As we wrote this on Labor Day, which is the unofficial end of summer for most folks, we found time for a little reflection on our summer in the Northeast. Our photos reminded us of how fun it was to explore during the summer! Acadia National Park on Mt. Desert Island provided many wonderful opportunities to be out and about in nature, once we figured out how to avoid the summer crowds.
This meant that we passed on several of the park’s “main attractions” as we always seem to do, but instead found some wonderful more serene landscapes.
Sometimes this meant an early morning dog walk on a carriage road or one of the hidden ponds near Northeast Harbor, which was much less visited by the tourists…
…sometimes we found a perfect place to picnic just by pulling off the park road!
When we did choose a hike that was a little more known, we made sure it was early enough and difficult enough to avoid some of the big crowds. Our favorite hike of the trip was Beehive, which was a steep, tricky technical climb right up the face of the mountain across from the only ocean swim beach in town, Sand Beach.
Of course we also packed our suits that day to check out the beach scene in Maine. Although the beach was packed and the day was warm, the water was a brisk 55 degrees…
Which did not deter Jeremy from taking a quick (very quick) dip!
Sometimes appreciating the natural beauty was best done from a quiet dock near Southwest Harbor (the “quiet side” of the island) with a cold beer.
Also of course, there were lots of time for enjoying the great outdoors in a social setting with our fun-loving RV-ing friends.
Hiking with a pack of dogs, and their people…
Several rounds of golf (big surprise here, right?)…
Many dinners and campfires… 
…and several rounds of getting up to wish folks safe travels as they headed down the road.
…until the day came that it was our turn to leave. Seems that somehow we always know when it is time!
…until next time, Acadia and Bar Harbor!
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