Swimming: Acadia's Beaches and Ponds

From Lisa Gollin Evans's "An Outdoor Family Guide to Acadia National Park," pp. 52-53:

Sand Beach is Acadia's only stretch of sandy ocean beach. ... On Park Loop Road, 0.3 miles after park entrance station [on the east side of Mount Desert]
Seal Harbor Town Beach. This rocky beach offers changing rooms, rest rooms, and a float just offshore at high tide. a delightful lobster shack is just a short walk away at the scenic Seal Harbor Town Pier. At Seal Harbor, off Route 3.
Echo Lake Beach is an excellent place to take young children for a real swim. Children love the temperate water and sandy beach. The only drawback is the crowds -- the large parking lot is often filled to capacity by 11:00 a.m. ... At the south end of Echo Lake, off Route 102, about 3.6 miles south of Somesville.

Boat Rentals in and around Southwest Harbor

From Lisa Gollin Evans's "An Outdoor Family Guide to Acadia National Park," p. 47:

- King Camping Supplies. Full-day or half-day canoe and car carrier rentals. Adjacent to Seawall Campground on Route 102, Seawall Road, Manset (207-244-7006)
- Mansell Boat Company. Rents canoes, keel sailboats, and powerboats. Sailing lessons available. Located at Hinckley Yacht Yard, Southwest Harbor (207-244-5625)
- National Park Canoe Rental. Full-day and half-day canoe rentals conveniently located in Long Pond, the largest lake on the park. Put-in is directly across the street; no car transport is required. … Reservations recommended. Located on Route 102, directly across from the north end of Long Pond (207-244-5854).

The Islesford Historical Museum

From Lisa Gollin Evans's "An Outdoor Family Guide to Acadia National Park," p. 45: "Islesford Historical Museum quaintly illustrates the lives of early settlers of the Cranberry Isles and their seafaring culture through annotated displays of historical artifacts. Free admission."

Trip to Maine, Part 3

Saturday was our only full day on the island and we were determined to make the most of it. Around 7 am, Amy got up and took Martin down to the Sand Beach for a bit. At 8 am we were supposed to meet with Dan and Cynthia to go over the menu. Cynthia wasn't feeling well, unfortunately, so instead we took a walk into town. Town? That's really overstating it. There's a church, a post office, a meeting hall, a bed and breakfast, and that's about it. So we went to the church and saw it for the first time fully opened up. It looks great. Very New England. On the outside, unfortunately, they're still doing some work on the steeple, but Dan assured us the remaining scaffolding will be gone by next month.


Across the street Amy got us some coffee and bought some stamps to use for thank you cards. If you have any stamp needs this summer, it would be really nice if you bought them from the Islesford post office. Funnily enough, their stamp business is a major source of town income! At the post office we ran into Ashley Bryan, who may be the town's most famous resident. For any of you with kids, I encourage you to pick up one of Mr. Bryan's books. Say, "Ashley Bryan's African Tales, Uh-Huh."

With our coffee we sat down and addressed some postcards and dropped those off. Then Amy stopped at the bed and breakfast to check on something for her Dad.

By then it was time to go meet with Dan at the restaurant. I think the food we picked out is going to be a huge hit. One thing I'm especially looking forward to is the raw bar. Unfortunately, there's no guarantee we'll be able to get oysters the week of the wedding. This is because the restaurant only buys local. All in all a sound policy, but we'll just have to keep our fingers crossed.

By now we were struggling to catch the 11 am ferry, but still dropped in at Marian Baker's pottery for a minute to say hi, while Amy checked out some flower arrangement stuff. Oh, and we drove up to Karen Smallwood's house and had a five-minute consultation on our wedding cake!

Up to Northeast Harbor, over to Southwest Harbor we went. We barely caught Gail the florist to drop off a vase and then over to the Marine store to pick up a new GPS antenna for Dan. And with that, our hard work was basically done. We drove the long way around the quiet side of the island to visit Bass Harbor (a town neither of us had been to), then we made our way to the Knox Road Grille at the Atlantic Brewery.


For those of you reading our invitation closely, you'll know this is where we're meeting Friday night for drinks. And bbq, should you so desire. For $17, they had all-you-can-eat barbecue (pork ribs, chicken, pulled pork, sausage, listed in my order of preference). Amy reports the veggie burger is also legitimately good. The main thing, though, is if the weather holds, it will be an excellent and mellow atmosphere and a perfect place to welcome people to the wedding.

Doug, the pitmaster/proprietor, suggested we arrange transportation between Southwest Harbor and the barbecue so people can more fully enjoy the Brewery's varied and award-winning offerings. So off to Bar Harbor we went! There we stopped at an ice cream shop that's also home to Oli's Trolleys. It's not finalized yet, but we are working on getting a trolley or two for people on Friday night. While Amy was inside haggling over details, I walked Martin over to the harbor. As obsessed as she can be with the frisbee, she's more obsessed with the water, so while we were taking in the view, Martin... jumped in. Nearly bringing me in with her since we were attached by leash. Bad dog.

This report is becoming tedious, but there's still more to tell you about. Two spas, one in Trenton (across from Bar Harbor airport), one back in Northeast Harbor. Between the two Amy and I debated when she'll have time to get her pedicures--with no resolution yet.

We still had some time before the 6:00 ferry so we shopped around for some insect repellent to give to people. I'm allergic to mosquito bites, so this insect repellent thing is a major preoccupation of mine. I carry OFF around with me at all times.


