Gypsy & The Navigator

There Is A Lot To Like In Hartford

There is much more to Hartford than being the Capital of Connecticut.  Walt and I talked about what a good feeling we had about the city.  We get this feeling now and then about an area and can't pinpoint what it is.......just an uplifting reaction. 

 This is the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch.  It is Memorial to the American Civil War.

It honors the 4,000 Hartford citizens who served in the war, and the 400 who died for the Union.  

Each tower is topped by a bronze angel, one playing a trumpet, the other cymbals.  The architect was George Keller and the ashes of he and his wife are interred in the tower.  The Arch is located near the Capitol on the street outside Bushnell Park.

Bushnell Park is adjacent to the Capitol and is the oldest publicly funded park in the United States.

 

It is a refreshing greenscape right in the middle of the city.  It is the site of several festivals and music events each year and as a direct opposite of the event on the Boston Commons when we were there the event today was "Recovery Walk".  It is in support of alcohol and other drug addiction recovery.

The Bushnell Park Carousel has been operating in Hartford since 1974 and was originally crafted in 1914 in Brooklyn, New York. 

The horses swirl around a Wurlitzer band organ and you can rent the facility for parties.  Walt loved it and I am actually surprised he didn't spring for a ride.

The building on the right is City Place I, the tallest building in Hartford.  The white one is Goodwin Square that is an office tower and Hotel.

Hartford is nicknamed the "Insurance Capital of the World".  The Hartford, Aetna and the Hartford Financial Services Group, both Fortune 100 companies, are headquartered in Hartford. Travelers Insurance has its largest national employment center and historical headquarters in the city. CIGNA insurance is headquartered in the region with a presence in Hartford and its suburb Bloomfield. United Health Insurance has a significant presence in the city. 

While driving through downtown we were treated to this.  It is the 1st Company,  Governors Foot Guard.  It is the oldest continuously serving military unit in the United States. It came into existence in 1771.  The Governor's Guards remain active today as subordinate units of the Connecticut Military Department, under the command & control of the  Connecticut Adjutant General.  Their mission today remains primarily ceremonial, but they can be called up to active service to augment the  Connecticut National Guard for state emergency operations.

 

The Old State House was completed in 1796.  It was the original seat of the state legislature and used when they met in Hartford prior to the State Capitol being completed.

We went by Dunkin Dounuts Ball Park, home of the Hartford Yard Goats a AA Minor League team affiliated with the Colorado Rockies.  (FYI there is a Dunkin Donuts on every corner in the east) 

It was the location for the Police Department vs the Fire Department that day.  Big crowd on it's way in. 

Walt always manages to locate the ethnic neighborhoods in the cities we visit.   There is always so much activity and the delicious aroma of the world wide food tempts us.

I think Hartford won the award for their diversity of foods.

A very diverse Church as well.

On our way to check out the industrial area we saw this old barn......the vines seem to be trying to spiff it up.

Mile after mile of Distribution Centers with many Help Wanted signs. 

We very much enjoyed our time in Hartford.  A beautiful city surrounded by very pretty countryside.

Hartford resident Mark Twain once said: “Of all the beautiful towns it has been my fortune to see, this is the chief … You do not know what beauty is if you have not been here.”




 

A Day Trip To Woonsocket, Rhode Island And On To Connecticut

When we started our trip to the North East one of our goals was to visit remaining states so we could say we had been in all 50 states.

We had been in many of the states prior to our full time RV'ing but we have been able to continue adding on new ones.

Since Rhode Island was not on a direct route of our travels we took a day trip from Massachusetts to Woonsocket, RI.

Woonsocket is directly south of the Massachusetts state line. The first question that entered my mind was where did the name Woonsocket come from?  In researching I found that there were so many possibilities of where its name came from that I gave up and was just pleased to learn that you pronounce it Won-Sock-It.  

The Village of Woonsocket was founded in the 1820's and it grew during the Industrial Revolution.  There is ample nearby water and the region became a prime location for textile mills.  During the Great Depression the mills closed and the village has never fully recovered.  Some renovation has taken place and they are promoting it as a bedroom community for those who work in Providence, Boston and Worcester.  I love how the railroad crosses above main street. 

