Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Upsides and Downsides


Mount Desert Campground is hands down the most beautiful campground in the Acadia region. A large number of their campsites are on the water (Somes Sound), and most have platforms for tents so the ground isn't all soggy or lumpy under your ass (if you are unfortunate enough to still camp in a tent like a girl scout). No reservations are accepted after labor day, and you don't need them. And our dog is allowed during the off-season.

The downside is that other people's dogs are allowed, too. The dogs across the street from us were barkers, and the owners were shouters. The mornings greeted us with the lovely sounds of chirping birds; barking, snarling dogs; and "PETER! PETE! NO! PETER!"

When you travel in a teardrop to the coast, it's hard to avoid an occasional trailer park atmosphere. Though Leah has quickly become an expert at backing into small sites, the more private sites just aren't accessible enough for us. So we were in a bit of a neighborhood. Besides our neighbor "PETER! PETE! NO! PETER!" , we were also near "KEVIN!!" and "Waaaaaaaaaaaaah!" That last one was an infant. I'm assuming there were grownups in the site with it, too, but they we relatively quiet, perhaps because they lacked brains large enough to provide them the ability to master language, which goes hand in hand with thinking it is a good idea to bring an infant tent camping, and with the absence of opposable thumbs.

Quiet hours were still quiet, so technically we couldn't complain. No generators. And most of the people were very nice and friendly. A couple of our hipper neighbors were in airstreams.

I do miss having a living room. Because we have a sturdy waterproof screen tent with rain flaps, the two brief periods of rain were not a problem. But we had a couple of very cold nights. The teardrop gets steamy inside, so we turned in early. I would have liked to sit at the picnic table longer, drawing or playing music. The campfire only gets you so warm.

In the eleven days we were gone, we only went out to one restaurant, for brunch. (And they didn't have mimosas. What's the point of brunch without mimosas?). We visited our marine mammalogist friend Courtney in her ocean front home and pigged out on the biggest lobsters I had ever seen, caught fresh that morning. Otherwise, we were content to enjoy home-cooked meals in the teardrop galley, with sake (Leah) and gin and tonics (Amelia) tying to win the "drink of the week" title.



(I'd like to imagine that this Maine restaurant spelled 'cocktails' wrong on purpose, only because it hurts me to imagine otherwise.)

-Amelia

Friday, September 16, 2011

The Precipice Trail

That is a drop off of a few hundred feet; better hold on tight! (I was holding on with one hand so I could take pictures, as Amelia swore at me to keep both hands on the rails then scurried up the rock declaring she would not "watch me die").

Not for the faint of heart. This truly is a non- technical climb, and they mean it. There are a lot of iron rungs in the cliff face and lot of rock scrambling you'll have to do. Also, if you're under 5'2" prepare for serious stretching to reach hand holds. I'm 5'4" and some moves were quite a stretch.

We saw a family with three young children (read: under five years old) whose parents were upset the trail wasn't child-friendly. The signs clearly explain what you are walking into: it's not a trail, it's a non-technical climb. Don't be stupid.

There will be no pony rides or cotton candy at the top of this climb.

-Leah

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Sunset

Outrageous sunset over Somes Sound at the campsite.

-Leah

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Hike at Sand Beach

Yes, this is Maine: Acadia National Park.

Amazing.

No dogs allowed on the beach so we hiked around the rocky ridge. You could scamper down the rocks right to the edge of the ocean's mini- cliffs. I call them mini-cliffs because they were less than 50' high.

-Leah

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Arrived at Mount Desert Campground

Eesah made himself at home on his grassy knoll overlooking Somes Sound with Amelia's traveling pink flamingo.

-Leah

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Maine, here we come...

First stop on our way to Maine: Wells State Park in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. Amazingly quiet for being so close to a city.

Amelia is not feeling so well. Hopefully no one is traumatized from witnessing her heaving on the side the road on Route 90 (it was quite a sight). Sorry about that.

Does this mean no cocktail hour?

-Leah