The largest gathering of large schooners in the United States, Maine’s windjammer fleet is impressive. You might want to consider including this as part of your vacation in Maine. Most are based in Rockland,  or Camden, Maine.    They gather a few times a year.     Operating a windjammer is a lifestyle job, the boats gather and work together for parades and festivals.   If you feel like you missed out on something being born into the wrong century, here is your chance to experience what it was like to be out at sea.   You won’t get the rough waters or problems with storms and such, as they sail in protected waters during bad weather.

Worried about your first time on a big sailing boat?  You can take one of the introductory adventures.   One  windjammer operates out of Bar Harbor,  the Margaret Todd.   She’s the ship on our banner picture.   The Margaret Todd and Schooner Olad out of Camden Harbor are the only ships going out on 2 hour  adventures.   If you have small kids, you might consider a friendship sailing sloop rental or other small boat for your own custom adventure or the Rachel B. Jackson, all out of Southwest Harbor on MDI’s quiet side.

The other large vessels require you to invest more of your vacation time, but spending a night on a schooner is what it’s all about anyway.   At their page you can spend hours investigating the various accommodations and differences between the ships. Here’s a link to some video’s about the experience

Imagine spending from 2 to 7 days at sea; but this is a gentle sea, with islands and calm harbors for sleeping, and the best food, all cooked for you.   Yes, there is a bit of work involved, if you want it.

You can pick a themed sail.   With various trips focused on topics like: lighthouses, nature or animal photography, visit a music festival, join a race or a parade of windjammers.    Other trips feature: birding, knitting, astronomy & geology or a pirate adventure.  Or maybe it’s your dream to have a family reunion aboard one of the vessels like this group.

Here is the windjammer fleet website

I couldn’t help but be drawn to one of the last gathering of the season in one of the most beautiful places along our coast….The Windjammer Fleet Rendezvous on   September 13-18th, where all the windjammers gather in Eggemoggin reach with photography workshops.   Imagine all those beautiful boats in a beautiful place and in the most beautiful month of the year..oh all the pictures you could take.

While you’re out around Rockland way, make a stop at a new museum.   It’s called the

Sail Power and Steam Museum.

Need to get away from the daily grind.   Would you like to communicate better with your teen?   How about a three day journey with sun, tides, water and wind.   Whether you bring your spouse, your child (over 4’8 inches) or a good friend, I can’t imagine a better adventure for this summer.   This article is about two ideas, taking a 3 day trip with a registered Maine guide or creating your own 3 day trip for those who own their own kayak and envision a personal excursion among the ocean islands of Maine.   There is no better way to get out, way out on those small islands that line Maine’s shore than with a personal small boat.   It’s only a day’s drive from New York and a half day’s drive from Boston.

The kayak is just perfect for traveling, it carries your gear and yourself in an efficient way.    As I have said in previous articles, a kayak is very different from other boats.   You are seated right at the water-line, so your body is much more stable.   You feel more like part of the water instead of on top of it.   It is difficult to tip a kayak in calm waters of Frenchman Bay.    However, with large waves or a lot of reaching, it is possible to turn a kayak over.   On the ocean we favor long skinny kayaks for their ability to go straight and to also handle waves.

You get out on the water for 3 days on a guided kayak tour in Maine, no experience necessary.   If you are taking your teen along with you,  the tandem kayak is one of the keys to the success as you have to work together to get somewhere.   Sharing a small island helps too, a tent, other people around, but not too many.    I’m describing one of the adventures that you can find here in Maine.   If you stay with us, we will be glad to help you store your stuff before or after your stay here at Sea Cat’s rest.

Those of you who are already experienced kayakers can create your own trip, but three days is an ideal start to a lifetime journey featuring water excursions.   We have an incredible resource here called the  Maine Island Trail Association.   This 40 year old organization has been working to create and preserve the many island that line the coast of Maine for everyone to enjoy.   If you love kayaking enough to own a boat, and you are coming to Maine consider joining this association.    By joining you get a map of the many islands that are open to those who wander among the islands of Maine.   Their website:   Maine Island Trail Association

Don’t forget these ideas when you paddle:

• Dress for the water, not the air, temperature.
• Wear a lifejacket at all times.
• Make sure somebody knows where you are and when you’ll return.
• Air Temp + Water Temp  < 110 = stay out of the water.
• Air Temp + Water Temp > 110 but < 140 = Wear a wetsuit!
• Paddle with a buddy.
• Check weather and tide conditions, and plan accordingly.    We have excellent climate here in the summer because of the cold water – but that does present some danger for those that get immersed in the water not expecting it.

