SUNDAY....Seeing Bar Harbor

We moved to the Bar Harbor Grand Hotel today.  I always think it's interesting how these websites make things look so different than what they really are.  This hotel is actually located in the middle of the shopping area; to me it looks like it could be located on a beach.  And there's lots of other buildings around it.   But it's a very comfortable hotel and the lowest priced one we've had so far.

We spent most of the day today touring the park.  It's a pretty amazing place and has everything from forests to sea shores.  The colors are extraordinary.  Not like back home where it's all fall colors.  There's lots of evergreen trees here so the red and gold leaves on the deciduous trees are mixed in with the pine trees.

It's not easy to see here, but the roads are winding through what is mostly granite rocks moved from glaciers.  Here we walked off the road and into the woods and the entire woods are filled with huge granite boulders that have been moved by the glaciers.  Everything is granite.  It's really something to see--when you look closely you can see that the trees are actually growing on top of the boulders.  In 1947 a huge fire destroyed half of what had been mostly evergreen trees, now the deciduous trees have come up and mixed in with the evergreens.  So beautiful.  We got out and walked through the thick woods at every opportunity.  It was interesting to me to see the trees that have fallen and decayed.  White birch decays totally, but the bark actually stays in tact.  I can't get enough of it.

There's actually a sandy beach on this part of the island.  Beautiful clear water and sand.  

And then, all these huge boulders are right at water's edge.  Most actually covered during high tide.  The rocks that appear to be black are actually covered with kelp that grows from spores left by the water, I guess.  

We stopped so many places and got out and walked on the big boulders that go to the edge of the water.  Seagulls are everywhere.

We stopped at the Jordan Pond House for lunch.  It's built near Jordan pond which is the cleanest water and a public water supply for all of Seal Harbor.  Had a great lunch of soup and popovers and blueberry tea.

They seat as many outside as they do in.  Tables and chairs right on the grass, but no bugs.  It was a gorgeous day.  Talked to people from Quebec, Japan, Germany, makes you proud to live in this country; so many people want to see the United States and are impressed with what is here!!

Today will be our last day here.  Tomorrow we're leaving for Niagra Falls.  Haven't mapped it out yet, but I'm assuming it will be about a 2 day drive.  I'm ready for a couple of days in the car, resting.  Talked to John and Judy K tonight and it sounds like Waverly had 28 degrees last night and the leaves are falling fast.  Things will look different when we get home, I'm sure.