They have erected a pretty pavilion on a former mill site to greet you as you come into downtown.

Some of the renovations seemed a little quirky to us.  The population of Woonsocket is around 42,000 and it is the sixth largest town in the state.    Providence's population as the largest is 178,000.......keep in mind Rhode Island is our smallest state. 

The Buckland and Clark Building was a woolen mill on the back and the front a block of stores.  The classical details are carried out in copper on the windows of the second floor. 

 Much of Woonsocket's populations is of French-Canadian descent.  The city has referred to itself as La ville la plus française aux États-Unis—the most French city in the United States.

A true small town and Walt's favorite part of the day was our stop here for lunch.  A neat as a pin small cafe and as we entered a table of locals told us that everything was good.  A couple tables were full and soon after we came another couple came in and a local gentleman.  The lady that owns the cafe was doing it all, taking orders, cooking, delivering food, clearing tables, taking payment.......and doing it well.  She had one of the regular customers call her son and have him come in to help.  By the time he came she had it all under control.  Our food was good and the conversation with the Mom and son was fun.  Another great day in small town America.

We spent the remainder of our time in Massachusetts hunkered down waiting for Hurricane Jose to pass with rain storms but no high winds.  From there we headed to sunshiny Barkhamsted Connecticut.

Thinking that it would be cool by the time that we got to Connecticut I had requested a site out in the open so we would have the sun to keep us warm.  Who would have thought that it would be in the high 80's toward the end of September? Yes, the A/C was running.

Our week-end stop in Connecticut was so we could visit the Capitol in Hartford.

This building is the third capitol building for the State of Connecticut since the American Revolution.

To say the third time is a charm would be an understatement. 

Before this building Connecticut lawmakers met alternately in Hartford and New Haven in State Houses in each city. But, after the Civil War this arrangement became too complicated and each city competed but Hartford won.

It's design is listed as Eastlake style with French and Gothic Revival elements.  I call is pure Fairy Palace style.  It was completed in 1878 and the original cost was $2,532.524.43.  

The Connecticut State Capitol is a unique building in both style and function.  It is a working Capitol. 

What a magnificent building. 

The ornately decorated exterior is almost too much to take in.

Statues of politicians and other people important to the state's history are grouped by period around the building.

Distinctive ornate shapes even in the windows.

The top of the dome is about 257 feet above ground.  On top of this portion originally there was a 17 foot statue named the Genius of Connecticut that was cast in bronze.  It was taken down in 1938 due to damage from a hurricane that year.  In World War II it was melted down to make ammunition and machine parts. In 2002 a bill passed to make a new casting and restore it to the dome. The original plaster statue is now at the capitol and has been coated in bronze.  She has not yet been placed in her original position because of a lack of funding.

This is the best photo I could get of her.......more on that later.


These scenes in the arches are called tympana and are placed over openings such as doorways or windows.  They all depict scenes from Connecticut history.

 This is easily the largest and most remarkable exterior of any Capitol we have seen.  

This marble palace has mesmerized me.  And left me with a HUGE regret.

When travel plans were made the only time available for Hartford was a week-end.

The Capitol is not opened for visitors on the week-end.

The only interior I could see was through the windows and it looks glorious.  So if any of you win the lottery and are looking for a great gift for someone a plane ticket to Hartford on a weekday would be very appreciated. 


Hands down my favorite exterior and since I didn't see the interior I can't say if it can outdo the interior of the Iowa Capitol.  More time in Hartford to come. 

Connecticut has no county government. Below the state level, governing units are either cities or towns.
 

Boston Is History And So Much More

Our second trip into Boston was on the train on a very foggy morning.  Not far from the RV Park is a station.  Pay $4 to park all day.  Pay $10.50  each for a round trip and not long and you are in Boston at the North Station.

By the time we were in the city most of the fog had burned off but Hurricane Jose out there in the Atlantic kept us under cloudy skies for most of the day.

Today we opted to do the Trolley Tour so we could see an overview of greater Boston.  It is a Hop on Hop off tour but we stayed on to see as much as we could.

The New England Law School was originally Portia Law School and founded in 1908 as the only law school in the country exclusively for women.  In 1938 it became coeducational.

The Downtown Crossing area has shopping and history.

