to pick blueberries
...boat trips on Frenchman's Bay
...whale watching with so many whales that day that they called it "whale soup"
...bald eagles on Patten Pond
...kayaking at the campground
...listening to the eerie calls of the loons
...blooming lily pads on Patten Pond
...lighthouses
...rugged, rocky coastlines
...hiking over rock slides
...trails where it seemed that someone just randomly painted blue blazes on rocks instead of actually making a trail
...steps and more steps, just 50 more and 50 more and how many more???
...views everywhere
....coastal fog forests
...sitting by the pond in the evening relaxing
... fresh steamed lobster - about 43 eaten between the 2 of us
...mountain peaks climbed - 23 in Acadia and 3 outside of Acadia
...miles hiked - about 120
...conservation minded communities and all the beautiful Blue Hill Heritage Trust preserves
...lakes, rivers and streams and the Atlantic around every turn
...glacial erratics (wandering rocks or boulders) left by glaciers in unexpected spots
...our motto: park further away and walk - good advice for getting more exercise, right? - why just drive up Cadillac Mountain when there's a perfectly good hiking trail?
...our senses were filled with the sounds of the moving water in the ocean and streams, the feel of the soft moss beneath our feet and the granite beneath our hands as we climbed, the earthy smell of the pine trees and the salty ocean, the taste of fresh seafood and berries, and the views of all the colors of the rainbow in the ocean, trees, flowers, rocks, mushrooms, and berries.
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| Patten Pond |
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| Trail hiking down Cadillac Mountain |
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| Stonington harbor |
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| Egg Rock Lighthouse |
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Bass Harbor
Light House
Bear Island Lighthouse
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| Petit Manan Light Station |
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| This is a Reishi mushroom |
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| Mark's cousins Larry and Linda stopped by Bar Harbor on a cruise ship |
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| Sunrise on Patten Pond |
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| Great Head trail along the rocky coastline |
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| A rare blue lobster |
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| These 3 pictures are from when we climbed Precipice trail |
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| Patten Stream, full of water after late summer showers |
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| Views of the Porcupine Islands in Frenchman's Bay from Dorr Mountain |
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| Trails lined by lowbush blueberries |
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| Low tide in Bar Harbor |
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| Tide pools! |
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| This is actually a lichen, a symbiotic organism comprised of a fungus and an alga, they can be all sorts of shapes and colors |
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| Cool bridge on Jordan Cliff trail |
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| We watched this lake go from a clear pond to this green pond then to a grassy marsh |
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| The office at Patten Pond campground where we worked |
Thank-you Maine for a wonderful experience!!
