Acadia National Park (Part 2) and Long Lake Livin’

Lobster love fest! (or is that feast? Lol.)

We dedicated Friday, 6/5, to biking the carriage roads in Acadia National Park. There are 45 miles of rustic carriage roads in the park built by John D. Rockefeller Jr. and family.  Rockefeller wanted to travel on motor-free roads via horse and carriage into the heart of Mount Desert Island. His construction efforts from 1913 to 1940 resulted in a fabulous road system that weaves through Acadia NP with sweeping vistas and close-up views of the gorgeous lakes, forests, and mountains. The system includes 17 historic, stone-faced bridges to allow the carriage roads to span streams, waterfalls, cliffs, and existing motor roads. Rockefeller also constructed two stone gatehouse lodges, Jordon Pond Gate Lodge and Brown Mountain Gate Lodge. The lodges were meant to be a symbolic barrier to automobiles and to welcome travelers onto the motor-free system of carriage roads. Today these paths are extremely popular with hikers, bikers, and equestrians.

Our route is highlighted in green and
we didn't cover even half the carriage roads in the park.

 

 Jordon Pond Gate Lodge, built in 1932. 

Rog bikes under a bridge where the motorway crosses a carriage path.

We put the bikes in the back of the pup-wagon and drove to the Hull’s Cove Visitor’s Center. We got to check out the visitor’s center and access the carriage roads right from the parking lot. Two birds, one stone. Our route took us past Witch Hole, by Eagle Lake, around Jordon Pond and then back, altogether just shy of 18 miles.

Biking past Witch Hole.

Eagle Lake

Love the exposed granite along the road.

Jordon Pond.

Jordon Pond is beautifully clear, you can see 45 feet below the surface.

To celebrate our successful ride, we drove into Bar Harbor to Mt. Desert Ice Cream. We had fond memories of this place from ten years ago and it did not disappoint. In fact, we were thrilled to see they now offered ice cream flights! And you know how we feel about those. I picked my four favorites and Rog did the same. I was ahead of Rog in line and the counter person asked how many spoons I wanted. Humph. Why do people always assume I’m going to share?? Just one spoon please, he can get his own flight. Lol.

Mt. Desert Island Ice Cream.
It's been 10 years since our last visit!

 

Ice cream flights - before and after.
Yes, we are professionals. Lol. 

We spent a fun hour eating our ice cream and wandering through the shops. The one purchase we made was a doormat made of fishing rope. We saw these on our last visit and always wished we’d bought one. Mistake corrected. They come in a huge variety of colors and patterns, I thought the rainbow was appropriate for a Pride Month purchase.

Love our new rainbow fishing rope rug!
(Do you see Riley in his favorite spot blocking the stairs?)

The pups had been very patient while we explored the park, so we made Saturday all about them. We struggled to find a place (other than the busy Sand Beach) where Riley could get in the water. Rog read that dogs are banned from state park beaches due to nesting migratory birds, and the nearby ocean beaches were very rocky. Riley has a hard time walking on loose rock and is not a fan of the rocky beaches. Then Rog found the perfect place! Little Long Pond is operated by the Mount Desert Land and Garden Preserve and is totally dog-friendly. They even have off-leash hours and several spots where the pups can get in the water. The path through the park is absolutely gorgeous and soft walking for my princess paw boy.

Raney at Little Long Pond.

Riley is happy to have soft grass for walkies.

Sandy, pup-friendly water access next to the boathouse.  Riley approved!

The boathouse was a great place to sit for a bit, and...

...enjoy the lovely views.

After the car ride, walkies, and water time the pups had dinner and settled down for a nap. Rog and I got cleaned up and went to check another thing off our list – a lobster dinner. Rog chose Beal’s Lobster Pier which has been in business since 1932. They are right on the water in Southwest Harbor, with both outside and indoor seating. I was super glad Rog had made reservations for an indoor table, because the weather had turned again. Sigh. Overcast and rainy. Rog got his crack the crustacean fix, while I went for the Lobster Mac and Cheese. We finished off with homemade blueberry pie with ice cream. We left poorer, but stuffed and happy. Lol.

Beal's Lobster Pier.

 

Rog is one happy lobsta'man.

We had a window seat and got to watch the Coast Guard and fishing boats in the harbor.

The rain was steady on Sunday, so it was a coach day for me. Rog braved the weather to go fishing. No license is required for saltwater fishing and he found a likely spot on Somes Sound to try his luck. Sadly, it was the fishies lucky day. What was a steady breeze in our protected campground, turned into a blustery wind on the open shore. The rain wasn’t too bad, but the wind was a dealbreaker. The second time the wind blew his hat off his head (and yes, the chin strap was snugged up), it landed in the water. Rog had to cast and hook it and reel it back to shore. It was the only thing he caught all day.  Sorry, no pictures, blame Rog for not taking any photos of his catch. Lol. 

