We set off through New York City and stopped by for some Asian pastries at Sunmerry Bakery. We made it into Salem, Mass. for a late lunch at Lobster Shanty. We ate outdoors and tried a cold CT lobster roll and 6 scallop nova scotia poutine. I would not recommend the roll and I would not come back to visit the area.

It is an older part of town so it has cobblestone roads and lots of traffic getting in. We were able to find street parking but it took some time. It was still early in October so there weren’t many folks dressed up but there was lots of tourism happening. I didn’t realize the time and noted the Salem Armory VC was closed so no stamps for me!

Before we left the area, we picked up some freshly baked cookies at Goodnight Fatty (tried a box of 3 different flavors while walking through the park toward our car). I enjoyed the dirt cup with a gummy worm, rice krispies, and apple cider. Every week they rotate flavors 🙂 The traffic was better getting out and we didn’t get to Portland, ME till dark.

We had a hard time finding parking in Portland, ME since there’s one-way streets and Airbnb had guaranteed a parking spot. Finally the host gave his parking spot and he was able to park elsewhere as we aren’t familiar with the area. It was clean enough to stay for the night but with the window open for “cold air”, their next neighbors were chatting outside on their porch all night long! I couldn’t wait to get to Acadia the next day!

For breakfast, we checked out Holy Donuts (potato-based donuts) and tried the dk choco sea salt, Allen brandy coffee and old fashioned. Then, we walked around the Portland Farmer’s market nearby. It was foggy and drizzly so we hurried up and checked out by 9a.

We attempted to capture pictures at the 5 popular lighthouses in the area. I got all but #3, pictures are in the order we visited.

1. Two Lights lighthouse
2. Portland Head Light
3. Rams Island (can be seen in the distance)
4. Spring Point Ledge lighthouse
5. Bug Light

We also saw some free-roaming turkeys by the streets, that was different… I’ve seen chicken, dogs and cats but not turkeys!

Next stop – we visited the L.L. Bean flagship store (big boot!) and there was also a fall festival going on. Lots of vendors were outside and food trucks as well.

We were also following this apple cider donut phase at the nearest orchard on our way up to Acadia National Park. We stopped by Rocky Ridge Orchard for some fresh hot cider donuts!

Then, we stupidly waited in line for TWO HOURS for a lobster roll at Red’s Eat. Was it worth it? Maybe on the weekday but during the weekend, don’t wait in line. It was also definitely not worth $36+tax in cash and the roll is consumed within 5 minutes! We were so cold and hungry by the time we grabbed it and ate it back in the car. There were other restaurants nearby who had indoor seating and probably faster services!

We finally made it to the Bar Harbor area and checked in our little cottage for 4 nights at Bay Meadow Cottages. We met the owner and she was very nice. The cottage was small but had all the essentials: hot water, a kitchen and a comfy bed. The property also had some chairs by the water and around the campfire pits.

We woke up early and drove 2.25 hrs further north to the easternmost point of the USA called “West Quoddy Head Lighthouse“. We paid a small fee for parking. This place boasts amazing views of the water “Quoddy channel”-that dives the US and Canada, tall cliffs, and Canada beyond the horizon. There was also a time zone change when we visited so it wasn’t opened just yet and our Google Fi worked in Canada! But, I got a stamp to add to my collection outside of the light house!

We did a short hike through the woods on Coastal trail but we turned back after 10-15 minutes around High Ledge since it felt a lil swampy at some parts (aka bugs!). Here’s the trails brochure I used to review. Some trail areas were scary high and narrow paths! But, man, the water was a deep blue color, it was gorgeous but dangerous if someone fell in…

We returned back to the Acadia NP area and did a loop at Schoodic Peninsula. This is the only inland part of Acadia and an hour away from Mount Desert Island. We stopped by Rockefeller welcome center at Schoodic Institute for maps and a quick bathroom break. They aren’t associated with the NP but were generous enough to provide a trail to walk around the campus. We didn’t actually do any hiking in the area but there’s campsites and trails all over.

