Day Three: Lighthouses, rocks, and shells

Our day began at 5am with the sunlight AGAIN. Evidently this early morning sunlight thing is an every day occurance. I somehow was fortunate enough to contract Amy's cold, so I was groggy in the morning and went back to bed for a short nap. That is the wonderful thing about having this cottage - if I need a nap there's plenty of space in the rest of the house or porch for Mark and Amy to relax in. It gives us so much flexibility! We finally got out on the road at 11:30 with a picnic lunch packed and ready. We decided to stay on this side of the island today and do a couple of the hikes along the coast. First we saw the Bass Harbor Lighthouse, which is one of the famous landmarks on the island. It is every bit as breathtaking as the travel pictures that drew us to this island.

Evidently, the rigors of lifesaving and lighthouse tending have lessened with the advent of technology, and lighthouse keepers now must manage pesky tourists to tend who do things like . . . walk on the grass . . .

In order to get the best photos, of course, you have to climb around on rocks - which is one of my favorite things in life. When I am too old to climb on rocks by myself, Amy is going to have to help me, because it is way too much fun to give up. At the visitor's center they had a sign that warned that most injuries in the park resulted from falls off of trails and rocks. We thought it was funny that the sign was made in such a way that they could replace the top ranked risk if there was, say, an invasion of zombies. But for today, falling off a rock seemed like a pretty good possibility.

After clamboring around on rocks and soaking up the picture perfect surroundings, we were starved. So we set off to a beachside picnic area down the road. Our picnic table was perfectly situated for a great view, but the cool ocean breeze made our teeth chatter.

No beach lunch would be complete without a seagull for company. Fortunately, only one was brave enough to sidle up. We are continually amazed on this trip to find beautiful places so uncrowded. Evidently we are just a few weeks ahead of the crowds as Acadia is normally one of the most visited parks in the country . It is common not to be able to find parking spots at places like this one, or to have to ride the park's bus system to get around. This is why we love May vacations!

After lunch we spend a good hour or so beach combing and peering into tidal pools. It is one of my most favorite things, and I was glad that my cold didn't slow me down. Mark is not much of a beach comber, but found plenty to do while Amy and I rock hopped and compared treasures.

 This cormorant was either drying his feathers or trying to impress someone.

But she didn't seem impressed.

The water was crystal clear - something I'm not used to with the Pacific. I don't know if it's just this part of the Atlantic, the season, or what, but everything was clear and clean. Not even much beach trash to speak of. Very different from the California beaches of my youth. There were shells at the beach today, most in the process of slowly being beaten into sand.

Once we had explored the entire coastline, we packed it in to explore a few other short hikes out to other rocky points. The basic ingredients of rock, pine, and surf can be combined in endless ways, evidently.

On the way back to the cottage we stopped for ice cream in a small town, and spied the local library. From the outside, it is a cute little village library. Do not be fooled. It was bigger on the inside than on the outside, and they even have a foundation. I left jealous.

This evening we had a full dinner of steak and baked potatoes on the porch, followed by a fire and s'mores, and topped off with a soak in the jacuzzi. Will I be relaxed at the end of this vacation? Yes. Will I ever come home? Stay tuned.

 Wait - whose pictures are these anyway? I would NEVER wear socks with my sandals. Mark, maybe, but not me!

 And yes, a flaming marshmellow on slow shutter speed is great entertainment.