Eagle Lake and the Lobster Stew Contest

Thursday August 15, 2013
Acadia National Park

 

 

Eagle Lake is our last paddle in Acadia……..for this trip at least.  :-(

 

 

When we arrive at the north end of the lake boat launch off of Route 233, we have the lake to ourselves.

 

 

 

We head west, there is a bit of a breeze and thus a current but it is a lovely clear blue sky day.  The pink cadillac granite gleams in the sunlight.  Its color always amazes me as does the lichen that turns it a regular gray granite color.  But underneath it is seriously pink.

 

 

 

 

Is this is a guy thing? 

 

Had I paddled by this rope and piece of wood I would never have picked it up but David does and hauls up what we guess is some sort of fishing trap but who really knows.  No fish inside that he can see.  Certainly no lobster! :-)

 

 

 

 

I prefer Nature’s creations.

 

But I do notice the bright blue of this dragonfly on the bright green of the heavy grasses in the lake.  Sure wish I could have caught him with his wings open.

 

 

 

 

Other of the grasses in the lake show a beautiful red line at the top of the water.  A closer inspection reveals that they are red all the way down under the water and green above.  I assume it is the sunlight which makes this beautiful combination.  I am again delighted with the natural world and its beauty.

 

 

 

The water is so clear that you can see all the rocks that line the lake bed  brought here by the glaciers which carved the lake.   It also reveals the LONG stems on these water lilies.

 

 

 

 

I think we have now seen Connor’s Nubble from every angle.

 

I’m nearing the South East corner of the lake when I glance around and see Connor’s Nubble above me.  Often I am so close to the shore that I don’t think to look up.  Glad I do this time.

 

 

 

 

It’s always interesting to see places from multiple points of view.  That rocky top is Connor’s Nubble.  We’ve seen it up close when we hiked up there,  ate blueberries and looked down at the lake.  We’ve seen it looking over from other peaks and now we are seeing it from below.

 

 

 

Next I come upon a perfect micro mountain.

 

When we kayak ponds and lakes we normally go all around the edge unless we are drawn into the middle by an island or some water fowl.  Today is no exception.  It’s the little things along the shore that are so interesting.  And the rocks of course.   Here is an entire little world which has colonized this rock.   As I approach it, it looks like a mountain the little people could climb.

 

 

 

I paddle around it to look it over and I find the same thing I’ve seen on nearly all the mountains we’ve climbed in Acadia.  I just burst out laughing there is a wild blueberry bush on the far end of the rock. 

 

 

 

It’s a tiny bush but in this scale world it’s big enough to be a tree and it has ripe berries on it.  Time to stop and pick them even if I didn’t hike the mountain.  Somebody knew I was coming.  Thank you SO much.  DELICIOUS!!

Looks like it is growing right out of that pink granite doesn’t it?

 

 

 

 

The wonders just never cease.

 

How thankful I am for the eyes to see these beautiful wonders, to hear the waves slapping my boat, to feel my arms pushing against the paddles and through the waves, to smell this fresh morning air tinged with balsam fir.  This morning is a sensory delight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here we are cutting through behind an island, out of the wind, to get a break from the waves.  I can hear the squeaking of grasses as they scrape against my boat while I push along.

 

 

 

David says he sees some ducks ahead.  We paddle slowly up and there they are a little family of red headed mergansers.

 

 

 

They don’t pay us any attention as they swim along fishing and flapping and chattering and  running across the waters.  I take thousands of pictures but the waves are jostling my boat and the mergansers are constantly moving.  The two motions are difficult for the camera to deal with.

 

 

 

 

The ducks decide not to go in our direction any longer.  That’s too bad but then I look over and see this.  What in the world is it?  On the East side of Eagle Lake is a stone ruin.  David sees it too and goes slowly by but goes on.  I go back and forth fighting with the light and the waves to get some pictures of it.  It’s too hard.

 

 

So I decide to dock and walk on up there and look around.  It’s National  Park property right?  Which means I own it they keep telling me.  And there are no signs saying Keep Out.

 

 

Here’s what I find.  It has triple arches in the front and looks like the foundation of something.

