This is a tour that anyone in the NYC/Nassau County area can take with just one overnight stay in Cape May, NJ. I visited seven lighthouses, climbed to the top of five of them, and could probably have squeezed in one more, if I had planned better. Most of the lighthouses in New Jersey are open at least some of the time, and in general these lights are very visitor friendly and easy to find. Click the photo to see the whole post.

Start: Depart Long Island around 8AM under overcast skies; I suppose if I had gotten up early, I could have photographed the sunrise at Fire Island Light. But I did not.

Absecon Light, Atlantic City around 11:15 AM

Absecon Light is an oasis in a blighted urban neighborhood. The lighthouse is surrounded by a tall security fence; outside the fence is a blighted urban neighborhood of empty lots, rundown Victorians, and more recent housing projects. In the distance you can see the glittering new highrises and casinos which seem so out-of-place in this former Victorian seaside resort. This new development is some distance away, toward the center of town, but obviously creeping closer; the Revel Entertainment building is under construction just a few blocks away. This glass-covered skyscraper is significantly taller than the lighthouse, and threatens to make it a small blip in the skyline.

Inside the fence perimeter, the keeper’s house is in an obvious state of disrepair. Inside is a gift shop and museum, and for US$7 one can climb the 228 steps to the top of the light. At each landing there’s a window with a view facing a different direction, and a small exhibit shows you photos of that view from different times in history. It’s a bit depressing to realize that the blighted city of today was, about a century ago, a magnificently beautiful Victorian escape. The grand Victorians of yesterday have been replaced by concrete bunkers and empty lots.

At the top of the tower you are greeted by a volunteer keeper and given a small card which certifies your climb to the top. It’s a cute little souvenir, and a thoughtful touch. Up at the top it’s quite blustery, but there’s a magnificent view of Atlantic City. You can also get a fairly good view of the interior of the magnificent Fresnel lens, behind which are two 300-watt incandescent bulbs.

After climbing the light, I decide to take a short walk to the famous Atlantic City boardwalk to see if I could get a good view of the light from there. On the way I pass a scene which looks straight out of the television program “The Wire”, as two black youths in sweatshirts are approached by a motorist in a Lexus. I’m wondering if a drug deal is going down, while simultaneously hoping that they don’t notice me carrying several thousand dollars worth of photo equipment. I pass unnoticed, but somewhat shaken, quickly take some snaps from the boardwalk, and head back to the gated fortress Absecon to get some more photos before heading south. The weather remains overcast and intermittently drizzly.

Hereford Inlet Light: 2PM

This is a small neighborhood lighthouse, not nearly as tall or imposing as the major lights on the coast. It’s owned by a small town, and kept up with evident pride by the locals. The light itself is a garden is a gorgeous “stick style” Victorian mansion, and the gardens are likewise stunning, and kept up with obvious love and care. The keeper’s dwelling has been converted to a museum, which you can tour; unfortunately you cannot visit the lantern room. The weather remained overcast and more drizzly than before.

At this point, I had to decide if I could make East Point Lighthouse. I probably could have made it, but at the expense of time at Cape May. Since it was my first time going to Cape May, I didn’t want to make that trade-off. I wanted some time to scout the area, as it is a major tourist attraction and I wanted to have time to climb the tower, scout the area, and get good photos.

Cape May Lighthouse: 4PM

I arrive at Cape May Light with plenty of time to climb the light (the hours were not posted online, but I believe they are 10-6). The design is nearly identical to Absecon (as is Barnegat, as well), and again I am greeted by a guide at the top of the tower. Cape May is a dramatic departure from Atlantic City, another seaside resort, but one which managed to maintain its Victorian charm. The main attraction at the Point, though, is neither the lighthouse nor other works of man, but rather the migrating birds. Tripods here are for spotting scopes, not cameras.

The sun peeks out from behind the clouds once or twice, but not for long enough for me to actually take advantage of it. Cape May Light is very much open from the East, so I can easily shoot with the sun behind the lighthouse in the West. However, walking around to the South, it’s very hard to get a straight shot of the light. Further around, to the East, you can get the top of the light, but it’s hard, if not impossible, to get an all-around “lighthouse on the sand dunes” kind of shot. It’s kind of frustrating, until a few minutes after sunset, the sun illuminates the clouds from beneath, creating colorful bands of pink.

