We have officially been on the road for over 4 1/2 months!  It’s hard to believe but when I look back it feels like we have been to so many wonderful places already. I am waaaaay behind on posting so bare with me playing catch up.

I had to take some time to post about the main (wink, wink) reason we made such quick time across the country:  Maine!  From the beginning stages of planning this trip, our family sat down and shared with each other places and things we wanted to do.  Number one on my husband’s list was Maine.  He had visited his father’s family’s home several times in Camden and had wonderful memories.  It was important for to him to share this special place with us and most importantly, get there before the cold weather hit.  So that was our goal get to Maine by September before summer quickly switched to fall.  That would also put us in New England for Fall foliage which I had never experienced and was very excited about – this was also one of the top things on my list!!

Our timing was perfect as we got the last two weeks of warm weather, and missed all the summer crowds after Veteren’s Day. We are so thankful to Aunt Wynne and Uncle John who hosted us for several days in their beautiful home.  I have heard for years about how special this house on the ocean is and it did not disappoint.  The town of Camden is quaint, gorgeous, and right on the water.  We could hear the waves from our rooms every night and were thankful to be near the ocean again.  Our first night we were treated to fireworks in the harbor and our first Maine lobstah dinner. It was delicious! Everything I had heard about it is true: mouthwatering!

Over the next few day we explored Camden by checking out the schooner festival, an exceptional farmers market (I purchased my now favorite, most gorgeous, pair of wooden hand-made cooking spoons from KarinaKSteele,) and walked the shops in the village. We loved spending time with family and exploring the Megunticook Lake and family camp.

We truly fell in love with Camden, enjoyed learning about its history, our family history, and eating fantastic food.  But after almost a week, it was time to move on to Acadia National Park.  Since the beginning stages of our planning I had heard what a magical place Acadia is.  It combines the ocean, the forest, mountains, and some of the greatest hiking we have experienced, all of our family’s favorite things about the outdoors!  For my husband some of the greatest memories he’s had on this trip was the hiking, and for me the campsite we had and the town of Bar Harbor will always hold a special place in my heart.  There are several places to camp in Acadia but with our big Rig we chose Schoodic Woods Campground. You can see our pictures below but the campground was wonderful.  It’s definitely secluded and the campsites are spread out, the National Park Service has done a great job with this campground. Here are just a few of the things we did and saw in Acadia!

Hiking:  There are a plethora of hiking trails in Acadia for every type of hiker.  The girls were rock stars and did some pretty tough hikes.  Our “baby”  even did the a very tough exposed rock hike called Beehive alone with her daddy!  The best part of all the trails are the killer views and breathtaking scenery.  Some of our favorites were Beehive, Cadillac Mountain, Precipice, and Bubble Mountain.

Oceans and Lakes:  Another really cool thing about Acadia is we spent several days at the ocean beach called Sand Beach.  We hiked and even swam along the shore where the overly aggressive seagulls stole the lobster roll right out of my hand!  I say “ocean” beach because we also spent several beautiful days at a lake beach called Echo Lake, a serene swimming area with slightly warmer water than the ocean. It was a great place to swim and play after long hikes.

Ranger talks:  One of the things we have learned to do on this road trip is sign up for the Ranger led talks and hikes that the National Parks Services offers for free.  They are a fantastic way to learn all about the park you are in and its history.  The girls now have their Junior Ranger badges from 5 different parks!  This is not an easy feat to say the least.  They have to read, learn, and study about the particular park we are in.  Then, they are usually required to participate in a Ranger talk in order to receive their badge (after which they are quizzed and sworn in!)  For Acadia we chose to do a Ranger talk on the Carriage Roads within the park and the Rockefeller bridges built by none other than John D. Rockefeller Jr. It was a phenomenal learning experience not only for the girls but for the adults as well!  I highly recommend signing up for a Ranger talk the next time you’re visiting a National Park.

Bar Harbor: Bar Harbor is the town Acadia surrounds.  It’s a quaint harbor village and we loved walking around the shops and eating yummy food.  Yes it’s touristy, but we were there in mid September so at least it wasn’t as crowded as we heard it gets.  Regardless, it was a great place to end our days, strolling about and taking it all in. By the way, if you ARE ever near Acadia or Bar Harbor make sure you visit this GUY for the greatest LOBSTER of your life!

Well, there you have it – our adventures in Maine!  I know my family will agree that two weeks just wasn’t enough, but the experience we shared in Camden and Acadia we will treasure forever!