Exploring more of Acadia: Schoodic Point

Schoodic Point is part of the Acadia National Park… probably 10 min’s by boat 40 min’s by car. I’ve have pretty much ignored it thus far. There has definitely been enough to keep my attention here on the “mainland” of Acadia.

Which is what I heard a Ranger call it… which makes no sense since the “mainland” is an island where the bulk of the donated Acadia lands are concentrated. The remainder of what is not the “mainland of Acadia” or the islands of Acadia is actually on the mainland… primarily on Schoodic peninsula and a few islands dotted off the coast. Confusing I know.. anyway…

My bro-in-law gave me a book, (which until now) I had forgotten about. Now I am curious to unwrap some of the history that makes the Schoodic peninsula unique. Of course the day we tooled down the Schoodic – The National Scenic Byway, it was pretty much fogged in. I am beginning to think that the fog is a plot... a master Mainer plot to limit the tourist from the outer reaches, thus keeping it protected and safe. The misty Sheppard herds the masses back to Bar Harbor where they are fed lobster rolls and sold Down east trinkets and t- shirts. Only the persistent traveler (and those with days to wait) are rewarded for their patience with glimpses of her coastline. Today was now our day.

But I am not one to be deterred… I find other things to look at. What ended up catching my attention were a few old edifices and some mid-century signage. Route 1 from Hancock, Sullivan and all the various Gouldsboro kept my attention… making mental notes of places to stop for photos on the return trip. Prior to entering the official Acadia Park, we passed thru the town of Winter Harbor. Once a hob-knobby spot now a well worn working harbor and front porch artisans. Our intention was to stop for lunch as either Chase’s or the Fisherman’s Inn (both recommended by a local) but the fried fare was not what we were looking for and mostly what they were serving.

We moved on to the one-way park loop of Schoodic. It was serene and peaceful although limited in the scenic scope as I mentioned earlier, we enjoyed it none the less. We also found a small primitive campground that is limited to single overnights that would be a tenter’s paradise. Each of the 10 sites has a well banked campfire pit overlooking the bay, no electricity. The parking, fresh water, and the flushing commodes are far enough away to keep it quiet.

The remainder of the loop road ribbons its way the length of the coast with a watery view popping out of the mist occasionally… very occasionally. We found ourselves heading back up the other side of the peninsula and Prospect Harbor. Once again limited for desirable food options, we pressed onward to Route 1 for the return trip. Lucky for us, one of the mental notes Ruth had made was a Mexican Restaurant in a log cabin on Rt 1.

(It is interesting to observe that Ruth’s mental notes almost always encompass food or golf while mine often focus on architecture and wildlife… all in all, a find complement to one another I would think… although hers are much handier)

Happily we found it and it was called “The Mexican Restaurant” (go figure) run by an Honduran woman. The food was excellent and had a few Central America influences for those that are a bit adventurous such as: Honduran Tamale with fish and peas in banana leaves and Hurachita a rice based drink that was pleasant but a bit too sweet. In the end our main entrée was a quesadilla of chicken and cheese accompanied by beans and rice… all very yummy!

The remainder of our outing was filled with retracing our steps to capture previously noted photo opts golf course called Bonnie Blink. All in all a good day.

Photos:http://my.inbox.com/photos/brv?CAID=PLUtcUJodOv2KyD0oOgdA&_=1

Peace, Luv, and New England Tamales,  barbie

Maine Show Off Its Beauty

It was one beautiful day upon Pedro and Mel’s arrival. They could not have picked a better day to arrive on the island. Low 80’s, sunshine, slight breeze… just Beautiful!

They had to take it all in quick cuz around here just as suddenly as summer arrives… it can slips away. Kinda like slipping away in the night Like the Van Trapps’ pushing the car down the driveway to escape over the Alps… Headlights pierce the chilly night… the gastopo (Pedro) was here to stopo summer from disappearing before we could get a good week of gallivant among the floral/fauna and then it was “So Long, Farewell, Aufwiedersehn, Adeiu”

Well before the leaves fall, I should say a few words about their visit. Insanely busy! Pretty much from the moment they arrived until the frantic moment they left… and that is another crazy story… but I digress. I’ll get back to that later.

These two were hiking fools. Not that I blame them… there are so many great hikes of all levels in Acadia that this truly in a hiker’s paradise. They started with the dome of Cadillac Mt the afternoon they got here, Jordan’s Pond Loop the next day, then a non-specific carriage trail (they have no idea where they where… just happy to find the car), followed by the Sand Beach stretch and up Gorham Mountain, and finished with a morning climb to the Beach/Canadian Cliffs. That’s 5 out of 6 days. Not to mention they golfed twice, toured Acadia by car, a carriage ride, a lighthouse tour via the water ways, dinner and lunch in Bar Harbor, ample shopping, a few campfires, a cribbage tournament, and a Partridge in a Pear Tree! I don’t think I wouldn’t have to try very hard to get the twelve days of Xmas… Oh that might be scarey… the twelve days of Pedro? No, I won’t go there.

