Maine Vacation

For the past four summers we have planned July vacations to escape the Southern Indiana heat. On the way home from our trip last summer I started thinking about where we would go this summer. I threw out a few ideas to Adam, and we quickly decided on Maine. It sounded like a great vacation spot, and we could check another national park off of our list. 

We left a couple of days after the fourth, and we were ready to go. We had some crazy heat and humidity this summer so it was so nice to get out of here. 

Headed out on another adventure! 

I planned for us to drive around 12 hours the first day so our second day wouldn't be as long. In total it was around a 20 hour drive.  We made it to Syracuse, New York that evening with no problems. It ended up being a pretty good day in the car, which is always a good thing. 

Paige was psyched to lay in bed and order room service. 

The life of a teenager.... 

After a good night's sleep we were raring to go the next morning to get to our final destination. 

We loved driving through the Northeast. It was so pretty up that way. I have to say the best part were the "service stations." Instead of having random gas stations and restaurants along the way they had one stop service stations with everything you need. It was a gas station with a building that had multiple places to eat, restrooms, coffee shops, and a gift shop. We loved how convenient they were. 

We were also lucky enough to find a Chick fil a in Massachusetts. You don't see a lot of these in that area so we were sure to stop there for lunch. Paige and I sat outside to eat and enjoy the nice weather. 

After a long day of driving we finally made it to Maine! I loved the saying on their sign. It truly is the way life should be. Maine is a BEAUTIFUL state. 

Portland, ME is on the way to Bar Harbor, and I couldn't not stop at the Portland Head Light. I had seen this lighthouse on a few tv shows and had to see it for myself. 

It was beautiful. I wondered if it would really be worth it to go a little bit out of our way to stop to see it, but it was completely worth it. 

We had our first views of the coast here. There is nothing like it! I loved hearing the waves crash against the rocks. 

We took some time to climb around on the rocks and enjoy the view. 

We only stayed for about 45 minutes and headed out to our next destination. There was a few food trucks set up by the entrance so we stopped for coffee and whoopie pies. I didn't know whoopie pies were a thing in Maine, and this was our first of many that week. 

We finally made it to our final destination around 7:30 that evening. It had just rained so the mosquitos were out in full force so they filled up the car while we were unloading it. We were so tired so we unloaded the car and went to bed. 

We woke up to beautiful weather! I didn't have plans for that day so we could kind of regroup and recover from our long drive. 

I was so excited to see the seals!!

That morning it was low tide so we were able to climb around on the rocks and search for shells. I had never experience high and low tide so it was neat to see each day. 

There was no shortage of shells and rocks. It was amazing to see how many there were at low tide. There were also snails galore. I have never seen so many snails. 

These seals were the highlight of my trip. It was so cool to be able to observe them and their behaviors all week. The house we stayed in was pricey but totally worth it to be right on the water. 

After a very slow morning we headed out for lunch. I was told to eat lunch at The Chart Room and get a piece of blueberry pie so that's what we did. 

We were right by the entrance of Acadia so we stopped and got our passport books stamped and bought a few souvenirs. 

We went to downtown Bar Harbor to do a little shopping after, and this was our only trip to downtown. Adam had to drive around while we shopped, because there were no parking spots. I would have liked to have spent more time downtown, but it was just a little too crowded. 

There is nothing I love more than shopping for vacation souvenirs. I have become quite the expert. ;) 

The tide was at it's lowest when we got back so out we went for more rock climbing and exploring. 

Our home for the week... 223 Higgins Farm Road. This house was so charming.

I have never seen so much seaweed! 

Paige set up shop on the dining room table. She always has a spot on trips where she sets up all of her toys. The pile seems to grow through the week too. I'm not sure how that happens. Lol!

The plan for Sunday was to get up and get moving early so we could get to Acadia NP before the crowds. This family does not do early mornings, but somehow we were able to do this. 

We drove Park Loop Road and hit all the main sights along the way. 

First up was Sand Beach. I probably said beautiful a million times that day, but everything was so beautiful... the rocks...the trees...the waves hitting the sand. It was all gorgeous. 

I can still hear the sound of the waves. 