Beautiful old buildings house retail, hotels and restaurants.

I love cities.........the people are SO interesting.  Where do you suppose she got that outfit?  

Beautiful architectural masterpiece Church's dot the skyline as we go along. The Old South Church is a perfect example.  That copper clad cupola is surrounded by 12 gothic arched windows. 

This dome tops what is called the Mother Church Extension next to an 11-story structure originally built for the Christian Science Publishing Society.  

Fenway Park was on the route.  The Sox were out of town this week or I am sure we would have tried to snag a couple tickets to a game.

More incredible homes on Charles Street.

 

We were fascinated to hear the tour guide tell us that much of Boston lies on land that was originally underwater.

Boston was originally a small peninsula encircled by the Atlantic Ocean, Charles River, Mystic River, and Chelsea Creek.

Filling in the surrounding mud flats began in the early 1800s, and continued until the early 1900s.

The Back Bay of Boston was literally a bay.....this bay was tidal: the water rose and fell several feet over the course of each day, and at low tide much of the bay's bed was exposed as a marshy flat.  In 1814 a milldam and toll road were constructed.  They were an economic failure and in 1857 a massive project was begun to "make land" by filling the area enclosed by the dam.

Boston began tearing down its hills to make new land.  Beacon Hill used to be 60 feet higher than it is today.

What I find most disturbing is structures built on the landfill are supported by dozens of 30- to 40-foot-long wood pilings, similar to telephone poles, that reach down through the landfill to a harder layer of clay. These pilings sit entirely below the water table, which protects them from microbes that would attack them in dry air, causing rot.  In years of drought foundations beneath the centuries-old homes and new, sometimes many stories tall, buildings are at risk of rotting and crumbling.

The tour guide didn't bring it up but my mind was screaming............what about an earthquake?   It could happen.  Scary! A city built on unstable ground.  And what a beautiful city it is.

We got off the Trolley at the Boston Harbor.

It bustles with people and activities.

First order of business for us was a late lunch at Legal Sea Foods.  Lump Crab Dip with Seafood Crackers!  Yum. 

Then it was on to a boat cruise of the harbor.  The Boston Harbor was the site of the Boston Tea Party and like other parts of the city it has been backfilled.

 

The Lightship Nantucket is berthed in the Boston Harbor.  She was the last serving lightship.  She helped ships navigate the Nantucket Shoals from 1936 to 1975.

 

The waterfront is lined by pricey condos to buy or rent.

We got a nice look at the USS Constitution.  She is the world's oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat and is most noted for her actions during the War of 1812 against the United Kingdom, when she captured numerous merchant ships and defeated five British warships.  Also, being on the water gives a different perspective of the city.  The Bunker Hill Memorial is closer to the water than it appears on land.

 

If you want up close and personal to the harbor be prepared to pay in the millions for the privilege.  

The $140 million super yacht Mayan Queen is docked in the harbor.  It is owned by by Mexican billionaire Alberto Bailleres Gonzales who made his money in the mining industry. 

The Custom House Block along the wharf is a former warehouse that was built in 1848. Today it has been made into office space.

The 1760s Gardiner Building, once home to John Hancock's counting house for his mercantile business is  now a restaurant, and is the wharf's oldest surviving structure.

We very much enjoyed our Harbor Cruise.  The weather was fine and the commentary was interesting.

 

Back to North Station to board the train back to the Navigator.  We are so fortunate to have spent time in the amazing city of Boston.

 

Boston Is An Education

Our travel day heading towards Boston was a sunshiny rainstorm.  

Nice big site at Boston Minuteman RV Park.  Excited to start our Boston trips.

 

Contrary to popular belief we drove into Boston for our first trip.  Mass transportation is the general recommendation.

It was Saturday and traffic really wasn't too bad.  And Walt has his trusty maps so we can't go wrong.

We parked under Boston Commons and started our walking trip on Beacon Hill. 

I LOVE the Brownstones on Beacon Hill.  Beacon Hill is regarded as one of the most desirable and expensive neighborhoods in Boston.

Its narrow, gaslit streets and brick sidewalks exude so much charm.

The first house on Beacon Hill was in 1625.  It is no longer there but most of the homes here were built in the 1800's.  