For those visitors with little experience, a good place to start is with an experienced guided tour.  Here is a link to the non-profit association of Sea Kayak Guides.   They  offer various organized Kayak trips in and around Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park and other areas of Maine.    Maine Association of Sea Kayak Guides and instructors.    Most of them offer the three day kayak I explained above as well as half day (4 hour) guided tours.   A few also arrange private excursions.    All of them include the cost of kayak rental in the package.

The economy today makes  folks with a job begin to think of how they might save some money on this year’s vacation.   Those with downsized or part time jobs might want to think of vacations closer to home.   Either situation might make a vacation in Maine just right for you.  People in Maine are very careful with their money.     That means if you know where to look, you too can save much money.

There are lots of things to do here that are free or low cost.

Start with muscle-powered sports.   Hiking and walking have the dual benefit of exercise and enjoyment in and around Bar Harbor and Acadia.   The carriage trails were designed for horses, but that means they are smooth and excellent walking paths.   There are no automobiles, only bicycles, an occasional horse drawn carriage or rider on horseback and other people on the path.       The most popular path is around Eagle lake.   However, one of my favorite walks is closer to Northeast Harbor.   Park at the Upper Hadlock Pond Parking area and cross the road.   Here is a link to the map of the carriage trails.

Take advantage of the free ranger lead talks and walks.   From the visitor center you can get the schedule of talks.   Be sure and arrive a bit early, because there can be quite a crowd that gathers in July and August.   Here are descriptions of one such walk.

Otter Point Walk (2 hours; easy to moderate 2-mile hike) Daily, Tue in French. Discover stories of history and nature along the strikingly scenic Ocean Path. Gorham Mountain parking area – Park Loop Road south of Thunder Hole.or join the night sky program or the Acadia at night program, where you learn to see like the nighttime animals do.   This link to the website has the schedules.    Some programs like the sailing adventures have a cost associated with them, but the majority are free.

This area that we live in has the best of both the sea and the woods for you to enjoy in one package.  You can combine camping out and  staying at a vacation home  here at Sea Cat’s Rest.    Our rental comes with kayaks included!  If your looking for a bargain yet this year, look about 10 miles away from Mount Desert Island.   The rates are lower, and you only spend about 10 minutes more in the car.   The town names to search for are: Lamoine, Trenton, Hancock and Surry.

Bring your own bicycle and you now have doubled the distance you can go with just a twirl of your pedals.   Bicycling is actually the most efficient way to get from point A to point B, plus you can put your bike right on those Island Explorer buses when you don’t want to bike uphill.

Like to read?   Don’t forget our small local libraries.   Read the local paper for free, read Downeast Magazine for free at the library in Ellsworth.   Read a local book, get internet access free at the library in the middle of the day.  Libraries on the island are many, and I will feature them in a future blog.   I especially like the Southwest Harbor Library, right across from the school.    You can cool off on the occasional hot day by spending an hour or two in the comfy reading rooms – and all of our libraries have internet access free – free wifi or on their computers.   Places in Ellsworth that offer free internet include the local coffeeshop The Maine Grind on Main Street, the library and MacDonalds.   In addition our town office here in Lamoine is a free WiFi spot.   Our house of course has free internet for our guests too.

SAVE MORE ON MEALS – cook for yourself.   By staying in a house instead of hotel, you can cook your own great meals, perhaps treating yourself to one or two days of great fresh seafood from cold Maine waters.   We can’t think of anything better than watching the lobster boats out in front of our place, and then enjoying lobsters from your own pot for dinner.   At different times in the year you can  pick the fruit that is in season: blueberries, strawberries and apples.   If you are our guest, we share our garden bounty with our renters.   See our wild food blog for some other tasty treats.

Also for the frugal, coordinate your visit with music and art festivals.  Bar Harbor Brass Week offers free concerts at the park in Bar Harbor, or wander the free art fairs in the summer.     The Belfast Maine Celtic Festival on July 17-18 and the Bangor American Folk Festival August 27,28,29, (free – but donate what you can afford)  and The North Atlantic Blues  Festival July 10th, 11th in Rockland are some of those in our area.