I saved the best for last of course… There could be no visit without at least one calamity… we are talking Carlette here! The morning of their departure, we are buzzing around the rig having a leisurely breakfast of banana nut pancakes and Vermont syrup while the girls are packing and showering. It was a buzz but a slow buzz. Plenty of time… Carlette asks Ruth to check on her plane to see if it is on time etc… When Ruth notices that the time was about 30 minutes earlier than what Carlette has been saying all week. Suddenly our pace went from la te da to a frantic get in the fr@%king car pace!

To make matters worse, there is heavy construction on the first half of the 44 miles to the airport. I am driving as fast as I dare, with Carlette asking me to floor it. I am making senseless conversation… anything to get Carlette’s brain on a different track. All while I was trying not to kill the little construction dudes with the flippin’ slow signs on the side of the road. In the end, a ride that should have taken us 60 minutes lasted 90… actually 89. Pedro leaps from the car and runs in to “check in” with literally one minute to spare. We arrived at 12:44 for a 1:15 flight. Way too close!. As they are whisked away to board the plane I waved a fond “So Long, Farewell, Aufwiedersehn, Adieu".

So there you have it… summer and Pedro arrived in their own good time, scurried around for a while, and without a moments to spare disappeared.

Soon we to will migrate, but not until the leaves start to burst with color… Alas, that is another blog and until then…

For a better look at the photos and captions click here: http://my.inbox.com/photos/brv?CAID=pJmofCEp44u3FcjvL31cd&_=1

Peace, luv, and mountain trails, barbie

Who's Who on the Rock

There have been a few famous people that have lived or I should say “summered” on the island over the years. Rockefellers, Fords, JP Morgan, the Vanderbilts, Astor’s, President Taft, L.L.Bean, John Travolta, E.B White, Dan Folgelberg, and currently the reigning queen of all “Good Things, Martha Stewart. She is the topic of much fodder here on the island… that is… fonder among the not so rich and not so famous DownEast locals.

• But only when pressed, most often they would prefer to ignore her existence all together, just as they have other celebrities throughout the centuries. (Mainers as I may have mentioned before are quite tight lipped.)

• It amazes me that Mainers think nothing of strolling through one of the premier National Parks created by their land donations without once letting a notable name pass their lips. Unless perhaps, if a helicopter should fly a wee bit low over a certain seal swimming harbor in route to the jetport. Then perhaps you might hear, “Mable said her ankle bracelet keeps her limited to the old cottage”

• Translation: At least Martha keeps her ass on the estate and doesn’t wonder through the park anymore.

• Mainer’s will also staunchly defend tradition... even when it makes no sense.

• For example: Mable’s family has been employed at the “cottage” and its adjoining acreage for generations. Once owned by the Fords, each fall Uncle Cliff shovels the pink granite gravel from the carriage way and stores it in the garage for the winter. This may sound ludicrous or at least a typical sample of Martha’s vulgar opulence. Not so says Mable, storing the driveway in garage has been done forever… not shoveling it would be ludicrous.

• But that’s not what I intended to talk about in this blog. It was the architecture… more specifically the architecture of the afore mentioned rich and famous. We took a tour of the Lighthouses surrounding the island but I was way more interested in the cottages... a euphemism for mansions. I loved how each home is strategically hidden from view from anywhere on the island. Rockefeller started this tradition when he built his home and the horse carriage trails… as to not spoil what nature had perfected.

• But on our boat tour all/each is revealed… uniquely styled to take advantage of its uniquely gorgeous granite perch. I would love to give you a narration along with the pictorial tour but truthfully I can’t remember which is which. Suffice to say there are a couple Rockefeller’s, an Astor, a few Ford’s and Martha’s etc, etc, etc…

• Enjoy!
• Oh yeah, a few lighthouses too.
• Here's the link to the photos http://picasaweb.google.com/wanda.climbs.the.shenandoah/RichUp2?feat=directlink

Peace, Luv, and Little Pink Pebbles,

barbie

Top Ten Things about my Summer in Maine

Before you begin let me assure you that this is a short and sweet blog... unlike Uncle Joe's slide show of his trip to... where ever he went. Zzzzzz.....

Top 10 Best Things I love about my Summer

1. Campfires and Cribbage – time with my honey


2. Lobsters – soft shells, steamed in salty ocean water


3. My best Golf game ever, Lucerne Golf Club


4. Lucerne Golf Course – my best golf game ever


5. Hiking Beach Cliffs – my new fav thanks to Rickie for finding it


6. Lobster and Fresh Mussels from our beach - Yum


7. Mainers – collectively all of them


8. The Margaret Todd – her sails, her full figure sails…

I’ve been trying to compile a top ten list about my summer. I am stuck at number 8… The first few flew out of my head like Emeril Lagassi’s Bam!... Bam Bam Bam!

Now… no Bam…


Then it dawns on me that my summer isn’t over yet… and there is some kinda cosmic force trying to keep me in the Present… in the Moment... the Here and Now. That is really the most challenging concept to practice. Think about it. We either rehash or over analyze or we spend days planning schedules, our vacations, our futures… until our present is one big planning or lessons learned session. Well snap out of it girl!

