Long Weekend at Acadia Nat'l Park

[SheRidesABeemer]

Prior to last weekend, I had never ridden in Acadia National Park.
I guess I thought there would be too much tourist traffic
Or that it always rains when I go to Maine
Or it just wasn't going to be worth taking the extra day off.
Boy was I wrong, on all counts!

It takes about 6.5 hours to get up there from the depths of Southern New Hampshire. It might take others 5 hours, but when Kevin and I travel we have our priorities straight...pie and coffee being one of them.
Can't be traveling on Rte 1 without stopping at Waldoboro's Moody Diner (http://www.moodysdiner.com/) for pie...

We left Friday AM in thick clouds, but never saw rain.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/srab/3613127377/" title="Motorcycle Trip by sheridesabeemer, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3602/3613127377_606d18385d.jpg" width="800" height="508" alt="Motorcycle Trip" /></a>

We camped at Seawall Campground (http://www.nps.gov/acad/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm), Southwest Harbor, one of two park camps. A bargain at $20/night, all the wood you can burn...but no showers on site.
There is a "camp store" down the way that has a sign for hot showers. But they didn't seem open very much. In fact, it seems that we missing the big opening by a week. This was not a plan but worked out in our favor :thumb
We had the place to ourselves...maybe 25% occupancy.

We were not familiar with the one way section of the Loop Road, and its not obvious on the map, it is one way toward Sand Beach, that means you have a glorious 2 lane (freshly paved I might add) winding road all to yourself, pass cars and bicyclists as needed.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/srab/3613927830/" title="One Way Loop Road by sheridesabeemer, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3335/3613927830_8e294e44c8.jpg" width="800" height="600" alt="One Way Loop Road" /></a>

Cadillac Mt Road, on the sunny part of Saturday, soooo delightful. Just no problems with traffic.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/srab/3610186011/" title="Loops Road Acadia Nat'l Park by sheridesabeemer, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3307/3610186011_19f5990371_b.jpg" width="800" height="484" alt="Loops Road Acadia Nat'l Park" /></a>

Late afternoon sun at a bay near Pretty Marsh. hard to say exactly, I was leading...and getting us...misplaced.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/srab/3611004268/" title="Late Afternoon Sun by sheridesabeemer, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3384/3611004268_c979693dac_b.jpg" width="800" height="600" alt="Late Afternoon Sun" /></a>

Top of Cadillac Mt. on a sunny day
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/srab/3610201981/" title="Cadillac Mt View by sheridesabeemer, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3659/3610201981_838db254d7_b.jpg" width="800" height="449" alt="Cadillac Mt View" /></a>

This was the top of the Mt. during the first part of the day, cloudy, cold and misty.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/srab/3606742109/" title="Top of Cadillac Mt. by sheridesabeemer, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3659/3606742109_587fdcb205_b.jpg" width="800" height="978" alt="Top of Cadillac Mt." /></a>

Sand Beach

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/srab/3613939480/" title="Sand Beach Acadia by sheridesabeemer, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3343/3613939480_487a442456.jpg" width="800" height="536" alt="Sand Beach Acadia" /></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/srab/3607560826/" title="Sand Beach by sheridesabeemer, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3629/3607560826_7f9a1af29b_b.jpg" width="800" height="500" alt="Sand Beach" /></a>

Not much traffic...
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/srab/3606656031/" title="Yellow Line by sheridesabeemer, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3329/3606656031_ab932733f7_b.jpg" width="800" height="524" alt="Yellow Line" /></a>

This is a summary of our camping at Seawall Campsite...everything except the Maine State bird (mosquito)
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/srab/3607489890/" title="Campside Wine in a Box by sheridesabeemer, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3405/3607489890_03035d1989_b.jpg" width="800" height="1005" alt="Campside Wine in a Box" /></a>

[TexanRT]

Beautiful photos -- thanks for posting them. We definitely want to visit Acadia some day :thumb

[wezul]

One destination on the list of many. I have heard in Fall it is gorgeous up there.
Sunrise Earth featured a sunrise :doh looking out from Cadillac Mountain. It was incredible.
Thanks for sharing, Gail.

[kmkahuna]

What an excellent trip, and the pictures tell such a simple, beautiful story. Thanks from the West Coast!

[mark from maine]

Gail,
We also spent the weekend riding in and around Arcadia. We go the first wekend in June of each year to avoid the summer crowds. We always stay at Lamoine beach state park . Hot showers included. It is located on the northen shore of Eastern bay. It is about a twenty minute commute to the park. For those who love gardens both the Asticou and Thuya gardens in Northeast Harbor are not to be missed.