When we finally made it back to Little Cranberry, our energy was understandably ebbing (well, except for Martin, who jumped back in the water below the dock), but we managed to find it in ourselves to go meet with Christina Spurling back at the church, who is going to be playing piano and/or organ at the wedding ceremony. She's very good, and we were kind of abashed because we didn't give her much guidance as to what we wanted. That explains why at this very moment I'm listening to a bunch of organ music I scrounged up from iTunes, hoping to find something we like and she can play for us.

Alright, I'm tired now just writing this, so here's the rest: emails with Darin about the sound system, dinner with Dan and Cynthia and Leslie, picking wines for the reception, back to the house, sleep!

Wendell Gilley Museum in Southwest Harbor

From Lisa Gollin Evans's "An Outdoor Family Guide to Acadia National Park," p. 45: "Wendell Gilley Museum features intricate wooden bird carvings by the master Wendell Gilley in a beautiful building. Children enjoy the live carving demonstrations. Located on Route 102 in Southwest Harbor. Open Thursday through Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission fee (207-244-7555)."

Lobsters in Bar Harbor

The Washington Post Travel Q&A recently answered a question on where to get the best lobster in Bar Harbor. These are sound choices:

I'm looking for seafood restaurants in Bar Harbor, Maine. Lobster is at the top of our list.

Gail Heimes, Middletown

Lobster is the king crustacean in Bar Harbor. Hard-shell lobsters are available year-round, whereas soft-shell lobsters, known for their sweeter meat, are in season July through September. Bar Harbor restaurants also prepare other creatures of the sea and shore. Here are some local faves:

* At the Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound (1237 Bar Harbor Rd., Trenton, 207-667-2977), pick your own lobster, then watch it boil in ocean water on an outdoor wood-fire cooker. Leave room for sides and pie.

* Galyn's (17 Main St., 207-288-9706), which overlooks the harbor, dresses up its seafood -- though you can also get your lobster plain-old boiled.

* Sample Down East cuisine at the Rinehart Dining Pavilion (50 Eden St., 207-288-5663), on the grounds of Fairview, the former summer estate of mystery writer Mary Roberts Rinehart.

* The Jordan Pond House (Park Loop Road, 207-276-3316) is the only restaurant in Acadia National Park. Stop by for afternoon tea with popovers and jam.

* Jordan's Restaurant (80 Cottage St., 207-288-3586) cooks breakfast into the next mealtime. Try anything smothered in blueberries, such as the pancakes.

* At Tapley's Variety and Grill (317 Main St., 207-288-8185), share breakfast with lobstermen before they head out to sea.

Keeping up with developments

We've made a couple small changes to the website. New photos for Tim, Andrew, and Shook, plus we've confirmed that Amy's cousin Lisa is bringing Caroline and Lauren, and Elaine is bringing Joseph and Melanie. We're psyched to have a younger generation there with us!

Back From Oklahoma

The bride and groom and co. got back from Oklahoma yesterday from a visit that was alternatively vigorous, hilarious, contemplative, refreshing, and all around worthwhile. Immediately upon return they enjoyed lunch with three of their wedding guests, Tim, Andrew, and Jennifer. Thanks to all of you who came out to celebrate with us!

Blueberry Picking on Mount Desert Island

From Lisa Gollin Evans's "An Outdoor Family Guide to Acadia National Park," p. 45:

In August, scrumptious blueberries grace nearly every trail in Acadia. Nevertheless, if you want to pick berries in large quantities 9and help your kids bake their first blueberry pie), you will want to go to a commercial picking location. On Mount Desert Island, you can reach such a field by driving south from Somesville on Route 102 about 4.5 miles to Seal Cove Road on the right. Turn right and drive west 0.6 miles until you reach Long Pond Road. Turn right and drive north about 1 mile, watching for signs advertising berry picking. Rates are reasonable and by mid-August the berries are delicious!

The Oceanarium in Southwest Harbor

From Lisa Gollin Evans's "An Outdoor Family Guide to Acadia National Park," p. 44: "The Oceanarium / Southwest Harbor offers wonderful hands-on exploring the sea life of coastal Maine. Touch, smell, listen, and learn amid a wealth of interactive exhibits, including twenty tanks filled with sea creatures. Located on Clark Point Road in Southwest Harbor, between the Coast Guard Base and Beal's Lobster Wharf. Admission fee (207-244-7555)."

McCrackens in the News

I don't know how related we are, but PC World EIC Harry McCracken is in the news... for resigning (on principle) from PC World:

Colleagues at my former outlet, PC World magazine, have told me that Editor-in-Chief Harry McCracken quit abruptly today because the company's new CEO, Colin Crawford, tried to kill a story about Apple and Steve Jobs.

The piece, a whimsical article titled "Ten Things We Hate About Apple," was still in draft form when Crawford killed it. McCracken said no way and walked after Crawford refused to compromise. Apparently Crawford also told editors that product reviews in the magazine were too critical of vendors, especially ones who advertise in the magazine, and that they had to start being nicer to advertisers.

Good for him. Oh, and while we're here, "Wordsmithing, by the way, runs in McCracken's family. His sister is novelist Elizabeth McCracken."

Wired Blogs via Gawker.

Bike Rentals in Southwest Harbor

From Lisa Gollin Evans's "An Outdoor Family Guide to Acadia National Park," p. 45: "Southwest Cycle rents children's bikes, child seats, and child trailers." On 370 Main Street, Southwest Harbor (207-244-5856). From the Southwest Cycle website:

For a change of pace, ride right out of Southwest Cycle to the town dock and take your bike on the ferry to Cranberry Island. Flat roads with little traffic make this ideal for families. Take a picnic, visit the beach and make a day of it.

February 5, 2007

People are getting their save the date cards and making inquiries. Over the next couple of days, we'll be adding those of you who have booked rooms to the guestbook, and updating hotel information (particularly as to kid-friendly locations).