Acadia Part 2

9-11 July 2026

Sand Beach

Sage and I got an early start to avoid the crowds and our first stop on the park loop road was Sand Beach. I was disappointed that dogs aren't allowed on the beach during peak summer season so we stopped on the stairs to take pictures.

Sage contemplating life

We stopped further up the road and walked out on the rocks to soak in the beauty

This girl will not look at the camera!

I love this rugged coastline. It's just quintessential Maine.

Rocky shore

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/1d6b2f_4af01996235f4f91860ce6efbba2d46e/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Thunder hole

I hope this video will play. I've never added one to my blog before. If not, it'll be on my FB and IG pages. Anyway, This is Thunder Hole. When the tide comes in and the waves slam into the hole in the rock it thunders. You can feel the ground shake too. Pretty impressive.

Path leading down to Otter Point Overlook

Sage and I took a stroll along the Ocean Path. The views of Otter Cove and the ocean were just amazing.

Otter Cove

It's hard to see in this picture but all those buoys in the water are lobster pots.

They're everywhere!

Ocean Path

Sage enjoying her walk along Ocean Path

Seagull at the back of Otter Cove. Notice the tide is going out

Heron waiting on a fish in Otter Cove

Stunning views everywhere you look

Path leading down to Little Hunters Beach

I came across this little cove and it looked intriguing so I pulled over and went to explore.

Little Hunters Beach

Oh my gosh! This was my favorite place in the whole park. I could've stayed here for hours. I don't know why this place spoke to my soul but it did. The beach was covered in cobbled stones and when the waves pulled them out they made the most beautiful sound. To hear it, go to my FB or IG page and watch the preview video I posted.

One more because it's so beautiful and I'm obsessed with this beach

Carriage ride

As I continued my way around the park loop I saw this horse drawn carriage crossing the bridge. I had no idea they had carriage rides around the park. I have mixed feelings about these. Yes, they're a nice way to sight see but I wonder about the horses and how they're treated. I did some research and they seem to have high standards of care so maybe next time I'll book a tour.

I'm in heaven on earth

These views just never get old

View of Bar Harbor (far left) and Porcupine Islands in Frenchman Bay

Access to the top of Cadillac Mountain is tightly controlled. You have to purchase a timed ticket. I tried and tried to get the sunrise time but they're sold out in milliseconds. I'm not kidding. Sunset is easier but somehow I missed that window too so we went midday.

More sweeping views from the summit

I loved the contrast between the pink granite of the rock and the green lichen

On the way back down I stopped to get a picture of Eagle Lake

And I found a patch of wild Maine blueberries. These berries are very small but have so much flavor. They put the store bought ones to shame.

Our last stop in the park was Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse. Remember this one from the plane ride? They say this is a great spot to watch the sunset. The light is still fully operational although it is not open for tours. The parking lot is extremely small so you may have to wait awhile to park.

Instead of going back to the lighthouse that night, Karen and I decided to do a sunset cruise instead. I wish I could say we really enjoyed it but there were several families with a lot of little kids who were yelling and screaming the whole trip and the parents did very little to stop them. I couldn't even hear what the guide was telling us. Because of the cloud cover there was no pretty sunset to be seen either but that wasn't the tours fault.

We weren't even out of the harbor before we saw this bald eagle! What a gorgeous bird. This was the highlight of the whole tour for me.

Shortly after the eagle spotting, we saw this osprey on her nest

Bear Island Lighthouse. We saw this one on the plane ride also.

Sea arch. Can't remember which island this was on.

Cormorant in the water. I don't remember which harbor this was either.

Seagull on top of the bell buoy. The number 4 identifies its exact location on the nautical charts so boat captains will know where they are.

Bunker Ledge Monument near Seal Harbor in the Cranberry Isles is used as a navigational aid for boats

We saw a couple of seals frolicking in the waves

Islesford on Little Cranberry Island is an active fishing industry

What a pretty little fishing village this was. It was a nice evening in spite of the screaming kids but after 90 minutes of it, I was so ready to go home!

It was last day in Ellsworth and I spent it running errands and getting packed up to leave.

Karen told me about Momo's so I decided to check it out. Momo's is a self serve, honor system cheesecake store. You can pay cash, check, or Venmo.

They have about 30 different flavors of cheesecake as well as other goodies.

All those post-it notes are thank yous from customers. I got a slice of raspberry cheesecake. I ate it before I thought about taking a picture! It was very good though..

For our last night in Acadia we wanted to go to Schoodic Point for sunset. Ruth & Wimpy's is dog friendly and was on our way so we stopped in for lobster

I got the "lazy lobstah" It's already shelled for you. I just wasn't in the mood to work for my dinner. The onion rings are divine! Everywhere I've gotten them they've been delicious. I think it's because they're lightly breaded so you can taste the onion.

Schoodic Point, Acadia National Park. The tide was coming in and the waves were crashing

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We saw a whale! It was so close to shore, I couldn't believe it. This is also in the preview video I posted.

I loved these pink clouds and the reflection on the water

Mom, I know you love this stuff but I'm bored. Can I go find some butts to sniff?

Sun is starting to set and reflecting on the water

The colors are really starting to come out. I hope you enjoy these photos, because about this time, the supersized Maine mosquitoes came out with a vengeance. I'm a human smorgasbord for them and they were having a feast!

Pictures don't do this place justice

It doesn't even look real. No filter, just God and His beautiful paint brush.

What a spectacular way to end my first (but not last) Acadia visit.

From here we head a couple of hours Downeast to the Easternmost point of the USA. Hope you join me there.