I've just gotten back from a week in Maine with my family and I think I've broken a new personal record for total number of vacation photos taken! (Major thanks to my husband for his near-saintly patience while I was off shooting--and even more so because our two kids were clicking along right behind me with their cameras.) Don't worry: I've culled down the snapshots for you here to just a handful of my favorites. Ready for your armchair tour of Mount Desert Island, or more specifically: Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park? Let's go!
At the Acadia National Park Visitor Center, I bought a very helpful book called The Photographer's Guide to Acadia National Park by Jerry and Marcy Monkman. (From the book's dedication, it looks like they named one of their children "Acadia", so they really love this park!) In it, they write:
"Somesville...is home to probably the most photographed spot on this side of the island. Right in the center of town, the Somesville Historical Society maintains a beautiful white wooden bridge that forms an arch over a small mill pond. Check any postcard rack in Maine and you will probably find the picture that everyone takes of the bridge..."
That's the spot where I took the shot at the top of the page. It was like stepping straight into a fairy tale!
If you've been a reader here for a while (much appreciated), you already know that I am *completely* obsessed with taking macro shots of flowers and bugs, so a trip to Thuya Gardens in the Northeast Harbor was one of my first stops. The following three shots were taken there, and I could've easily spent days (okay, weeks!) taking pictures on the grounds.
Thuya Gardens has the largest dahlias I've ever seen. The one below seemed like it was about a foot wide, but I didn't have a ruler with me so don't quote me on it!
There's also a lush Monarch butterfly garden within Thuya Gardens, and I had good fun meeting up with the caterpillars...
I took the shot below at Asticou Azalea Garden. After my visit to Thuya Gardens, Asticou was a bit of a disappointment because very little was flowering this late in summer (therefore, not many critters to photograph either). It did have relaxing Japanese accents, though, so it was a pleasant place for a stroll on a hot day.
I'm glad the traffic wasn't heavy on Mount Desert Island because it was hard to drive for a mile straight without pulling over for pictures. (Have I thanked my poor, patient husband yet?)
Of course, we did the "usual Maine things": Eating boatloads of fresh lobster, sight-seeing, and whale-watching. I'm not going to include shots here of our whale-watching excursion because they'd just be "a fin here, a tail there", and it's one of those things that you really have to experience first-hand.
Naturally, we also hiked A LOT in Acadia National Park. I lagged behind the group because (you guessed it) I was busy snapping away. I mean, really--can you blame me? Look at these views!
Our whole group loved hiking the trails...
...especially Delilah!
On the last day of our vacation, we drove to the very top of Cadillac Mountain. I can't do justice to the incredible panorama, but here's my attempt, with a view towards the Porcupine Islands. (I love that name!)
Maine is a great, big lungful of cool, fresh air. The kids are already busily planning our next visit!
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