I spend the night at the modest West Cape Motel, which was the only place I found with vacancy, after calling quite a few places. Turns out, it’s in the perfect location, just five minutes from the lighthouse. Rooms are quite reasonable and clean, and I spent a few dollars more to get a mini-suite with two rooms and a full stove and refrigerator.

Sunday Morning

Sunday I shot Cape May Light again for 7AM sunrise. My plan was, if the shooting was poor, I’d leave at 7:30 to head over to the East Point Light. However, I was enjoying myself, and shooting some macros of pondside flowers. I figured I’d split the time I would have spent going to East Point between Cape May and Barnegat.

Barnegat Light: 10:45 AM

Barnegat features a small lighthouse museum, and here, like elsewhere, you can climb to the top. The area is relatively open, and there are multiple opportunities for good views.

Barnegat is lovely lighthouse which is a focal point for people gathering. There is a fishing pier along the shore here, and many locals enjoying themselves here. I saw one father impress his young son by catching a big fish, an old guy dispensing advice to anyone who would listen, and a small brown mink dodging between the rocks. Also, this was the day of a footrace which terminated at the lighthouse. Good thing I did not try to come later, as the roads in town were jammed with car traffic and runners by noon.

Sea Girt Light: 2PM

Visiting Sea Girt Light takes some planning; it’s only open on Sundays between 2 and 4 PM. But it’s worth it. I arrived just before 2, got some external shots, and then toured the museum. There are numerous volunteer docents, and you can climb upstairs and up a rung ladder through a hole in a ceiling to the lantern room. It’s small and absolutely lovely.

Navesink Twin Lights: 4PM

Time is running out, as Navesink is only open till 5. I have an hour to climb the north tower to the lantern room, and explore the large museum inside. The building closes at 5, but the grounds are open a short while longer. However, it’s a hard lighthouse to photograph, as there are two lights connected by a long, low east-facing building. It might be worthwhile to return here for sunrise.

Sandy Hook: 5:25 PM

Unfortunately for me, Sandy Hook lighthouse closes at 5PM, but the grounds are open until late. I shot mostly from the West; as the light is partially surrounded by trees I didn’t even try other angles, as the sun was sinking low.

Then it was back to Nassau County.

Note: Depending on how early you leave NYC or how fast you go, you might also be able to squeeze in a ferry trip from Cape May to Lewes, Delaware (at least two more lights, plus a sea view of Cape May) for a cost of about two hours time; or a trip to the very quaint East Point Light on the Delaware River (adds about an hour of driving time, plus shooting time). I decided to spend more time at Cape May instead, mostly because I wanted to have time to scout out the area, and also to walk up the tower. Also, as I shot in October, the days are not as long as at other times of year.

From the put-in, I paddled south under the bridge, past into Stage Harbor. As you pass the marina and come around the bend, the Stage Harbor lighthouse is pretty soon visible. This lighthouse was my destination.

As I rounded the bend, I was against the wind but the sea was pretty calm. Lots of boats in the water. I passed the Stage Harbor Yacht Club and I paddled out across the harbor toward a narrow spit of sand, aiming directly for the Lighthouse. When I reached land, I pulled out; I was still inside the harbor, situated northeast of the lighthouse, which was still some distance away. I took some photos, then put in again and headed southeast to the harbor mouth, hugging the shore closely. The water was pretty calm, as I rounded the bend and hauled out again in the channel where Stage Harbor meets Nantucket Sound.

Stage Harbor Light is no longer a working lighthouse, and is in fact currently missing its lantern; it has been converted to a private residence. It’s a really pleasant spot to visit; there’s lots of boat traffic coming in and out of Stage Harbor (the harbor entrance is a narrow channel about 100 feet across). There are a few people walking around, and I had a chat with a woman and her 10-year-old daughter. She explained to me that this is her favorite spot on earth. I asked her how she got there, and she explained that there is a short hike from a parking lot for Hardings Beach.

Without bothering the residents, I took some photos of the lighthouse, including some self-portraits with the light. I had brought my 5D and tripod in a dry bag. I did not round the bend and go into Nantucket Sound; rather, I turned around and paddled back northeast through Stage Harbor and back under the bridge and up the Mitchell River a little bit; paddling this direction was quite easy because I was with the wind. I turned around and headed southwest again, into the wind, to head back to the bridge and my car.