 

 

 

 

Inside the middle arch are short pillars.  Foundation pillars??

 

 

 

 

The inside pillars are in two or three rows I forget which now and the back wall is very low since the ground there is up higher than in the front.

 

   

 

What a mystery.  I hope I can find a Park Ranger to tell me what this is.

Back to the kayak and on around the east side of the lake. 

 

 

 

David has circled back around to see what’s happened to me and shows up just as I am getting back in the kayak.  Who do we find just after  taking off again  -  the Merganser family.  SUPER!   I never tire of watching their antics as they live their lives so seemingly carefree.  At least today.

 

 

 

This isn’t a dead duck, it’s a fishing duck.  And if you had been here you would have seen him start running across the water with his head under it and end up just like this.  I have to laugh at what fun that must be.

 

 

 

Or sometimes they are just swimming along and put their heads down and stretch out.  Is it comfy?   They do dive and stay under but not for long and not often today anyway.

 

 

But again they turn around probably because we are reaching the North end where you can see the coping stones from the carriage road right along the lake and the bicyclists beyond them.  The hikers are there too.

 

 

 

I stay away from the current going swiftly down the outflow.  I don’t want to go down there that’s for sure.

 

 

It’s been over 4 hours since we set out from this spot and the number of people has greatly increased.  I see other boats on the lake as we are putting the kayaks back on Ruby.  David says he saw them earlier but I guess I was too busy with mysterious stone ruins and mergansers to notice.  OK by me!

 

 

 

Time for Lunch!!!

 

Usually we bring our lunch but our days here are rapidly flying by and we really do have to have the final ‘taste off’ of Lobster Stew.  So we go back to Jordan Pond house.  This time David can have the stew and I can have it AGAIN.   YES!!   He can draw his own conclusions and I can check mine a second time.

 

We had come over yesterday to do this taste off but it was cloudy and cold and the views were zero so after finding a parking place, no small trick believe me, and checking it out, we turned around and went home.  So I am thrilled at the look of the lawn today when I go upstairs on the deck to take this picture.  It’s just perfect!!

 

 

 

 

We do the same thing as last time.  I go in and put our name on the Wait List.  David hunts up the parking space.  This time I tell them we want a spot on the lawn rather than ‘first available’ and they tell me it will be an hour wait.  Well ok then I guess we wait.

We spend some time in the gift shop looking at books and then go in to sit in the waiting area along with all these friends we haven’t met yet.

 

 

 

An hour and 15 minutes later and we get the best table in the house on the lawn.

 

 

Seated at last and look at this table.  I do believe it is the very best one on the lawn.  How about those “bubbles”??  And those clear blue skies with puffy white clouds.  Nichole is our server and she’s wonderfully outgoing and friendly.  While David is checking out the menu, since I know exactly what I want, I can take his picture as he decides to get the same thing I’m getting.  HA!

 

 

 

For those of you who missed it in my previous post about popovers at Jordan Pond House, here is the size of the popover.   I only wish I’d thought to get a close up of the second popover AND the lobster stew when they first arrived together.   But by now, after the paddle and the wait, I am starving so it never crosses my mind.

 

I do look up long enough for David to snap this picture but notice my hand is on the spoon and reaching for the popover.  I am exactly as happy as I look.  I know just how good this is going to taste and it is definitely worth the wait.

 

 

 

It’s unanimous, we both agree. 

There is no lobster stew which can compare with Jordan Pond House so no matter how long you have to wait, be sure to try it with popovers.  Or better yet, make reservations and just waltz by all those folks standing around waiting!!

 

If you do choose to wait, you can be seated more quickly if you ask for “first available” rather than only “outside”.  That’s what we did last time.  But this time I wanted the ‘total experience’.

If you aren’t willing to wait for a spot on the lawn, or it’s too windy you can sit inside and look out these wonderful windows over this lovely flower garden.

 

 

 

These are my two favorites of the day.  We had these same wild tiger lilies growing right under our pantry window at the farm.    They were a favorite of our deer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another GREAT day in Acadia and…..

TH..TH…TH… THAT’S ALL FOLKS!