Acadia National Park

On August 10, 2015 Kennedy and I visited Acadia National Park in Maine while on our Explore America road trip.

I have been lucky enough to visit Maine several times in the past, but never in the FJ. This was also my first time at Acadia National Park. I have always had a crush on Maine and after visiting Acadia National Park and other places in the area, that crush has blossomed into love...or lust...or both.

What I'm getting at, Maine is very pretty and has a lot to offer.
South Louisiana and Acadia National Park also share some similarities.
  • The Acadia National Park was originally named Lafayette National Park, until it's name change in 1929.
  • That area of Maine was inhabited by the Acadians

I found this interesting because I live in Lafayette, Louisiana now. This area is also known as Acadiana and has a large French influence, which can be tracked back to Maine. 
Acadia National Park is the oldest National Park east of the Mississippi. It occupies most of Mount Desert Island and some of the smaller islands in the area. Out of all the National Parks I have had the opportunity to visit, I would say Acadia National Park is my favorite. Not only because of the park, but also because of the surrounding areas.

The park has so much to see and do and depending on the time of year, you can see the nations first sunrise from Cadillac Mountain.
Unfortunately our time there was short, but we did get to experience a lot of the park. We started off at Beaver Dam Pond off of Park Loop Road. This is a very simple area, which is somewhat plain compared to the rest of the park. However, it did offer its own beauty because of how quiet and peaceful it was there. From there we went to Sand Beach. I will admit, neither one of us stayed there long. We were the only two people on the beach in boots, jeans and t-shirts.
Our next stop was a rocky area south of Sand Beach. While traveling on Park Loop Road, we saw a walking path and decided to pull over and see where it would take us. There was no parking area there, so we just followed suit with the other vehicles and pulled off to the right. It seemed liked the right lane was used for parking too...or, like everyone else, we're just jerks. Either way, it worked out. The little walking trail lead us to an area that I assume would normally be under water in high tide.
I found this place very interesting and spent a lot of time here exploring and taking pictures. It was wet, rocky, void of color and had a small odor to it, but was filled with beauty. As we walked around, we would find small pools in the rocks that were filled with bright green Algae. In some of these pools, you could find small fish swimming around, waiting for the tide to roll back in...and no, that was not a Alabama pun. It seemed like this area is more known by locals than tourists because its not on the map, but you can tell its visited by a lot of people.
One thing I found fascinating was the piles of stones. These could be found in several places in this area, but most commonly the main entrance from the walking trail. Its hard to tell in the picture, but they go all the way down to the water. Someone with a lot of time and OCD put it a great deal of work stacking those rocks. I attempted to do the same, but my rock stacking skills are horrible. The only thing I was able to accomplish by stacking the rocks, is cursing a lot when my stack fell over. 
From there we went to Thunder Hole.

Thunder hole is described as: "a small inlet, naturally carved out of the rocks, where the waves roll into. At the end of this inlet, down low, is a small cavern where, when the rush of the wave arrives, air and water is forced out like a clap of distant thunder. Water may spout as high as 40 feet with a thunderous roar! Hence the name: Thunder Hole." -acadiamagic

This a very neat place. We patiently waited till the tide was just right to create the thunder. We got it on video, unfortunately you can't hear it that well.
After hearing the thunder roll...maybe a Garth Brooks pun, we moved to Otter Point. Just like the rest of the park, this was another amazing place. Depending on where you are, you can see part of Otter Cliffs to the north. We were really the only people here at that time. It was very peaceful. I told Kennedy, "this is where I want to build my house". He was quick to burst my bubble by spouting off crap facts: "One, the National Park Service would punch you in the face, two...sometimes your house would be under water".
Next stop on the tour was Cadillac Mountain, which offers a breath taking view of the area. The sights from this vantage point are amazing. You really get to see all the beauty Maine has to offer from here. Again, depending on the time of year (fall or winter), you can see the nations first sunrise.

There is a gift shop at the top of the mountain that has souvenirs and snack, which was good for us because we forgot to eat that day and I needed stickers and patches.
After a long day walking, climbing and running, it was time for food. Since we were in Maine, it only made sense to get fresh lobstah and chodah (AKA, lobster and clam chowder). After leaving Acadia National Park, we cruised into Bar Harbor. We drove around the town sight seeing or commonly known as, looking for parking. Once we parked, we walked around looking for a restaurant. We decided on Stewman's Lobster Pound. We were both very happy with the food and cold beer there.
After eating, we got back on the road, heading to York, Maine. We both really enjoyed our time at Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor. I can't wait till the next time I get back up that way. If you have not visited Acadia National Park and have the opportunity, do yourself a favor and go.

To learn more about Acadia National Park, please click here: Acadia National Park
*Explore America East Coast Road Trip, 2015* 

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Video

Thunder Hole