Later during my trip I took a seal watching tour which took me in a powerboat around the Monomoy and Nantucket Sound area. There are lots of really interesting sandbars and wildlife to the southeast of Chatham. We saw a family with a canoe exploring there, and it looked safe to me. However, our captain said the winds can be really strong, and it’s easy to get tired. A few days later I read in the newspaper that two kayakers had reported seeing a shark attack a seal in the vicinity.

My first stop was Nubble Light, where I caught the last of the day’s clouds before they were swept away. Then on to Portland Head, where I had a completely bare sky. I got a little lost trying to find the motel (I had a strong mental picture where it was supposed to be, but it was not there), then got lost again in the morning going back to Portland Head (went the wrong direction). I think my head just wasn’t in “travel mode”.

I stayed overnight in Portland at the Knight’s Inn, a cheap and drab establishment located about 15 minutes from the lighthouse. It’s simple and has a mini-fridge (which was broken), but no microwave. But the proprietor let me use his microwave oven to heat up my dinner.

I was amazed by how many bike commuters I saw in South Portland, as I was driving to the lighthouses in the morning! I saw more cyclists in Portland Maine than I did Portland, Oregon. Per capita, there has to be 10x more cyclists here than in Providence. And there are lots of bike lanes here, as well. Note to Portland visitors: there are several lighthouses a short distance from PHL, including Portland Harbor Light, Spring Point Ledge Light, and Cape Elisabeth Lights (twin lights). These are definitely a visit, but I did not visit them on this particular trip.

After Portland Head I caught the ferry to Peaks Island, where I did my one non-lighthouse “fun thing:” a 2-hour guided kayak trip in Casco Bay. If I had planned better, I could have asked the tour guide to take me to Ram Island Light, I would have gotten great photos of that and Portland Head from the sea. Then I raced to Bath to try to catch a lighthouse cruise, but I got lost on the way south down the peninsula (neglected to check the map) and missed the cruise. So I turned around and headed to Pemaquid Point, which probably is what I should have planned anyway.

Pemaquid is a famous lighthouse indeed, but in truth it is not really the most beautiful. Its fame comes not from its architecture but from its location, situated on a truly stunning rock formation right at the edge of the sea. There were lots of photographers there at sunset, it was like being in a shoot with my photo club. Everybody was friendly and the atmosphere was warm. After shooting, I headed to the Pioneer Motel, which is about 20 minutes from the lighthouse. The Pioneer is rather simple and even austere, but the room had a microwave oven and mini-fridge. This was enough to cook my little microwave heat-up meal, and that was all that I really needed.

Sunrise at Pemaquid was even better, the light was just right. (this was true with most of the lighthouses on this trip: sunrise is better than sunset!) Still no clouds, but that was OK because the real treat of Pemaquid is the rock formations, probably clouds would be distracting anyhow.

After Pemaquid I drove around trying to find a harbor that was described in my photo book; no luck there. I lingered for breakfast in Damariscotta, which was preparing for a pumpkin festival. Damariscotta is a quaint little town, and it was really entertaining to watch the locals decorate their enormous pumpkins on the main street in preparation for the festival.

While driving around the Bath and Darmariscotta areas, I was struck by how many kayak rental and sales places I have seen. When I lived in Lewiston, I had no idea there was such a flourishing kayak culture here (or bike culture, for that matter). There was no kayak or canoe rental available in Lewiston, where I lived for three years. I had no idea there was such a kayak culture in Maine.

The trip from Pemaquid to Lubec was pretty harsh; I was stopped about four times on Route 1 for traffic (there was a fall festival in Camden which held up traffic for miles) or for construction. It took a lot longer to get to Lubec than I thought, and I had to rush around to shoot the four lighthouses there (two good ones and two that “were there”). It’s a surreal experience going up the Maine coast, though. There’s not much of anything north of Ellsworth, (and there was still one construction stop after Ellsworth!) and the cars start to thin out considerably, and you’re staring at nothing but blank road.