Didn’t bring the right clothes to wear?  It’s cool here, cooler than most places   If you forgot that fact, you can pick up some bargains at the resale shops in the area.   Jalysa’s attic in Ellsworth on Water Street or our new Goodwill Store in Ellsworth both offer fleece jackets at under $10.00 for those colder than they expected.   Need more long pants?  They are there too.  You can also find Maine themed clothing there if you are lucky.   We locals often purchase Maine themed clothing when it is on sale in the fall, and we recycle the clothes when they get too small or we don’t find ourselves needing them any longer.

Go with a larger group.   Find a friend to stay with on the way.   Vacation where you can stay with relatives.    Going with a larger group, you can go in on lodgings and food.   It’s often cheaper to rent a larger house, and vacation with another family or group of friends.   Instead of having to bring along a friend for our daughter, we brought along another family, so that the kids had someone to do stuff with – and we had adults to hang around with.   Have Grandma and Grandpa take the grand kids (along with you) on vacation.   They are bound to help out with treats and special adventures (plus you get to share the childcare and get off by yourself for a while).    Borrow items you need for the trip.   Perhaps you can borrow bicycles, or some camping equipment instead of purchasing new items.

Trade adventures, if you live in a nice place for others to vacation, perhaps you can exchange visits with old friends.   Have friends living in New York while you’re out in the country, perhaps you can each visit each others’ destinations for a bargain vacation for both of you.

Famed ornithologist Roger Tory Peterson was the first to make this claim about Acadia. There are over 40 species of warblers seen on Mount Desert Island.  Birds are big here. I don’t mean we have huge birds, just that we’re a migratory crossroad; lots of species are here that are hard to find elsewhere. This past weekend was the Acadia Birding Festival, but don’t worry, the Maine guide responsible for founding and directing the festival is also in business to give guided tours to everyone. His name is Michael Good and he is owner of   Down East Nature Tours in Town Hill, Mount Desert Island. He is also a biologist with a masters in developmental biology with more than 25  years experience in studying birds.  He was also chosen as Best Birdwatching Guide by Yankee Magazine in 2009. Michael will pick you up at your lodgings in his van for a two hour Wetland Ecology tour ($40 adults, $20 kids);  a four hour Native Bird tour ($75 for adults, $37.50 for kids) or a 4-6 hour Gouldsboro Hills Birding tour ($225 per trip). 207.288.8128

Or try the quest on your own by outfitting with good hiking boots, layers of clothing, a good identification book like A Field Guide to to the Birds of Eastern and Central North America by Roger Tory Peterson. Binoculars are a big help or use a spotting scope like Michael Good. I like to try to familiarize myself with the songs of the birds I’m likely to find too. Try typing in “wood thrush song” into google and you may find yourself  at this page where you can hear what is outside my window in midsummer. This Cornell Ornithology site is a great one to bookmark for birdsongs.  Can’t find the binoculars? I have found my digital 18x zoom camera to be a good substitute. Taking a picture is optional.

Raptors are also a big deal in Acadia. From August 19 to October 14, northerly winds push thousands of raptors south above the island and the best place to see them is atop Cadillac Mountain. This is Acadia’s Hawkwatch and in 2009 rangers, volunteers and visitors counted 2,831 hawks, kestrels, eagles and falcons. The National Park website is a treasure trove of information about this event. You can even download a guide to identifying raptors based on their silhouettes.

Let’s not forget the Puffins. For $56 ($28 for kids) Bar Harbor Whale Watch Co. will take you on a 4 hour combination whale and puffin watching trip on their twin hulled (less motion!) bar-equipped boat. I know we’re talking about birds, but the whale watch is not to be missed!

Just what does your middle age child like to do?  There are so many choices, that i recommend finding a focus and sticking with the theme for your vacation adventure.

Here are 4 focus adventures that can create that favorite vacation time.

Focus 1 – photography.   Camera’s ready..  Find a theme.   Nature, from a kids perspective (everything looks big), rocks around you,  trees and people.   Who lives here.   Have fun, develop ideas and let your kid choose the shots, or take them – depending on interest.    Maybe it’s funny faces – people, animals, dogs.  Perhaps just creating a story about your trip.   Have them start out at home, getting ready, then the actual getting there – has to be documented.   Where are you staying?   What are the big things you will be doing.   Think about scrap-booking the trip for a permanent record of your treasured trip.

