As we settled in to our two weeks at Hadley Point Campground in Bar Harbor, ME we were happy to have a spacious green space on our patio side. This stop included a few days with Mike's sister and Brother-in-law, Mike's niece and Steve and Linda who traveled down with us from Eastport.
The weather continued to be uncooperative at times, with rain showers mixed with cloudy then sunny days. It was a mixed bag. After hanging out and catching up wit the fam, we decided our first outing would be to see the sunrise at Cadillac Mountain with our coveted entrance reservation.
A few of us braved the 3am wake up call and drive up the mountain to enjoy the gorgeous sunrise. The few clouds provides a beautiful kaleidoscope of color as we moved from dark to light. We came back had breakfast a took a little nap to make up for the early reveille. We enjoyed a cocktail sunset cruise on the harbor afterwards caught dinner at the The Thirsty Whale on our way home.
The next day Mike and I took off with his niece Kym for a hike in Acadia. I am an easy to easy/moderate trail hiker. Mike and Kym agreed to hike to my "lower" level so I could join them. We explored the Otter Rock Trail and took in the gorgeous bay views. We then headed to our second hike of the morning towards Bubble Rock Trail on James Pond trail.
The beginning of the trail leisurely rounded the James Pond and then we took an offshoot trail that began to ascend up on a rocky trail to larger and more significant boulder scrambling. At a certain point, I decided this trail had probably surpassed my rock climbing capabilities. I said I would wait for them at this point in the trail and catch them on the descent.
It was shady and cool where I waited. I waited a bit. Several people passed me on their way up. Some looked way more capable and fit than me, others not so much. A small group on their way up encouraged me to continue to the climb as the "money shot" view was just a bit further up the trail. I bent to the peer pressure and figured if these people can do it, so can I. I knew I would pass Mike and Kym at some point so I started up with this small group of "influencers". As we climbed, my comfort level was not improving. We encountered another person, resting, contemplating the way down was the same as the way up. Not comforting. My group then said that there was a way back down that was longer but not via the boulders we had just climbed. That bolstered us both and she joined our merry band of misfits.
While the group that encouraged us stopped for a rest, I continued on with my new climbing friend Alaina to get to the top. The climbing got harder and harder as we ascended. Without the help of a couple of fellow climbers we would not have made it. We did make it though, all the way to the top where we ran into a very surprised Mike and Kym. They were heading back down the way we had just come up. That was a hard pass for me. So we agreed that I would continue on the longer, flatter route back with Alaina and take the shuttle bus back from the park. In retrospect the whole thing was kind of crazy, but it all worked out and I felt like I had challenged myself in a good way.
That evening Kym, Lynn and I attended a Lumineers concert in Bangor. The traffic was terrible on the way there, but the concert venue outside was beautiful and the weather was perfect for the concert.
Kym, Lynn and I also took a nighttime ghost tour of Bar Harbor. The tour was held rain or shine and of course it rained. The weather made it appropriately eerie and an enjoyable tour with an interesting host who was possibly the Ghost of Bob Ross himself. You decide.
The week with the family flew by. As always, there was a lot of sarcasm and comedy with this crew. We had one last dinner with Mike's sister and her husband at McKay's and afterwards did a taste test of the proposed two best ice cream stores in Bar Harbor. Winner: Mt. Desert Ice Cream, hands down.
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