All around the town and then some

Wednesday July 10 & Thursday July 11, 2013
Site 79 Blackwoods Campground
Acadia National Park

 

Wednesday

 

 

Today is a chores day.  David finds some sections on the roof that need resealing and takes care of that.  We make a grocery store run and some business phone calls. 

With regard to yesterday’s problem,  the batteries are saying they aren’t getting much of a charge out of two hours of morning generator time and by the end of the day they are back down to where they were before the two hours.

Not much happening today other than trying to figure out the charging problem.  And going out to post the blog and make comments.

 

 

 

Thursday

 

Today is a much more interesting day.  We arrive at 8:45 to take the ranger led Headland hike which will be a three hour geologic hike along the Great Head Loop trail according to the description.   We are early for a change so we join the group gathered around the ranger just in time to hear her say she’s a substitute for the regular ranger geologist so this hike will be more about the cultural history and less about geology.

I like ranger led hikes as long as there aren’t too many people on them but this particular loop is one I was going to do as part of longer combination hike so if there isn’t going to be any geology, which is the reason I as doing it, I think I’ll pass and try again on the other day this hike is offered.

 

 

Plan number one is a bust so on to plan B.

 

Well let’s just do that longer combination hike I was thinking of which conveniently starts from the Sand Beach parking lot where we are currently contemplating our next move.

So off we go along the Ocean Path from Sand Beach around Otter Point  to Gorham and back to Great Head.  

Being in a wooded campground it is easy not to notice when fog has socked the shoreline in.  But that’s the case today we see as we start out on the ocean path.  We can see right along the shore but the views that make this path so famous are not available.  Hmmmmm   maybe not a good day for this plan either.  

 

 

A bakery is always a good plan.

 

 

All righty then.  Plan C??    Well how about the Bar Harbor Walking tour, their Shore Path and perhaps even the walk over on the bar to Bar Island if we can time it right.

Back in the car we go to do the town walking tour.   First stop is to soothe our frustration at the Morning Glory Bakery.  Like many businesses in Bar Harbor they have beautiful flowers.  I see I have forgotten to get pictures of the chocolate croissant and sticky bun we pickup.  We sit on their patio chairs and enjoy our rewards before heading out on the 12 stop tour.

 

 

 

As we leave the bakery we see this troop of kayakers, probably sea kayakers judging from the fact that they are wearing skirts, marching down the street.  Reminds me of Ohiopyle.   Still pretty hazy out as move out with the map.

 

 

 

Flexibility is the name of the game and I think we’ve got it.

 

Stop #1 is the Village Green where we have been many times before and I’ve featured in previous posts.

Stop #2 is the larger in town portion of the Abbe Museum which we definitely intend to visit on a rainy day but not today.  I discussed the museum on the driving tour section of Sieur De Monts.  If you you’d like to read that, you can find it at this link.   The original museum costs $3 for entry.  This larger one costs $6 but that also includes the original museum.  The 1893 building was purchased by the Abbe from the local YMCA which had been housed there for nearly 100 years.

 

 

We’ve been  walking down Main Street for this beginning of “Bar Harbor By Foot”.  As we pass the Abbe I see a great book store sign.  Second Hand Prose.  I love it already.   I go up to open the door, have to take a look inside a shop with such a great name, but alas it doesn’t open for another couple of hours.  DARN!

 

 

 

 

Oh boy, next stop is the library. 

 

 

Stop #3 is the Jessup Memorial Library.  Now I LOVE libraries and always visit the local library in any town we are visiting for a length of time.   It’s a Colonia Revival Style building built in 1911 and is also on The National Register of Historic Places.

 

 

When I step inside I think it is the library of my dreams.  This is a warm, user friendly place with a gorgeous entry way, comfy chairs for reading in every room, wonderful tables for researching, a separate periodicals room, beautiful wood stacks and a baby grand piano.  Be still my heart!!   They even have a yarn swap basket.  Nooks and crannies filled with books everywhere I look.

The beautiful wooden stairs lead to the second level stacks.  You can get a temporary library card for a week or a month or a season for a refundable $20.  Sign me up!   But how will I ever have any time to read.  I can see I will need to stay much longer in Bar Harbor.  Like the entire summer maybe????

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many of the new  books are laid out and and easy to look at.  They are sooo tempting.  But it’s beautiful outside and I need to be on my way.  I do have to force myself to leave.

 

Across the street is St. Saviour’s Episcopal Church constructed in 1877. 

 

Our brochure tells us that this wood and stone structure is a fine example of an English Gothic Parish church.  Like many of the buildings on this tour it is on the National Register of Historic Places.  It houses a number of formal English stained glass windows including 10 Tiffany windows one dating from 1886.

 

 

 

We proceed  through the great old doors to get a look at the stained glass.

 

 

 

There is stained glass everywhere except in the vaulted timbered ceilings.  The Tiffany glass isn’t labeled but at least one of the pieces is clearly Tiffany and those along the sides do not appear to be.  There are a total of 42 windows.  One of them depicts Jesus wearing, the fisher of men, in No’theaster and yellow slicker.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next door is Bar Harbor’s centuries old cemetery.  The church seems to have neglected its ancestors as many of the tombstones are leaning, cracked or fallen.  Like many old cemeteries we have seen in both the north and the south there is a giant statue as monument to the local soldiers who fought in the Civil War referred to by different terms depending on where you are – the War of Rebellion,  ????

 

 

 

 

We walk on down Maine street to the corner marking the final edge of the fire of 1947 which began after the driest 3 months in Bar Harbor history in 300 years.  In the end 5 hotels, 67 of the famous summer “cottages” 170 permanent homes, the Jackson Laboratory and 10, 000 acres of Acadia National Park were destroyed.

