Adventures of NaDave: Sept 8 - Acadia & Portland, Maine

We had a short week after our AT Trail trip, and (crazily) we left work and drove all the way to Bangor, Maine! It was a 9 hour drive, but we powered through. We got to our Howard Johnson hotel after midnight, and then were getting up in 4 hours for the sunrise at Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park (fun fact: this HoJo was one of the final one's that has a restaurant). We rolled in tired, took a 3-4 nap, and then got back on the road. The guy at the desk must have thought we were crazy (or paying by the hour!)

We headed for Cadillac Mountain for sunrise, this is where the first sunlight hits the USA each morning. As we neared the mountain, the traffic started to pick up, and we even ran into tour buses! This was definitely a popular event! We got to the top, put on our warm gear, then joined the crowd overlooking the beautiful bay. It was a clear morning, wow! The sun eventually came out of the water, and everyone cheered. It was a fun way to start our trip.

Our next stop was yummy breakfast. We went into Bar Harbor (Bah Habah) and enjoyed their famous blueberry pancakes and some hot chocolate. We were happily stuffed.

Next we went to the parking lot of the welcome center and took a nap in the car. We caught some zzzs and waited for it to warm up. We then grabbed a map and planned out our day. We started with the intense Beehive Trail. There were warning signs everywhere and some tricky exposed climbing sections. We had to work together in some sections, but the view from the top was amazing. See the photos below.

Next we drove along the water to Thundering hole. The seawater crashes into this rock formulation and sends water everywhere. We got up close like most tourists, and also managed to get by a rouge wave! We drove around the rest of the park, enjoying the views along the Maine Coast and watching the seabirds soar over top (we even saw two bald eagles fly right past our car!)

We were hungry again, so we headed to Bah Habah Brewery. We enjoyed "saving the ales" and some pub grub, and then it was time to get on the road and head towards Portland, ME. We decided to take scenic route as long as we could, and passed all kinds of neat local Lobster shops.

Acadia Nat'l Park - Cadillac Mtn Sunrise