Acadia and Bass Harbor

We slept in for an extra half hour(!) this morning 

before heading out to Acadia National Park. 

 First hike, Acadia NP

This is the last week of the “off season” - 

 Jordon Pond, Acadia NP

which people in Maine take very seriously. 

Jordon Pond, Acadia NP

Well over half the shops and restaurants in Bar Harbor 

 Jordon Pond

have been closed for months.

 Creek flowing from Jordon Pond

The same is true in the national park. 

 Otter Point, Acadia NP

Most of the roads are open-ish - some still doing construction - 

 Looking out from Otter Point, listening to the ‘booms’ from the cave below

but all the buildings, concessions, ranger stations, etc. are closed until May 3 … 

when we will be back in CA.

Unfortunate timing on our part, 

but we’ve really enjoyed the ‘no crowds anywhere’ vibe. 

Steps to Otter Point

We also visited Bass Harbor Light and its very small parking lot. 

Apparently “in season” it’s almost impossible to visit due to crowds, lack of parking 

and neighbors who (rightly) don’t want tourists parking in their yards and driveways. 

Light was first used in 1858

But today, off season, there were maybe 6 cars in the lot 

and we could spend as much time there as we liked….

Original fog bell, dated 1891

which was fortunate, 

since we took the wrong path and ended up climbing down (really) steep stairs (and back up again) to - not the lighthouse - but the local rocky picnic spot. 

Oh well… at least it was pretty…

I had one other lighthouse on my list to visit today. Apple Maps gave us clear, concise directions to Bear Island Lighthouse …

except it was to the harbor from whence you took a boat to the light, 6 miles offshore. Major Fail, Apple Maps! 

More pics:

Bar Harbor harbor

 Bar Harbor harbor

Bass Harbor Light

 Coast Guard fog bell, Bass Harbor Light

 Gulf of Maine from Bass Harbor

Pier on the road to Bass Harbor

 Acadia

Jordon Pond visitor center was closed, no popovers for us ☹️

Red dot is a huuuuuuge house on the far shore.