I woke up this morning to find a wonderful blue sky. As I headed toward the coast and Mt. Desert Island I could see some low-lying fog ahead. It disappeared pretty quickly though, leaving crystal clear blue skies and what felt like a warm temperature.
My first stop was at the Bar Harbor Bicyle Shop to pick up two new water bottles. When I looked at my bottles this morning I noticed spots of what is probably mold or mildew - and that's in spite of washing them out every day. When I'm home the bottles get washed in the dishwasher at least once a week, and that probably keeps stuff from growing in them - but there was no way I was going to use those old bottles again! New water bottles purchased, washed out, and filled with Gatorade. Ready to ride...
I left my car in Bar Harbor and headed into Acadia on my bike. My only plans were to ride the Park Loop Road, stopping to soak in the ocean crashing on the rocks, to take pictures, to just enjoy the park again. I rode this road on the first day of my Maine tour back in June. On that trip I didn't expect a road with non-stop rolls in it. Luckily this time I didn't expect a flat road. When I was here before I met a guy who lives in the area and rides the Park Loop Road 4 or 5 days a week. That could easily become a habit for me if I lived near here. Today's ride was beautiful, as expected. I stopped at Sand Beach and at Thunder Hole, and at other unnamed spots too. And when I finished the loop, I rode it again. Yes, you really did hear me right. When I came to the end of the road, I just couldn't resist riding it a second time.
I had some good conversations along the way too. The first was with two women from western Massachusetts who were finishing a hike and heading to their car as I was standing next to a pond taking pictures (what else!). They were both cyclists and initially commented on my little-wheeled bike. A nice biking and hiking conversation followed. Later in the morning I stopped at Jordan Pond. As I was getting ready to leave there, I noticed two Dahon bikes and their owners. Then the couple from Washington who I met in PEI rolled up on their Bike Fridays. Five folding bikes! And it appeared that most of the other inhabitants of the very long bike rack were rentals.
Twice around by bike, and then it was time to drive to the top of Cadillac Mountain. While it is certainly is a reasonable mountain to ride, climbing is not my favorite thing. And that road has a second challenge; it's a narrow 2-lane winding road with no shoulders that carries quite a bit of traffic, including tour buses. It's certainly possible to ride it, but it wasn't something I needed to do today. As I started wandering, I saw my Bike Friday friends from Washington once again (Tim, and I'm sorry, I didn't catch her name...). They confirmed that the ride was somewhat traffic-challenged, especially when two tour buses met. After I finished soaking in the view, I drove part of the loop road - this time to see the ocean and rocks in different light conditions. And this time, Thunder Hole was thundering! I guess the tide has to be at just the right level to produce that amazing crashing thundery sound. A thoroughly enjoyable day...
I headed back to Bar Harbor to find a place to stay. Most of the motels, inns, and B&Bs had vacancy signs in front of them. I chose the Holbrook House B&B Inn. Why? It looked interesting from the outside, and I liked the room. After many nights of staying in small towns with only 1 or 2 places to stay, it seemed very novel to be able to choose a home for the night!
It was a another good riding day today, and I hope to repeat the Park Loop Road again tomorrow morning - but only once around. Then it will be time to head to the west (in my car ...) and home. .
A bear greeting and welcome to my home for the night