We decided to lunch at Schoodic Point where you can see/hear the waves crash across the rocks. Then we picked up some dinner to make chicken noodle soup at the cottage. It’s chilly during the day, but unless you’re actively hiking then it gets warm.

We stopped by Thompson Island VC for a stamp and the NP map. We also swung by the store for local beer – there’s so much to choose from and you can mix and match your own 6-pack! 

You can check out what to do on the west side of Mount Desert Island. We drove south west to visit the Seawall – not as spectacular as Schoodic point and it was pretty quiet in this part of the park. That’s because everyone was waiting in line to park and see the sunset at Bass Harbor lighthouse. I got out of the car and walked to the lighthouse for pictures, but the famous scene is another trail going down to the waters and looking up at the lighthouse when the sun sets!

Oh well, I didn’t want to wait in line so we turned in early for the night by enjoying some blueberry beer on the porch and making some light dinner.

This was an exciting day, we finally visited the more popular parts of Acadia NP! We had booked a daytime $6 timed ticket at 8 am (through Recreation.gov) to access Cadillac Summit two days prior to your intended visit day. The sunrise tickets sold out instantly, as soon as it was released but we got there early enough! It was a cold morning but super clear and sunny on Cadillac Mountain. I tried out my new tripod gift for lots of selfies and it was great.

We walked around a bit along the short summit loop, looking at the pink granite beneath our boots and also noting where Bar Harbor is. We also planned to go to Bar Island that afternoon (fun fact: it’s walkable by foot at low tides). To read more about geologic features and formations at Acadia NP, check out this short read.

We were leaving as the tour buses arrived and got in line just in time for the gift shop to open. With COVID precautions, they were limiting the number of people inside so there was always a line to get in. I quickly went in, grabbed everything I wanted to buy from Acadia (tee, blueberry truffle, blueberry honey and 2 stickers), as well as the stamp but that’s just outside the door so you don’t have to wait in line for THAT! We pulled to the side of the road as we descended the mountain to view the Eagle Lake.

We continued our way down toward Jordan Pond House to hike Bubble trail (1.5 mile RT but since we had to park closer to the house, it totaled 4 miles). There was a bit of a scramble up the rocks but the view was gorgeous and we snacked up there, next to Bubble Rock 🙂 It’s a rock that’s been carried inland by glaciers and ended up on the edge of this cliff. 

We walked along the edges of Jordan Pond and I also grabbed another stamp from the Jordan house gift shop (which was unfortunately inside and I didn’t want to cut in line but I really just wanted the stamp). Luckily one of the employees walked me to the corner of the shop for a quick stamp and then I was out of there. We didn’t have time to rent bikes and explore the carriage roads in the area.

For the afternoon, we got to Bar Harbor for low tide to walk across to Bar Island. The path is submerged under water at other times. I had to look up the tide schedule and time it right so that we could get over to the other side and then back before the tide came back in. That was a pretty unique experience!

After that, we took our time to explore the shops and bought wood ornaments and postcards to write to my friends. We decided to try Thirsty Whale Tavern for dinner as recommended by our host, but there was an hour or so wait.  Everywhere was packed! While we waited, we tried some Pink pastry (blueberry whoopie pie with lemon frosting) down the street and then finally, it’s our turn!

We got seats by the bar, ordered a sandwich with salad and fish/chips. The fish/chips were filling and we packed it to go. After we got home, we started a little fire to enjoy beer before turning in for the night.

We saved the best hikes on our last day in Maine. Luckily the weather was just right during our time in the area. I was debating between the Precipice (2.6 miles loop, 850-ft elevation gain) or Beehive (1.4 miles, 450-ft elevation gain) trails. These links take you through pretty descriptive information about each trail. Both were high off the grounds with hardware support. I had already made up my mind that my fear of heights would make me panic on the trails. I know I made it through Angels Landing (Zion NP) back in 2018, even though I was scared and didn’t want to at first. The hardware was sturdy and there were plenty of people around that were cautious as well. It looks like NPS started a pilot permit program in April 2022 to limit the crowd.

