Saturday morning we awoke after getting some much-needed sleep and grabbed a bite to eat at the motel office.
With gas almost $1 cheaper per gallon, in Maine, we happily fueled the car. And guess what? Maine’s fuel stations prices stay consistent across the state too, within pennies, go Maine! Great to take a little break from Washington State’s highest gas tax in the nation.
On our coastal drive toward Rockland, we saw more lobster shacks and Dunkin’ Donuts than fuel stations. We also came across many wild blueberry (Maine’s state fruit) roadside stands. Interestingly enough, the blueberries in the states grocery stores come from everywhere but Maine, go figure.
As we arrived in Rockland, we lost our cell service and with it our navigation. So we had to resort to stone-age tactics and stopped at a convenience store to ask for directions. The clerks and other patrons all chimed in when we told them we were looking for the Rockland’s lighthouse. One guy said, “Which one?” That’s how we found out there were two. Directions were being offered up by everyone, probably because they wanted to pay and get on with their day and we were holding up the line, but they all seemed sincerely friendly wanting to help which was awesome. As we headed out the door a kind woman advised that we go to the Chamber of Commerce/Visitors Center and gave us directions.
We decided the Chamber was our best bet and the attendant gave us a map and traced the trail to both lighthouses. Then she mentioned Marshall Point Lighthouse, and that’s how we discovered we needed to visit three. Marshall Point Lighthouse was where Forest Gump stops his cross-country run upon reaching the ocean and he turns right around and keeps on running.
The maps were helpful, but deceiving, as the lighthouse stops were much further apart than they led us to believe. We stopped at Owls Head Light first and got some great pictures there. Russ also picked up one or two bars of cell service and quickly put in the address for Marshall Point Lighthouse, near St. George, and started the navigation. Navigation is such a lifesaver.
Marshall Point Lighthouse was very scenic. More great photos and some souvenirs. We got lucky and Russ picked up another bar of cell service and added the address for Camp Laurel in Readfield. He got the navigation running, but when we went off course to go the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse we lost navigation once again. Back to paper maps.
Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse is at the end of a 7/8-mile-long breakwater jetty made of huge blocks of rock. Visiting requires a nearly two-mile round trip walk across a very uneven path with sometimes wide gaps between the giant slabs. It was windy and chilly, but there was no regret in our decision to journey out to see the lighthouse up close. We took more photos, of course, and headed back to the car. For another brief moment, we got two bars of cell service and could resume navigation to Camp Laurel.
An hour later Brooklynn jumped into her Russ’s arms and greeted Alecia with huge hugs, kisses, and smiles. We toured Camp Laurel, loaded up her stuff, and the three of us began the two-hour drive to Bar Harbor.
We booked our motel stay in Bar Harbor, through Travelocity.com at the Belle Isle Motel. It’s a quaint motel in the very touristy area next to Acadia National Park. The room was very tiny and even smaller after having to add a cot since Brooklynn joined us earlier than planned. The attendant was gracious in allowing us to add a third person as they were completely booked. The flooring was soft laminate and not adhered to the floor properly in the bathroom. The shower was only large enough to stand in and turn around, but barely large enough to wash your feet. The TV was probably a 12” screen mounted on the wall above the window by the front door. We never turned it on. There was a mini-fridge/freezer and a small desk with a chair. The room also had a 1 cup coffee maker Russ used to heat water for his instant oatmeal. The bed had a dip, so you felt like you were sleeping on a bit of a slant. While the location was convenient to Acadia National Park, and downtown Bar Harbor, we would suggest spending a little more and staying somewhere else. We searched for an Airbnb, but everything in our price range was booked.
We were so busy viewing lighthouses we hadn’t eaten since breakfast. The girls found a place through Trip Advisor called Side Street Cafe in the heart of downtown Bar Harbor. The wait was 45 minutes and it didn’t disappoint. We ordered a BBQ Chicken Salad and custom Mac and Cheese with bacon and artichoke hearts to share. Absolutely divine!!! To end the meal, we had a piece of warm Maine blueberry pie, topped with raw sugar and lime zest. It was DELICIOUS!!! We even had leftovers to take back with us to the motel. A perfect end to a long day.
Signpost sightings: zipper merge, snowmobile crossing, and moose crossing. Quite a few coastal cities also have the blue circles designating evacuation routes.
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