NEW ENGLAND SEASCAPE

When the mornings start growing cooler and the first orange leaves emerge on those spindly branches overhanging the water, something starts calling me to Acadia National Park. Upon further reflection, I think Acadia, is the perfect way to combine my excitement for the upcoming fall season (leaves! pumpkins!) with my desire to hang onto every last square inch of summer (lobsters! lighthouses! the beach!). But on this trip, which I'd meticulously planned since the year before to take advantage of a great deal at the glamping resort I love, it was supposed to rain.

 

I'm a hardy creature. I lived in Alaska for a year and an Alaskan does not alter her plans for most rainstorms. But this one was different; it was supposed to absolutely pour for two days straight and anyone who knows Acadia's hikes knows that those iconic rock slabs get slick. And who wants to hike slick rocks for no views? The forecast wasn't budging, but neither was the resort's admittedly fair cancellation policy. Never having successfully internalized the lesson on sunk cost in my college economics classes, I decided that we should go anyways.

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The first day and a half, we were lucky enough to get the forecasted sun. We did some SUP in protected coves, biked the carriage roads, and hiked above the famous Jordan Pond. We enjoyed pumpkin pie s'mores roasted over our own personal fire pit and had a nightcap under the soaring wooden beans in the resort's main lodge. Then, as predicted, the rain began.

 

This was one of those rare times when the rain was just as bad as predicted.  But rather than staying inside, cooped up in our canvas glamping tent, we ventured out over the next two days to Sand Beach, enjoying the contrast of the grey, tumultuous ocean and moody fog against stunning fall foliage. And, even better, we took a trip to the less-visited side of Acadia National Park, the Schoodic Peninsula, where we photographed and enjoyed more misty, moody oceanscapes and followed it up with a cozy lobster lunch in Bar Harbor.

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While I'd be lying if I said I didn't love a bluebird day, what is more quintessentially New England seashore than this moody, unpredictable weather? The palette of inky blue, greys, and deep greens, to me, are as New England as it comes. And, if you're lucky, the fog and rain will lift, leaving you, on the morning you're set to leave, with an epic sunrise and undercast on the trip's final hike up Cadillac Mountain.

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-Ali

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Highlights:

• Hike the Bubbles Trail early for famous views over Jordan Pond and out towards the ocean

• Walk - don't drive - up Cadillac Mountain for sunrise; by hiking you can avoid the crowds by watching the show from one of the many ledges just shy of the summit

• SUP on one of many ponds and lakes around the park; just check the SUP regulations, as some ponds are used for public water supplies and swimming/SUP are prohibited

• Enjoy Salt & Steel's multi-course prix-fixe menu, my favorite spot in Bar Harbor for a nice dinner

• Lobster or the fish sandwich at Peekytoe Provisions are my go-to post-hike lunches in town

• Shop for goat chooses, fresh flowers, the most glorious tomatoes, and handmade pastas at the Bar Harbor Farmers Market at the Bar Harbor YMCA (Sundays)

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