Places with Funny Names

Mount Desert Island. Mount Battie. Mount Megunticook. You have to admit, these are pretty quirky names.

Since we were further north in coastal Maine than we had been before, we decided to take the bikes up to Acadia National Park and go for a spin. It was a pretty drive up the coast and a beautiful day to boot. We packed some snacks, lots of water, the camera, and off we went. I was excited but nervous...tourists would be there. Lots of tourists.

We found our way (kind of) to the parking area for the carriage trails (signage not so good) and had to park waaayyyyy down the road due to all the people. Thankfully they had a nice-looking alternative to a porta-potty, with a nice line to match. John and I each grabbed a map (this is important) and we all noted that the cell service was pretty nonexistent (also important). We mapped out our route and off we went.

Lesson #1 of Acadia Carriage Trails: Hills. We had nice bikes with lots of gears. However, those taking their small children on these trails with their Barbie bikes will not win them a parent-of-the-year award. It was very hot out and even in the shade of the woods it was a pretty good work out. The views, however, were great.

We stopped after a 2 mile uphill to take this shot. OK, maybe not 2 miles. But it was long. Realllly long. We continued on our way and were looking for the signs for our next turn.

Lesson #2: The signs are beautiful. There are lots of them. But they point in weird directions and you have no idea which way you are supposed to go. Praying is important. We think we found the way we wanted to go, and headed down a hill in the woods. Ahhhhh coolness. Oops, sharp turn. Oops, steep hill. Oops, barricade and a sign..."Horses only past this point."

Lesson #3: You really can't get where you want to go on the carriage trails unless you are riding a horse. So we turned around and went back the way we came. Hills and all. After a total of about 12 miles in all, we came to one of the forks where we had turned and decided to take a water break. A nice man on a horsie came trotting by, and I think they both were sneering at us. "Those silly bike people. They think they can use these trails." When we got back on the bikes I decided to take some photos of my family biking away, you know, all artsy-like.

Then I packed my camera away, and got on my bike...but it made a funny noise so I investigated a little. A tweak here and a tweak there and I think I figured it out, and I put my backpack on and started pedaling. What a pretty ride. Hmmmm, where's my family? Hmmmmm, why doesn't this look familiar? Why is the lake on my left instead of my right?

I stopped at one of the infamous signs and took out my map and my cell phone. No service. John is gonna be MADDDD. I figured out I missed a turn (duh) and all I had to do was go around the lake on its eastern side and I would meet up with them at the potty house. It was a pretty ride and I didn't have to hear any complaining from the kids about the hills.

When I got to the potty house, the kids were sitting there eating trail mix and granola bars and drinking water. John was gone...looking for me. He thought I fell off a cliff somewhere and was going to rescue me. He didn't remember the cardinal rule of hiking - never separate. OK, we weren't hiking and I separated from the group, and....well, we all found each other and blood pressures were elevated and sighing ensued. But then we ate lunch and got ice cream and ice cream makes everything better.

Acadia Lesson #4: If you go to Thunder Hole at the right time there is no guarantee you will see water shooting through the slot. But you will be surrounded by hundreds of people.

No geyser that day. But you can look at this video to see it in action.

I think I would love to visit Mount Desert Island and Acadia again someday, but definitely NOT during tourist season.

Two other places with funny names were in Camden Hills State Park, south of our campground. We hiked them both on another beautiful day. Mount Battie's summit is wide open and looks over Camden, Maine and  West Penobscot Bay. Mount Megunticook is further west and north; to do both means you climb up and down  Battie, then up and down Megunticook, then back up and down Battie. So three mountains, really.

At the end, you are tired. Very tired. The way you should be when you're camping.

Happy Campers, Artsy Style

...a few months go by...back at the campground...

As I said, Searsport Shores Oceanfront Campground was a wicked cool place to be. While it wasn't "remote" like I prefer, it was so cool, so different, that it made it worth dealing with the somewhat crowded sites. We were right on the ocean, and the people on either side of us (one family from PA and a retired couple from MD) were super nice. Kids were everywhere so my kids were happy.

There were also starfish when the tide went out:

We saw lots of starfish and had fun investigating how they move and where they live and their colors. They are really sea stars because they are NOT fish (thank you, Griffin). We called this one Patrick. They eat stuff of the bottom of the ocean, sea urchins, shellfish, you name it. I guess they eat a lot, just like Sponge Bob's friend.

When we stayed at the campground we did a lot of exploring. This campground is owned by artists; art is EVERYWHERE. There is art in the bathroom, the showers, the store. There is art in the gardens, too:

This sign greets you when you enter the campground. It was made by one of the guest 'artists in residence' during the summer. My favorite art pieces were:

The second two pictures show what you can make from "plarn." Do you know what "plarn" is? It is plastic yarn, made from recycled plastic bags. Then an artist used it to make durable garden art! I just love the quilt on the Earth Lady in the last picture.

Below is a little beehive we found in the back of the garden. It was so fun exploring the grounds and seeing how important color and texture and creativity are to the owners of this camping haven.

The campground also had community art projects. Below is a large weaving project just outside the campground store. Astrig (one of the owners) would leave a ball of yarn out there and people could weave it any which way. When that yarn was used up, another would take its place. How cool!

While many campgrounds have things for kids to do, many of them have things like mini-golf, waterparks, tractor rides, and the like. B-O-R-I-N-G! How many have a STUDIO????!!!!

Every day the guest "artist in residence" would have supplies and guidance for budding artists of all ages to come and enjoy. During our week, it was a woodworker. We made collages of wooden pieces and found objects in nature (like pine cones and dried flowers). I made an owl. MacKenzie still has it in her room. It was a beautiful place to work on your art on the deck, looking out at the gardens and getting inspiration from the art surrounding you.

Lastly, even Harry had a place to have fun. The little dog park was a fun place for him to meet some cool friends. We cracked up at all the dogs who couldn't figure out how to climb the little ramp!

The kids are popping their heads over my shoulder, 8 months after we were there, saying they can't wait to go back. I am not sure when that will be, but what a special, magical place created by some pretty awesome people. The world needs a little more of this...