We woke up early and drove down the one-way 27 mile scenic drive to park by the Bowl trailhead (which shares the same parking lot with Sand Beach). We could see folks already making their way up the Beehive trail on exposed rocks above us on Champlain Mountain. We took the Bowl trail and a shortcut up to the Beehive highpoint to take some pictures of the mountains nearby. Then we stopped to rest at The Bowl (lake) before continuing on to connect to Gorman Mountain summit. 

We made our way through the Cadillac Cliffs trail and stopped at the plaque (dedicated to Waldron Bates) before descending down the mountain to cross the street to Boulder Beach for a quick lunch. 

Then we walked up the Ocean Path sidewalks to our car. We stopped by the Thunder Hole (it was quiet as we just missed the splash of the high tide!) and the little gift shop across the street to add another stamp to my collection. 

We swung by the Sand Beach, but it was packed. If there’s a next time, we will have to check out the Great Head trail nearby. We then drove down the one-way road to the Otter Cliffs and then popped back out to the Jordan Pond area (2-way roads). 

We did stop at the main Hulls Cove VC but the line was SO long to just get in. Typically the occupancy is 25, but they cut down to 5. I grabbed my stamps by the door and we left.

We did not visit the other parts of the NP that involve a boat ride but if you have time, check them out: ferry to Isle au Haut and boat tours to Outer Islands.

I would also recommend stopping by Blueberry Hill dairy bar for some fresh homemade Maine blueberry ice cream (cash only!). The blueberry season is over but they made some ice cream with it and it was one of my favorite foods. Even better than lobster rolls!

It was a bummer that the fall leaves weren’t changing yet, I guess it was not cold enough in Acadia. We were a week too early! We hoped to catch some colors in NY over the last few days of our trip.

I stopped by a Starbucks to pick up a collectible Been There series mug with Maine scenes. We kept an eye out for moose sightings (since there were signs warning about moose crossing), but none were seen on this trip. We checked out of the cottage and drove ~7 hours west to the Adirondacks for 3 nights.

Another stop at Shelburne Orchard for some fresh cider donuts and cider (him hot/me cold) drinks. They offered apple picking throughout the orchard, but we were running late to our destination.

Our Google map had the ferry boat route on which wasn’t intentional. We also just missed the ferry so we spent an extra hour driving further south than we anticipated before getting into the Lake Placid area. Since it’s the off season, they were doing major renovations of the ski jumps and town area. We had a nice Airbnb with a full kitchen, living room w/ TV and parking spot by the front door. 

There’s a few things we opted not to do but feel free to check them out if you are in the area. The Whiteface veterans memorial highway allows you to drive up to NY’s 5th highest peak at 4,867’ (you can also hike it but we didn’t have the time or desire to visit this place). The Adirondack Experience was closed when we were in the area, plus it cost money and we were still chasing fall leaves. There were some trails in the area but there were constructions reported by the trailhead/parking area (e.g. Mount Jo, Mount Van Hoevenberg, Roostercomb) so we picked other less popular trails with epic views. We settled in for the night to prepare for hikes the next 2 days.

We wanted something short and sweet before the LAST hike of the trip on Day #8. I read about Cobble lookout and decided to give it a chance. Read more about it – it’s a fairly new trail, about 2.4 mile round trip with a small parking lot for ~6 cars (no fee) but there’s also road parking available. You may pass by “Santa’s Workshop” at North Pole, NY on the way if you’re driving north toward the trail, I guess they get a lot of snow in the winter time. We got there around 830 am. It was a little muddy in some areas and the foliage was thick! At the top, you would not believe the view. 