Focus 2 – art and nature.    It”s interesting what kind of things art is to different people.   For some, its pen and pencil, others colors with crayons or colored pencils.    Paint is easy to bring along and can be used to make all kinds of creations.    Often rocks make good canvas, but sketch books work well too.    Art can also be modeling clay, the kind you shape and bake.   Model what you see around you, whether it’s natural or man made.   Model different modern things, like cars and photograph them in natural surroundings.    Make a stop action movie, with tiny characters hanging around giant trees, or in perilous situations.   Oh no, watch again as clay annie and andy get caught in a rock slide.

Focus 3 – the animals around us.   The park has many places to view and visit and learn about the creatures that we live with on MDI,    Here’s an incredible video of two baby raccoons at Seawall campground at Acadia National Park.  You can find them in books, movies, and out in the wild.   Sometimes you have to be willing to be out in very early morning, or late evening to get a chance to see some wildlife around Acadia.   Other times you have to be willing to get out where it is a bit unusual, like a cave mouth at dawn, or a beach or on the ocean in the middle of the night for the best sights.     Places to go to – Ed’s dive in starfish enterprize, the Oceanarium, Anenome Cave, The Northeast Marsh, the Oven caves, Somes Sound, the top of the mountain.   Who lives around the ponds, how about the forests, how about the ocean.

Focus 4 – the active life outdoors.    Get out and about.   Challenge yourself to hike farther than you ever have before.   Start with a half mile hike.   Increase your distance and time out on the hike by half mile every day.    When you have mastered a 3 miles hike, start adding vertical challenges.   Have your hike climb up higher and higher.   Celebrate when you reach the top of Cadillac mountain, the highest peak on the eastern seaboard.    If you’d rather, this challenge can be on bicycle or it can be out on the water in a kayak.    Just pick some adventure, and start slow and small.   Build up to your goal and get there.   Don’t forget to write about your adventure, so that you can remember each step.

Don’t forget about the junior ranger program at the visitors center.   It’s free this year, there is a great activity book that the park provides to guide you in your adventure vacation.

College of the Atlantic’s FAMILY NATURE CAMP

Tel: (800) 597-9500 or (207) 801-5634

Located at College of the Atlantic, , 105 Eden Street Bar Harbor, Maine 04609

Ranked among the top-five family camps in the U.S. by Good Morning America and Family Fun Magazine, College of the Atlantic’s week-long Family Nature Camp is the vacation you and your family will talk about for years to come.
Under the guidance of experienced naturalists, you will delight in the wonder and adventure of the outdoors as you sight humpbacks and seals on your whale watch and nature cruises, hold sea creatures on the Starfish Enterprise, dip your hand in warm tide pools, hike the trails of Acadia National Park, visit beaver lodges, put together the bones of a Minke Whale, and delight in the tales of the “Bug Man.” You will share all this and more with other families, who will become your life-long friends, in one of the most beautiful vacations spots in America. Suitable for adults and children 5 years and older.

Rates:  405 900

summer@coa.edu

http://www.familynaturecamp.com

Like Boats?    Like to talk about them even better?   Everything is discussed on boattalk: a call in show about all things nautical with Alan Sprague and Mike Joyce on WERU  FM every 2nd Tuesday from 10-11am.   You can access the radio station from anywhere – on line go to weru.org and if you are within listening distance on the radio tune in at 89.9 FM.   If you are driving to Maine, I can generally get this station on I-95 in between Augusta and Waterville.  Once a month they get on the air and gab about all kinds of nautical topics, like the plas-tiki, or the latest cruise of the local marine college, or someone’s new boat design.   Working around boats is a part of the world around here.   Both of these lads have dredged up lots of salty old wizards of the boat world that call in and offer their opinion on matters big and small just for the halibut.   Listen in on porpoise, just to hear their colorful yarns of the sea-life.  All kinds of boats draw a lot of folks here, and some of them stick around, others flounder away.   The last three years the two anchors of the radio show have sponsored a fund-raising event for WERU community radio.

Each spring the boat talk guys arrange a fund-raising, more friend-raising cruise around Somes Sound on MDI.   Good company, incredible scenery and food, plus some funny puns are available for those attracted to that kind of thing.

follow this link to the show’s archives.    http://archives.weru.org/boattalk/boattalk-51110

The best part is that you can listen to the last 59 shows right now if you want.    Tune in anytime or have the show podcast to your device every 2nd Tuesday of the month.  

