BK Olson, Travel Blogger

Category: New England

  • Acadia National Park, Maine

    Acadia National Park, Maine

    This is one day I was really looking forward to. Jim and I are huge fans of National Parks, and Acadia is a beautiful one. Rather than look for ourselves (which was very unlike us), we took the word of a visitor center employee who said it was probably a couple hours up there.

    Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
    To start at the beginning of this series, visit New England at Last 2012

    Had we thought about it more and realized it was really closer to four hours from Rockport, we would have gotten an earlier start or planned an overnight. Instead we felt rushed through the whole day, which was really unfortunate. Acadia National Park covers about 75% of Mount Desert Island and we only saw about 30% of it on our one day trip. Obviously more time is warranted on a return trip to explore this beautiful place more fully.

    We took Park Loop Road, which gave us a great overview of the eastern portion of the Park and took us in south of Bar Harbor. We caught our first glimpse of Frenchman’s Bay – named after Samuel de Champlain who first charted these waters for France in 1604. This area became a staging point for the French as they prepared to fight the English.

    We continued south on Park Loop Road past a beautiful marshy area (pictured above) and on to a wonderful overlook. The rugged coastline was very impressive and the water very clear. It was a beautiful clear day, which was all we could ask for after the rainy weather we had been experiencing on this trip.

    A great place to stop if you have more time (and it’s warmer than today) is Sand Beach shown in the distance in the next two photos. Folks looked to be having some fun there! I wonder if I’ll ever get to the point in my vacations where we can just spend a whole day laying on the beach. I think we are doing something wrong!

    We continued south past Thunder Hole. Although I don’t have any pictures because the waves weren’t crashing the day we were there, here is some info you may enjoy:

    “Nothing symbolizes the power of Acadia National Park as much as Thunder Hole does.

    When the right size wave rolls into the naturally formed inlet, a deep thunderous sound emanates. The cause is a small cavern formed low, just beneath the surface of the water. When the wave pulls back just before lunging forward, it dips the water just below the ceiling of the cavern allowing air to enter. When the wave arrives full force, it collides with the air, forcing it out, resulting in a sound like distant thunder. Water may splash into the air as high as 40 feet with a roar!” – READ MORE

    Another beautiful lake and a beautiful bridge over Otter Creek. And I don’t know whose house this is, but I want it! Can you imagine the views? I’ll be right back, I’ve got to go buy a lottery ticket!!

    Next stop was Jordan Pond – an absolutely perfect stop – with a beautiful Pond of crystal clear water. We stopped at Jordan Pond House for afternoon tea and popovers, strolled the grounds and sat for a while.

    “The Jordan Pond Shore Trail circumvents the pond. A Carriage Road passes the restaurant and pond on the west side running north and south. Wildwood Stables, to the southeast, offers carriage rides for a reasonable price. The Island Explorer Shuttle Bus has a pickup and drop-off point at the restaurant.” – READ MORE

    What a splendid day. Makes me want to go back just thinking about it.

    Next up: Rockland and Vicinity

    Happy trails,
    Barb

  • The Olson House

    The Olson House

    If you are familiar with Andrew Wyeth’s famous painting, Christina’s World, then you may already know what this place is all about. We weren’t. We looked at the map and saw the “Olson” house and we just had to go and check it out. Once we got there and started on the tour, we realized we had seen the painting many times and the tour became very interesting indeed!

    Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
    To start at the beginning of this series, visit New England at Last 2012

    This 14-room Colonial farmhouse in Cushing, Maine is almost empty and in pretty rough shape, but the story behind it is so beautiful. Be sure and take the tour if you visit because I’m sure you will agree. Be sure to get good directions before you head out there too. We had trouble finding it and once we finally arrived, we were so relieved we didn’t give up the hunt for it.

    Wyeth was inspired to paint “Christina’s World” by his friendship with Christina Olson, who had lost the use of her legs to polio.

    “The Olson House is the subject of numerous works of art by Andrew Wyeth, including his 1948 painting Christina’s World, now owned by the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Wyeth’s series of drawings, watercolors and tempera paintings featuring Christina Olson, her brother Alvaro and the house itself, occupied Wyeth from 1939 through 1968.”