I finally found the fall foliage with a nice view of the Lake Placid area. We snacked and enjoyed the view with a few other folks. It was still early, so we decided to stop by Whiteface mountain ski resort but the gondola was not running till the weekend.

We had packed lunch and tried to find a place to enjoy it, but there was more construction downtown. We drove 20 minutes west to Saranac Lake but the riverwalk was not the same as San Antonio’s. We finally settled at a bench by the riverside park, there was also construction going on so it was just not an enjoyable lunch.

We stopped by a few shops but didn’t find anything so we headed back and rested in the Airbnb for the rest of the night. Preparing ourselves for the long hike the next day!

AMR implemented a free but timed parking reservation system during the busy months, May-Oct. We actually placed two reservations as I wasn’t sure which day was better for this long hike up to Indian Head. I wish I was able to cancel the Thur parking pass within 24 hours but the system wouldn’t let me. 

We got to the parking lot around 7ish and checked in, then started our walk through the private road of a golf course. We checked in again at the gate about 0.5 mile away, I guess they were really enforcing a limit of visitors at a time. We saw a few shuttle buses pass us but they were for members only. It was an uneventful steady walk up the road until we arrived at the trailhead 3 miles in. It became more muddy as we ascended up the switchbacks, rocks, and 1-2 wooden ladders. I was getting more depressed as the mud seemed to go on forever but a few folks coming down gave us encouragement of “almost there!” 

Finally, we scrambled up and the trail opened up to an amazing view of a lake at the bottom of two mountain sides. I would say Indian Head Cliffs offered a unique view that we don’t get in MD. The sun was just rising on the left so the shadows were covering the lake and trees. We took our time to rest up there and crept near the edge but backed away when the edge got too close for comfort. A few other groups were there as well, but everyone respected each other’s spaces.

It was sad to wrap up a trip but also an exciting thought to start planning our next epic trip. Instead of going back where we came up (I was dreading the mud, since it’s on the side of a mountain that doesn’t get much sun), we decided to visit the next stop, Fish Hawk cliffs, which was a smaller overlook and lower than Indian Head.

We had to descend steeply and met some folks coming up from that direction. We continued down the Gill Brooks trail which started off dry but got quite muddy at some parts and I kept debating if we should return back the way we came. We pushed on, met some more folks looking for Indian Head so we pointed them in the general direction. We finally popped out a shortcut to the Lake road as I had enough of the muddy trail and walked a dirt road back to the car.

We swung by the Lake Placid Olympic ski jumping complex, also undergoing renovation and checked out how TALL those complex really are! I’ve only seen them on TV so seeing them in person was definitely a treat. I would like to attend the Olympics one of these days….

It was still early afternoon so we decided to grab a drink and pizza at the Big Slide Brewery near town. We sat outside with a sampler and shared a pizza with blueberry venison sausage (the hunter) on it. We always reward ourselves after a nice long hike and enjoy the nice sunshine before heading back to rest for the night.

We checked out and said g’bye to the fall scenery, heading south to home. We did a quick detour on a Saturday, to visit Kaaterskill Falls from the viewing platform. We did not do the lower trail since the sides of roads were barricaded off since it was dangerous for pedestrians to cross on a windy mountain road. It being a weekend and not even a NICE sunny day, everyone and their mothers wanted to visit the falls. There was a line to find a parking spot since the lot was full, a staff member was directing traffic but I did what I do best. I hurried out of the car and down the trail to the viewing platform.

Grabbed a few selfies and video of the falls in under a minute, then rushed back to the car because it was too chaotic for me. Check out my video below!

It was a very tall fall but I couldn’t enjoy the view with that many people around. Not our typical trail to visit but it was a 30 minute detour and I would just warn about going on the weekends if you want to visit this place for yourself! Folks that live down the street even charged people to park in their property but they still needed to walk down the road to the parking lot and THEN the trails. I was sad as I watched the fall foliage trees transitioned green as we drove further south to home.