New site!

Moving my travel blog over to a new site that my aunt introduced me to.  It looks less cluttered and is easier for viewing different trips.  I hope you enjoy!

http://blog.travelpod.com/members/christinewesten

And the trip ends as it began, with rain

I would like to point out the advantages of staying in a fancy inn as opposed to a chain hotel.  One, the bed is super comfortable and the pillows nice and plentiful.  Two, very nice toiletries, like bath salts and face wipes.  And finally, a more delicious breakfast than you would get at a Holiday Inn.  The Portsmouth Harbor Inn serves at 2 course breakfast at 8:30.  Breakfast is served at beautiful wooden dining table where all the guests can eat together.  There was only one couple staying at the inn besides me so it was a quiet breakfast.  The first course was the fruit course and it consisted of a honey baked or poached (I can't remember) plum topped with mascarpone cheese and pistachios.  The second course was a bourbon-caramel croissant bread pudding with bacon.  Now fancy breakfast is not my thing and I don't really like bread pudding, but this was delicious!  I was pretty sure I would not need any lunch.

I had to head out on my way back to Boston for my flight later that day.  My plan was to take the coastal highway and see some of the sights in Salem.  Well, I got turned around a few times because of signs and Salem was very busy and I couldn't park so I just continued on to the airport and arrived several hours early.  That was ok because there was a lot of traffic and it was nice to not be rushed.

The flight back was much smoother than the flight going.  After a while, the pilot came on and said "In case you hadn't noticed, we are turning around due to a storm in Chicago."  We turned around a few times before being given the ok to keep going.  The landing was very smooth, despite whatever storm was in the area.  And then we sat and sat.  Lightening had caused all the gates to close because it was unsafe for the ground crew to be out and there was a plane at our gate that couldn't leave.  We had to wait for the lightening to let up, the gates to reopen and planes to start moving.  I think we arrived at the gate a little over an hour late.  I wasn't complaining because planes in front of us had been diverted to Milwaukee so at least we were able to land at the right airport!  One advantage of Jet Blue is the TV service and having something to do while sitting and waiting.  I also was able to get another bag of chips since it was now way past dinner and Jet Blue has free snacks.  I don't know if other airlines would have extra food or even make it available. 

So the drive home was stormy as was the drive to Maine.  But in between was a wonderful vacation filled with great scenery and mostly great weather.  I am ready for my next trip!

Pictures from my trip

Taking the slow route south

Today my goal was to see some nice coastal scenery on my way from Bar Harbor to Kittery.  Instead of taking the interstate, I took Hwy 1.  This route passes through small towns such as Stockton Springs, Belfast, Camden, and Bath before hooking up with I-295 until Portland.  The first half of the route was nice.  You really don't see the ocean for most of it unless you turn off onto some of the smaller highways.  But there are nice colonial homes and the outer edges of these towns.  After Portland, you then pass through places such as Scarborough, Biddeford, the Kennebunks, Ogunquit and York.  All very busy places in the summer and slightly slower paced now.  No, I did not spot any George Bush's when driving through Kennebunkport and I'm sure their home is not on the main drag!  I made one stop in York to visit the Nubble Lighthouse.  This is quite a scenic spot and again is probably hopping in the summer.  There was ample parking today and the sun was out and the water was nice and blue.  The light is on a small island that seems to be accessible by a tidal sandbar.  I am not sure if there is a resident light keeper or not but there is no public access to the island.  I wasn't able to find any other lighthouses on my drive and was glad to signs were there to point me to this one.  The lack of signs was the one thing I noticed on my drive today.  Either I missed them, they were too small, they were right at the turn or there weren't any.  I know there have to be other lights along the coast, but I had to settle for Nubble. 

My final destination today is the Portsmouth Harbor Inn & Spa in Kittery, Portsmouth Harbor Inn.  The room cost me almost as much for one night as I paid for all 5 nights in Bar Harbor but all the hotels in the area were quite pricey and I decided it was ok to splurge.  My room is on the 3rd floor of the inn and has a lovely view from the skylight of Portsmouth.  You get a comfy robe (I am sitting with it on as I write this), fancy soaps and bath salts, fluffy towels and a comfy bed.  Breakfast looks like it will be served at a communal table and the inn lady said something about caramel croissant bread pudding.  Usually not my thing, but I will try it out!  I guess if you are going to splurge, you might as well get your money's worth.

I walked to New Hampshire to get ice cream for dinner.  It's right across the river so not a long walk to enter another state.  On my way back, the lift bridge went up for a small cruise ship.  It seems like there are many restaurants in Portsmouth and also quite a few in Kittery.  Kittery is the oldest town in Maine and seems to be a very nice place.  In my opinion, Maine is a very beautiful and welcoming state, if you can get past the lack of informational signs.  While I love the coast, I would like to return and visit some of inland areas where there are better chances to view wildlife and have a slower paced vacation. 

