Larry A. Smail's Blog

The community of Bar Harbor (Pronounced Ba Haba to native Mainers.) is located on Mount Desert island. It is along the shoreline, and bay areas. During the 1880’s this area had become populated with wealthy, and powerful people. Today, the community gears towards the tourism industry. of course, lobster fishermen abound here, too. (Lobster is pronounced lobsta by the local folks.)

A great fire in 1947 destroyed much of the area. A large percentage of the community was lost due to this fire. Of course, Bar harbor has been rebuilt, and is thriving.

A friendly crow!

The lobster industry is visibly present everywhere. One will notice fishermen color-coded buoys scattered throughout the bay. The shorelines will show lobster traps here, and there. I actually ate my first lobster on this trip. I found the lobster good to the taste buds, but nothing that special over other kinds of seafood.                          

Laurie, and I, walked the “Shore Path” to observe the bay area. The actually path that is along the shoreline is about three-quarters of a mile long. Additional path goes back, and around, the community.

Beached jellyfish

Jellyfish

We could see the Porcupine Islands as we strolled. We saw many gulls about, as well as, five purplish-colored jellyfish. Later, we found one on the shore as the tide had become low exposing more shoreline.

Low Tide

The bay area was inundated with many boats, ships, and windjammers.  Some of which resembled eighteenth century ships.

Restaurant at night.

What a view! Those words may best describe the sights from the area known as Cadillac Mountain. The vantage point allows for seeing distant islands, called the Porcupine Islands, and the Bar Harbor community, and port. Not to mention, the Atlantic ocean.

This mountain was  named Green Mountain in past years.  In the early years of French exploration the area was considered part of New France. Those years covered 1534 to 1763.

Since 1918, the mountain was named in honor of French explorer, Antoine …Cadillac. The name in reality is a long one. I chose to shorten it here!As previously stated, one can see forever on a clear day. We were lucky for the day was clear. Others visiting the mountain only see fog covering everything below them.                                                                          

The top of the mountain has many volcanic rocks exposed. they are granite with a pinkish hue. I read the pink color comes from pink feldspar particles imbedded in the granite.Vegetation was mostly spruce trees with some birch scattered among them. Other short shrubs were set about the rocks wherever seeds could take hold and grow.

Cadillac Mountain is part of over twenty mountains on Mount Desert Island. This site is on an island, and is part of the Acadia National Park.

The Acadia National Park offers many beautiful sites to see. This area of the park is on an island known as Mount Desert Island. Maine is not known as a mountainous state, but there are impressive highlands on the island and nearby country. In fact, because of the clear weather we witnessed we could see a lone mountain on the mainland over a hundred miles away.                                                       

  One of the sites we saw is known as Thunder Hole. This place is  named because of the results of thunderous waves being compressed within a cavern-like rocky area. As the waves recede it cause a vacuum of air in the cavern causing  the sound of a distant clap of thunder.

Unfortunately, the waves were not that big as we watched, and the thunder was weak. On a day of waves the water here may reach heights of forty feet.

  Occasionally rouge waves occur. People getting too close have been washed to sea. A loss of life can happen, and has happened, in the event of the rogue waves.                             

Huge rock outcroppings are visible all around the Thunder Hole area. They are known as Otter Cliffs. Some of these cliffs top a hundred and ten feet in height. They were beautiful to see

I was fortunate with photos since the lowering sun was creating darkened shadows of contrast. I hope you enjoy a few of the photos included here.

Portland Head Light

Laurie, and I, visited the Portland Head Light while traveling in Maine. I never heard this wording before, since I call them light houses. This one has supplied light in the harbor for over 200 years old, and the structure was built in the end of the eighteenth century.                       

The lighthouse was originally built at fifty feet tall. Later, it was added to, and reached 80 feet  in height.

  The completion of the lighthouse occurred in 1791. This happened after George Washington, in 1790, authorized $1500.00 to have it completed. Earlier funding of $750.00 wasn’t enough to built the lighthouse.                                       

Interestingly, the first lighting was supplied with whale oil. 

The building around the lighthouse was completed in 1891.

Another lighthouse in distance.

   Rocky outcrops jut out into the bay creating some beautiful contrasts, and photo opportunity. Gull would land to rest on these rocks. We saw some dolphins in the water, but I failed to be fast enough for any photos.