Hiking in Acadia National Park

We spent yesterday walking along the Ocean Path, so today we thought we’d change things up a bit and do some real hiking. Hiking in Acadia is popular though, so don’t expect that you’ll be able to escape the crowds. We checked out 2 different trails. One for families (Bubble Rock). And one families should stay away from (The Beehive Trail).

Before I move on to hiking though… have you ever made oatmeal on a campfire? It is way better than oatmeal made in the microwave at home. Just thought I’d put that out there.

The Beehive Trail

The Beehive Trail was our first hike of the day. Sort of.  It starts near Sand Beach, but instead of looking for parking there, we parked along the road. But then we thought we better check out Thunder Hole again. It was roughly 2 hours before high tide, so we ran (power-walked) there. Still nothing. Ugh. So back to The Beehive Trail.

As you might notice in the sign below, The Beehive Trail is only 0.2 miles long. Can’t be that bad right? But it is strenuous, or at least labeled that way. First, the sign isn’t super clear. The loop is longer than 0.2 miles, but most of that is on The Bowl trail. The Bowl trail is fun and easy and great for families. A little ways down the path is where the Beehive Trail splits off, and then later on it will rejoin The Bowl. Second, The Beehive Trail is almost straight up the mountain.

Part way down the path, you will get to see what you are in for. See those people rock climbing in the picture below? Yep. We are about to join them.

If seeing the people climbing straight up the mountain didn’t scare you, maybe the warning sign you see next will. You read that right. “Falls on this mountain have resulted in serious injury and death.” But we pressed on. You only live once. Am I right?

Once we got past the signs and over the first iron rung bridge while gripping onto the rock cliff, I started to relax and really enjoy the hike. Or climb. Or whatever you call it. I felt like a child again playing on the jungle gym during recess. There were iron rungs to help you climb, and it was exhilarating. Not nearly as hard or frightening as I had anticipated. Perhaps it was because neither of us are afraid of heights. And, when you needed a break, you could stop at any time and take in the most beautiful views you have ever seen.

Somehow, we both managed to make it to the top of The Beehive Trail. Hurray! No one fell! No one died! And, we must not have been too slow on our adventure up because no one passed us! Another victory!

From the top you can see out forever in every direction. It is definitely worth the hike up.

The Bowl Trail

You aren’t advised to try to climb back down The Beehive Trail. Instead, you are directed down a more gentle path down the other side of the mountain.  You continue to see gorgeous views, and then you abruptly come to The Bowl. I hadn’t read up on this part of the hike, and I was expecting an empty round valley. Nope. The Bowl is a pond. Nisheet was wearing quick drying shorts, so he went swimming. I was not wearing anything suitable to swim in, so I sat on the rocks and had a picnic lunch. It was quite the merry time with everyone splashing about. Then we found out the truth. The pond is FULL of leeches…well at least the one that we saw. Gross, nasty, huge leeches. The pond was pretty, but I don’t advise swimming in it. Nisheet had a great time cooling off in the clear water though.

After The Bowl, the hike is pretty short back to Park Loop Road. I think you can also hike around the pond, but we skipped that part.

Jordan Pond

After hiking The Beehive Trail, we were ready to treat ourselves with popovers. So, we headed to Jordan Pond to try again. We were seated instantly by a teenage girl with serious attitude problems. There were several open tables of the same size, so when she sat us the furthest from the water view as possible, we kindly asked if could be seated at a closer table. She gave us a disgusted look and told us we would have to carry the menus over there ourselves. Ok. Whatever.

Our new waitress was much more friendly. We both ordered popovers, I had a hot tea, and Nisheet had a blueberry lemonade. It took forever to bring out popovers and drinks. And then our waitress brought it out with a large group’s order. That wouldn’t have been a problem except that after serving their entrees, she had the group pass around a basket of popovers. They all got a chance to touch the food and select theirs. Then, we got the left overs from that table. And, she didn’t bring milk or sugar for my tea. I know this isn’t England, but still. Milk wasn’t brought out for my tea until she brought out her next big order and served that entire table.

It might be a lovely idea to have tea and popovers on the lawn overlooking Jordan Pond, but maybe you should skip it. It definitely doesn’t rate high in my books. The setting is cute but the food and service is lacking.

Even though I’d avoid the restaurant, you should still check out the area. I highly recommend walking to the back of the restaurant, and sitting in one of the lawn chairs. You’ll get an amazing view of Jordan Pond. And, there is also a wild blueberry patch that kids love running around in. It’s a great place to sit back and enjoy the sunshine.

Bubble Rock

Since there was still a fair amount of daylight left, we decided to try one more short hike. Bubble Rock. The parking lot is absolutely tiny, but Nisheet always has good luck. As soon as we pulled into the lot, someone was pulling out of their spot. Score!

The hike up is easy and short. However, the trail can be rocky at times. So just be warned in case you were looking for a smooth path.

We got a little confused when we got to the top of the mountain. Where was the bubble rock? I think there might have been a missing sign or paint marker. We eventually found it though after walking around for a bit. It’s really cool too. It is a gigantic rock perched on the edge of the mountain. It looks like it only needs a gentle tap to go crashing down. But, as hard as you might try, it won’t budge.

Thurston’s Lobster Pound

All the hiking during the day had us hungry. And, since this was also our last night in Maine, we decided to do it right with a Lobster feast. A park ranger we met earlier told us the best lobster dinner around was at Thurston’s Lobster Pound in Bernard. It is roughly a 40 minute drive from Bubble Rock and away from most of the Acadia lodging. Meaning, it was over on the same side of the island as our campground. Because of the location and seeing that we wouldn’t get there until 8pm, I was pretty sure the place would be empty. Boy was I wrong. There was a line out the door. They are prepared for lines though! They have bug spray and umbrellas for you to use. And, the views are incredible while you wait.

Thurston’s is the building with the yellow roof in the first picture below. 

When we finally made it inside, we saw what all the fuss was about. This was a legitimate local lobster restaurant. They have buckets of live lobsters right next to the cash register. You tell them what kind and size you want, then they help you pick one out. You get to meet it, make friends with it, and name it. Then they take it in the back and cook it!

Nisheet was determined to eat a whole lobster the proper Maine way. So, we ordered up a lobster, drinks, chips, and blueberry bread. I’m not sure what the fascination is with cracking open your own lobster though. You have to deal with eyes staring at you and guts dripping out. So, I ordered a lobster roll.

Once you order, you can sit anywhere you want. There are 3 sections. The bar, downstairs, and upstairs. The bar looked to be enclosed with plastic, but the other 2 sections were only screened in. So, definitely remember to grab your jacket if you come here at night! It can be chilly, especially if it’s a windy night.

Once we chose a seat, it wasn’t long before our food was brought out. They even gave Nisheet a plastic bib and instructions on how to eat his lobster. Everything was super delicious, but I think Nisheet now understands why I don’t order whole lobster. (We don’t make the best meat eaters…)  Also, I’m pretty sure that my lobster roll had more meat than Nisheet’s whole lobster. But, it was an experience that he will never forget, and there couldn’t have been a better place to try it!

Star Gazing

Since it was already dark when we arrived back at the campground, we first made a stop at the seawall. The sky was perfectly clear, it was pitch black, and the waves were crashing against the rocks. Could you ask for better star gazing? It rivaled the star gazing I did out in New Mexico last year. But, hearing the waves crash into rocks put this location over the top in my opinion. You could clearly see the milky way stretching from one horizon to the other. We also saw a bunch of shooting stars and brief twinkles of light caused by satellites reflecting the sunrays. Amazing! And, the perfect way to end our Maine vacation.