    “Wyeth expressively documented life on the isolated, saltwater farm in many of his works. He said, “In the portraits of that house, the windows are eyes or pieces of the soul almost. To me, each window is a different part of Christina’s life.” For him, Christina and the Olson House were symbols of New England and Maine. He once remarked, “I just couldn’t stay away from there. I did other pictures while I knew them but I’d always seem to gravitate back to the house. … It was Maine.”   ~ READ MORE

    Next up: Acadia National Park, Maine

    Happy trails,
    Barb

  • Bath and Pemaquid

    Bath and Pemaquid

    This was one of my favorite days in Maine. We started out in Bath, The City of Ships, which was about an hours’ drive. We walked through a short tunnel to get to a great shopping area, which we barely skimmed (oh, how I missed my shopping partner that day).

    Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
    To start at the beginning of this series, visit New England at Last 2012

    There were about four or five paintings in the tunnel which were really quite beautiful – one is pictured above. Since shopping was not going to be our thing today (darn it) we headed more into the historic district and, while we didn’t officially tour the City Hall, we walked around a bit and took a few pictures. I was wondering if we may end up with a jury of our peers in the courthouse pictured for trespassing, but we snooped around unscathed. It was a great old building with lots of pictures from days gone by. The rest of the downtown was nice too and worth a second look on a return trip.

    We stopped on the bridge over the Kennebec River at a small “shack” for a lobster roll, which seemed a little suspect. Judging from the hoards of people surrounding the place, we went for it. We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch and since people-watching is one of my favorite pastimes, we had a great time. Across the way was Sarah’s Cafe, where we really should have dined (one of my daughter’s names is Sarah), but the food at the shack turned out to be very tasty.

    We decided to head back to Rockland and stop along the way to see what there was to see. We headed down the highway and since there is water water everywhere in that section of Maine, I’ll call them “fingers” of land so you can get an idea of what I’m talking about. On highway 130 we ended up down at the tip of one of these “fingers” in Bristol, at the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse.

    We were able to go up into the light and get answers to questions from a ranger up there. It was a little tricky one-way circular stairway where you had to turn around and head down backwards to get back out. Tight squeeze, but so worth it. There was a great museum in the keeper’s house out front and you could walk all around the outside. The lighthouse was built in 1827 – commissioned by John Quincy Adams. Because they used salt water in the mortar, it started to crumble and had to be rebuilt in 1835. The original light was lit with candles and had a visibility of only 2 miles. Most lighthouses in the US were converted to the Fresnel Lens after it was invented and Pemaquid Point received the fourth order in 1856. Its lens is one of only six Fresnel lenses still in service in Maine. The keeper’s house was built in 1857.

    If you look closely at the picture directly above, the rock around the lighthouse looks almost like wood instead of rock. Here is an explanation from the Maine Geological Survey: “The sheet-like structure that looks like wood grain is a metamorphic foliation produced by aligned silicate minerals that grew under pressure at depth in the earth. This internal metamorphic structure causes the rocks to break into jagged pieces like a splintered log. But their derivation from sedimentary rock is clearly demonstrated by the sedimentary layers that can be seen in many places.” If you understand that explanation, you are waaaayyyy smarter than I am!!

    It was really quite a beautiful day, despite the threatening skies and windy conditions. This is one day I won’t soon forget and hope to come back here again soon.

    Next up: The Olson House

    Happy trails,
    Barb

  • Rockland, Maine

    Rockland, Maine

    Remember these pictures from my last post? Well keep those in mind for this post. The lighthouse out on the point is Owl’s Head Lighthouse and the one at the end of the breakwater is called Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse. Both will be shown much closer up as our day progresses. These pictures are exactly what I was expecting Maine to look like. Believe me, it did not disappoint! And even the weather improved!

    Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
    To start at the beginning of this series, visit New England at Last 2012

    We left Lincoln mid morning and swung by North Conway on our way to Maine for a little shopping and just to check out the town. We found another activity for a return trip – the Conway Scenic Railroad offers tours of the area, including Crawford Notch and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. But today we had to skedaddle and get set up on the second half of this great vacation!