May’s show includes the just retired president of Maine Maritime Academy – Lyn Tyler.     The almost Caribbean voyages of folks that left too late in the season and got snowed in in Virginia, calls from a boat surveyor from Kentucky of all places.    Check out that fancy second home pictured above, it’s in the other boat capital of the world, the Netherlands.   Which is the second home I wonder?

This is the first in a series of articles featuring various hikes.  Let me start by saying that all of these hikes will be able to be completed in one morning or afternoon.   Acadia Park while large, is not a place where you can walk on one adventure for days and days.   There are plenty of places in New England, specifically the Long Trail in Vermont or the Appalachian Trail which starts in Georgia and ends in Maine if you want a multi-day experience.

First the facts:  There are 120 miles of hiking trails and 45 miles of carriage roads throughout Acadia National Park.   The park itself is about 40,000 acres.    Most of these hikes are easy and suitable for families with young children, but some are moderately difficult hikes bringing you to grand mountaintop vistas.

People have been hiking through Acadia’s paths for hundreds of years.  On the map the white dashed lines are walking trails.   The red lines roads and the yellow lines are carriage trails.   Of course the carriage trails are exceptional walking paths too, so don’t ignore them as a great way to link up the hiking trails with where you want to be.   One of my favorite walks combines the carriage trails on the way up and the hiking path on the way down. 

I also want to make sure to mention the zero impact rule right from the beginning.   Going into a wild area is like visiting a famous museum.   You obviously do not want to leave your mark on an art treasure in the museum.    Please pack out all garbage and trash.   Human waste must be disposed of carefully or it becomes a health hazard.   Use restroom facilities at trailheads or along the trail.   Stay on the trail.   Do not cut switchbacks or take short cuts.  Do not feed wild animals, never pick flowers or gather plants or insects.   Keep your impact to a minimum by taking only pictures and leaving only footprints.  Also play it safe,  you should be prepared for any weather and trail conditions you may encounter.

Water – hikers generally need 1 or more quarts per person on these day hikes, depending on weather.   Do not count on finding water on any hike.  Sun; to protect yourself, wear protective clothing and especially a sun hat.   Always tell a reliable person your hiking plans, especially if you are hiking in more remote areas.   Check in upon your return.   Leave a plan in your car as a last resort.   Dress in layers, do not hike alone.

I start with these hikes for two reasons.   First they are my favorites for the overall view that you get at the top.   They get you to the wild part of the park, and while you will not be alone, you also will be miles away from civilization type things like stores, shopping.       Second, these are nice for any age group.    It will help you judge whether you need to stick with this kind of hike for a while, or if you can advance to some of the more challenging hikes in the park.     The Acadia bus system can get you to these hikes easily.   Parking at Jordan Pond house can be a challenge in the middle of summer, so plan on the bus.

Jordan Pond, Bubbles and Eagle Lake Area

0.5 miles Jordan Pond Shore Trail A nice level walk around the shore-line.   There are wooden paths, so even little ones under 5 years old are okay on this walk.   Wonderful short walk with bathroom and water and the Pond house.   The photo to the right is of this trail.   You can combine this route with the bubbles walk for a nice combination.

1.3 miles Bubble rock Trail.  This is a favorite, a challenge in terms of vertical height, but not very long.   You can choose either the North or South Bubble extensions.   Both have beautiful camera opportunities at the top.   The South Bubble features the balancing rock, a large truck sized rock just sitting at the top of the hill.   How did it get there?   A large sheet of ice pushed it into position.

3.6 miles Eagle Lake Trail.   Great for a little further walk, has two hills, this is entirely on carriage trails so you will share your walk with bikes and quite a few other folks.   One of the most popular places in the park to bike and hike.    Hills surround this beautiful lake.   It’s a drinking supply for Bar Harbor, so no swimming or motors allowed on this water.

1.6 Day Mountain trail  Good things come in small packages, as this little hike proves. Day Mountain is only 583 feet in elevation and a mere 0.5 mile from the trailhead, but it provides close-up views of the Cranberry Isles.

All of these hikes can be completed in 2 hours, or perhaps 3 hours if you linger at the top.   Don’t forget your camera as there are great opportunities for vacation photos.   If you stay at our place, you are welcome to borrow our guides.   There are some good guides available for purchase in Bar Harbor also, try Sherman’s Bookstore for starters.