Lighthouses, sand bars and sunsets

Today started out as another cold and drizzly morning.  I did not have any real plans and decided to head to the southwest portion of Acadia and the Bass Harbor Heat Lighthouse.  This lighthouse is owned by the Coast Guard and has a family living at it.  This means you have to stick to the path and observe all the signs about private property.  The light probably isn’t something you would need to go out of your way to see, but there are other walking trails in this portion of the park.  I started on the Ship Harbor walk, but the sign a little ways in said “Now entering the back country” and had no indication of how long the trail was.  Being by myself, I turned around as I was not prepared for back country hiking!  You do drive across a natural seawall if you enter off route 102A and it is a very pretty area and probably a nice place to watch the sunrise. 

I went back to the visitor center parking, took the bus to Jordan Pond, did some shopping and then headed into Bar Harbor.  By then it was a little sunny and not too cold for walking around.  I had lunch at a place called Testa’s.  The people at the table across from me all ordered the lobster and it was fun to watch them attempt to eat it.  I had the fish sandwich and it was ok.  After lunch, I decided to walk across the sandbar to Bar Island.  The safe times of the day were from 12:30 – 4:30.  If you don’t come back by 4:30 then I guess you are stuck there until the next low tide which is probably the next day!  There are lots of small puddles of water on the sandbar, but mostly empty shells and snails.  I was looking for something exciting like a starfish or sea urchin or small whale, but nothing.  I think a more rocky shore area would be better for that.  The sandbar itself is quite wide and you end up with a lot of area to yourself.  The guy at the information booth said there were some hiking trails on the island, but I did not make it all the way there to check them out.  I wanted to walk on the shore path while it was still nice out.  This is a one mile gravel path that begins just off the pier by a restaurant called the Reading Room.  There are several large houses along the path, which are mostly hidden with fences and shrubs. 

At this point, the wind picked up considerably and the temperature dropped.  I decided it was time to head back to the Village Green to catch a bus back to the Visitor Center and my warm car!  I checked in with the helpful staff at the information desk about the best place to view the sunset.  The lady recommended the lookout just before the summit of Cadillac Mountain.  We both hoped it would clear up!

I made a brief stop at the hotel and picked up a small pizza and made my way to the overlook.  Sunset was scheduled for 6:41 and I arrived at 6.  There weren’t many cars in the parking lot and most of those cars still had their occupants inside.  I found out why when I stepped out of the car and into the biting wind.  According to my car, the outside temperature was 52, but it felt a lot colder!  I sat in the car until about 6:20 when I headed out to find a good spot on the rocks.  There were a lot of people with their fancy tripods and filters and also people there with just their cell phones.  Everyone was snapping away as the sun slowly sank towards the horizon.  It moved very slowly until the last few seconds when it quickly sank out of sight.  I was hoping for a more vivid color display but what I saw was nothing to sneeze at.  It took a bit to warm up after and then I joined all the others on the descent down the mountain.  Cadillac is also the place to be in the morning when the sunrises, but I am not going to do that tomorrow.  Temps overnight are supposed to get down into the mid-30s and sunrise will be a lot colder than sunset!

As I get ready to leave Acadia, I would like to point out how clean the park is, how efficient the Island Explorer shuttle service is and how friendly everyone is.  Signs in the park were very clear and pull offs were plentiful.  I highly recommend utilizing the shuttle service and visiting opposite the busy months of July and August.  I also recommend taking the time to slow down and enjoy all the beautiful hiking trails and amazing scenery that makes up Acadia National Park!

Acadia in the sun

Finally a sunny day!  The perfect day to do another drive into Acadia and see what it looks like when it’s not covered in fog and drizzle.  I got a relatively early start (a little after 8) and it turned out to be a good idea as the day went on.  I thought a drive to the top of Cadillac Mountain would be the best way to begin and would get me up there before the majority of the visitors.  Cadillac Mountain, at 1,530 feet, is the tallest mountain on the Atlantic coast north of Brazil.  I find myself doing more and more of these steep drives as I travel.  Mostly it’s because I am by myself and there is no other way to get up there.  Either do it yourself or don’t do it at all and miss out on some amazing views!  Luckily, this road is well paved and has few very sharp curves to it.  There are many places to pull over and enjoy the sweeping vistas of inland and costal Maine.  But the summit is really the high point.  There is ample parking and it was best to get there early because tour buses begin to arrive and then you have all those annoying older folks who just mosey along and don’t seem to care if they get in your way!  I enjoy the fact that older people, or any people for that matter, like to travel but bus loads of them just drive me nuts.  Anyway, there is a very nice paved walkway around the summit area that is not too strenuous.  Signs point out what you are looking at and one also pointed out that about 70% of the air pollution in Maine comes from points farther south along the coast, not from Maine itself.  Something to keep in mind!  There are several hikes leading out from the summit and you really can walk anywhere as long as you keep to the rocks.  Acadia is very much a Leave No Trace Behind park.  Footsteps on fragile plants can harm a whole ecosystem and it is important to watch your step.  I should also point out the temperature was a chilly 55 degrees and a sweatshirt was needed!