Mark from Maine

[tommcgee]

Very nice, but even stopping for pie and coffee, it only takes me five hours and I'm an hour further away than you! Throttle cable binding? :ha

Here's what some of those roads looked like in June '08:

http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/showthread.php?t=27085&highlight=acadia

[SheRidesABeemer]

Well Tom, maybe if you'd slowed down you'd have seen the sun too. :whistle

[tommcgee]

Well Tom, maybe if you'd slowed down you'd have seen the sun too. :whistle

The only thing I saw in the sky was a Maine State Police traffic enforcement plane....and it was too late when I saw him. :banghead

[Visian]

beautiful pics, gale, thank you for posting.

my memories of acadia involve too much lobster, way to much beer and crawling througn the bubble pond parking lot at 3am counting buicks. :sick

ian

[tommcgee]

my memories of acadia involve too much lobster, way to much beer and crawling througn the bubble pond parking lot at 3am counting buicks. :sick


Not a Buick in sight...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3374/3616730512_f247d7be88.jpg

[Visian]

Not a Buick in sight...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3374/3616730512_f247d7be88.jpg

:ha

it looks MUCH better in the daytime... :thumb

[ST Paul]

Gail those pics make me want to move to New England.
I talked to you at the open house last September, see you Tenn.

[119240]

What's the tarif for a motorcycle within the park / roads now a days? Is it the 1 week pass as a cager or not. It's been a while and now we have to pay the Gov. more to enjoy our parks. :scratch

[tommcgee]

What's the tarif for a motorcycle within the park / roads now a days? Is it the 1 week pass as a cager or not. It's been a while and now we have to pay the Gov. more to enjoy our parks. :scratch

http://www.nps.gov/acad/planyourvisit/entrancefees.htm

I buy an annual pass that covers the bike and the cage, but if you're really strapped, there's only one fee station near Sand Beach and it isn't staffed early or late in the day. There are also ways around it when it is staffed, but the rules still say that you're still supposed to pay the fee.

[SheRidesABeemer]

What's the tarif for a motorcycle within the park / roads now a days? Is it the 1 week pass as a cager or not. It's been a while and now we have to pay the Gov. more to enjoy our parks. :scratch

$5 bucks for the week. Kinda worth it. :thumb

[MLS2GO]

Where do you buy wine in such a bike friendly container?

[SheRidesABeemer]

Here in New Hampshire we buy it at the grocery store. http://fc00.deviantart.com/files/f/2007/121/5/b/_drinkwine__by_cschrensky.gif

[xp8103]

Gail,

Beautiful pictures!! It is truly a beautiful place for sure. At the right time of day you can see The Cat (www.catferry.com) entering the harbor. You will actually see the wake it leaves first as it gets up to 45+ mph.

Did you go up in to the observation room at the top of the Penobscot Narrows bridge?
http://www.maine.gov/doc/parks/parksinfo/observatory/

The views there are breathtaking as well!

[SheRidesABeemer]

Cool, I didn't know there was an observation deck...not sure I would be able to do that...I'm claustrophobic :dunno

[xp8103]

Cool, I didn't know there was an observation deck...not sure I would be able to do that...I'm claustrophobic :dunno

Bummer.... Well... It's basically an elevator ride up and the room is quite airy. Unless height is an issue, you might be ok! It is SO worth the trip.

[tommcgee]

Did you go up in to the observation room at the top of the Penobscot Narrows bridge?
http://www.maine.gov/doc/parks/parksinfo/observatory/


One of these days, I'll go up. More often than not, the weather has been uncooperative.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2456/3620209482_a47d4aa5ba.jpg

[xp8103]

One of these days, I'll go up. More often than not, the weather has been uncooperative.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2456/3620209482_a47d4aa5ba.jpg


This weekend's supposed to be nice!

[tommcgee]

This weekend's supposed to be nice!

I have a service call in Northeast Harbor in the next week or so. Will try to pick a nice day.

[xp8103]

That's the spirit!

Let me know when you're coming thru! My house is 1/4 mile from the Exit 113 overpass (passes over my road!):thumb

[tommcgee]

That's the spirit!

Let me know when you're coming thru! My house is 1/4 mile from the Exit 113 overpass (passes over my road!):thumb

I'll never get used to the new exit numbers...but that'd be somewhere near Augusta I think.

[xp8103]

I'll never get used to the new exit numbers...but that'd be somewhere near Augusta I think.

You got it! It's the new north Augusta exit that gets you across the river and heading east on route 3 quickly and easily.