On Monday, 6/8/26, we turned inland, heading to Colonial Mast campground on Long Lake near Naples, ME. The weather was supposed to be warmer and dryer, so we were hoping to finally get some kayaking in and maybe give Rog another chance to try his luck fishing. 

Colonial Mast is a private campground, and I’d guestimate that at least 85% of the spaces are taken up by long-term rentals. Since we arrived relatively early in the season, there weren’t many people around, but many of the campsites were occupied by rigs with permanent decks, screen rooms, etc. The setting is wooded and perfect for just hanging out and relaxing. There were some fun amenities too – an indoor pool (extra charge to use), lots of antiques and cabin décor in the community areas, an outdoor game pavilion, fun playground for the kids, a small swimming beach, boat ramp, and more. There are several small docks, one occupied by a seaplane. We heard it coming and going, but never got a chance to watch it take off or land.

Colonial Mast Campground.

Raney lounging about the campsite.

The king holds court with his adoring subjects. 
(Note: The king has treats. Lol.)

Royal nap time?🫅 

We had lovely weather on Monday and Tuesday, so the pups got daily walks to the lake and a chance to play in the water. No dogs on the swim beach, but we found a few tiny coves with sandy bottoms where Riley had easy access to the water and he was in soggy doggy heaven. The water was clear on Monday, but by Tuesday the wind had deposited a layer of pollen that accumulated along the edges of the lake.

Long Lake.

Pine Island.
Privately owned, can you imagine living on your own little island?

Raney is intrigued by the seaplane.

Riley - the handsomest pupfish. Lol.

Family swim.

Rog with Raney in her Dora the Explorer mode. 

Rog and I took the kayak out early Wednesday afternoon and had a great time exploring. We paddled into tiny coves and up an inlet to a shallow creek. We went out onto the lake and circled Pine Island before returning. The breeze blew the pollen off the trees in clouds so thick it looked like smoke. Ugh.

The lake was lovely, but...

 

...we most enjoyed exploring the secluded coves and inlets.

An old fishing dock.

That's not smoke! The pine pollen coated everything.

Heading back to the campground.

If it sits, it fits! Lol. 

Late Wednesday our beautiful weather made a 180-degree turn. It was warm, humid, a bit overcast, and by evening the thundershowers hit. It rained hard most of the night and on Thursday morning we found everything was covered in a layer of grit and pollen. Getting the rig washed just moved up on our priority list! 

Rainy day snuggles. Raney is willing to share the couch.
Riley, not so much. Lol.

The rain left swaths of pollen. Ick.

On the bright side, while it remained steamy, the sun returned and Rog took the kayak out fishing. Happily, his luck was much better this time. He caught two smallmouth bass, one was the largest he’s ever gotten, about 3-3 ½ pounds, while the other was the tiniest. Lol. I spent the afternoon doing chores and taking the pups on walkies, giving Riley one last chance to cool off in the lake.

Rog goes after the fishies.

 

And look what he caught!

His biggest smallmouth bass ever, and...

...the smallest. Lol. 

In the meantime, Riley gets one last dunk in the lake.

Iris blooming along the bank.

In the evening we prepped the coach for departure. With more rain in the forecast, we decided to wait until morning to clean the exterior of the rig. It was a good plan, but we still ended up washing the rig in the rain. Lol. No matter, while not perfect, we made a serious dent in the grunge and considered it a vast improvement.

The short bus gets a quick shower.

Next stop – Fryeburg, Maine and the Escapade RV rally, nine days of fun, friendship, and learning. And don’t forget the pickleball! 

Oceanside Living in Freeport, Maine and Acadia National Park (Part 1).

 

Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse at sunset.

We had a two-night stop in Freeport, ME before arriving at Acadia National Park. We arrived at Winslow Memorial Park on Monday, 6/1, and got set up in our ocean front site. Wow! It was kinda pricey ($65/night) for a space without any hookups, but you cannot beat the view! This was definitely one of those parks where it was just fun to sit outside and relax.

Prime ocean-front real estate!

 

This does not suck.

View from our campsite.

Rog gets the campfire going while the pups supervise.
Raney has secured the Branch Manager position.

Life is good.

Long staircases gave us easy beach access, which the pups took full advantage of. The beach was mostly rocky shelves and, when the tide was out, lots of interesting seaweed to sniff. (For the pups, not me!) There was also a nice walking path around the park and through the trees. And I think I found our next all-girls glamping spot, what do you think ladies?

Up and down the staircase.

 

Salty dogs.

Rocky shelves at low tide.

Raney has a Pride Rock moment.

If you're not the lead dog, the view never changes. Lol. 

Harb Cottage is available to rent.
A bit far, but it'd be the perfect girl's glamping trip! Who's in??