Beautiful doors, decorative iron work, brick sidewalks, what's not to like?

We walked much of the Freedom Trail starting with the State House. It is located on Beacon Hill and was completed in January 1798 at a cost of $133,333.  

The dome has an interesting history.  The original wood dome leaked and in 1802 was covered with copper by Paul Revere's Revere Copper Company.  Then the dome was painted gray, then light yellow and then gilded with gold leaf.  During World War II it was painted black to prevent reflection during blackouts and to protect the city and building from bombing attacks. In 1997, at a cost of more than $300,000, the dome was re-gilded, in 23k gold.

There are 16 official sights on the Freedom Trail.  I am not going to give a history lesson and notate something on each location. To give even a cursory blurb about them would not give them justice.  So for this I am going to note some things that were new to me, unusual or brought back memories.

There is a wonderful statue of Benjamin Franklin in the courtyard of the Old City Hall.  He has always been one of my favorite historic characters. I have read several books about him and he led such a colorful life full of scientific and political achievements that is hard to believe one man could do in one lifetime. 

Boston is amazing.  There is history around every corner mixed with the new.  Like a Walgreen's across the street from The Old South Meeting Hall.  The Old South Meeting Hall is a Congregational Church built in 1729 and most remembered for being the location where the Boston Tea Party was organized in 1773.

The Old State House is the oldest surviving public building in Boston.  It was built in 1713 and on July 18, 1776 the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed from the east side balcony to jubilant crowds by Col. Thomas Crafts.

A stop for lunch at the Union Oyster House.  It claims to be America's oldest restaurant.  Daniel Webster was a regular customer. We had typical Boston fare.  Fried clam roll, clam chowder, corn bread, and Boston baked beans.  Verrrrry good!

We strolled through the Saturday Farmer Market and wished we hadn't been just barely in the middle of our walk so we could buy some of that great produce at their thrifty prices. Too far to go to be carrying packages.

We all know about Paul Revere's midnight ride but I did not know that he had 16 children.  Eight with his first wife, after she died he remarried and had eight more children.  Unfortunately five of them died very young.

The Old North Church is the location from which the famous "One if by land, two if by sea" signal was sent.   I did not know that over 1100 bodies are buried in the crypt beneath the church.  You can actually take a tour to see it.

It takes a lot of places to bury people when a city is this old.

Crossing the bridge along the Freedom Trail you get a beautiful view of the Charles River.

At the end of the trail is the Bunker Hill Monument. It was erected to commemorate the Battle of Bunker Hill,  which was among the first major battles between British and Patriot forces in the American Revolutionary War. It is 221 feet tall and the monument is not on Bunker Hill, but instead on Breed's Hill, where most of the fighting in the misnamed Battle of Bunker Hill actually took place.
 

At the end of our miles of walking one of my hips decided that it no longer wanted to bend so the last little while poor Walt had to put up with my slow progress. 

As we paused to look at the back side of the State House and the General Hooker statue a local Italian gentleman stopped to talk with us and gave us some scandalous information about the General and told us about the private library across the street, Boston Athenæum, that houses a huge rare book collection as well as a book made of human skin.  While we see the most amazing sights on this journey we are on it is the moments like this with interactions with people that will stand out in my memory.  And the rest renewed my walking ability.

We returned to Boston Commons where our car was parked.  OK.......we did not linger.  We were afraid that if we stayed too long we would have our first experience of getting high.

That is not fog or dust in the air.  Massachusetts has legalized recreational marijuana use and they were having a Cannabis Rally on the Common. 

A first for us for sure.

 Back in the car for the return trip to GypsyII.   Love the contrast of the historic buildings and the contemporary architecture.  Best of both worlds.  Boston is an astonishing city.  The day refreshed my memory of U.S. History and gave me so much more new information.  A definitely educational day. 

 

 

Small Town Coastal Maine

Leaving the Bar Harbor area we again got to cross the beautiful Penobscot Narrows Bridge.

Roadside views of stunning granite cliffs that I could imagine sliced off, polished up and starting it's new life as someone's kitchen island. 

Only about an 80 mile trip on those small state route roads that we love.

Another wooded site at Sennebec Lake RV.  Down in a hollow near the lake.

