Acadia National Park

2016 commentates the 100th year of the National Parks in America.

WELCOME to ACADIA NATIONAL PARK with Jen Severn.

The sheer north facing cliffs were rich in copper, gold and grays sliced into statues after centuries of ice storms.

 Maine is famous for having the best blueberries in the nation. This is a perfect Maine fall capturing the blueberries and the fluorescent colors marking the rivers edge. 

 The photographer has unimpressive family photos. We were blasted by a cold wind and making memories we won't forget.  

Early morning sunrise just outside of Bar Harbor

Drop dead gorgeous. 

After seeing the National Parks IMAX our family decided to make an effort to get to as many as possible together. This year we trekked to Acadia National Park. Just getting there was a challenge. Between school schedules, flights in and out of Bangor, arranging financing for the trip, hotels and outings we did quite a bit of planning before we even left home.

Acadia is about an hour outside of Bangor, Maine, the largest airport in the area. Scott and I both have childhood memories at the Bangor airport. Scott was once in route to Germany over the Atlantic when a large bang was heard in the cabin of his aircraft. Chaos followed and they turned around for an emergency landing in Bangor, Maine. The tail engine had blown. That safe landing was Scott's first stay in Bangor, Maine. My memories are the sweet feel of American soil. Bangor was our last stop in the US to refuel before we journeyed across the Atlantic in my dad's small plane. It was always a welcome stop and a reminder of what it's like to be home.

We are on a horse drawn carriage ride traveling through Acadia National Park on the carriage roads and bridges the Rockefeller family built for the enjoyment of the public.

This trip began the weekend after Columbus Day. I tell you this because the entire city of Bar Harbor, where we are staying, begins to baton up its hatches and close up shop shortly after Columbus Day. I recommend going a week before or immediately after Columbus Day, but do not go later in October. We are on the tail end of the season. Restaurants, shops and tours, like the carriage rides through Acadia, are closing down next week. Timing is everything. The leaves are neon in October. The sugar maple leaves are as bright as Rudolph's nose. If you catch a magical moment when the sun filters through all the oranges, reds and yellows you will feel like you are getting a glimpse of heaven. The winding roads of Acadia are full of magical moments like this.

Jordan Pond.

Popovers at Jordan Pond is a must

We stopped at Jordan Pond for popovers and a walk around the lake. It was windy when we were there. We should have packed warmer clothes! Hats too. We still had an epic adventure crawling over boulders and trying not to fall into the ice cold waters. We went on the two hour bridge carriage ride tour. Do it! You must make reservations for this as soon as you know you are going! It was relaxing and beautiful. We got to learn about the history of the park, go on carriage roads only meant for walking or horses. It was a fantastic way to experience the park. The cobblestone Rockefeller bridge is a work of art! This was the first bridge built in Acadia National Park and the most beautiful! The top of Cadillac Mountain is breathtaking! It's a 15 minute drive to the top. You can see all the surrounding islands and the Atlantic stretches out as far as you can see.

These are the granite cliffs of Sand Beach. A hike that terrified mamma bear mom. One misstep would land us in the icey Atlantic waters with a rocky ride down. Luck was with us and no one fell and the view was to die for.

Sand beach was a highlight of Acadia National Park for us. We started by getting our shoes wet while getting a family photo, which was improperly exposed. I should just give up on family pictures. After that snafu we ran from the waves crashing onto the shore. We scaled the rocks like billy goats and sat on a steep granite cliff and watched the seals play about in the surf. My mamma bear was worried someone may slip and fall to a cold Atlantic plunge, but we took it slow and steady. I think this adventure was a favorite for all of us. It was scary, daring, stunning, the mist of the sea, the crash of the waves, the surprise of the seals, the sun, the color of the granite would make the finest kitchen envy, the sun (I mention this twice because we had only wind yesterday, today we appreciated the sun even more), the leaves, the tall pines. It was an incredible day! You must get to sand beach!

We have indulged in New England fare. We have enjoyed Maine lobster, New England clam chowder, blueberry pie, whoopee pies, popovers, and freshly picked apples. We took a morning to stroll through the Johnston apple orchard trying every variety as we admired the heavy laden branches covered with fruit. If you can enjoy a hot apple cider with an apple cider doughnut to go with it you are in luck!

We stayed at the Bayview Inn. It's the top ranked hotel on Bar Harbor. They are so kind and helpful. The quality of service is five star. The front desk upgraded our room, made all our tour reservations months before we arrived and always took time to be welcoming and hospitable. It feels comfortable and clean. They also serve a killer breakfast every morning! Our room looks out to the ocean. I would come back to the Bayview every time.

We went on a two hour nature cruise. Seeing the area from the water is incredible. They have steep granite cliffs topped with towering pines and bald eagles soaring over head. If you are lucky you may see whales, seals and puffins. You certainly will get an education on how to catch a lobster. We saw one beautiful lighthouse. I love lighthouses, so if I did it again I would choose the lighthouse tour by boat. For the kids, the two hour nature cruise was plenty.

Acadia National Park is not huge. For our family, three to four full days here would be just right! We took us 14 hours to get from our house to our hotel. That's a long day. Three days may have been enough if we lived a bit closer. The fourth day allowed us to sleep in and not feel rushed to get it all in.

There is usually about an hour wait to get into a restaurant for dinner. Stop by a restaurant and put your name in then plan to walk around this amazing town for an hour. This is no problem if you plan ahead. Don't go to town starving. You will want to walk around the shops and the harbor area, it's incredible. Just put your name in for dinner first!

Bar Harbor is a nice harbor town. You can get a delicious latte and slice of blueberry pie at the Acadia Country Store, Ben and Bill's ice cream shop serves up a creamy scoop of peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream in a waffle cone cup, and the Sea Side Grill serves a mean fresh Lobster you don't want to miss!

Bar Harbor, Maine is a great stop to unwind in the fall and take on all the glorious creations this world has to offer. You will find the flavors of Maine delightful, the colors in the trees, rocks and waters unbelievable, the sounds of the ocean waves, horses neighing, leaves falling a wonderful soundtrack to your vacation. It's a full body experience. Taking time to nourish your soul is valuable. I hope we will be recharged as we head back to the beat of school and work.

We played games at night. Do you have the Hollywood Game Night App? How about the Heads Up App? Both so fun! I'd make a playlist for the car! Don't forget your camera!! Also, family vacations can be stressful, so try to laugh off the mistakes. We can let shame get us down and everyone has a few bad moments on vacation. Be kind to yourself and to others. We all had different low points. One persons favorites was another's least favorite. We are all different. The goal is to enjoy. When you find yourself or others disappointed or an expectation is not met try not to loose your cool. Take a breath. Be kind to yourself. Be kind to others. Easy to say, hard to do. There were a few moments of whining that made me think I did not ever want to travel with kids again. I don't really think that, but there were a few moments I questioned myself. One of my kids lost their balance on a rock and their foot slid into the ice cold lake. That could be a real damper on a day. Another kid had major allergies on the horse and carriage ride. Running nose, no tissues, scratchy eyes, instant rough throat and pretty uncomfortable over all. That was poor planning on my part. Love covers all. Try to love and laugh well.

Shore break on Sand Beach, Acadia National Park, Maine.

Our days are numbered on this earth. For me this will be a favorite memory. A few days in a year that I hope we will all always remember.