DEAR MAINE, WE LOVE YOU.

we know. it's been far too long since the last post but if you had ANY idea how many images i had to sort through from our bar harbor jaunt you'd take pity. where to even start?

maine is one gorgeous, wild place. it's the kind of place that just oozes fresh air, nature, crisp evenings in front of a fire and blueberries just picked that morning. (it's also the kind of place where cell signals can be awfully lousy, but let's not dwell on the negative.) our first trip to bar harbor did not disappoint, even though we had some issues with the local KOA where we were staying.

let me start by saying that this campground, location wise, can't be beat. if you choose to stay on the oceanside part of the campground (and really, why wouldn't you?) you're in for a treat. gorgeous sunsets and ocean breezes are plentiful and the sites feel spacious.

seriously? seriously.

afternoon delight.

we had some major issues with the wifi and after getting into a pretty heated verbal stand-off with the manager (who stated that just because they offer it doesn't mean they guarantee it will work, to which i responded you might as well offer water to the thirsty but not guarantee it's drinkable) it seemed to resolve itself the next day. odd, yes? we knew better than to depend on a campground's wifi and always carry a verizon aircard to keep us connected, but even that was kind of useless in our location. poor richard spent a few work days in the next town over (and when i say next town over, i mean in his truck...in a mcdonald's parking lot...in the next town over) in order to have dependable internet/cell service. umm yeah. not great. but part of life on the road is learning to adapt and just make it work.

we dined at local lobster pounds, bought blueberries from roadside stands, went for bike rides on country roads and gawked over the beauty of acadia national park...and speaking of acadia....OH, ACADIA! seriously one of the most striking, beautiful places we have ever seen. it's a dynamic place filled with cliffs, ocean and mountain and at almost every turn there was another amazing sight to behold. if you don't believe that national parks are vitally important to this country, i invite you to spend a day inside a place like this and i double dog dare you to not leave feeling refreshed, inspired and thankful that we live in a country that has so much natural beauty to offer, and that these lands are preserved for everyone to enjoy.

blueberries make it better.

the road to the summit of cadillac mountain,
the highest peak on the eastern seaboard.

magoo. happy.

ocean meets mountain.

we stopped at the famous jordan pond house for popovers and strawberry jam, which is kind of a century-old tradition dating back to victorian days and a must-do when visiting acadia. after a day of walking and seeing the sights atop the summit of cadillac mountain those popovers were delish. so was the blueberry cobbler. gaaaaaaahh. we also made a breakfast stop at the ever popular jordan's restaurant (no relation to jordan pond house) and ordered what you're supposed to order: blueberry pancakes, of course. they were delicious as promised. i'm pretty sure i'm rockin' some good antioxidant levels because i sure did eat me some blueberries. so what if sometimes they accompanied ice cream and cobbler. don't judge.

i'm a believer. 

pretty dang good with pancakes. extra lap on the bike. 

fascinating fact about acadia and your history lesson for the day: at the turn of the century when all of the richy riches (rockefeller, henry ford & family and assorted oil and business tycoons) vacationed in their maine summer "cottages", much of the land that is now acadia was in development. philanthropist john d. rockefeller realized the importance of solace and retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city, and constructed an interior system of carriage roads that were off-limits to the automobile, despite this newly invented luxury being a more efficient and high-class way of travel. throughout the park, these carriage roads still exist and are only open to horses, bikers and hikers. we suspect bears and moose use them too, although we didn't encounter any. regardless, a concept ahead of its time.

lovely old bridges everywhere in acadia.

there are so many pictures to share from this leg of our airstream adventure, so i'll quit tapping the keys and let a few more images speak for themselves. enjoy.

atop cadillac mountain.

only in maine. and salmonella free!

if it comes from the sea, it's for me. dinner time!

mt. desert island ginger...local brew.

another end to a gorgeous day.

country roads.

boy scout at play.

home sweet home.