Saturday, June 9, 2012

The twenty-sixth luminous thing...

...fog and sun.

End of Bridge Street, looking to the island
Fog on a sunny morning really is luminous, it seems to glow and breathe and move with a sort of sentient consistency, but a tricky one, always out-maneuvering you, sneaking up from behind.

This morning we got up early to catch the low tide (6:30am) and walk across the sand bar to Bar Island, part of what gave Bar Harbor its name. There's about a four hour window where the sand bar is navigable. Bar Island is part of Acadia National Park, and the sand bar was a short walk from the b&b, starting at the end of Bridge Street.

Mom and I walked the island path as far as the old ruins, and then I walked on up to the summit.


Looking north towards Bangor from the sand bar

Looking towards Bar Harbor, shrouded in fog


Bar Island

The far end of Bar Island and fishing boats moored overnight

Looking back towards Bridge Street

Bar Island (right) and Mt Desert Island (left), which is the island Bar Harbor is on

Bar Island and fishing boats from the sand bar, low tide goes out a long way

Some boats completely beached at low tide--you can see under the catamaran (tall mast)!

Island trail, Bar Island (Acadia National Park)

Looking from the trail into the harbor

More photos of lupines in the fog





Ruins of an old house



trail to the summit



Cadillac Mountain and boats in harbor from the summit of Bar Island




Me at summit--note summit cairn in the back left of photo




Summit cairn

Starting back--tall ship in Bar Harbor

Mom waiting for me at start of Island trail

Fog lifting for walk back, view across sand bar


Bar Harbor from sand bar

Mt Desert Island looking north, away from Bar Harbor

Looking back towards Bar Island



We walked from Bridge Street to Cafe This Way for breakfast

finding cafe this way



blueberry pancakes were so good I forgot to take a photo until halfway through!

Great bathroom photography

Back downtown we walked down towards the harbor, and captured the famous moose...


on top of a restaurant, we think he lights up

one of the porcupine islands
 We drove back to Sieur de Monts and the little museum and gardens there, inside Acadia National Park




Museum from outside, founded in 1929


authentically built wigwam, made of birch bark



white birch trees

spot the frog...



pitcher plants

nodding trillium



very small bog



We next drove around the main part of Mt Desert Island, over to the more authentic fishing villages of Seal Cove and Northeast Harbor. Shots below are of one of the working harbors.



We drove back to town and went to the larger part of the Abbe Museum, which was very nice. This room is the "Four Directions" room, built to symbolize the importance of the four directions to the local native american tribes.







An early dinner (steak!) and back to the b&b. Fog was again coming in, and some misty rain, and the chill that fog wraps around you. My room has a small balcony but I didn't get much chance to use it! We are suddenly tired and ready to go home....