Heading back to New Hampshire

Tuesday, June 1 - After coming back from sunrise watch, going back to bed for a while, packing up, and heading back to Cafe This Way in Bar Harbor again for breakfast, we hit the road to head back to the White Mountains in New Hampshire. We felt like we got an extra day in there since we got up at 4am, did some sightseeing and went back to bed again!

Our destination today: The Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods, NH. Not quite a direct route from Bar Harbor, but god bless Google Maps on the iPhone for getting us there. Sandy was a bit skeptical about the route, since we were directed to get of the interstate and drive through small towns and country roads. But I assured her we should keep the faith, and after seeing some nice countryside and stopping at our 3rd outlet mall this trip, all was well.

Windy - and very early - sunrise

Tuesday, June 1 - We did it. We got up VERY early this morning in order to try to see the sunrise from Cadillac Mountain in Acadia. At 4:52am. And man, was it windy. When Sandy opened the car door, it almost took it off it's hinges, and she quickly shut it. "Oh my god!" It was a struggle just to walk up the steps to the top. See those two green lumps on the ground behind us? Those are people huddled inside sleeping bags waiting for the sun to come up. You can also see the motley crew of our crazy compatroits crazy enough to be on the top of the mountain in (probably) 50mph winds just to *maybe* see the sun rise through the clouds. That purple sack that guy is carring? A child.

We knew that the weather wasn't going to be as good as yesterday, but since it wasn't raining, we gave it a shot. And while it maybe wasn't the most beautiful sunrise, just a little bit of pink in the sky made it all worth while for Sandy.

At over 1500 feet, Cadillac Mountain is the highest point on the Atlantic Coast north of Rio de Janiero. But because it was so windy, it felt a lot higher than it was. We huddled behind a big rock for a while to get some shelter from the wind. It was also pretty funny to see this lone seagull try to battle the wind. Every time he took off, he stationary in mid-air. Sandy took a liking to this little guy, and while I'd gotten back in the car and turned on the heat, she stayed out in the windy cold

Acadia: Take 2

Monday, May 31 - After driving the Park Loop Road, we went back to town to rent bikes in order to spend a few hours riding on the carriage roads in the park.

The carriage roads and stone bridges are well known because they were built by John D. Rockefeller and donated to the park. Acadia is unusual because it's the only national park where the lands were donated by private citizens. Rockefeller was key in making that happen. Acadia was also the first national park east of the Mississippi.

Acadia National Park

Monday, May 31 - Ahhhh. It felt great to be back in a national park. Acadia is really beautiful, and it was a picture perfect day.

We started the day by driving the 27-mile Park Loop Road, which has amazing views of the coastline and rocky shore. We talked about trying to get up to watch the sunrise from Cadillac Mountain, but we weren't quite ready to get up for the 4:52am sunrise today. We'll try again tomorrow.

Best Breakfast Ever

Monday, May 31 - As Sandy knows, I'm always in search of the perfect breakfast. We came pretty darn close today at the Cafe This Way in Bar Harbor. Awesome breakfast burrito, great oatmeal and very tasty yogurt with cinnamon and honey. The last breakfast we had that was this good was last summer at a little place called the Capitol Reef Inn & Cafe outside the Capitol Reef National Park in Utah.

After breakfast and before heading into Acadia National Park, we took a quick walk around downtown Bar Harbor. Really nice, quaint town. It reminds me a lot of Harbor Springs near home in Michigan.

Which direction are we going?

Sunday, May 30 - On the way to Bar Harbor from Wiscasset we found ourselves on a road with three route numbers going three different directions. Is this possible?

Red's Eats

Sunday, May 30 - There was a big buildup to the visit to Red's Eats in Wiscasset, which is right on Route 1 by the water. First, our friend Lynn - a former Maine resident and current #1 booster - told us that we had to visit. Not only because they have the "best lobster roll in Maine," but also because our friend Wendy's uncle started it, and her cousins still run it. And, it's also featured in "Roadfood" with a "Worth Driving from Anyplace" rating. To top it off, when I told Derek, who I know through work, that I was going on a road trip through Maine, he said out of the blue, "there's this place in a little town called Wiscasset with the best lobster rolls..."

