With COVID still raging, we wanted to get out of the house and take a summer trip with the kids. Ever since our trip through the National Parks in Utah and Arizona last summer without the kids, we were thinking to visit Acadia, which was arguably billed as the nicest National Park on the east coast. It was about 8 hours a day by car, but we planned stops for the first and last days to break up the drive and make it more manageable for the boys. We left Shelly home with the nurse, and brought our grill from camping a few weeks before, and brought some food with us for the trip. It was a bit difficult to find a place to stay in Acadia, but we were able to find an Inn in Bar Harbor that worked perfectly for us. It even had a outdoor space (our room was on the ground level) allowing us to grill right outside our room.
Sunday – Southwick’s Zoo
Most of the day was spent driving up to Maine, but about halfway through we stopped at Southwick’s Zoo in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, it started to rain as we got there, but it never got too bad and we were able to enjoy it nonetheless. This zoo was a lot of fun for all of us, and granted us a ton of opportunities to get up and close with the animals. We got to pet all different animals, enter the parakeet enclosure, feed the giraffes (with their huge purple corkscrew tongues), and walk among the elk. This was a far cry away from zoos where you look at animals through glass or across a moat.
We made it to Acadia just in time for sunset!
Monday – Acadia
Park Loop Road – After starting off in the visitor’s center to pick up Junior Ranger books for the kids, we started our transit of Park Loop Road. This road is mostly one-way through many of the popular stops in Acadia. We stopped at Beaver Dam Pond (a pond with some dams built by beavers). We walked along the Ocean Path Trailhead, which is a trail that follows the road along some of the cliffs of the island. We stopped at Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, and Otter Point. The kids played in the rock beach at Little Hunter’s Beach.
Cadillac Mountain – Veering a bit off the Park Loop Road, we drove up to the summit of Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the island. We got great views all around. It’s recommended to visit at sunrise but we weren’t waking up that early!
Jordan Pond – Next, we doubled back to Jordan Pond. We stopped by the restaurant to try some of their famous popovers – a light fluffy dessert with jam. We then walked around the picturesque pond.
Bubble Rock Hike – For our first hike of the trip, we climbed the mountains to Bubble Rock. This huge boulder perched precariously above the cliff was a really cool site, and made for some fun pictures. We were very proud of the boys for hiking all the way to the top like champions.
Tuesday – Acadia
Seal Cove Auto Museum – The morning was a bit rainy, so we first stopped at this car museum. We saw a bunch of old cars, and learned about early auto production in the US. There was also a nice exhibit on the women’s suffrage movement.
Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse – As the weather cleared, we went to the picturesque Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse. After parking near the lighthouse itself, we took a short walk down to the shore and climbed the rocks to take some pictures against the lighthouse.
Wonderland Trail – This trail was mostly through the woods, which were a bit muddy from the rain earlier in the day. It ended off at the shore.
Bar Harbor Island – at low tide, twice a day, a land bridge appears in the water connecting Bar Harbor and the main island to Bar Island. We walked from the town across the beach picking up shells that were previously submerged and walked all the way across to Bar Island. The kids had a lot of fun finding crabs and playing in the puddles of water left behind.
Wednesday – Acadia and Portland ME
Echo Lake Beach – Our last day, we decided to spend the morning on the sandy beach along one of the lakes on the island.
Before leaving Acadia, we did some shopping in Bar Harbor and drove down to Portland.
Portland Head Lighthouse – Around sunset we made it to Portland Head Lighthouse where we watched the sunset against the ocean and the lighthouse. The boys loved climbing on the rocks.
Thursday – Old Sturbridge Village
On our way home, we stopped by Old Sturbridge Village in Connecticut. This living museum recreates a 18th century village. The kids interacted with the in-period people who showed how clothes were made, how to shoot a gun, a printing press, and a loom. We rode in a horse drawn carriage and walked through the village.
PEZ Factory – Before making it home, we stopped by the PEZ factory to see where the candy is made, and see all the cool PEZ dispensers and grab some to take home.