We made one sojourn into town to visit Allagash Brewery. Rog was jonesing for his first lobsta’ roll and the Bite into Maine food truck stationed at the brewery got great reviews. They offered a lobster roll flight, three different styles of mini-rolls. (You know we are partial to those flights!) They also had whoopie pies, a Pennsylvania staple that I grew up with. Yum!!

Beer and lobster roll flights. Variety is the spice of life!

 

And I got a Whoopie Pie!!

On Wednesday, 6/3, we pulled into Seawall Campground in Acadia National Park, the easternmost stop on this trip. (Any further east and we’d be swimming!) The date also marks three months on the road; we are more than halfway through our trip. Whoa, how did that happen? We visited Acadia NP on our year-on-the-road adventure in 2016. That time we stayed in Schoodic Woods campground in the far northern part of the park near Winter Harbor. This time we are in the southernmost part of the park not far from Bass Harbor. Both campgrounds require significant drives (45-60 minutes) to get to some of the more popular park features. The park is fragmented, with large sections of private and municipal property interspersed with national park land.

The green bits are all parts of Acadia National Park.

Our site at Seawall Campground. No ocean views, but I like the woods too!

One of the top items on our to-do list was the Beehive Hike. I chickened out on this the last time we were here and have regretted it for ten long years. We had perfect weather on Thursday and made Beehive our first priority. The hike isn’t long, but involves some very sketchy scrambles up rock faces with serious exposure to potentially fatal drops. In some areas there are metal rungs to use as handholds or as ladders, and several places I think they could have added more. Lol.

We can't say we weren't warned!

 

Rog using the iron rungs to climb up.

For some reason walking on this grill just about freaked me out. Ugh!

Channeling my inner Spider man. 

See that blue blaze?  Rog is on the trail.
Gives you an idea of the "exposed cliffs" they warned us about. Lol. 

It was a spectacular hike, with amazing views along the way and at the top. The trail was busy, but not obnoxiously so. And one nice thing about death-defying hikes, they produce a sense of comradery with your fellow crazies. Best of all, it’s a one-way hike and you are strongly encouraged to take an alternate route down from the top.

The views on the way up were stunning. 
It was just tricky to get a picture when I had a white-knuckled grip
 on any available handhold. Lol.

More crazies coming up behind us.

Taking a breather and some photos. 

Woohoo! We made it!

On the way down, we did The Bowl loop, a short hike to a lovely lake which then connected us back to the main trail just below Beehive. The main trail has its own challenges; it’s a rocky jumble and requires some mountain goat moves to navigate.

The Bowl.

 

Whew. That's not so scary.

This is the easy part...

...navigating this rock jumble was a little more tricky. And yes, that's the trail!

How cool is this?  Reminds me of an Easter egg. Lol.

Having survived the Beehive Trail, we walked down to the popular Sand Beach. Most of the ocean shore is rocky or steep, so this is a great place to play in the sand. It’s also pup-friendly (on leash) until June 15th.

Sand Beach.

The main road through the park is a 27-mile scenic drive, most of which is a one-way road that takes about an hour to drive without stopping. Be aware once you turn onto the park loop road, you are committed. There are pullouts along the way near some of the park highlights, but competition for parking spaces can be brutal. We were able to stop at a few places to enjoy the views.

Otter Point.
I saw no otters, so what was the point?
(I thought that was funny, Rog not so much. Good thing I amuse myself. Lol.) 

It really is a beautiful coast.

I loved all different colors of stone - black, white, red, gray and more.

Watching the waves is mesmerizing. 

Tunnel on the park road with 10'4" clearance.
If we tried to drive the RV through there, we'd have a convertible!

In the evening, we headed to Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse. I think this is one of the most photographed and iconic views in the park. The holy grail is a sunset shot, so we timed our arrival nearly an hour before sunset and still hit gridlock near the entirely too small parking area. It was one out, one in. Luckily, the turnover was slow but steady and we were able to snag a spot with plenty of time to spare. The sunset was just so-so, but that didn’t deter the crowds. We were trying to figure out if they had changed the viewpoint in the ten years since our last visit, because I don’t recall the crowds and certainly don’t recall scrambling over the rocks the way I did this time. Maybe it was just the timing? Rog hung back while I did my mountain goat impression to get to a vantage point that did not include twenty tourists in the shot. Lol.

Me and a hundred of my best friends all hoping to get the perfect shot. Lol.

The coastline at sunset.

Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse, established 1858.

I took the picture on the left in 2016. I think the sunset shot is overrated. Lol. 
Which one do you like best?

I was going to try and cram all of our Acadia activities into one blog post, but I have so much more to share. I don’t want to wear you out with another 20-30 pictures and the associated commentary. Lol. Next up in Acadia, biking the carriage roads, Bar Harbor, and more! Then one more stop before the "Maine Event". What is that you ask? You'll see!