All the action isn’t always on Acadia.   For a nice get-away especially in spring or fall, visit Donnell Pond.   About 4/5ths of the pond is protected public land.   There is public access two ways, the hiking trail or the boat access.   We like to take our kayaks and canoe out from the boat launch and cross over to the park side.    A bit of fishing, a bit of swimming, a bit of hanging out on the beach makes for a perfect relaxed day at the pond.   There are  wilderness camp sites here too, but they are filled up fast, so plan to be there early.   There is no registration, no fees/campsites are first come first served.      The lake has good fishing, but be sure to have your license.    Here is a link to a website with pictures and directions to the pond.   The  hiking trail in the area is a great way to get exercise, see a bit of nature and then reward yourselves with a dip in the pond at the end of your day.   It’s a five mile hike, plan on taking at least 3 hours.    Here is a description of the hike so you have an idea of where you can go.

Swimming from the campsite

Donnell pond is a special category of place – here is an article about public reserved land in Maine from the Maine Department of Conservation which manages this category of recreational land.

Maine’s Public Reserved Lands total more than a half million acres of wild lands and are managed for a variety of resource values including recreation, wildlife, and timber. Recreational opportunities include visiting some of Maine’s most outstanding natural features. Camping, hiking, hunting and fishing in secluded locations bring a closer understanding of our outdoor heritage. Visitors need to be prepared for a rugged, remote backcountry experience. Plan your trip by visiting our search page. Please don’t overestimate your abilities; public reserved land units are not staffed as state park or historic sites are and we want you to enjoy your trip.

The Public Reserved Lands are managed for multiple-uses under a “dominant use” system which ensures that sensitive resources such as rare plants and backcountry recreation areas are not disturbed by more intensive management activities. There are 29 “units” of Public Reserved Lands ranging in size from 500 to more than 43,000 acres and many other smaller scattered lots.

Generally fees are not charged to visit these lands, the funds generated from careful timber management cover the cost of managing recreational use. In a few instances, units are managed in cooperation with neighboring landowners and fees are collected. Unpaved private roads provide access to many of these backcountry recreation areas. Drivers are cautioned to yield the right-of-way to logging trucks at all times. General Rules apply to most public land units, but please note exceptions on individual unit pages.

The Donnell Pond Unit includes more than 14,000 acres of remote forested land with crystal clear lakes, secluded ponds, and mountains with panoramic views. Located in Hancock County between Franklin and Cherryfield, this is where visitors can enjoy outdoor recreation in a scenic, remote setting.

Activities

• boating
• camping
• Canoeing
• Cross-Country Skiing
• fishing
• hiking (trails)
• hunting
• snowshoeing
• swimming
• watching wildlife
• One hint, avoid this place on the hottest weekend days in the summer, cause it will be filled with boaters and their beer coolers and music.    Best visited during the week, or on cool or cloudy days..

If you are coming to MAINE with children of any age  there are a few activities that you should consider including in your plans.     I will start with activities for children under 7 years old, then the 8-13 age range and finally 14 and above.   In future articles I will explore activities for each age group in more depth.

Age Seven And Under:

The Junior Ranger program only takes two simple trips to the visitor center, but can be a significant adventure for your child. The program involves a child friendly exploration of the park including animals, the forest, and geological secrets. The program also includes storytelling and meeting a real park ranger to receive a badge for a reward.

Small kids enjoy walking/biking around and exploring the carriage trails.   You can rent a trailer bike that attaches to a normal sized bike and allows your child to share the fun of biking with increased safety and decreased fatigue.  There are no cars allowed on the carriage roads.   The child needs to be able to balance, so the appropriate age for this activity is usually around 5 years old.

Beach visits.   Bring the sand pails, shovels and beach towels (we have them to borrow here at SeaCat’s Rest).   There are three sandy beaches in the area.   Adventures await at Sand Beach; the only sand beach on the ocean.   Cold water usually limits swim times, but just hanging around in the sand is relaxing for all ages.   For warmer water, Acadia park has a swimming beach at Echo Lake. Wildlife is plentiful at the lake, ducks waddle on the shore while minnows dart in the shallows.  Both beaches at Acadia have lifeguards.  Here in Lamoine we have a small town beach for residents located on Blunts’ Pond.   If you stay with us, you are welcome there.

Visit the Nature Center for a close up look at the wildlife in the park.   Children can record animals they have seen in the center’s logbook.  Consider a visit to the nature museum at the College of the Atlantic.   There they have small scenes where animals are depicted within their habitats.