The Park Loop in the sun is a very scenic route.  Again, I recommend starting your drive early if you aren’t using the shuttles.  The parking at Sand Beach fills up quickly and cars begin to line the right side of the road.  Sand Beach is the only sandy swimming beach in the park, and maybe on the island.  There are stairs down to the beach and that appears to be the only way to get there.  I saved the beach for later and took the Ocean Path.  This walk goes from the beach to the Otter Cliffs and is 1.5 miles.  Most of the path is fairly even but there are some portions where you do a little climbing.  Thunder Hole is .7 miles in on the walk.  There is a small gift shop there as well as bathrooms and a bus stop.  Thunder Hole wasn’t as loud as it had been on Friday, but it was still a good spot to stop and take some pictures.  The Otter Cliffs are also quite picturesque.  There was one rock climber heading down when I was there so you could do that if you like steep cliffs! 

I was pretty warm by the end of the walk and decided to get on the bus instead of walking back.  Since the Park Loop is only one way at this area, the bus trip is probably longer than walking back, but its nice to sit and let someone else do the driving.  By the time we got back to the beach, the lot was full and the road was also filling up.  I stopped to change into my sandals and walked down to put my feet in the water.  The ocean temperature is probably in the 50s and I did not see anyone actually swimming in it.  Most people put their feet in, but one little girl was so excited while running away from the waves that she fell down and got all wet!  I was glad that did not happen to me as the water was way too cold!

I tried to park at Jordan Pond to have lunch, but both lots were full so I headed back to the Visitor Center lot to try and catch a bus.  Luckily I arrived right before the bus did and was back at Jordan Pond in a short amount of time.  The wait to sit outside was longer than I wanted so I waited for an inside table.  Afternoon Tea at Jordan Pond is made delightful by the mountains that surround the pond.  I am not sure I actually understand the fuss over the popovers.  I prefer a nice biscuit but they aren’t famous for biscuits.  The first popover I had today was a little burnt but the second one was better.  They are best eaten quickly before they cool too much and become hard.   They are served with butter and strawberry preserves.  I also had the house blend tea and it was pretty good!  It is nice to sit and relax after a morning of walking. 

Caught the shuttle back, then back to the motel, shuttle into Bar Harbor for some shopping and then back to grab dinner at the lobster pound across the street.  I have to ask someone why all these places are called lobster pounds.  Anyway, I had a cup of lobster bisque and a piece of blueberry pie.  The bisque was delicious!  There were quite a few chunks of lobster meat and it was a cheap $5 which is better than paying $25+ for a lobster dinner.  I think I have had enough lobster now!

Oh Canada!

If you are in Maine, only 2 hours from the Canadian border, have a day to fill and want to see some beautiful scenery then I suggest visiting Roosevelt Campobello International Park in New Brunswick as I did today. 

The weather forecast was for a cloudy day, which I thought would be perfect for a drive.  Getting to Campobello from Bar Harbor is easy.  Head back up the 3 to Ellsworth, North on Hwy 1 to Hwy 189, East on Hwy 189 to Lubec and then over the border to Campobello.  The border crossing is easy, but they don’t stamp your passport, which is one of the main reasons I went.  Now I will have to go to Canada at an entrance where they do.  Anyway, the island itself is a small 2 miles wide by 8 miles long so you can cover a lot of ground in a short time.  Just remember, you are in Canada so speed limits and distances are in kilometers and signs are in both English and French.  The entrance to the park is a short distance from the border and there is no entrance fee. 

FDR grew up spending his summers on the island and eventually built his own lavish summer “cottage” where he returned often up through 1939.  It was on the island where he decided to run for political office and where he developed polio.  It was also where he made close friendships with the Canadians that lived on the island.  The park was later established in 1964 as a symbol of the close relationship we continue to share with Canada to this day.  Your visit to the park begins with a short video and then you are free to explore.  There are two “cottages,” the Roosevelt and the Hubbard, which are viewed through a self-guided tour.  These aren’t really cottages, but homes we would like to have as our main home today.  The Roosevelt cottage has 34 rooms and almost everything in it is original.  The views out towards the Bay of Fundy are ridiculously gorgeous and I don’t think I would ever leave if I was a guest!  There are guides at various points in the house to give information and answer any questions you might have.  They are very friendly and knowledgeable.  I also walked down to the beach area, which has a great view back up to the house. 

