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!