Tuesday, September 16-Bar Island & Ocean Path Trail & Carriage Ride

This morning we were up at 7 and out the door and on our way by 8. Our first stop was to go to the Visitors center. With our permit in the window we were ready to go. Breakfast was at the 2 Cats restaurant. I had the Wild Maine blueberry pancakes while Sharon opted for the Moose Tracks pancakes.

 It continued to rain lightly after breakfast. Next stop was downtown. Low tide was at 11:20 so we were walking from Bar Harbor across to Bar Island and that can only be done two hours before and two hours after low tide. I want to get back sometime to take a picture during high tide to see it at both tides.

By 5 this afternoon this land bridge will be completely under water.

 

After our walk on the land bridge we headed back into the park to hike the Ocean Path. We started at Sand Beach, the longest stretch of sand beach in the park. The trailhead was located next to the parking lot and is 4 miles. We were scheduled to go on a Carriage ride at 4 so we only had time to finish about 3 miles, partly because I stopped to take so many pictures that it was difficult to get very far.

 

To end this busy but wonderful day we had reserved a spot on a carriage ride. Between 1913-1940 John D Rockefeller Jr bought land and built carriage roads for residents of Desert Island. This land and the roads were then donated to the park. No motorized vehicles are permitted on these roads even today. We took the ride to the top of Day Mountain. Our driver Nolen and our guide Rhonda were wonderful and we not only learned a lot about the island but we were also entertained with rich stories about the "Mainers" in the area. I'm so glad we added this to our itinerary. Many of the Clydesdale horses actually came from Holmes county.