Lovely place..............only a few drawbacks.  No cell service, no TV, no internet, and only fuzzy radio.

After long days of exploring there were long nights for Walt.  Only snippets of updates on how the Diamondbacks games are going. No problem for me.....always books to read.  

So pretty.......evidence of fall in the air.

We spent the week exploring the small coastal towns.  Our first visit was to Camden. 

The town’s special location between beautiful hills and the clear blue waters of Penobscot Bay makes for memorable sights.

The harbor looks like it could be right out of a movie. 

Camden Harbor is home to a windjammer fleet.

The pretty Camden Library sits atop a hill surrounded by trees.

The Megunticook River flows through Camden and dumps into Penobscot Bay.


There were fun shops to wander through all the while having views of the harbor.

So many tranquil shoreline sights. 

The next day took us to Bath, ME.

Bath was incorporated as a town on February 17, 1781. The Bath City Hall has a bell in it's bell tower that was cast by Paul Revere.


There are amazing examples of 19th-century architecture.

Bath launched it's first ship over 400 years ago and is still home to the Bath Iron Works shipbuilders.

Bath Iron Works has built private, commercial and military vessels,  most of which have been ordered by the Unites States Navy.  The shipyard has built and designed battleships, frigates, cruisers and destroyers. 

On our return trip from Bath we drove by Red's Eats.  The line wrapped way around the corner for a two hour wait for their famous lobster rolls. We had already eaten so no standing in line for us.  We did hear that they are worth the wait. 

Another day took us to Rockland Harbor on western Penobscot Bay.

There were many lobster boats out.

Owl's Head Light is at the entrance to the Rockand Harbor.

The light station was established in 1825 and stands only 30 feet tall.  It stands on the top of a cliff so it is 100 feet above the water.  It is still an active light.

Panoramic views to the islands offshore.

We continued on down to Port Clyde.

 

Port Clyde has one of the prettiest little Inn's I have ever seen. An ocean view out of each of those windows.

 

Port Clyde is the southernmost settlement on the St. George peninsula in central/coastal Maine and part of the town of St. George in Knox County, Maine.

There have been two things we have missed seeing in Maine.  A real live moose and a real live puffin.  I am told it is the wrong time of the year and for puffins you usually need to do a tour to the offshore islands.

The beauty here does not lie just in the ocean. 

Near our RV Park is Deer Foot Farm.  As a matter of fact the RV Park used to be part of the farm but was sold off. 

It is now in the 5th generation of the family.  They sell hay and flowers and have events on their property.  

And they have a delightful little cafe.  The food was delicious.....Walt had the Smoked Salmon Bagel......it is Duck Trap Salmon (a local area near there) on a toasted everything bagel with lemon pepper cheese, cucumber, field greens, pickled red onions, sprouts and capers. (Yes Kevin we know you hate capers) Walt said it was really good. 


There has been no shortage of amazing food.

I am going to miss lob stuh.

Lob stuh roll, lob stuh stew.  Oh how I will miss thee. 

We won't miss when this happens.

A nice low-key week amid small town Maine.  Pure, Down East, and unspoiled.  You can't go wrong visiting the coast of Maine.

The flowers are still gorgeous in September.

 

More Acadia And Ba Ha Ba

Egg Rock Lighthouse is out in Frenchman's Bay.  Looks like a little Lego Building.  Our explorations in this beautiful place continued.

But this time we had friends Joyce and Paul along.  So fun to have them make the trip from visiting other friends in New Hampshire up to Bar Harbor for a few days with us.

There was more sightseeing to do.  Acadia has the prettiest bridges.

Joyce and I wandered around the Wild Gardens of Acadia.  I swear that this Pitcher Plant was not blooming when I was there just a few days before.

A stop at Sand Beach gave us a view of today's color scheme for the Atlantic.

 

There can't be anything more dazzling than this shade of blue. 

We had a nice time touring around Acadia with Joyce and Paul. 

There were plenty of Canasta games. Yes, the girls actually won a couple.  Yay!

A little shopping was done.  Both in downtown Bar Harbor and at LL Bean.  You can't come to Maine without going to LL Bean.

 

I have always wanted a pair of LL Bean Duck Boots.  No longer having a yard to muck about in there is no need and even at the Outlet they are still pretty pricey. 