I stopped to pick up lunch at a little roadside restaurant called Family Fisheries.  I got my lobster roll with fries and slaw and continued north to Head Harbour Lighthouse.  This light is at the very tip of the island and getting there requires more work than I was willing to do.  It is down steps, across slippery rocks, up a steep ladder and then repeat, I think 2 more times. And this is done during low tide.  (Of note, the Bay of Fundy has the world’s most extreme tides.  I think there can be a difference of 28 feet at times!)  I wasn’t up for that so I just ate my lunch and watched for whales.  The lady manning the information stand said she had just seen a Minke whale about 5 minutes earlier.  So of course I did not see anything other than 2 porpoises, and those aren’t as exciting as a whale! 

I also checked out the carriage roads that lead to different nature areas in Campobello Park.  The furthest drive goes out to Liberty Point at the southern end of the island.  Here you can also occasionally spot whales (I did not) and lots of birds and maybe a seal pulling out onto a rock at low tide.  While a jumping humpback whale would have made my year, the craggy rocks and crashing surf were enough to satisfy me.

Time to head back towards Bar Harbor.  The guy on the US side of the border was a little more thorough in his questioning.  Where are you from?  What did you do?  Are you staying locally?  Can I look in the trunk?  I guess I could have been bringing back a seal or something, but I was not!  As I was driving I decided to do the Schoodic Peninsula loop.  This is part of Acadia and is the only portion connected to the mainland.  It is less visited than the main part of the park and I am not sure why.  There aren’t as many trails, but there are some gorgeous views!  You can look across at Cadillac Mountain and you can walk right up to the crashing waves of the Atlantic.  The one-way road through the peninsula ends at Schoodic Point.  Here, the craggy coastline meets the open ocean and the resulting spray is like a geyser in Yellowstone.  You could spend all afternoon sitting on the rocks, but time again was ticking and it was with much reluctance that I headed back towards the car.

So, if you like driving and need to check a Canadian province off your “Where Have I Been” list, I highly recommend the drive to Roosevelt Campobello International Park.  Everyone is friendly, the food is good and the scenery is beautiful.  You just might find yourself thinking about building your own summer “cottage” on a tiny island in New Brunswick!

A Glimpse of Acadia National Park

My first full day on Mount Desert Island and it’s rainy and foggy.  The waitress at breakfast said it would not clear up and there is not much to do when it is raining.  Well, can’t sit inside all day on vacation so I loaded my camera bag up, got in the car and headed for Acadia National Park.  The park was the first national park east of the Mississippi and mostly all the land was donated by private citizens.  L.L. Bean generously provides the Island Explorer buses which run several different routes around the island, helping to lower both congestion and pollution within the park.  The buses are free for anyone to ride, but you do need to purchase a park pass if you are utilizing the park.  The fee for Acadia is $20 for a car and $5 for walk/bike in and is good for 7 days.

The Hulls Cove Visitor Center is a great place to begin your time in Acadia.  You can pay your entrance fee, pick-up maps and view a good introductory video with the background and features of the park.  There also are a lot of staff members who can help you plan your time based on what you like to do.  I decided to drive the Park Loop Road, which goes along the coast of the island.  There weren’t a lot of great views due to the fog, but you could smell the ocean and occasionally see it.  The Park Loop is one way for a good portion and is two lanes so slower vehicles can be passed if you are not of the pokey variety.  I am when I’m traveling along a new scenic route so it was nice to be able to go at my own pace and not hold up others who could care less about taking a picture of the road.  The brief glimpses I did get of the coast and the inland lakes and ponds makes me excited to drive the loop again on a sunny day.  The best spot on today’s drive was the Thunder Hole.  It is a small cave carved out of the coastline where the surf crashes in and makes a very loud thundering sound.  There is a nice walkway from the parking area to the coast and plenty of railings to keep the lunatics from getting too close.

I had lunch at the Jordan Pond House.  Now this is apparently a must just for their popovers and the views.  Today the outdoor seating was closed but the view from inside was nice when the clouds lifted.  I enjoyed a salad, a popover (this comes with your order) and a crab cake.  It was all delicious!  The rain finally stopped and I was able to enjoy some of the trails that wind along Jordan Pond.  This pond is a source of fresh water for the island and you (and your pets) are not allowed to swim in it.  I’m sure the water is too cold anyway!

I did partake of the bus system to get into Bar Harbor for dinner.  My hotel is next door to a campground which is a stop on bus route 1.  This bus drops you off at the Village Green and you are then just steps away from all the shopping and food you could want.  It’s like Door County in the summer!  Even with the rain there were people everywhere due to the giant cruise ship, the Queen Mary 2, at anchor in the harbor.  This makes the bus system seem all the more necessary to avoid the hassle of trying to find a place to park and remembering where said spot is.  All you have to remember is how to get back to the Village Green and what your route number is. 

After today, I would say Acadia is not a bad place to visit on a rainy day.  It shows a different side of itself and it’s a side worth seeing.