This entry was posted on 9/4/2007 7:30 PM and is filed under uncategorized.
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Dateline : Bar Harbor, Maine. September 4th, 2007
Wow. What another great day. We sure have been lucking out with weather, by the way. Sun and
breezes and nothing but blue skies.
This morning we headed out early, to the pier at the Bar Harbor Inn. It was here that we
bought tickets for a cruise on a four masted schooner named the Margaret Todd. This is a 151
foot ship. Or as pookie has described it "an old fashioned boat." Impressive, no matter what you call her.
Check it out at
www.downeastwindjammer.com for some details.
We had a great morning, westerly winds and a great crew. We shipped off a little late, what with us having to wait on some cruise folks who had been on a bus cruise earlier in the day. The NCL ship
Norwegian Dawn had anchored overnight and Bar Harbor was teaming with cruisers for the day.
Once out of the harbor, the Captain shut the motor down and the crew ( with some help from
volunteers ) raised the four sails and we were off!! It was VERY impressive. Suddenly no
noise but the wind in the sails, the creaking of the blocks, the snapping of the ropes, and
the water against the hull. It sure was something to experience. A dream come true, really.
The Captain reported we hit 9 knots and that the sailing was the best he'd had all summer.
Aboard the ship was a NPS ranger ( Ranger John ) who narrated as we cruised around
Frenchman's Bay. He gave us details about the islands and some info on the local birdlife.
It was a well spent morning. We had a wonderful time.
We left Bar Harbor for lunch, due to the cruiser folks being just everywhere. We had a great
meal just outside the town, on Rt. 3, called the Chart Room. It is right on the bay and we
had a gorgeous view out the window. Pookie had some very good fish and chips, and turtlex
enjoyed some very sweet local scallops. Yum-my.
After lunch we headed back into Acadia National Park to run the rest of the Loop Road. We
scored a couple more NPS stamps and saw some absolutely beautiful sites, including Thunder
Hole, which wasn't thundering, but was very impressive none the less. The Loop Road really
is fun and is considered one of Maine's Scenic Byways ( as well as along the shore on Rt. 3
which we've driven several times ). It's right up there with Glacier National Parks Going-
To-The-Sun Road. Or, actually, to me, a very close second.
Dinner tonight was in Northeast Harbor at the ( drum roll please ) Tan Turtle Tavern!!!!
Yes, it's kind of a famous place around here. We overheard one of the park rangers directing
people there for some good food at a good price in a casual atmosphere. It was real yummy
food, too. I got a haddock sandwich with the tavern's handmade turtle chips. These were
especially yummy. Plain tasting potato chips that were lightly burned. I loved them. Pookie
had a fried artichoke with goat cheese Po'boy. Both of these were BIG servings and neither
of us finished our sandwiches. Of course, there was no way I was walking out of a place
without a souvenir, so pookie bought me a Tan Turtle Tavern baseball cap. I wore it back to the Edgewater proudly!
Quite a day, quite a day. Who knows what tomorrow will hold... perhaps some lighthouses!
Regarding some of the comments - keep them coming, friends!
Jim - Sorry, bud, no sign of PF Chang here in Bar Harbor, at least not on Mt. Desert Island.
Most places have some kind of steak, but seafood is the food of the region. Mostly it's
lobsters, clams and haddock. That kind of thing. Trust me, the beauty of the land would
really out weigh you having to eat some fresh, caught that same day, seafood.
Suzanne - Gosh, that poor little boy sure could have used you up on top of Cadillac
Mountain. The thing is - can you imagine all the stuff his Dad has been making up for his
entire vacation?!? Made me laugh the entire way back to the parking lot.
That's all for tonight. Tomorrow is our last day in Bar Harbor. On Thursday we board the
Ferry to Nova Scotia.
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great food, water and woods.. perfect... good luck traversing on the ferry... looking forward to more xo guitark