And so, it was meant to be. Everyone in the line (and we hear that there's always a line) was very friendly, and we struck up a conversation with our line neighbors about the Frontier Restaurant, another top 10 road food place in Albuquerque that we had been to last year. Margo and Joe were from Boston, and she was going to visit her daughter in Albuquerque next week. We ordered a lobster roll, fries and one of their famous Whoopie Pies, or as Sandy accidentally ordered it, a Whoopie Cushion. One of the reasons Red's lobster rolls are famous is because you get so much meat in them - over one whole lobster. This picture proves it.

Now, everyone who knows Sandy knows that she's a meat and potatoes girl, and the thought of a lobster meal is about as foreign a concept as a visit to Mars. In other words, it's such a foreign concept that it would never cross her mind, and if it was ever suggested, you'd hear a big "no, thank you." Well, as I tried to persuade, when in Rome... Or, for an analogy closer to our experience, when we were in the Southwest, we ate Mexican, so when we're in Maine, we have to at least try lobster. Ever the good sport, she agreed to a bite. And these photos document that it actually happened. (Although she didn't eat that whole piece.)

We ended up sharing a table with our new friends Joe and Margo, and had a great time sitting behind Red's by the water to eat. On our way out, we were lucky to catch Wendy's cousin Cindy, who is the owner with her sister Debbie. The whole operation is a family affair, and we also met Cindy's son Christopher, and her friend Jill. Everyone was so nice -- such a great experience. It completely lived up to all the hype. So, if you're ever near Wiscasset, you know what you need to do.

Mecca. In Maine.

Sunday, May 30 - Today marked a milestone in Sandy's life: A visit to the L.L. Bean mothership in Freeport. I think it was at the top of Sandy's list on places to go on this trip, and she was in heaven. It's also the most-visited location in Maine, so she is not alone. The whole town of Freeport has been transformed in to a quaint outlet mall, so needless to say, the credit cards were smoking...

Breakfast at Becky's

Sunday, May 30 - After a little run around Portland first thing in the morning, our next stop was widely-acclaimed -- by both friends and guidebooks -- Becky's Diner. (They also have a cute website.) The clientele is a mix of locals and tourists, and it's listed in the Road Food book with a rating of "Worth Planning a Day Around." And it was.

They had a sign posted that they are going to be closed one day next week since the Food Network was coming to film. Our server said that Guy Fieri was going to be there for his show Diner, Drive-ins and Dives. Keep your eye out for it.

Portland Old Port

Saturday, May 29 - We unloaded at the Portland Regency Hotel in the old armory, and headed out to explore the Old Port part of town. We put our name on the list to eat at a highly recommended restaurant called Fore Street, and then since we had over an hour to kill, we walked around Old Port. One of our first stops: one of our friend Lynn's old haunts: Gritty McDuff's. Sandy liked their seasonal "Vacationland" beer, probably more for the tap with the little car and camper on it than for the taste...

We then headed back to Fore Street, where we were hoping just to get a seat at the bar. We had called ahead earlier in the day to try to get a reservation, but the earliest available was at 10pm. So, we decided to try to just walk in. Since their walk-in list for the evening was full by the time we got there at 7:45, we put our name on the bar list. However, somone was looking out for us, and we actually got a table in the dining room.

A lot of their food is cooked in their wood-fired oven, which we had a good view of, since they have an open air kitchen. The dinner was amazing. I had halibut from Nova Scotia, and Sandy had local chicken. Both were fantastic. Sandy made a comment to our server about the oven being 1000 degrees, and she said yes -- it's actually 1000 degrees! No wonder we could feel it at our table. If you ever make it to Portland, you must eat at Fore Street.

Maine: 2nd New State

Saturday, May 29 - Gotta love a state that's only 18 miles long at the coast to help you feeling productive. The bridge to Maine is right on the edge of Portsmouth, NH, making it our 2nd new state in a day.

Anyone want to explain this sign that was at the Maine welcome center? It's a good rule to live by, but a sign at the rest stop?