Back in the USA after two months in Canada, I would have considered it a great trip at that point, but there was much more to come. While we had visited New England several times, I looked forward to spending time there in the fall, experiencing the colors unlike anywhere else. I was thrilled to drive onto Mount Desert Island on Labor Day, watching a solid line of motor home traffic leaving it all to us at the end of their vacations.
Bar Harbor is the quintessential Maine coastal village, although many others also fit that description. It would almost be worth putting up with the winters to live there, but not quite. That's why most of the homes there are summer cottages. However, September is still a wonderful time to be there.
The "main" attraction here is Acadia National Park, which occupies half of the island and parts of quite a few others, as well as some of the surrounding mainland. Much of the land for the park was donated by America's wealthiest families who had built luxurious summer "cottages", some of which are still there. In addition to donating land, John D. Rockefeller financed the beautiful carriage roads that allow visitors to enjoy the park.
The park includes 26 mountains, including Cadillac Mountain, the tallest mountain on the east coast. Many tourists go to the top of Cadillac Mountain to be the first in the U.S. to see the sunrise. There is a great view from the summit at any time, except when the fog is heavy.
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In addition to Bar Harbor, we toured nearby Seal Harbor, Southwest Harbor and Bass Harbor, among other harbors. In Northeast Harbor, we went to Wini Smart's gallery in hopes of meeting my favorite artist. However, Wini was out in the field painting more of her famous watercolor landscapes. Wini passed away in 2017, but I'm pleased to have some of her prints from both Maine and Boca Grande, FL.
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