Wednesday, September 17-Nature Cruise, Jordan's Pond & Bass Harbor Head Light

To preface this post, I would like to add that 37 years ago I was at Madison County Hospital holding our first baby girl. What a blessing Trish has been. So very proud of her. Happy birthday, Trish!

And now for the update on our trip. Today is the last full day in Acadia National Park. Last night we made reservations for a nature cruise out of North East Harbor for this morning at 10. The cruise took us past the Bear Island lighthouse and out to the Cranberry Isles where we disembarked and had time to see the island. After we boarded the Sea Princess we cruised into Sommes Sound. It was once thought that it was a fjord, but more recently geologists are calling it fjard, a fjord wanna' be! All I know is that it wasn't anything close to the fjords in Norway. But the nature cruise was a wonderful way to see Acadia from a different angle. We saw lobstermen setting their traps and were able to see small island life up close. We met Ashley Bryan at the museum where he has an art exhibit. Mr. Bryan is a 91 year old artist, writer, storyteller and noted scholar of African and African American folklore. We also saw some of his sea glass art in the Congregational Church in town. He was named a national treasure by President Clinton.

 After our cruise, we drove back into the park to Jordan's Pond. We went to the restaurant and I ordered a lobster roll as suggested by Mark and Elaine Staffan. It was ok but I guess I just haven't acquired a taste for lobster. I liked the first few bites but I think I may have liked it better with butter or if the lobster were in smaller pieces or if it tasted like steak! I did try it and the meal was salvaged with a famous popover.

 After lunch we hiked the 3.3 mile Jordan's Pond Shoreline trail. An easy trail but somewhat challenging on the Southside as we walked over large pink granite boulders and traversed over large portions of trail on a log boardwalk. Very nice hike, no wildlife or birds except for an occasional squirrel.

 When our hike was finished, we drove to South East Harbor to see the only lighthouse that you can drive to, the Bass Harbor Light Station. Tomorrow we leave for Baxter State Park in Millinocket, Maine.