I have 6 weeks left in Maine. Heather, Mel, and Carlette have yet to visit; I have a hike to get to this morning.

Snap! Just in time too, Brando almost peed on my foot trying to get my attention. I really zone out sometimes. (leave it alone Pedro).

Peace, Luv, and Full Sails, barbie

Sister, Sister! My fun loving sister Mary has just left and I am sad… and exhausted. Note to self: I am working and can’t keep up with the vacation club. There is a fine line between keeping your guest entertained and losing yourself in tourist Never, Neverland…

…because Bar Harbor Neverland is whama jamma full of fun!

with hikes, bikes, and karaoke mikes.

Buses, boats, and blueberry floats

Lobsters, puffins, and popover muffins

Canoes, kayaks, and my aching back

Carriage rides, high tides, and t-shirts that are tie-dyed

Seals, Whales, and endless Trails

Fishing, fountains, and Cadillac Mountain

Lighthouses, Lumberjacks, overstuffed backpacks

Campfires and cribbage… and we haven’t even golfed yet!

Alliteration and rhyming aside, we had a grand time and we loved having her… and all our family and friends that came to visit this year.

Of course we didn’t do All the things while she was here but a few of our favorites we enjoyed were watching the meteor showers from the top of Cadillac Mountain, the Acadian Island boat tour: We saw a fledgling eagle take her first flight, 2+ lb Lobsters at the Down East “Pound” for dinner, and golfing at Lucerne.

So now we have returned to our normal routine of campfires and cribbage with a hike and a little golf thrown in there occasionally. That is until Heather arrives in two week!

Peace, Luv, and Lobster Claws, Barbie

PS. I almost forgot the Lobster Pound question… which at this point is a little anti-climatic. The real meaning behind calling it a “pound” is much less entertaining than the “Wait, wait, don’t tell me” versions and the subsequent submissions from the peanut gallery. But a promise is a promise, so the boring but yummy truth of which you may have guessed is that the roadside Lobster Pound restaurants

“Sells Lobster By the Lb.”

PSS. Sign/Saying of the day: “While golfing I spent so much time in the trees that I figured I be oughta take up hunting”

More Pictures: http://my.inbox.com/photos/brv?CAID=7y9jClF-1ztTkBY46l8oq&_=1

Fun, Family and Frivolities

The Herwerden clan was here as you might have guessed by reading the last blog. But a footnote on “Lobster Pound” surely isn’t enough (and don’t call me Shirley) and the day by day diatribe of their summer vacation seems a big much… so perhaps a pictorial portrayal. Enjoy.



Peace, Love, and Summer Vacations, barbie

And the Tails under the Sea continue... theory # 4

guest contributor: Joanne "Ariel" Berens

This is also a well-documented series of events that led up to the terminology ‘Lobster Pound’ prevalent in Maine. The early settlers of the coastal region of Maine were mainly composed of fisherman (and hardy fisherwomen). It was a harsh environment, but one that kept their communities fed. Fishing nets were mainly used to capture the many and abundant varieties of fish and all were prosperous and well in coastal Maine. Until, of course, the nets became snagged and damaged by a strange creature in the deep. In modern times we know that there are certain migratory patterns that have been followed for centuries by certain animals. The settlers, however, were quite unsettled by this and concerned with their livelihood. Many meetings ensued and the angry settlers decided to round up these strange creatures that were entangled in the nets and burn them, similar to witch hunts and burning at the stake ceremonies. This would surely send the message to the powers who watched over the seas that they were making this offering in appeasement. Well, the net damage continued as well as the burnings until one very disastrous season when food was scarce after a very harsh winter, the ones that Maine is famous for. On the very next burn, the adult settlers were aghast as dozens of the hungry children risked physical danger by reaching into the fire to pull out what we now know as crustaceans, or lobsters, and commenced tearing the hard shells apart and eating what was now succulent meat. Adults, just as hungry, decided to partake as well and all left with full bellies and happy smiles. As word spread about this delicious, abundant new food source, the elders once again convened to discuss the events that were taking place. On the one hand, the new food named lobster was destroying the fisherman’s nets and supplies to repair and make new nets were running low. And on the other hand, they wanted to continue to capture this new sea creature that kept their hunger at bay. Many of these folks had visited out West where on the vast plains cattle grazed. When it came time for the cattle to become tomorrow’s food they were herded into confines while they awaited their fate. Well, the elders thought that this concept would work under the sea and put in place a plan to ‘herd’ the lobsters into a confined area. So the settlers collectively built a huge underwater holding pen built of scrap horseshoe material. They had several ideas on how to persuade the lobsters in the correct direction and into the trap. The one that they decided they could accomplish efficiently was to have all the fisherman’s boats loaded with long steel poles with a big plate on the end of it. Then they formed a line and ‘pounded’ the poles on the bottom of the sea thus making the lobsters scurry towards the pen that they had built. [insert: Kinda Oceanic Monster Mash] It was a huge success! It became a tradition long after the technology changed and today it is commonly known as going to the lobster ‘pound’.

Hhmmmmm.... It could happen.

PS. If this makes no sense to you... you may need to go back and read a blog or two. :)