While the bulk of my trail books focus on Massachusetts, we like to get to Maine spring and fall, and Maine used to be part of Massachusetts, so it’s not too far off topic. It’s along drive to Mt. Desert Island, so we took a lunch break at the shoreline in Belfast, Maine, and noticed what looked like a bridge that crossed the harbor.
Continue readingFiled under Blog posts--Easy Walks
We try to visit Acadia National Park every spring and fall in “normal” times, but this year has been anything but normal. Our spring visit fell by the wayside, like most everyone’s plans. This fall, we saw an opportunity, found a place (Windward Cottages) where we had stayed before, which had a full kitchen, firm! beds, and had been unoccupied for three days prior to our arrival. For a time during this pandemic Massachusetts residents were welcome in Maine, so we packed food for the week, planned to keep very much to ourselves, and headed to Mt. Desert Island, Maine.
Continue readingFiled under Blog posts--Easy Walks
Sunrise in Acadia National Park
We expected to have smaller crowds at Acadia National Park when we visited at the end of September. We saw hints of color on our drive north, and spotted lots of small splashes of color during our week’s visit, but were not prepared for the massive number of people who gathered in the most popular spots (Otter Cliffs, Sand Beach, and Jordan Pond). Continue reading
Filed under Blog posts--Easy Walks
Getting to the top of Beech Cliffs, with a little help. Echo lake is just below here
I’m always surprised at the people I talk to who live in Massachusetts and have never visited Acadia National Park on Mt. Desert in Maine. Yes, it’s a six hour drive from where we live (not including stops) and yes, I hear the area is pretty crazy-crowded with people in the summer. But there’s spring, Continue reading
Filed under Blog posts--Easy Walks
Sunrise on Somes Sound
Part of having a positive experience at the ocean (at least for me) is having a place to rest when I need to. We have been lucky enough to find places near the water where I can hang out, watch birds, look for seals (!) and pay attention to the tides. When I’d rested, we set off for amazing outdoor places quite nearby, most of which are within Acadia National Park on Mt. Desert Island, Maine, and its environs. Continue reading
Filed under Blog posts--Easy Walks
Sea smoke just off shore
The trails are icy hereabouts in the greater Boston-Worcester area. New Year’s First Day hikes have been cancelled, parking lots are slick, but thanks to the wonders of the internet, we heard about groomed ski trails north of here, at Acadia National Park in Maine. Yes, the weather has been below zero. And yes, some of us think curling up with a good book and a warm drink is the best way to get through the arctic chill. But some of us need to get outdoors. But going where the trails have snow cover is the best way to do that. And so we did! Continue reading
Filed under Blog posts--Easy Walks
Visiting Acadia National Park is a balancing act for my family–I need easy walks, while my husband enjoys more challenging trails. But the carriage roads draw us back again and again, providing safe, off road places for us to enjoy riding our tandem bike. Sometimes the weather is simply not conducive for biking–too wet, colder than some of us like for bike riding, or various other reasons.
And since most of the trails at Acadia are challenging, we search out new easy walks– Continue reading
Filed under Blog posts--Easy Walks
Eiders just off the coast in Acadia National Park
It was unseasonably hot recently and we decided to head north, to where the temperatures were only in the 70’s and spring has just started. The trees still lacked any hint of green, but change is in the air.
For several reasons we chose not to bring our tandem bicycle and planned on spending our time walking the trails of Acadia, on Mt. Desert Island, where we stayed. But we wanted to explore the Schoodic Peninsula, also part of Acadia National Park, but much less visited. Continue reading
Filed under Blog posts--Easy Walks
Happy time along the carriage trails at Acadia
Hiking poles? Check. Maps? Check. Water? Check. Ice? Spray bottle with water? Check. Wait, am I going to carry all that for a simple hike or bike ride? Well, when a person is unable to sweat, as I am, yes, indeed, it’s all pretty important. Continue reading
Marjorie Turner Hollman 