We Want Poutine!

Had a much better sleep despite waking up at 4:40am.  Cadillac Mountain is the highest peak in the area and the first place on the continental US to see the sunrise.  We got on the road by 5 and were at the peak at about 5:30.  I felt kind of bad for the rangers who have to get up every day to scan the tickets.

Lots of people there, probably 100 parking spaces so like 200 people.  You can go for free if you bike or walk which we saw some doing, bjt man thats gotta be tough.  It was chilly, about 55, but the wind was so strong it felt way colder.  People huddled in blankets trying to stay warm.  

In the end the sunrise was very pretty, and its a great outlook.  I was also happy people didnt applaud the sunrise.  I call that a win.  We scuttled out shortly after.

Since we hadnt done too much in the park yesterday due to the tire snafu, I wanted to go on one of the better known hikes before the park got too crowded.

The Beehive trail is a 1.6 mile trail, but .3 of it is almost completely vertical.  It has metal rungs at point to...keep you from falling.  I am not a fan of heighfs but got through it by ignoring the part to the right.  I took a few pics but also not a ton because I didnt want my phone dropping off either, makes me nervous...

I started it at around 7, got up to the top at 7:20.  There were some groups in front and behind me left decent space.  There were a couple times I would catch up, but would take that time for a breather.  As I was leaving crowds were getting bigger.  When I got back to the parking lot where Sarah was taking a nap, there was a line of cars waiting to get spots as people left, nonstop groups going to the trail.  Very happy we got there early.

We drove back and packed up our camp and headed out.  About a half hour out I realized I was too tired to drive.  We stopped at a walmart and I slept for an hour.  Then grabbed a couple supplies and left.

2.5 hours through that part of Maine looks like mostly trees and hills.  The leaves are changing though and its pretty. 

At the New Brunswick border we stopped to show our passports and not get banned from entry.  Standard stuff "What are you doing here?", "What do you do for work?".  At some point I think he asked why we wanted to go now and Sarah said "Because we want Poutine!".  Apparently good enough it got the mildest border guard smile and he waved us in. 

Another hour in and we're at Saint Martin's.  We drove through St John, and it seems like a neat shipping/industrial city.  Pretty big.  St Martins is small and just before the next national park Fundy.  The bed and breakfast were at is very cute.  We had dinner at a restaraunt  nearby Coastal Tides.  Just wanted to eat quick but we DID get poutine and realize everyone here pronounces it poo-tin instead of poo-teen.  Also got seafood CHOWDAH which was ok.  But good for setting up further exploration of CHOWDAH, something to comoare others too.  Sarah had chicken strips.

Weird bath shower hookup here but we got clean which feels wonderful after 2 nighfs campin.  Just relaxing and going to bed soon.

So TIREd...

I'll try and make this post shorter as its late and was a lomg day.

It rained almost non stop last night.  We woke up a lot to it and finally at around 5:30 am.  Went for a drive on the scenic loop and the fog was so dense we couldnt see anything.  Along the way an alert came on for low tire pressure.  So back at town aired up and got coffee.  It started to clear up amd we felt better after the coffee so we got back on the loop.

I parked at a trailhead amd as i left the car i heard a faint hissing.  I looked under and there was a bubble on the tire.  Pjt my finger on it, sure enough, a puncture causing the low pressure earlier.  Got back in , drove straight back to town on the loop and went to the shop.  The guy had 0 time and referred me further north on the island.  For those in the know ive had terrible luck with tires recently.

Drove out to Bobbs Auto, walked in, told him tge issue.  He got it in right away but no sitting room, we stood outside, other customers came in.

We stood there for 3 hours before they could get to it.  It was a nail.  I chatted with Bobb who was very interesting and native to Bar Harbor (or Bahh Habah with his accent) His family had been there generations and he talked about the big fiah (fire) of 47.  He had a cistomer who was a rockafelled, grandaughter to JD, been living there too for generations.

At any rate We got back on the loop again, and man what a difference a few hours makes.  It was now around 12:45 qnd it was packed.  Trailheads had cars filling the parking, people everywhere.  There were no parking spots at the visitor center.  Decided to drive to the west side of the island amd park where its less popular.  Good idea as we got to see a neat lighthouse and much less busy.

After we went back to bar harbor for dinner and for the stargazing boat tour wed signed up for.  Food was good irish chow and Paddys Pub.  Cruise was very nice but got chilly.  We got back just past 10 and were back in tent.  Got an early morning hope we sleep ok.

LOBSTAH!

 Woke up and had our hotel breakfast. Nothing to write to blogger about. As 10am rolled around i got ready to try and get a sunrise ticket for cadillac summit. I refreshed right at 10am, clicked checkout, got the ticket. Immediately after that they were sold out. Awesome.

We stopped at Walmart for the gear we needed (air mattress, blankets, pillows, water). After that we headed out on route 1 sort of along the coast. We didnt have plans for lunch but after seeing lobster after lobster advertised we stopped at one with a line. Red's Eats, which while waiting in like saw all their signs and wards proclaiming theg have the best, and a pic of Minnesota native Andrew Zimmer eating there. After about 30 minutes we got to the front and ordered the scallops and a lobster roll, and a Moxie soda. Its been a tradition of ours to start roadtrips with a special soda (in the past it was Surge and Bawls) and this seemed to fit the bill.  

Food came out pretty quick, massive amount of lobster you had to pick at before eating the sandwich as a sandwich. The scallops were the best we've had. They were fried and then we dipped them im butter, which does work in their favor. The Moxie soda was weird. It had a flavor like cola mixed with jagermeister. Very medicinal, rooty, sarsparilla type flavor. Not sure if id get again but it was cool

After that we headed for Acadia amd our campsite at Blackwoods Campground.  We stopped at a visitor center and got our pass and chatted with the rangers.  I mentioned I got the cadillac summit pass and he told us how lucky we were.  He said it was like winning a lottery.  Idk, just quick fingers and good timing 

The campsite is nice, no frills.  The ten were using is pretty small but fast to put together amd away.  We're a short walk from the restrooms but unfortjnately for Sarah there are a lot of very large spiders on the outside and inside.  Im on guard duty when she has to go (i walk ahead and lead her around the big webs in case they decide to all charge at her)

With the tent set up and mattres inflated wd drove into Bar Harbor for dinner.  It was hoppin.  Its downtown is a crisscross of roads all limed with little souvenir shops, ice cream, antiques, taverns (all serving and advertising lobster).  We took a couple pics, got some donuts for breakfast tomorrow, and had dinner at the Thirsty Whale.  Was ok had a weird thing with a steak where Sarah got the surf and turf, they had just added it.  Steak way overcooked, remade but was devoid of seasoning, pre cut, and oddly wet.  Her meal was refunded :/

Right now were back at the tent, its raining pretty hard at.  Sarahs in some of the blankets already out (at 9) and im in the last blanket but just starting to get chilly.  Might need more...