Trip: Family Vacation: Acadia National Park, Maine
Activities: The Bubbles and Jordan Pond Hikes, Horse Stables, Drive Along the Coast & Groceries
Date: September 18, 2022

It was late when we arrived at our VRBO cabin the night before, so we didn’t do much exploring. In fact, the kids were (needlessly) scared to walk from our rented Jeep Compass to the cabin for fear of bears and other wildlife. So when we woke and the light of day revealed there was nothing to be scared of, we were anxious to see our surroundings. The main log cabin had 2 beds in a loft and a bedroom, and all the other expected amenities (bathroom, kitchen, living room, dinning room) but there was a one room cabin down by the water as well.

Outside was a dense forest of various trees and a trickling stream to one side and an open area with a fire pit on the other. A footpath lead us down to the lower cabin that overlooked a cove. One this day, the water was like glass and it was so clear, we could see crabs crawling around just under the surface. Throughout our trip, Mattix spent nearly every spare moment walking around the cove and stream, finding crab parts and watching the tide come in and out. There were paths that weaved through the trees along the cove and next to the stream so exploring the property was easy and enjoyable.

Since we were excited to checkout Acadia National Park we left our cabin around 7:30 AM with our sights set first on Sugar Bakery. We bought some some coffee and breakfast pastries and were so impressed with our food and beverages, we stopped two other times later that week.

We got to Mountain Desert Island around 8:30 AM. We saw tons of turkey along the drive shortly after entering the island saw a massive cruise ship out in the harbor. Our Acadia National Park pass and map was obtained from Hulls Cove Visitor Center. The ranger there recommended Bubbles as one of her favorite hikes, so we headed towards that trailhead.

Bubbles parking lot was full, but we saw a trail that ran along the road up from the lot so we drove just a bit further and found a different parking lot. We parked our rental Jeep and took the trail along the road back to The Bubbles trailhead and started our hike. The trails were well marked with a periodic blue strip of paint so you knew you were heading in the right direction. Several areas had stone stairs to aid in elevating the difficult paths. You can tell a lot of effort has been put into the trails over the years. Just one more reason Acadia National Park is one the greatest.

We got to a fork in the path. One area looked very steep and the other a bit easier of a path. We took the more difficult looking path towards the North Bubble. As we climbed the views got better and better. Vast valleys and mountains of green trees, sheer rock bluffs, and large ponds could be seen any where there was an opening in the trees. Once we got to the very top, you could even see the ocean in the distance and the beautiful islands that set in the Atlantic off the coast of Maine.

Our legs and lungs were feeling good so when we got to the fork again on the way back down the North Bubble hike, we headed to the top of the South Bubble. The path was a bit easier as you didn’t have to scramble large rocks as much. At the top of the South Bubble there is a large boulder that hangs off a cliff. The boulder was transported 30 to 40 miles by a glacier thousands of years ago. It looks as if you could just push it off it’s so close to the edge of the cliff.

When we made it back to the Jeep, we all agreed we were hungry and needed a break. We headed to the Jordan Pond House and did some shopping in the gift shop as we waited for a table in the restaurant. Jordan House has a great view of Jordan Pond nestled below The Bubbles mountains. Since I neglected to get a picture, I’ve linked to one here. After fueling up on popovers, pasta, a chicken salad sandwich and a BLTT, (turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato) we felt good enough to hike a bit more around Jordan Pond. The sun had gone under clouds and the wind picked up so we grabbed some extra clothes out of the Jeep and started around the pond.

Mattix loved the areas of the trail that had board walks to protect vegetation grown and keep hikers’ feet dry. We kept walking and before we knew it we were more than halfway around the pond so we continued all the way around. All the hikers were super friendly. We enjoyed a lot of smiles and hellos in addition to the views and fresh mountain air. At one point we saw an unfamiliar bird perched along the bank of the pond. I jokingly said it was a North American Booby but we found out later it was a Double Crested Cormorant.

After our hike we stopped at the Wildwood Stables to find info about carriage rides and to see the horses. We took a drive along part of Park Loop Road to see the coast before heading out of the part to get groceries from Walmart. Before the day was over, both Jill and I had logged over 20,000 steps on our Fitbit watches.

We were all pretty exhausted after all the fresh air and hiking but I mustered up enough energy to make some spaghetti and garlic bread for diner. Maybe it was because we were so hungry or it was the drinks we rewarded ourselves with when we got back to the cabin but the generic noodles, sauce, and bread from Walmart tasted fantastic. We ended the night with much needed showers, some dominoes and a movie (Sonic the Hedgehog 2) before hitting the sack.