Lubec is a really charming little place, not much to do there but walk around and look at historic sites. It’s remote, and it feels remote. Across the bridge is Campobello Island, which is famous for being the site of FDR’s summer home. I wish I had time to visit FDR’s place, but I just had zero extra time (darn the traffic!). I also would have liked to visit the East Quoddy Head lighthouse (it was low tide, and the light was open for visitors). I didn’t get to visit it, but I did have enough time to photograph it and all the lighthouses in that area, thank goodness. There are two on Campobello Island, one minor spark plug light in the Lubec Channel, and the gem: West Quoddy Head was just spectacular, so beautiful, so remote.

West Quoddy Head also has a museum, but I just missed visiting hours on that one, as well. After sunset I headed to Cohill’s Inn for a nice dinner in their restaurant, while I uploaded photos to my laptop.

Sunday I came back down the coast, and made much better time of it. There was only one minor traffic slowdown, the rest was smooth enough that I felt comfortable stopping for two other lighthouses on the way. One was a small lighthouse I had never heard of (Fort Point Light), but there was a charming sign on Route 1 inviting me to visit. I’ve spent so many hours trying to find obscure lighthouses that are hidden from the public, it was nice to actually have an invitation to visit one. The other was in Rockland, which is way out on the end of a jetty which is much too far. Of course I hiked it, and I was somewhat exhausted and annoyed by the whole experience. But it was a lighthouse, so I had to do it, and I was rewarded with a very quaint museum inside, which was open, and a short climb to the lantern.

Leaving Rockland, I arrived in nearby Port Clyde in time to visit the museum at Marshall Point Light. It’s a small but beautiful museum. It was a little disconcerting that the sun was behind clouds for most of the evening, but it did come out for a few precious minutes right before it fell below the horizon, and the dusk was quite beautiful. So I think it worked out, because i got a variety of conditions to shoot.

Monday morning dawned overcast, wet, and rainy, though. I did slog it out to the Marshall Point lighthouse again, but only took a few shots during a break in the drizzle. Then I hightailed it back to the Seaside Inn, a nice little B&B which is only five minutes drive from the light.

After a superb breakfast by the Innkeeeper, I returned once again to Marshall Point Light to see what I could get. The weather was not ideal, but the light is exquisite in itself, one of my favorites. The next stop was Owl Head Light, a minor harbor light on the way out of town. Then a stop at the Maine Lighthouse museum in Rockland, which contains a truly impressive amount of lighthouse memorabilia, including a ton of lenses and lanterns of different kinds, and models of several Maine lighthouses. Not all of the models appear to be particularly accurate; it seems like anybody who wants to make a lighthouse model can send it to the museum and they will display it. However, the lanterns and other artifacts are stunning, the best collection I’ve ever seen.

After rushing through the museum, I zipped down to bath for a Kennebec harbor cruise with Maine Maritime Museum. This was a tour of five small harbor lights, plus the great Seguin Island Light (total: six). Unfortunately, I was rather disappointed that we didn’t get very close at all to Seguin Island. Also, the weather stubbornly remained overcast, with occasional moments of sun shining through. In fact, the sun did come out for a moment as we passed Doubling Light, which is a quaint light with ramp, which was a lucky break.

Since I was able to fit it into the schedule, I decided to head for Portland Head Light again. Still overcast, I decided to gamble that the sun might make an appearance. I knew that if I got lucky, it could be an incredibly gorgeous sunset. I arrived at Portland Head about 20 minutes before the sunset, but did not get lucky. No sun was to be seen. Next stop: home.

Here is the total list of lighthouses that I photographed on this trip:

Major Lights:

1. Nubble Light (York)
2. Portland Head Light (Portland)
3. Pemaquid Point Light (pemaquid Neck)
4. West Quoddy Head Light (Lubec)
5. East Quoddy Head Light (Campobello Island)
6. Marshall Point Light (Port Clyde)

Minor Lights:

1. Ram Island Light (off the coast of Portland)
2. Lubec Channel Light (Lubec)
3. Cape Elizabeth Light (Cape Elizabeth)
4. Mulholland Light (Campobello Island)
5. Owl’s Head Light (Owl’s Head)
6. Fort Point Light (Stockton Springs)
7. Doubling Point Light (Georgetown Island)
8. Kennebec River Range Lights (georgetown Island)
9. Squirrel Point Light (Georgetown Island)
10. Perkins Island Light (Kennebec River)
11. Pond Island Light
12. Seguin Island Light

More photos of the trip on Flickr.

