Acadia National Park, Our most eastern and northern point (that we have planned, we will see) that we will go. The oldest and first national park east of the Mississippi. Developed in the 1800’s because wealthy families from New York, Boston and Philadelphia built summer “cottages” here because of its sheer beauty. (Rockefeller, Carnegie, Ford….) We spent a week just outside the park at a private RV park. Acadia was designated a National Park after the island of Mt Desert (yes, desert, like Lance and Lily’s favorite thing to eat) was settled, so it is a patch work of private land interspersed with Park land. You will see magnificent views of lakes or bays then run into a town, Bar Harbor being the most developed for the tourism that the park attracts. There are actually two cruise ships that call in Bar Harbor every day. Day one we arrived and got set up at Timberland RV Park. Columbus Day holiday marks the “end of the summer season” for everywhere northeast, so gone were the crowds and kids in the campgrounds. The weather was definitely cooler influenced by the nearby Gulf of Maine. Fall colors in Maine were high/peak. We cruise around and found a sunset and a beach. Day two we sought out the Park’s visitor center for Jr. Ranger books and general information about Acadia. There is a loop road with an informational brochure, we felt that was a good place to start. We began the driving tour and learned about the park’s history. Natives, French and English all came to this rich coastal area with its abundant hardwood forests. 1913 to 1940, John D. Rockefeller Jr. built over 50 miles of carriage roads throughout the interior of the island so people could visit without seeing cars. The loop road crosses some of these roads. Also built were 16 stone faced bridges that use local granite so they fit right into the landscape. We cruised about half the loop road the first day and the highlight was Sandy Beach, one of the few sandy spots on this island known for its rugged rocky coast. We made it by the end of the day to Jordan Pond which is one of the more scenic lakes on the island. Day three we started the day off with a Ranger led boat tour of the area. We left from Northeast Harbor for a 2.5 hour cruise that visited Little Cranberry Island. It was great as we saw seals, cormorants and endless lobster pot buoys. During the cruise the Ranger pointed out all the history and geology of the area as well. After the cruise, we headed to some tide pools near at Otter Point where we left the loop road the day before. We had lunch on the point and after explored the tide pools. The tide pools here are surprisingly less diverse than what we are used to on the west coast. That said, Lily and Lance did not tire of flipping over rocks to harass the crabs. We finished the loop road tour and fittingly the “high” point was the summit road to Cadillac Mountain. The highest point on the eastern seaboard at 1530 ft. Great views. Day four we took a break from the sights with sleeping in, homeschooling, laundry (by the way I (Dad) smoked Lily and Lance at pinball at the laundromat!!!!!!), more homeschooling and a Walmart run. Day five Mom insisted we explore these carriage roads we have heard so much about. Three cheers for Mom!!! We did a 7 mile loop around Eagle Lake with lots of stops and rests along the way. By now the fall foliage was a neon peak of reds, yellow and orange. The carriage roads are built for horses so they are never too steep, nice and wide, and completely bike-able. After we lunched, we made our way back to the visitor center to complete our Jr. Ranger paperwork to earn badges and HOLY SMOKES the Ranger we met up with was from OREGON!!!! We compared notes on the stuff we have seen and compared the east and west coasts. It is always nice to meet up with someone from “home”. The next morning we were greeted by frost for our second day in Maine and we were on our way south, to Salem, Boston and Cape Cod.
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Where we stayed: Four Mile Creek State Campground: This place was beautiful and mostly empty. The sites are all grass and either electric or non-electric. We opted for non-electric for the week. It worked out perfectly since we had the beach in our backyard and the playground in our front yard. It was only about 15 minutes from the falls too!
Old Fort Niagara: This was an unexpected gem! We went because it was part of the junior ranger book, not knowing what to expect. The history here was fascinating. You can walk through the old fort and within the trenches. It was interesting to hear how all the different parts protected the fort. It was originally built by the French, then the English overtook it during the French-Indian wars, then during the War of Independence, it was a stronghold for loyalists. Part of the War of 1812 treaty was for England to give it to the US. See how much you can learn from a ranger talk?!?! Whirlpool State Park and Devil’s Hole State Park: We did the overlook at Whirlpool then went to Devil’s Hole and hiked down 407 steps to the river. If you like hiking, you should do this. You can hike all the way to the Whirlpool steps (which were closed for repairs when we were there). The nice thing about the Niagara area is there is a dedicated walking/biking/running road that goes along to all the points of interest. NY Power Project Visitors Center: Unfortunately this closed early the day we were there, but the little we did get to see was so cool the kids wanted to go back (but we were leaving the next day). When you arrive, you get a badge that you scan each time you do an interactive activity. You can log in to their website at home and see all the things you learned about. We especially liked the 4D ride about electricity! Also, you can get here and many other places on the free shuttle. Definitely worth using if you don’t want to drive! Niagara Falls, Canada: Everyone said, “Make sure you go to the Canadian side” so we did and it was beautiful. It was also such a contrast to the American side. Dan nicknamed one street “Las Vegas of Canada” because it has the light up billboards, amusement rides, and food booths everywhere. Lance thought it looked like Times Square. Maid of the Mist and Cave of the Winds: The kids absolutely LOVED these. Lance laughed more during the boat ride than we’ve heard from him in a while. He kept his hood off so he could get wet and therefore not have to take a shower that day. It was windy, wet, and loud! The Cave of the Winds walk also soaked any part of us that wasn't covered up. We were really glad for the shoes they gave us since our tennis shoes were already wet from the boat ride! The hurricane deck almost blew the kids away, but they loved it!
Overall Niagara was a great stop, with way more than just a waterfall to see! |
AuthorKim: I've seen very little of the US and can't wait to see it all with my family. This is a crazy adventure that I never thought I would have the guts to do! Archives
April 2017
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