The Bangor Children’s Museum (Maine Discovery Museum) is worth the hour’s drive.   You can also arrange a visit on your way in or out of town.

For activities off island, visit the Ellsworths’ Treasure Island Toystore. The store has a good selection books and educational toys  and is located on Main street.

Any age kid would love a ride on the Diver Ed’s boat.   While it’s not the cheapest way to get on the water, you get a lot of laughs,  fun, and scenery for your investment (and the kid won’t notice how much they are learning about the sea and it’s creatures).   Diver Ed goes overboard with a camera, and brings up creatures for hands on visits, then they go back into the sea.

Middle age 8-13 year old.

Childrens Programs at Acadia.   The National Park also has a set of programs geared  for the 8-13 year old age group.   Find out about these at the visitors center.   I highly recommend the night tour, where you visit Carrol homestead and walk the trails without any lights.    The night sky around here is wonderful and you’ll be amazed at how much you can really see.

Junior ranger program geared for readers. The booklet has puzzle and activities geared for this age group.

Visit the Oceanarium in Southwest Harbor and The Maine Lobster Museum and Marsh Tour with the Lobster Hatchery.    Ever wonder what baby lobsters look like or how they spend their time as youngsters?    Tumbling tubes of fun await you as you learn about the life of lobsters.   The touch tank at Southwest Harbor Oceanarium is a place my daughter wanted to spend all afternoon at this age.

Develop a kid’s eye view of Acadia.  Get your kids some cameras and let them choose and take the photos.    This gets them involved and helps them develop a sense of how this place is different from home.   I highly recommend letting this happen any way it will.    Disposable cameras were made for this option.

Go on a hike. By using the Island Explorer bus service to get to a hiking spot,  you can hike through without making a return trip.    The Island Explorer is free; you can get on and off as you choose.   I recommend ending your trip at Jordon Pond house for some ice cream or tea and popovers if your crowd is more reserved.    Gorham Mountain is only 525 feet high and offers ocean views.

Keep an animal log or a log of the trip .   Make drawings/sketches or get a coloring book, and color in the animals as you see them.    Animals are easy to find in Acadia.   Seagulls, eagles, squirrels, chipmunks, seals in the water, beavers at the ponds, white-tailed deer (which are not hunted on the island), some fish, tidepool creatures and mussels in the water.   Every day crows announce their arrival each morning around our house.   We also have gold finches, woodpeckers, chickadees, phoebes and thrushes around in the woods.    Two bald eagles nest nearby – and we see them almost every day here.    I can’t keep the deer away from my garden, and there are two fox dens nearby our house.

A Whale Tour works for this middle age group of kids and older.   You get some great photo opportunities on the way out and in too.      These tours are are best booked in the morning in my estimation, but it is a bit colder then.   Pack warm clothes with you for your visit, plan on at least three layers of clothing for the best comfort.

Take a guided tour on OLLIE’S Trollie.   If you just need to sit and relax, a guided tour is the way to go.    Learn about the history while the best scenery is right outside your window.   It will help you decide where you want to spend the rest of your time in Acadia.

Ages 14 and above. For this older group try to find activities where they are on their own for a while.   Try hiking yourself on the carriage trails while they bike up and around the challenging hill. Try kayaking, or send them on a guided kayak tour while you rest up and get some vacation reading done.

If  sailing or riding on a lobster boat is not on your own wish list, you can find tours to send them on where they will be well guided.  Letting them bike around on one of the offshore islands is also a good idea – you’ll know where they are without hovering all day.   Suntans can be had in Maine, especially if you have a lovely spot to sit out.

Letting them explore the shops in Bar Harbor is also possible – it’s only about seven blocks, and you can easily arrange to meet for dinner or lunch after giving them their hang time.    Teens like to visit the town parks, and meeting people is one of the best parts of vacation.   The Island Explorer bus system can get your teen anywhere on the island with enough planning.    There are basketball courts and day camp opportunities if you’d rather have some structure in their day.   There are also sailing clubs for young folks through the Harbor House in Southwest Harbor.

Tennis is available at all three towns on the island.   Horseback riding can be arranged on the carriage trails, but plan ahead, as these get booked up well in advance.

Have your child take pictures and create a family trip log with pictures and stories of the vacation.    For teenagers at Seacat’s Rest, we can arrange a glowing night tour of the bay for those with kayak experience.