On Governor’s island there was a big festival with food, artwork and music. JB and I pedaled all around the island and toured the beautiful little historic town where military personnel and their families had lived, back when the island was a navy outpost. We peeked at the old, abandoned high-rises behind the closed-off portion of the Island. Paddlers got free t-shirts, watermelon, sandwiches, and Izze fizzy soft drinks.

After a slight delay, during which we waited for a coast guard escort, we departed along with a larger group and headed back to Red Hook. This time, the water was choppier, and we were paddling against the wind. It was tough paddling, but it didn’t last long. An approaching water taxi was an added incentive to get across the river.

For a bit of extra fun, JB and I did not actually exit with the main group at Red Hook. We kept going with some Brooklyn paddlers (the “gowanus dredgers”) and headed to the Gowanus Canal via the Erie Basin. We passed by several enormous barges and container ships and passed by the new IKEA store. The Erie Basin was a sheltered shortcut, and we sneaked under a pier to continue past the New York Police impounding area (a pier loaded with hundreds of cars) toward the Gowanus Canal.

We paddled up the Gowanus, past an industrial urban waterfront landscape and under the BQE, the F-train, 9th Street, and Carroll Street. It was a surreal and fascinating experience. At one point we passed a huge barge which had a big tractor unloading gravel from it. We saw a junkyard with a tower of cast-iron bathtubs.

See photos in my City of Water Day Flickr set.

Block Island is really appealingly empty during the off-season. There were very few cars on the road, and the weather was warm and beautiful. There were no crowds in town; on the other hand, there were few amenities available. That wasn’t a huge problem for me, since I was planning to spend most of my time out of the main town. I had discovered on my previous photo trip (ie, Montauk) that I need to take food with me on a lighthouse shoot. Lighthouses generally are not located near restaurants, and shooting at sunset means I don’t get back to town until after most places are closed. Along with my usual energy bars and Lipton Cold Brew tea bags, I took along a microwaveable Asian meal-in-a-bowl, a bag of mini-bagels, and some canned fruit. This, in addition to the camera gear and extra clothing for standing around outside on a coastal evening.

This was all a lot of supplies to take, considering that I planned to bike. Bicycling offered some advantages — namely, cheaper ferry fare — but also created some practical problems. It was a tough haul to carry all that gear, and forced me to leave at home some clothes and gear that would have improved my comfort level and given me some photographic opportunities. Plus, riding a bicycle was quite limiting on my mobility. With a car, I could have driven back and forth between the two lighthouses several times during an evening. With a bicycle, I was limited by my own stamina.

Still, cycling offered the great advantage that it was fun. I really enjoyed pedaling along the main road, especially since it was early enough in the season that there was not much automobile traffic. After a few round-trips, though, it did become a bit tiresome!

I stayed at the Water Street Inn. It is a modest little place in the center of town, right near the ferry. It’s operated by the proprietors of the nearby Harborside Inn. If you’re looking for luxury, it’s not the place for you. The room is tiny and the walls are thin. But if you want a clean bed for a decent price, it’s not bad. The room includes microwave oven, refrigerator, TV, one double bed, bathroom and tub/shower in the room.

10/4/07 to 10/8/07 (Columbus Day Weekend)

I had suggested this trip to my old friend JB as kind of a reliving of our younger days. We hadn’t travelled together in a few years, and I hadn’t been to Acadia since 2003. A young person I knew spent a weekend in Acadia in late August, and telling him about the place made me realize how much I missed it. So this was to be an active trip, hiking, bicycling, and paddling, not to mention lots of photography. It was to be just me and JB, no families, no kids, no significant others.

Lots more after the jump …

Pre-trip: Wed 10/3

JB drove from his home in NY to my home on Wed 10/3. We got some perishable foods at the supermarket and then packed up the car together.

Thurs 10/4

On Thursday morning we loaded on the last of the gear on the car: Canoe on top and bicycles on the back. JB is very precise and thorough with the gear, and makes sure everything is tight as a drum. At the last minute I manage to break the glass of my propane lantern. No matter, I figure I can pick up another at the LL Bean store in Freeport, which is where I got the last one.

