It was HOT!!! On the day I visited the Acadia National Park on my quick road trip of the northeastern states, the temperature was well over 90 degrees! It was very humid too, which made it even nicer! :)

This park is located along the shore of the Atlantic Ocean, on an island, so while it has a lot of access to the ocean, it also has hikes in the woods.

I had stayed in a small motel just outside of Trenton, very close to the bridge that goes to the island. I had gotten in late, so in the morning, I headed over to the visitor center, talked to a ranger and picked out a few hikes to do. It was my intention to spend the entire day at Acadia.

The first place I went to was the Jordan Pond loop. I think it was a bit over 3 miles. I went clockwise from the restaurant that is at the south end of the pond. I found out that this was a good idea. The first half of the hike, going this direction, is on a rather rugged boardwalk. It is uneven in some places, and you really need to pay attention. Also on this side, when there is no boardwalk, there is some scrambling across rocks. It was a fun walk, but in this heat, I was glad to have the more difficult part in the beginning. Half way through, I stopped to see if I could cool off in the pond, and saw the frog that is in the photos. There was also a loon sitting on a nest - very cool! The second half of the hike was a lot more level and was a much easier hike.

Next, I headed to the beach, and it was awesome! There were a ton of people there because of the heat, but the water was cool, and it was a lot cooler down by the water, even if you weren't in it. From the beach, it was a short ride south along the shore to a rocky part of the beach - this was my favorite spot of the park!

As with most of my trips, I have snacks with me for breakfast and lunch, but I always want a bit more of the local flavor for dinner. The town of Bar Harbor is adjacent to the park, and I went over there to wander around to see what I could find. It’s a cute touristy town, with shops and diners and something for everyone! I stopped for ice cream and ate outside while watching some street performers. How nice.

As I was wondering in town, I went past the Criterion Theater, an old, art deco style theater, and Arlo Guthrie was playing that night! I asked about tickets and was happy to see that there were several single tickets available. I bought one, but still had a few hours to spare before the show. I drove back towards the park, found a campground shower and washed up then headed back to town.

The Route 66 Restaurant was right next door to the theater, so I stopped in and had a great meal, surrounded by as much kitsch that one restaurant could possibly cram into the space.

The Arlo Guthrie concert was great. I am a bit on the young side for his music, but it was fun! My favorite thing about some of my trips are the spur of the moment things I get to do. I always leave time in my day for this type of thing, and this day I was rewarded!

#Maine