Bar Harbor from the Cadillac summit

Vacation season is almost upon us! An Acadia adventure awaits. This is one of those posts I’ve been meaning to write for a long time since it is an attempt to answer the question I hear most often.  I will try to list the Top Ten in reverse priority (#10 first) and give alternatives when possible. Some choices are weather-related and so should be shuffled in the priority as necessary.

10.  A visit off island. It’s important to see the “real” Maine, away from the remarkable beauty of Mt. Desert Island. Two of my recommended off-island trips are to Stonington on Deer Isle (1-1/2 hours, 58 miles), a real fishing village and former granite quarry. See Kathleen’s post about the Settlement Quarry and the Crockett Cove Woods. The second choice is Castine (1-1/2 hours, 53 miles). Castine is great for history buffs. You can see remains of old Fort George built by the Brits. Castine is interesting because it was claimed at various time by the  French, British, Dutch and finally the Americans. There is also a lighthouse and the Mane Maritime Academy.

9.   Shopping, Brewery, Museums. I would love to claim we have perfect weather in the summer, but if you find the outdoors soggy, you should have some indoor options. Go here to see museums associated with College of the Atlantic. Try the Abbe Museum, 26 Mt. Desert, open 10 AM to 4 PM, Thursday to Saturday from late May through early November for Maine’s Native American story.  Southwest Harbor’s Oceanarium is a hit with kids.  A brewery tour is on tap at Atlantic Brewing at Town Hill while shopping is always an option in downtown Bar Harbor.

8.   Beach Time. Finding a place to stretch out in the sand or swim is not that easy on the rocky shore. There are two great options. The first is Sand Beach, the first  stop on the Park Loop Road after the pay gate  ($20 per week per vehicle). This is on the ocean so taking a dip may involve pain. For a warmer option try Echo Lake Beach on Rt. 102 just north of Southwest Harbor. This is a great place for kids. For a walk on a stony ocean shore, try Seawall, on Rt 102A just south of Southwest Harbor.

7.   Explore Anenome Cave. This is a little known place and you need me to tell  you where it is.  It is also a little dangerous; the rocks are slippery and it is possible to get trapped in the cave if the tide is on the move or the waves are high. Visit at low tide in calm seas. Drive to the Schooner Head parking lot, the last stop before the pay gate on the Park Loop Road.  The trail will lead to the shore and the cave is ten minutes or so away along the shore (follow the shore south, to the right). Inside are tide pools with pink anenomes and other interesting sea creatures and plants, some which seem to be adapted to low light conditions. Please see Sarah’s comments at the bottom of this entry.

6. Dinner at a Lobster Pound. Our two favorites are at Beal’s Pier at the end of Clark Point Rd in Southwest Harbor and Abel’s Lobster Pound on Abel’s Lane off Rt. 198 on the way to Northeast Harbor at the top of Somes Sound.   Any place can boil a lobster. What you want is the real Maine experience that goes with it. Don’t expect elegance. An occasional whiff of bait may be in the air, but the views are awesome.

5.  Hike, hike, hike. You need to work off the lobster, right? What better place than Acadia National Park. There are so many to choose from and the right one can be found for all fitness levels. Try to pick one with a mountain top like Bubble Rock so you can be rewarded with a stunning view. South Bubble is pretty easy (400 feet). Read about hiking preparations here.

4.  Get out on the water! This can range a bit in expense. At the low end you can borrow our kayaks when you stay at SeaCat’s Rest. Our water is fairly protected, at the sheltered end of Frenchman Bay. There are also guided kayak trips leaving from Bar Harbor. If I were to recommend a more expensive outing I would include a whale watch trip. You will see a fair amount of open ocean and be rewarded with a close encounter with ocean leviathans! For even more options go here.

3.  Luncheon at Jordan Pond House. This is just mandatory, that’s all there is to it.  Read all about it here.

2. Bike, walk or (horseback) ride the carriage trails. This is the Rockefeller family’s  gift to America representing an ideal of pre-automobile road and stone craft set in the beauty of Acadia. Don’t miss it. More here.

1. Drive the Park Loop Road and to the top of Cadillac Mountain. This is how most people start their trip here and it is a good way. Pick a clear day for the Cadillac summit and take your camera. Don’t forget the free Island Explorer bus which can take you just about anywhere. Try to time your Thunder Hole visit to middle to high tide and good waves are a plus. This is a good time to buy your week-long park pass.

Thunder Hole on the Park Loop Road