Surprise, the Bean store does not carry Coleman products anymore, but we do find a replacement glass at Wal-Mart in Ellsworth. Strangely, right around our entry to Ellsworth the Subaru starts shifting strangely. A worrisome sign but not necessarily a trip-destroying one.

We arrive at Mount Desert Campground at around 5pm. It’s the same campground we had stayed at in 2000, and after a quick scout around we chose the same spot we had shared seven years ago: Campsite A21. It’s a nice spot perched on the edge of Sommes Sound, with a beautiful view. I set up the tent while JB started dinner. He made a nice chicken and pasta dish, and it complemented well the Riesling I brought.

Fri 10/5

I awoke to the sound of the road across the Sound at 4am. Funny, we hadn’t remembered the road being so noisy. I didn’t get much sleep after that, so when I realized it was 6am I figured I might as well head to the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse. Sunrise was not far off.

Spotted four deer on the road on the way to the lighthouse. I was the first one to arrive at the, but I was not alone for long. Several people were around between 6:45 to 7:30, including young couples in love and old ladies toting point-and-shoots. And one enigmatic guy toting a Hassleblad mounted upon a tripod. This guy leaves a big tackle box on top of a rock, spoiling the view for the rest of us. Thanks, guy.

The sky dawned clear and cloudless. Not a complete loss, but not very interesting, either.

Upon returning to the campsite, JB and I discussed what to do with the car. The smoke from the leaking oil was a known problem and, I figured, rather minor. But the shifting was now acting up. I had discovered a workaround to the problem that would allow me to shift gears, but I was worried that it might worsen to the point of not being driveable. I called the Subaru dealership in Trenton, and that settled the point: they had no time to look at the car anyhow. We would have to cross our fingers and hope for the best.

JB made an epic breakfast of bacon, eggs, toasted bagels, plus instant oatmeal. We got out of camp around 11am and headed for Eagle Lake.

EAGLE LAKE

Eagle Lake is described in my “Discover Acadia” book as being remote and pristine. Since it is enclosed entirely within the park there is no development along the shore.

And so it was. The water was crystal clear, the area quiet and remote. We saw a few other paddlers, but not many at all. We started at the North end of the pond, it was a little tricky finding the put-in from the main road (there is a big sign “Carriage Road” and a tiny sign signifying boat put-in). JB was intrigued by a photographer who was a the South end, using a tripod to shoot scenics. It was nice that the canoe holds so much, we were easily able to haul a whole cooler of food on it. After lunch we saw a rock sticking out of the water that intrigued JB. He had me get out of the canoe and pose in all sorts of weird positions on the rock. I happily obliged, knowing I would ask him to pose for me soon.

On the paddle back to the car, we headed straight in and paddled ferociously. We spotted a bald eagle soaring overhead.

I convined JB it was worthwhile to head next to Jordan Pond, where I had him pose in the canoe in front of the famous “Bubbles”, a pair of breastlike hills. Then we did a little exploring in Northeast Harbor, seeing if we could get a view of the Bear Island Light, but we did not. If we had been more adventurous, maybe we would have put the canoe in the water.

That night JB made a superb rice and beans dish. Afterward we sat with our neighbors in campsite A20. If anything, A20 is an even sweeter spot than A21. It has an enormous fire pit nearby. That couple burned more wood in an hour than JB and I burned our entire trip. Anyhow, they were a nice couple from New Hampshire who told us of the neat things they saw when they kayaked Sommes Sound. It sounded like something we couldn’t pass up.

SATURDAY 10/6

JB woke before me, a quite curious situation. I decided to go to the bathroom and check out the weather. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the sky was filled with swirly clouds, a much more interesting situation than the previous morning. As JB prepared for his morning shower (5 minutes of hot water for $1, cold water free) I told him I wanted to shoot Bass Harbor Head Light again, and asked him to come along. To his credit, he decided to hurry his morning routine and accompany me. Since this was my 2nd trip to the lighthouse, I had some ideas of what I wanted, and the shoot went relatively quick.

