Day 10 Anniversary Fun

Today was our 16^th wedding anniversary!  With the weather still chilly and the possibility of rain looming we decided to keep it fairly low-key.  The girls wanted another chance to fish, so we decided to rent out a canoe and kayak and enjoy Long Pond.  Jay and the girls took the canoe with their fishing gear and I got the kayak all to myself.  

If the gift for the 16^th year is peace and tranquility, then I was all set.  It was so nice on the water and I enjoyed moving at my own pace and watching Jay and the girls enjoy their fishing.Afterwards, we decided to schedule a two hour schooner ride on the Margaret Todd. 

Last year we did a raft trip in the Glen Canyon, and though it was nice, we decided after that in comparison to our other activities it was just blah.  The Margaret Todd trip was this year’s Glen Canyon.  Just blah.  It was nice to sit down and take in the sights of the Harbor and surrounding beauty, but by the end by girls were asleep in Jay’s lap.

The last activity for the day was dinner and a ride out to see the lighthouse at Bass Harbor.  We ate at Red Sky in Bass Harbor, which was excellent!  This time I did not order a lobster roll, but I did have lobster with risotto! 

The lighthouse at Bass Harbor is really beautiful. Since it was the end of the day we were able to capture some beautiful pictures with great lighting.
Tomorrow we leave and I’m so sad.  I could spend another five days in Bar Harbor!

Anniversary couple :)


Jay got to help raise the sails on the Margaret Todd










Dinner at Red Sky

Day 9 Lazy Day

On a long trip you need a lazy day (aka laundry day).  Thankfully this day was cold and rainy so it was the perfect opportunity for Jay to take the girls fishing and I could clean up the camper, which by this time looked like a scene from hoarders, and do laundry.  Side note, take a roll of quarters when you go on a long camping trip.  I loved our campground, but the coin machine was broken and they ran out of quarters in the store so after a mad scramble that included making change with a neighbor camper, I finally had $9 in quarters to do three loads of wash and two dry cycles.After they got back I was getting cabin fever so I decided to take the free bus into downtown Bar Harbor and walk around ALONE!!!  This gave me a chance to enjoy the stores and pick up some souvenirs.  Jay and the girls drove down and we finished up the day enjoying the shops and then having dinner at a restaurant our rock-climbing guide had suggested.  If you are ever in Bar Harbor, make sure to eat at Café This Way.  It was delish and yes I had another lobster roll.In perusing the “thing to do” newspaper, Jay stumbled across an ad for a magic show.  After some research we decided it would be fun for the girls.  Moscow Mike is an amazing magic show and with only room for 50 people it was an intimate setting with some incredible magic.  They girls loved it!

Fishing fun

Downtown enjoying the shops


Lobster roll #3, the st test!

Day 8 Rock Climbing in Acadia

One of the activities Jay found in researching Acadia, was rock climbing against a backdrop of the ocean.  We booked with Atlantic Climbing School, which had amazing reviews.  All the reviews were spot on because it was a wonderful experience.  

After checking in and gathering our gear, we headed out with our guide, Dane.  The first climb was at Otter Cliffs and I will say that I just about had a mini meltdown.  I had my pack on along with the harness and helmet and didn’t realize I would be navigating a rock path, so I was a little grouchy about the carrying all the weight.  Jay and our guide had packs on too, so unless I passed it off to one of the girls, I was stuck.  Thankfully once we reached our destination I was able to take it off and regain some of my joy.

For the first climb, we decided to let Georgia go first.  In hindsight, this was not a good idea.  Once she got to the top and looked down there was no way she was going to sit back in a “chair” position and walk down backwards.  Let’s just say we waited a long time before the next person got to climb!  Eventually our guide went up and rigged it up so he could repel down alongside her and she made it safely to where we were waiting.  Katie Jo went next, then mom and lastly dad.  

After that first climb we made our way over to the cliff side to repel down to the ocean and then climb back up.  While one person was climbing the other three had to be locked in so we could sit on the edge and watch without falling off.  Katie Jo went first and she was very brave to repel herself down.  You are basically feeding the rope through your own hands to be lowered, and if you let go completely there is a locking mechanism, but still it’s a little disconcerting.  While KJ was taking her turn, G kept telling me she wasn’t going to climb any more and I told her that was OK.  Well, by the the time KJ made it back to the top, G changed her mind and I was so proud of her for repelling herself down and climbing back up like a pro.  Jay and I had our turn and then it was time for lunch.

After lunch our guide suggested scrapping the last climb for a trail called the Beehive Trail.  He said it would be fun for the girls since there would be lots of “scrambles” to navigate.  It turned out to be a great idea and it was fun to “scramble” to the top and take in the views.  Great end to a active day!  We also found some wild blueberries to enjoy at the top!

Little G climbing her way to the top.

Next was Katie Jo.



Then mom


And finally Dad.


Getting ready for climb number 2.
























After a long day, it was nice to come back and RELAX!