Thunder Hole was our next stop. You have to stop here at about two hours before high tide to get to hear the thunder sound that the water makes. We were not there at the right time, but it was still neat to see. There are droves of people at high tide at this spot. 

The next stop along Park Look Road is Otter Cliffs. We were there all by ourselves, and the views were gorgeous. I could have sat there all day enjoying it. 

Next stop... Jordan Pond 

Jordan Pond has a restaurant and gift shop. The restaurant is famous for their popovers. I would have loved to have tried one, but the restaurant books up months in advance. We did hit up the gift shop though. We love the national park gift shops, probably too much. 

Our last stop was Cadillac Mountain. You have to have a reservation to drive up there. Months in advance I made three or four random reservations since I wasn't sure when exactly we would go. It worked out perfectly that once we were done driving Park Loop Road we had a 10:00 reservation for Cadillac Mountain. 

The views were beautiful. We were overlooking Bar Harbor. 

Take me back!! The weather was perfection that day! 

We finished up Acadia by lunchtime and headed out. It was easy to see how busy it was getting so we finished up just in time. We loved spending our afternoon at the house watching the seals climbing on rocks, and relaxing. 

I sat out here for a good 30 minutes before anyone bothered me. ;) 

The sunsets were to die for!

Michigan Part 2

We did a little day trip to Mackinac Island since we were only 2.5 hours away. When I woke up that morning I wasn't sure it would be worth it, but I am sure glad we went. 

We used Shepler's ferry to get to the island. Mackinac doesn't allow cars. It only allows horse and buggy which is what makes it so quaint.  If you call a taxi, a horse and buggy will show up to pick you up. It's like something out of the old days. 

We went on a beautiful day. It was actually almost too warm for late May. Our carriage driver said it was the warmest day of the year so far. 

The Mighty Mac

Arriving to the island... It is seriously beautiful. 

I had a plan for the day, and luckily it all worked out. As soon as we got there we bought tickets for our carriage ride and had enough time to grab a quick lunch and do a little shopping. 

Modern day Paige in what looks like the old days. 

I loved seeing the horses. They are cared for by their carriage driver and are well loved. 

There were huge puddles like that all over the place. Lol! 

I figured a carriage ride was the fastest way to see as many things as possible on the island. We saw a lot and learned a lot as well. Next time, I would like to just walk around and see things myself. I saw a lot of shops I wanted to go in as we were driving by but didn't get to once the ride was over. 

The houses were so pretty, everything was so pretty on the island. I can't imagine living there. It would be a different lifestyle. 

The Mackinac Island Post Office 

They also have their own courthouse and police. I highly doubt there is much (or any) crime on the island. 

This church is apparently a popular place to get married. Our carriage driver said one day there were seven wedding in a row. 

There were two parts to the carriage ride. The second half was in the state park. The first half was a lot more scenic. I actually could have skipped the second part, but I wanted to see arch rock so on we went! 

The whole reason we went on the second half of the carriage ride was just to see this. Now that I have seen it from this angle, I'd like to see it from the bottom looking up next time. 

Once we were let off our carriage ride we walked down a hill to see the prettiest views. I can't explain how gorgeous Mackinac is. It almost doesn't even look real in these pictures. 

After some souvenir shopping and a starbucks run we headed back. 

Until next time Mackinac! Hopefully we will see you again next summer!

The final two days of our trip were rest days, and they were glorious! Some of us slept in which is a wonderful thing. 

We spent a lot of time out here enjoying the nice 70 degree weather and playing in the sand.  

This view never gets old. Michigan is a place I could visit over and over again and never get tired of it. 

Adam had his own sand castle building operation going. He sat out here for hours trying to figure out the best ratio of sand and water to make the perfect sand castle. I was laughing just watching him. 

After three hours of playing these are the sand castles he made. Impressive! ;) 

 I love this house so much, and the owner is awesome too! This is the third time we have stayed here, and it's been great everytime. We found it on a whim four or five years ago, and I am so glad we did. Maybe someday we can own a house like this and live there in the summers. I can't describe how wonderful it is. 

We spent seven glorious days at this house in Sutton's Bay. I am always sad to go home, because I never know when we will get to come back. I love this house and part of Michigan so much. Until next year, Michigan! I look forward to seeing you again. :)