There was a lot of good food eaten.  Lobster and a lot of his oceany relatives. It was so fun to have them with us for a few days before they finish up their east coast trip and head back to Albuquerque.    Can't wait to meet up again in New Mexico for more Canasta and food!

 

It was a dark, foggy, cloudy day when Walt and I continued our explorations on our own. 

 

It did get lighter but no sunshine came out.  The scenery was still beautiful.

We took the road less traveled.

Our trip this day was to Acadia Schoodic Peninsula.  While most of Acadia is on Mount Desert Island this part of the National Park is on the mainland. 

It has very similar geological features as Mount Desert Island but is more secluded and has less commercial development.

 The Schoodic Peninsula section of Acadia National Park covers approximately 2,366 acres.

The Schoodic shoreline consists of exposed and weathered granite that varies from 10 to 100 feet in width from ocean to the beginning of a forest that is largely pine-birch but also consists of white, red and black spruce, northern white cedar, cherry, alder, mountain ash, and a variety of maples.  I have never been anywhere that has such a large variety of trees as this area. 

It was exciting to hear the waves crash on this slightly stormy day.  It was at this stop that we met a lady from Tucson.   We seem to frequently find people from Arizona out traveling.  Escaping the Arizona heat. 

This is a gorgeous and unspoiled section of Acadia National Park that is very uncrowded.  It is less than an hour away from Mount Desert Island but it feels very remote.

A wonderful day spent exploring this rugged part of Acadia National Park.

 

One last day spent in Bar Harbor.  We tried to figure who owned the yachts.  Some are privately owned and others you can charter.

When the Margaret Todd has her sails up she is magnificent.

Bar Harbor definitely has ambience.

A first sighting of east coast colors.  How fortunate we are!

Lobster (Lob-stuh)........Love at first and last bite.

I can see why Bar Harbor Ba Ha Ba is called the BEST touristy town.   If you are thinking of visiting.....Get set, Get ready, Go!




 

The Beautiful And Magical Acadia National Park

Though the Rockefellers, Morgans, Fords, Vanderbilts, Carnegies, and Astors in the 1880's and 90's came to the island in search of social and recreational activities, the affluent of the turn of the century had much to do with preserving the area.

The preservation to save the land for perpetual public use began in 1901 and finally in 1929 Acadia National Park became a reality.

Today the park protects more than 47,000 acres and the ocean, forests, lakes, and mountains are there for all to enjoy.

Over 3 million visitors come to Acadia every year now.

My love of flowers and plants made this part of the park a favorite for me.

I love meeting new plants.  This lovely one is Ground Nut or Apios Americana. They have only made it as far west as Colorado.

The Gardens are maintained by a volunteer group that care for the over 300 native species growing there. 

The plants are labeled for identification as you wander among the paths.

Even the fungi are marked.

All of the beautiful ferns reminded me of a HUGE Boston fern we had when we lived in Idaho Falls in the early 80's.  It was at least 8 feet tall and 6 feet across.  The kids used to use it as a hiding place when they were playing hide and seek.  The secret to it's success............potato fertilizer.  It was Idaho after all. 

A fantastic way to see all the different plants and flowers of the Acadia National Park.

Today the park was not as crowded as before on the roads but we'll see when we get to the next stop.

This day the blue skies made the water the most intense shades of blue.

At Wildwood Stables you can schedule horse drawn Carriage Tours. Tours follow the famous and scenic carriage roads that were originally constructed by John D. Rockefeller between 1913 and 1940.  You can also bring your own horses to ride and stable them here while you are in the park. 

The water at Sand Beach was a chilly 57 degrees but there were actually people swimming. 

The main activity on the beach seemed to be picture taking. 

The beautiful coastline with its jagged pink granite formations stand up to the never-ending assault of the ocean's waves.  Today those waves were pretty calm. 

This inlet that has been carved by the power of the ocean is called Thunder Hole.

When the right size wave rolls into the inlet, a deep thunderous sound emanates. The cause is a small cavern formed down low, just beneath the surface of the water.

While we were there the ocean was pretty calm so we just got a splash.

Wow, the lengths some people will go for a photo. 

