Some two weeks after
my Adirondacks adventures I found myself heading up to Main, for lobsters, ocean and enchanted lands of Acadia national park.
The road took us through Adirondacks (again), Vermont and New Hampshire. While the Fall took its toll on the woods in High Peaks, robbing them of their golden cover (view from Mt. Colden on the left), driving East towards the ocean brought the colours back. The picture on the right is taken somewhere in White Mountain National Forest, NH.
Main... you can't go to Main and not try the lobsters. You eat right on the pier, accompanied by cries of gulls and smells of water, port and fish. You get the lobster, steamed clams, corn cobb, coleslaw, and some buttery sauce. And lobster cracker for $1 deposit. It feels extremely local and, well, authentic, and it ain't cheap: we paid about $30. Didn't become huge fans. Will definitely eat it again next time :). We then took the wrong turn on I-95, trying to stick to Highway 1 which follows the coast through small towns. Some after-dark driving followed (so much for the scenery).
Acadia national park sits on the small island, which is brimming with civilization: luxuries hotels and suspicious huts all in the same melting pot. We arrived at the campground in the dark (no overnight backpacking is allowed), pitched the tent, ate something, and went bushwhacking led by the sounds of the waves. (It will turn out there is a road leading to the same place. It won't be the last time it'll happen to us in the land of Elves). What can be better than sitting on the rocks in the darkness while the ocean is roaring somewhere below you. The pictures below are taken next morning (or afternoon...). To the sea, to the sea... (more next time :))
In the morning I tore myself away from the ocean, and we headed to the opposite direction, to climb the Cadillac mountain, the highest point on Atlantic coast North of Brazil. We stepped into the woods and out of this Earth to the Middle-Earth.
Welcome to Lorien, the Elvish land of magic beauty:
The ancient paths are guarded by the indigenous
The secret staircase to Rivendell...
... and to the pools covered in Mellorn's leaves and to more paths under the ever-green trees...
... and to the lakes with boulders and hills covered in fog (below is the Eagle lake).
Venturing further brings us first to the world of rock and mist on the way up and around the Cadillac mountain...
... and yet further to the ocean views, ocean itself and of course the Grey Havens (below is a pier at town of Bar Harbor at night).
TO BE CONTINUED
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