Maine Bar Harbour, Acadia National Park_17 Jul - 20 Jul

In the last few weeks, we have seen four SG families heading home to our sunny hot island which reminded us of our own departure from this faraway land that we have come to love in Sept. Before we will to sell our car in Aug, we decided to take our last road trip to Bar Harbour in Maine last weekend and also to celebrate my birthday, which is on 20 July. We left our apt on Friday, 9 am and drove non-stop for 3 hours before we stopped for lunch and then continued for another 2 hours before we reach our motel at Bar Harbour at 3.30 pm. By then, we were all tired and hot so we decided to take opportunity of the great summer weather to go for a dip at the swimming pool. Ry was definitely esctatic when he saw the pool. What was memorable was that this was the first pool experience for baby Br. We were a bit worried as the temperature had started to drop in the evening and we were wondering whether Br would like his first pool experience or would he be like Ry who screamed and cried when we brought him to the pool at around the same age at 4.5 months old. Surprisingly, Br took to the pool like a fish to the water and he totally enjoyed the experience without a single whim. And we totally loved his swimwear look which is simply adorable and cute since he's so much chubbier than his brother. Later in the evening, we just simply enjoyed a leisure stroll and dinner around downtown Bar Harbour with its old town charm.

Br's first dip in the pool!

We drove to Acadia National Park on Saturday, thinking that we might only be able to do the auto road drive only since it was raining in the morning and weather forecast said that there would be thunderstorms in the afternoon. However, after a heavy downpour around lunch time, the rain miraculously stopped and the cloudy skies cleared up. So, we decided to take a short walk along a 0.7 mile trail at Jordan Pond. However, a short walk turned into a 3 mile hike with some difficult rocky climbs around the pond as we kept walking along the circumference of the pond, thinking that it was the short trail we were on. We only have 1 backpack carrier with us since we did not foresee that we would be hiking in the bad weather. If we had known that the weather would turn out fine, we would have rented a second carrier.

It was raining at our first stop at Acadia Park - Sandy Beach so we had no chance to play by the beach.

Our lunch at Jordan Pond House! The famous popover on the left and their lobster stew! Yummy!

So, we carried Br in the backpack for the first half of the hike while Ry walked most of it. At times, when Ry was tired, K carried him on his shoulder and I took over the backpack carrier with Br inside. After about an hour plus hike, we reached a marking that said 1.5 miles either way to Jordan Pond house where we first started and that was when we realized that we had already lost our way in our initial walk. Since we were already halfway in the trail, we decided to push on. We took Br out of the carrier and I saronged him in front of me. K then carried Ry in the carrier since he was already by then exhausted from the walk. In the remaining hike, we met with some rocky parts that we had to climb over and a slippery boardwalk. We finally made it back to the starting point after another hour and by then, we were all exhausted and sweaty as the weather had turned humid after the rain.

At the beginning of the hike by which Ry walked and Br comfortably sitting in the backpack carried by daddy!

After the hike, we continued our drive up the Cadillac Mountains where it is the highest point in Maine. At the summit, we can see the whole Atlantic ocean and it is said that if one stays here at dawn, he would be the first person to catch the sunrise in the states.

All hot and sweaty at the Cadillac summit!

On Sunday, we went for a lobster fishing and seal watching cruise. On the 2 hour cruise, we were educated on how the Maine fishermen fished for lobster and the various sealife found in the Atlantic ocean. The sea was really foggy when we left for the cruise and I commented to K that it felt like a scene from the Pirates of the Carribean. After showing us lobster fishing, the captain drove us to Eggrock Light house to see the seals. We were given binoculars to see the seals and we did manage to catch a few seals frolicking in the waves before they climb up to the rocks for their afternoon nap in the warm sun.

Aboard on Miss Samantha, ready to sail the Atlantic ocean!

We're pleasantly surprised when Ry asked to hold the starfish and other sea animals.

K taking Ry for a ride on the rented bike in the afternoon!

If we had more time here in the states, I would definitely like to revisit Acadia National Park and explore the other half of the island and do more hikes. We then drove back home on Monday and this time, we drove a straight 4 hours before we stopped at the Kittery outlets for lunch and shopping. By then, Ry was already getting impatient and cranky in the car, which resulted him in throwing up during lunch due to his struggles in the car that ended up in motion sickness. So now, I know that 3 hours is the threshold for Ry to stay in the car.


A cute video of Br entertaining himself in the car!