Prior to my visit to Acadia I had never even heard of the park. It was the early 1970's and my husband and I were on our way to the Gaspe Peninsula on the eastern tip of Quebec, Canada for a vacation. We drove through the Detroit-Windsor tunnel and without stopping headed to Toronto, our first stop, and then to Montreal and Quebec City.
Somewhere north of the state of Maine I yelled 'enough'. I got out our trusty Rand-McNally Road Atlas and looked for someplace else to go.
We came to a highway that would take us south through Maine to the Atlantic Coast and Bar Harbor.
When we arrived there, we discovered this gem of Acadia National Park. How could anything we would have seen in the Gaspe be any more beautiful?
Acadia was the first National Park created east of the Mississippi River. A big destination for summer tourists, it was now after Labor Day and the crowds were long gone. The weather was glorious. Sunny, even if a little cool.
And the views, did I mention the beautiful views? To this day I do not think there is any view anyplace better than looking out from Otter Cliff.
For a vacation that was not planned (and I love to plan out the details of my trips), this still is one of my most memorable. After several days we left Maine and drove back to Detroit through Massachusetts and New York, crossing back into Canada at Buffalo. The return trip allowed us to see a whole new area of America we had not previously visited. I highly recommend it.
If you are planning a visit, also check out Acadiamagic.com.
A Big thanks to Arlee Bird for starting this challenge. I am sure it will be a lot of fun for everyone!!!
Places I've been: A is also for Ann Arbor, Michigan; Arizona; Athens, Greece; Australia; Austria
Wow! That view is beautiful. It's funny how we discover new things when we least expect it. :-)
ReplyDeleteAs a keen traveller I am always on the look out for different places to visit.
ReplyDeleteI hate to admit it but as an Australian, I don't know much about America. Of course, I had heard of Maine but I had to look it up on Google Maps to see where it is.
Your post just reminded me of a lovely vacation we had in Maine. The Acadia National Park was beautiful... Looking forward to the rest of your A - Z posts!
ReplyDeleteAcadia is indeed a beautiful spot. We almost bought property in that part of the world nearly 35 years ago, but the 100 acres of clear cut land with a falling down house that had been on the market for three years was sold just hours before we made our bid. We took it as an omen. Now we are retired, loosely defined, at the End of the Road. Hope you'll visit our A to Z.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea... places you never intended to visit... and did!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photo!
Patricia, Sugar & Spice & All Things ? Nice
My mother was from Brunswick, Maine, and while I have not been to Acadia I have certainly been along that coast. It is a beautiful part of the country for sure. One day I may go back there--you certainly sparked my interest!
ReplyDeleteHappy "A" Day!
tm
stunning---now i wanna come back and check out your "coconut cake" blog, i peeked at!!
ReplyDeleteLooks lovely. But I believe Gaspé Peninsula is also lovely.
ReplyDeleteJO ON FOOD, MY TRAVELS AND A SCENT OF CHOCOLATE