 

 

At this point our map takes us down Holland Street and past some of the lovely “Inns” for summer vacationers in Bar Harbor. 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Stop 6 is the municipal building built in 1908.  Formerly it was the high school graduating its last class in 1968. Our next two stops would be on Eden Street at the College of the Atlantic but we have already seen the excellent Dorr Museum of Natural History (see the post On to Acadia).  It is housed in the original National Park Offices.   We also have seen The Turrets which is a gorgeous house with many turrets of course.  It sits right on the water and was a summer cottage built in 1893.  It is under serious renovation at this time and has scaffolding from ground to chimney top so you cannot see its beauty.  It is supposed to be open to the public again next year when the work is finished.

 

And now for just a few little summer “cottages”.

 

Instead we move on to stop 8 The West Main Street District where the houses all built between the 1870’s and 1930’s offer a look at Bar Harbor’s historic summer community before the fire.   These houses were spared and all face Frenchman’s Bay.  That is their backyards face the bay.  The entire 25 acre district is on the National Historic Register.   All down the street I notice very interesting front yard “fencing”.

 

 

Fern Fences.

 

If you are looking for a lovely summer home in Bar Harbor, Sotheby’s will sell you this one.  Lovely iron fences included.

 

 

 

 

While we are looking at fences David spies this neglected one with an open gate. He has always had a very hard time with open gates or driveways that look interesting.  I watch and wait for the police to tell them whatever story I can dream up about why he is trespassing here.  Turns out to lead into a large side yard of someone’s property.  So not much of real interest he reports.

 

 

This fence is just starting to bloom.  I believe it’s rhododendron.  But if you know otherwise, please let me know.   Whatever it is, it is beautiful.  You can just barely see the front steps to the house in the background.

 

 

 

 

 

The last fence is a long planter done into the top of a really lovely Cadillac Mountain Pink granite fence.

 

 

        

 

As we walk along West Street, Bridge street crosses it.  We take a little detour and go down to see how the sand bar is doing. 

 

For 90 minutes before and after low tide a sand bar connects Bridge Street to 1.5 miles of old roads and trails on the forested Bar Island.  All of this is within Acadia National Park.   Right now there is no sign of the sand bar.  We’ll come back at the end of our walk to see how things are going.

 

 

 

At the end of West Street we’ve reached Agamont Park at the town Pier and the beginning of the Shore Path.

Like these folks we stop for lunch at the park.  There is a tall ship at anchor.  I’ve always wanted to take a ride on one.  I’d actually love to do a windjammer cruise.  Have any of you ever done one???

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After lunch we continue on with Bar Harbor on Foot and head down the Shore Path.

 

The shore path is a gorgeous one mile along the edge of the ocean.  This path was first put in during the early years of the “summer cottages”.  The land for it was donated for folks to promenade along.  We don’t promenade much any more but the current land owners are generous enough to continue to allow the path to go for at least a mile.  There is a chain link fence at the end and you have to either promenade back or cut up into town.   Not sure who the party pooper is.

 

 

 

 

We turn up at the end and walk on to stop 13 which is The town athletic field donated in 1914 by Mrs. John S Kennedy.  During the 1880’s and 90’s this was also the site of a thriving Native American market place where crafters and guides peddled their goods and services.  The YMCA is across the street from the Athletic field having moved there from what is now the Abbe Museum.  They have a gym, fitness, room and swimming pool. Visitors can purchase short term and one day passes.  This is great for anyone who wants to work out or swim.

Like nearly every other business, the Y has a lovely flower garden.  Their deep red day lilies are looking particularly beautiful.   MDI=Mount Desert Island.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The last stop on the tour is fittingly the Bar Harbor Historical Society who has published this very nice walking tour.   They are housed in the former St. Edward’s Convent (1917-1979) a Jacobethan Revival style brick building and is – repeat after me – listed on the National Register of Historic Places.   Notice the door.  It was after hours or I would have gone in and asked what happened to the sisters in the convent in 1970 that they sold their building.

 

 

 

 

We end our afternoon by walking back to Bridge Street to check out the water level at the end of the street.   Looks pretty different now.   The picture below is taken from the exact same spot as the one earlier.   Boy I hope those folks come back for their cars before the tide comes in.

 

 

And here are some of the folks we saw just after we had Danish this morning.  Not the same ones I’m sure but perhaps the same Sea Kayaking tour company.   One woman needs help getting her spray skirt hooked into place.

 

 

 

 

 

Well since the sand bar, or should it be called the rock bar, is available we decide to go for it and walk across to hike to the summit of Bar Island.

Looking back from the other side.

 

 

Although  owned by the town of Bar Harbor, Bar Island is part of the park which maintains the trail.

 

 

 

The first part of the trail is easy.  Like a road.  Then it narrows down. and becomes an uphill over the roots route.

 

 

 

  

 

 

We reach the top which has been allowed to grow up with trees so the views are only partial.  They look back to the pier and shoreline businesses of Bar Harbor.

 

 

Back through the woods for the trip down and over the bridge again.

 

 

 

  

Time to reap the reward for all this walking by trying out my second ice cream store.  David visits the Bar Harbor Brewing Tasting Room for his treat.   With my hands full of ice cream I don’t get a picture of

I will render my recommendations on my last post from Bar Harbor for those of you who love ice cream like I do.  :-))

 

 

 

 

We finish the day with a concert by the Bar Harbor Band in the Village Green.   They are a community band and they play twice a week in July and August.   A very homey sort of thing I think.

 

 

 

For such a small town, this one has a lot going for it.