Lovely lake views.

I think that is my Lob stah dinner coming in to port.   It was interesting to find out that in colonial times lobsters were so numerous that they were considered poor man's food.  Lobsters can grow up to four feet long and weigh as much as 40 pounds. It is believed that lobsters can live as long as 100 years.   Maine is the world leader for the lobster industry. 

The beauty and wonder of Acadia National Park is unending.    Next up a visit with friends.

 

On To BA-HA-BA

Putting Augusta behind us our route gave us a surprise.  It is the Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory rising up out of the trees.

Wasn't on our radar to stop and go up the observatory so no plans made and too late with GypsyII behind to stop and go up to see the view.  It is the tallest public bridge observatory in the world.  I was glad that our route took us across it.  Fun that the cable is in the middle.

Clear evidence that we are in Maine.  

The roadside views were gorgeous. 

We made it!  Bar Harbor at it's finest. 

Our first day was spent in town by the harbor taking in the amazing sights.  We rode the free Shuttle Bus from the Park into town.  Very convenient.

Yachts arouse my curiosity.   Who do they belong to?


Beautiful churches. 
 

Flowers in abundance.  After a nice late lunch we hopped back on the Shuttle and rode it on the Loop Road around Acadia so we could scope out future visits.   Still getting used to the Maine alphabet.....no R's when they talk.  

The next day we started exploring Mount Desert Island.

First stop.

These autos are OLD!

There are electric, steam-powered and gasoline autos in the collection.  Richard Paine established the museum to house his extensive collection and the museum shows not only his love for cars but his love for Maine. 

They range from 1899 models to some 1930's beauties.

This is a 1930 Packard that brought back memories of my Dad's Packard when I was a little girl. Not sure if it is because I was small but I thought that car was HUGE.  I can remember sleeping on the back window ledge on long road trips. 

This was my favorite.  A 1913 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance from Peugeot of France.  Crafted in layers of mahogany.

Look at that grill and that spiffy two tone paint job.   Glad the lady at the RV Park told us about this place that seems almost hidden on the far western side of Mount Desert Island.

Isn't this perfect New England?

Acadia National Park is absolutely stunning.  One thing we found very interesting is that as you drive around Mount Desert Island sometimes you are in the park and sometimes you are not.  There is one entrance gate but prior to it you can find yourself in the park as well.   And the same for the other end.  You just need to always have your Park Pass  (for us that wonderful bargain Senior Pass that gets us in free) showing in your vehicle.

We visited Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse.  The lighthouse was built of brick in 1858 on a stone foundation and it clings to the cliff 56 feet above the high water line on the shore.

To get a water side view they have built a stairway down the rocks.

So beautiful.  I love the ocean.......both shores.

Rocky shore, blue water, green trees........perfect.

Not easy to get views of this cliff hanging lighthouse but oh so pretty.

Sailing is one of the most popular adventures in the area.  

You can escape the crowds of Bar Harbor and view Acadia National Park from the ocean as you sail along. 

We took the Summit Road to the top of Cadillac Mountain.   Contrary to Walt's belief that it was named after the vehicle it was actually named after the French explorer and adventurer, Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, Sieur de Cadillac in 1918.

It is 3 and 1/2 miles of constant beauty.

Once at the top there is a lot of bare granite in between the forests of spruce and pitch pine combined with tiny subalpine plants (like cinquefoil), squat, gnarled trees, wild blueberries, and various sized boulders.  The altitude at the top is only 1530 feet but it feels like the 8000 foot mountains in the west.  Must be the combination of being further north and the ocean.  

Magnificent views. 

That's Bar Harbor way down there!

The shades of blue were intense.  Cadillac Mountain is a must see spot in Acadia National Park. 

Standing up here I wanted to burst forth singing "America The Beautiful" feeling so fortunate that I have gotten to see her from sea to shining sea.  Lucky for any others on the mountain that I refrained from any singing. 

On the way down there are several pullouts for different views.  This is Eagle Lake, a fresh water lake that is the largest on the island. 

At one of the pullouts this gull had staked claim to a rock near the curb and made his mission clear.  "Give me food, give me food."

His business plan seems successful.  Anyway he got his share from us. 

Beautiful sight to see.   More to come.