Maine Vacation- Part 3

On our last day we went on an Acadian Nature Tour. We were originally supposed to go on Lulu's Lobster boat earlier in the week, but our tour was cancelled due to wind. I'm kind of glad it ended up working out like that. We had the best time on this tour and got to see lots of things. My favorite of course being the seals!

It was CHILLY that morning. We all had pants and jackets, except for poor Adam. Oops! 

Take me back!! :)

We planned to sit on top but ended up sitting on the bottom where there were less people. It was a good decision. We were able to move around freely, and I could easily take pictures. 

 We saw some beautiful views of Bar Harbor. I wish we would have been able to spend more time in downtown Bar Harbor, but it was just way too crowded. Isn't it just beautiful though? Maine is truly one of a kind. 

This is one of the hotels in Bar Harbor. Although I loved where we stayed, it might have been kind of nice to stay right in the middle of everything. Parking in Bar Harbor is scarce so this would have been really convenient. 

We rented binoculars on the boat which Paige made good use of. We also bought our fair share of snacks while on the tour. 

Headed out!!

The views of Acadia NP were gorgeous. I didn't know we would see Acadia from the water, but we saw a lot of pretty views. 

Look at all of those people! When we were at that spot no one was there since we were there so early. I can't believe the amount of people that visit these parks each year. They are becoming so popular! 

I loved seeing all of the fishing boats out in the water. If you look closely you can see the lobster in those cages. 

My favorite part of the entire trip though were of course the seals. They stole the show! We were able to sit and watch them for awhile. 

They seem pretty lazy. They were laying all over the rocks sunbathing. 

They were the highlight of my trip! 

On our way back we were lucky enough to see a bald eagle. She was watching her baby fly around. 

Later that afternoon it was low tide so we went out back of our rental house to explore one last time.  Adam made a friend with a bird. He sure loved the cheeto's Adam was throwing out. 

Paige spotted a crab...

She also found a sea star. She was so proud of herself for holding it. 

The following day we loaded up and headed out of Maine. I was sad to see our trip end. It was a great trip with lots of great memories made. I loved that area of the US so much. I can't wait to head up that way again someday. 

We drove twelve hours that day to make it to our halfway point which was Niagara Falls, NY. We stayed there for the night so we could go visit Niagara Falls in the morning. I was not impressed with the actual town of Niagara Falls. It was crowded, loud, and seemed dirty. It's hard to explain, but I would not stay there again. 

We were up and ready early the next morning to see Niagara Falls and finish the last leg of our trip. 

 

This was leading up to the falls, and we could start to see the rainbow. Off into the distance you can see the Canada side which is supposed to be much prettier. 

The actual falls were gorgeous and a site to see. I wish we could have stayed longer to explore. 

We were all tired and pictured out by this point. We spent a few minutes taking in the views and headed out. We were ready to get home. 

I am thankful for another great trip with the fam! There are so many things that could go wrong with a 20 hour road trip, but it went seamlessly. We saw a lot of new things and made a lot of wonderful memories that will last a lifetime. I can't wait for our next summer adventure (which I was planning in my head on the way home)! :) 

Maine Vacation- Part 2

On my list of things to do in Maine was a trip to the Schoodic Peninsula. It's a part of Acadia National Park but in a different area. It was supposed to have beautiful views, and I'm all about that! 

We headed out and drove about an hour to a town called Winter Harbor so we could eat lunch. We found the cutest cafe with good food but even better whoopie Pies. We ate our fair share of whoopie pies while we were in Maine. They were worth every last calorie. 

After lunch we hit up a five and dime store across the street. I picked out a coffee mug which has since become one of my favorites. We then headed over to the Schoodie District of Acadia. It was small but also quiet and less crowded than the other area. 

The views in Maine are so pretty with the water, trees, and rocks. I also loved seeing the lighthouses as well. 

We didn't stay at Schoodic very long. Although it was beautiful, there wasn't a ton of different stuff to see. That is my one and only complaint about Acadia.  It's a lot of rocks and water (which is beautiful). It is just very small and definitely doesn't offer as much as some other National Parks we have been to like Yellowstone. That is still a favorite for us. 

I loved seeing all the boats. This pictures makes me miss Maine so much. 

 

Once we left Schoodic we headed to a place called Tidal Falls where I had heard you could find Sea Stars at low tide. We planned it just right so we could get there at that time. It did not disappoint. Adam started turning over rocks and found some. I wasn't too keen on holding one, but finally worked up the nerve to do it. They felt very prickly and moved a bit while holding it. We only snapped a quick picture and put them right back in the water. I read they can only survive about five minutes outside of water. 

We got back to the house at low tide so we had to go climb around on the rocks. That was one of our favorite activities on this trip. 

Later that night Paige wanted to put on this dress and get a few pictures. This was one of two dresses I brought along for her for our family pictures. I wasn't sure which one she would wear, but we decided on the other one. I felt like this was the perfect dress for Maine since it has anchors on it. 

It's easy to see how much she loves vacation. 

The following day was a "rest" day. We needed one desperately. We had been going and going and needed a slow day. It was so nice! 

We were all so exhausted! Paige even slept in that morning which was nice. 

Adam took this picture of Paige while Ella and I ran to the next town to go to the grocery and McDonalds  It was nice to have a town with fast food and grocery stores so close. We have been on vacations in the past where none of this was accessible. 

I did a lot of wildlife watching that day, and I spotted a Maine Loon. 

I loved watching these guys too! They were the highlight of my trip! It is not everyday you get to see a seal right outside your back door. 

I heard some rustling while I was taking pictures on the deck, and this squirrel had come to visit. He was so cute! 

The following day the plan was family pictures at Acadia. I planned this months in advance and at the time it sounded like a great idea. Lol! I guess it wasn't a terrible idea, but it's a lot of work getting ready for family pictures. I had to coordinate outfits. Try finding a picky thirteen year old something that coordinates with the rest of the family. It was not easy. Then the actual getting ready part takes awhile too. It was an all afternoon event! 

Paige was raring to go. 

We drove to Little Hunters Beach in Acadia for our pictures. It was SO pretty. I am glad we were able to see it, because we missed it on our drive through a few days prior. The photographer we used was so nice and did such a good job. We are not an easy family to photograph since two of the four of us are not a fan of pictures. They turned out so good though. I guess it was worth it. :)

Once we finished our pictures we were able to relax and throw some rocks. I was able to breath a sigh of relief to survive another family photo session! Lol! 

The water was mesmerizing.