Day 34--Acadia NP (Mount Desert CG)

Day 34—July 15
Fundy NP to Acadia NP (Mount Desert CG)

286 miles

We explored Fundy NP until 10 am. We hiked down to Dickson Falls via many wooden stairways and elevated boardwalks, marveled at the moss and stream and falls, and took pix of each other; then we climbed out on other trails and stairways and drove to Point Wolfe—the site in years past of much logging.

Suz at Dickson's Falls in Fundy National Park, New Brunswick, CA

We drove through a little covered bridge and then hiked a trail down to the bay at Point Wolfe. It was low tide on the Bay of Fundy and Suz collected more rocks. I gave her my little folding bag to carry them in. We took more pix of moose & other signs, and on the walk to the bay of moss and ferns along the trail and of spider webs looking like jeweled doilies.

Bridge to Point Wolfe in Fundy National Park

Bay of Fundy at low tide shrouded in fog

Bay of Fundy in fog

Bay of Fundy fog beginning to lift and reveal stones for Suz's collection

Waterfall at the bottom of the steps and right into the Bay of Fundy

After our explore, we spent another long day in the car. We’d decided to drive the coastal route because it was shorter and was marked on the map as more scenic, but it wasn’t really. In very few places could we see the water. The road was lined with trees and tourist stops. So, in New Brunswick, we stopped at one of the latter—a Blueberry place—and took pix of each other with the two blueberries out front.



I was driving, and out of sheer boredom impulsively pulled into a little fish restaurant for lunch . . . and then pulled a Margie, having not fish but a hot turkey sandwich. Suz had a salad. I learned after the fact that she had not wanted to stop.

There were no campsites available in Acadia National Park, so we found a site at Mount Desert, a private campground right on Somes Sound. We’re just outside the park proper but on the water. The site had a tent platform but Suz’s tent is so large it took the whole platform. I managed to find a small flatish place directly in front of the car to put up my tent.





The Volvo with my tent in front of it; the red car in the background belongs to other cyclists

We were not too far from the bathrooms and a place called The Gathering Place that sold baked goods and coffee in the a.m. and souvenir tees etc. Was a place to get out of the rain and to read a bit but we really never used it.

When we got in and got our tents set up we walked to the other end of the campground to find a trail to a vantage point on Somes Sound where we could see Sheep Island It is purported to have seals on it and this is what we thought we would find at the camp’s end trail. Instead the trail led to a floating dock that ran quite a way out into the water. It was low tide so it was a steep incline down to it and then it was a narrow bobbing walk to the end. Suz decided to sit out that part of the walk.

Children were out on the dock catching crabs. They could buy little mesh bags at the Gathering Place and some sort of bait to put in it. They’d drop the bag off the dock and pull up crabs, which they put in plastic pails. I took a photo of two kids doing this. The little girl got out a crab for the picture and it pinched her. Her mother showed her how to hold the crab, and eventually she was brave enough to hold it up. It was a very hot and sweaty walk.  

When we got back, I went to the washroom and showered before bed. Walked back to the tent in my nightie not caring who saw me. I put together my little Thermarest chair and enjoyed resting, reading the literature about the area, and writing in my journal. Wandered back to the washroom once again in the dark before I turned in.

Found myself wide awake. I slept very poorly. Just couldn’t get to sleep. At 1 am I was up for the third time trudging to the washroom. Finally, I called it quits and got up at 5:15. I had probably not slept for more than an hour if that. I quietly packed up my tent so as not to wake others and organized a bit. Suz got up about 6 and the two of us were breakfasted and out of the site by 7 or so. I sat on the front porch of the office with the camp owner and he told me the best way to get to VT. No way is really good as there are few east-west roads