We did some quick exploration of Southeast Harbor and returned to the campsite for breakfast. JB made another epic meal of bacon, eggs, etc. Since this was our last day at the campground, and I suggested we consider staying another night or two. But the weather forecast wasn’t pleasant: evening showers and falling temperatures wouldn’t be the most comfortable way to spend camping. So we packed up the car.

SOMMES SOUND

Based on the recommendation of the neighboring campers, we decided on a canoe trip of Sommes Sound. It was a different experience than Eagle Lake, and no less rewarding for it. While Eagle Lake was freshwater, Sommes Sound was salt. Eagle Lake was surrounded by pristine parkland, Sommes Sound by development, rich people’s homes. Eagle Lake was mostly devoid of boat traffic, Sommes Sound had a marina.

It was a lovely and interesting paddle, as JB thrilled to see the exquisite boats in the marina and I thrilled to see quite a few loons. They weren’t exactly the first loons I’d ever seen, but it was certainly the most loons I’d ever seen in one place and the closest I’d ever gotten. At one point a loon was clearly close enough to identify, and then to cement the deal she cooed out a loon call. Very neat.

JB had some fun photographing me around a rocky shore and then we had lunch. After lunch we headed back; I didn’t want to go too far out into the sound since it was our second dayof paddling. During our trip the tide had gone way out, and we wound up dragging our canoe about 500 feet in the muck.

BIKE AROUND EAGLE LAKE

We had a few minutes to kill before the hostel opened for check-in, so we did that perrennial favorite, a bike ride around Eagle Lake. I’ve done this ride at least three times before, and it’s a quick, flat, scenic ride that really says “Acadia”. JB played daredevil as he photographed me from the bicycle, while going at absurd velocities.

BAR HARBOR HOSTEL

We arrived at the hostel shortly after check-in time. The Bar Harbor hostel is very small but cozy and clean. It’s in an excellent location, about a five minute walk to the heart of downtown Bar Harbor. Linens, blanket, towel and pillow are supplied. Interestingly, shoes are not allowed in the hostel but slippers are encouraged. Too bad I brought pillows and towels but not slippers!

The decision to spend two nights camping and two nights hostelling was made months ago. However, it turned out to be particularly gratifying because a front came in a few hours after we checked in, bringing light rain and cooler temperatures. I think we could have managed OK, but it would not have been a very pleasant camping experience.

JB made some of that boil-in-a-bag Indian meal with too much rice. He decided to make rice puding with the leftovers. While he made the rice pudding I took a walk downtown to pick up postcards, gifts for the kids, and a bit of (forbidden) wine to help me sleep.

The rice pudding was delicious, and completely impressed the other hostel residents. JB likes to impress with his cooking!

SUNDAY 10/7

Today was a classic Acadia day, which to me means a hearty hike. We were a little slow to get started — JB is a classic slow riser, taking long showers and complicated breakfasts — but we were out well before the hostel lockout time of 10am. We packed our lunch and cameras and headed for the Bubble Pond parking area. The plan: a hike up scenic Pemetic Mountain.

Unfortunately, the Bubble Pond parking area was full. But as we continued futher up the road we discovered plenty of space at the Bubble Rock parking area. JB had the brilliant idea to get on our bicycles and ride to the trail head at Bubble Pond. This turned out to be a magnificent idea, because it allowed us to easily change our route to a more interesting return along Jordan Pond, which took us back to the cars (from where we could drive to the bicycles at the trailhead). This was preferable to the original route which brought us back along a dull ravine and the much smaller Bubble Pond.

We weren’t on the trail long — in fact, we hadn’t really started at all — when we saw a neat photo scene of kayakers in Bubble Pond. Unfortunately, the light was not ideal, and the lens I had brought was not quite lon enough (having left the big lens in the car up the road!).

Pemetic Mountain is classic Acadia. We had a moderate hike to great heights, with generous helpings of ledges along the way with beautiful views. At the summit we could see all around: Cadillac Mountain, Eagle Lake, Jordan Pond, the Tarn, Bubble Pond, Frenchman’s Bay, Southeast Harbor, Northeast Harbor, and down the Maine coast. I even saw a mountain in the distant North that I figured was Katahdin, though JB doubts it.

MONDAY

Monday we woke at a leisurely pace, bid adeiu to the hostel and the travellers we met there, and drove home.