    We checked into the Samoset Resort, got all unpacked and relaxed on our balcony and enjoyed a brew and a lovely view (where we took the pictures above). What a great resort. It was a really nice unit, with a very comfy bed and a nice-sized living room – although no kitchen and I don’t even think a fridge/micro, but I’ll have to ask Jim – he’s got a better memory than I do. There’s only so much of this beautiful view that we could take, so we set out for our first Maine Lobster dinner!! YIPPEE!

    The next day we did a little sightseeing right in Rockland. There is a lovely boardwalk and a great area to walk around. We met some people down at the harbor who were waiting for their excursion to begin, aboard a Captain Jack Lobster Boat Cruise. There happened to be room for two more and off we went! We were able to get the lowdown on lobster fishing and what a great trip it was.

    Turns out the lobsters are all caught in and around the harbor and the fisherman have buoys in their certain color, so they can keep them all straight. We got a really nice boat ride out of the deal, since we spent a good 90 minutes going around to each of Captain Jack’s traps.

    We made it up pretty close to the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse, but had to turn back because the water was starting to get a little choppy. This is still the original lighthouse built in 1902. We walked out on the 7/8 mile breakwater to see it up close a couple days later. It was a little windy out there, but an easy, pleasant walk. Of course it was closed when we were there, but open on weekends in the summer.

    It was pretty interesting hearing Captain “Jack’s” “fish” tails and how the fishing industry has changed over the years. He is from a long line of lobster fishermen and his son is following in his footsteps. The lovely lobster lady pictured got a pass for today. Since she was full of eggs she was able to enjoy a little more free time in the harbor. It really was a great time, but a little creepy with the little lobster eyes staring at me. It kinda made me want to throw them all back in, but I didn’t. Captain Jack may have thrown me in with them!

    Owl’s Head Lighthouse is across the harbor from Samoset. It was a beautiful lighthouse and had great views. This station was established in 1825 and the lighthouse built in 1852. The hours the lighthouse is open really vary during spring thru fall, so be sure to check the schedule before you go if you want to go inside.

    I think our first day in Maine was just about perfect. A boat ride, a lighthouse and lobster for dinner!!

    Up Next: Bath and Pemaquid

    Happy trails,
    Barb

  • What About Bob?

    What About Bob?

    There are advantages to visiting places off season. We never like to fight the crowds, especially when visiting such beautiful places as these. There are always people who don’t respect the beauty and the quiet of a place like we do and go off the trails and make too much noise. They trample the grass and smash the bugs. It’s just not right.

    Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
    To start at the beginning of this series, visit New England at Last 2012

    One disadvantage we experienced was that the Castle in the Clouds would not be opening until the weekend after we were there. It was truly a disappointment and since I don’t have any pictures, I’m not going to talk about it anymore. Humph.

    As we were returning to our scheduled plan, we stumbled upon The Loon Center in Moultonborough, NH. They had a wonderful visitor center with lots of exhibits and a movie. Loons are quite plentiful in this area. On Golden Pond was shot not far from here at Squam Lake in Holderness. There was a viewing area outside the visitor center, which would have been beautiful had it not been raining… again.

    There’s only so much of this rainy weather that we can take, so we opted for some lunch at a bar back on the highway… while it REALLY poured. When we came out, the rain had stopped and we hit the road.

    “What About Bob” was one of our favorite shows when our daughters were younger. We almost wore out that VCR tape watching Bill Murray and his back and forth with Richard Dryfuss. I still call my family – the fam and Baby Steps comes to mind more than I care to admit. Most of the movie took place on Lake Winnipesaukee, since Bob Wiley needed a vacation from his troubles so he followed Dr. Leo Marvin on his vacation. I can see why they’d want to visit, because it was absolutely beautiful. We made a stop in Weir’s Beach as they were setting up for Bike Week that was starting the next day. Pretty quiet and pretty rainy.

    Well, the bad news is, I have no pictures for this post. The good news is, next stop is Rockport, Maine and I have tons of pictures in Maine! Here are a couple to make up for the fact that our last day in New Hampshire was pictureless. These are of the Samoset Resort. Once you scroll down, you’ll see why I waited three years to get into this beautiful resort!

    Look inviting? Come on back!!

    Next up: Rockland, Maine

    Happy trails,
    Barb