Acadia National Park protects the natural beauty of the highest rocky headlands along the entire Atlantic coastline and it is on these headlands wherein are an abundance of habitats as well as a rich cultural heritage.

Now number seven in the most visited national parks in the US, Acadia receives some three and a half million visitors.

Open all year, visitors enjoy 27 miles of historic motor roads, 158 miles of hiking trails, and 45 miles of carriage roads.

Acknowledging the island′s French heritage, this national park was first named for the first explorer Sieur de Monts in 1916, then for Revolutionary War General Lafayette in 1919, and finally Acadia in 1929, which is the historic name for this area.

A group of artists, naturalists, philanthropist and others promoted donation of land, purchased other land and then sought federal protection. These ones established the first national park east of the Mississippi river, one created almost entirely of land donated to the federal government.

Private Vehicle: $30.00; Motorcycle: $25.00

Bicycle, Hiker, Pedestrian: $15.00

Youth 15 and under: Free

Access, Annual, and Senior pass holder: Free

Hulls Cove Visitor Center is a good location to begin your park visit. You can obtain permits to enter the park, rangers to answer your questions and items from the park store for purchase. Too, you will find self-service maps and digital information screens to inform and prepare you for your visit.

Since the construction of the facility in the 1960s, visitors have taken their first hike in Acadia up from the parking lot, the 52 steps to the visitors center. Others follow the signs to the accessible access. The visitor center operates seasonally from 06 May through 31 October.

Although Acadia is well known for its amazing landscapes and natural history, it also has many rich layers of significant cultural history. The indigenous people have lived here on this coastal area for thousands of years, and many continue to call this place home, or feel connected to it from afar.

Today four distinct tribes that were once known as the Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot are known collectively as the Wabanaki, or People of the Dawnland.

Prior to the Europeans arrived, these indigenous people built birch bark canoes which were seaworthy and traveled along and about the coastal island in this area to fish, gather berries, harvest clams, hunt and trade with others among the tribes living at the time.

Mount Desert Island was know as Pemetic to these people an indigenous word meaning Range of Mountains.

Located on Mount Desert Island off the coast of Maine, Acadia experiences all four seasons. Spring temperatures range from 30-70 degrees F. Summer temperatures range from 45-90 degrees F. Fall temperatures range from 30-70 degrees F). Winter temperatures range from 14-35 degrees F.

Typically the first frost is in mid-October and first snowfall begins in November and can continue through April with an average accumulation of 73 inches (185 cm).

Blackwoods

Duck Harbor, 44.028045, -68.653152

Seawall, 44.240420, -68.304144

Schoodic Woods, 44.380203, -68.066505

Apparently needing to sleep longer than my usual early awakening, I rouse to see where I be. Soon, a smile comes to my face when I realize that I be in the land of the Maine-i-acs and this morning will drive to Mount Desert Island and visit Acadia National Park. However, first, before driving south to the coast, I take my ease at the f-mart to purchase coffee and to check my com.

Heading south on SH 3 to Mount Desert island, arrive in Trenton where the highway crosses the bridge onto the island, and here see a restaurant so common to this area, a Lobster pot.

After taking photos here, I continue and soon see islands in Frenchman′s bay.

Next, I pass the mansion called East of Eden where I stayed with a friend when I was working at the restaurant during 1979 in Oak Harbor.

I only stop briefly in Oak Harbor only to see how it has changed so very much. I then drive to the national park and find it changed as well, but still, much of the natural beauty still remains.

Once within the park, I drive the park loop road to I come to the Cadillac summit road, turn left and begin the climb up to the summit. Neither is this summit like it was the last time I arrive here. Now, there is a huge parking lot, gift shop, rest rooms and hoards of turkeys. Well, I am here so I will make the best of it.

Elevation: 1530 feet

Summit road entrance: 44.368891, -68.238506

Cadillac Mountain is the highest point along the North Atlantic seaboard and the first place to view sunrise in the United States from October 7 through March 6. It is only one of over 20 mountains on Mount Desert Island, Maine that were pushed up by the tectonic and volcanic forces millions of years ago.

Were it not for the once enormous glaciers that sheared off their tops, they would be even higher than what we see today. You can easily see the results of this on a smaller scale by viewing the slopes on the Porcupine Islands in the distance. The North side is on the left and the steeper slope, or the down side, is on the right east side. The glaciers crept across the land here from the left to the right (in a southerly direction) and stretched out to sea as far as 400 miles!

Cadillac Mountain was named for the French explorer and adventurer, Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, Sieur de Cadillac in 1918. Prior to this, it was known as Green Mountain.

From about 1534 through 1763, a substantial part of the North American continent was colonized and under the control of France, a vast area known then as New France, which control came to a peak in 1712 and extended from Newfoundland westward to the Rocky Mountains and south to the Gulf of Mexico.

In 1688, Antoine Laumet de La Mothe Sieur de Cadillac was given ownership of over 100,000 acres of land along the present day Maine coast which included Mount Desert Island and areas next to present day Union River.

From 1883, there was a slow cog railway excursion to the summit called the Green Mountain Cog Railway, which began from Eagle Lake on the western side of the mountain and made the climb of just over one mile to reach the summit where the Green Mountain House Hotel was awaiting the arrival of visitors and overnight guests.

This railroad had two steam locomotives, the primary one was called Mount Desert and the second was simply referred to as locomotive Number 2 having no special name other than that referred as number 2. This railroad was only seasonal and perhaps this is what cause it to have such a short run of just seven years when the operations were terminated, the equipment sold and then shipped to Mount Washington Cog Railway of New Hampshire.

Up to a comfortable morning, open the jammer and spend time cleaning the inside because yesterday, I had stopped to wash the outside. Then while heating water for both coffee and tea, I take a bucket bath. Methinks, it is always nice to be clean, both my body and my home. Then, I drive to the Sieur du Mont, which is a location in the park with a botanical garden. After walking through the garden, I drive into the town of Bar Harbor for WiFi stopping at Chocolatte where I purchase coffee and sit inside next to an electrical outlet. I will return here again later because now I know the password.

Years had passed since I had walked the old paths upon the mountains heights, and I had returned to the city and those question that had been plaguing me prior to that night at Sabbath Day pond would not, no, could not leave my mind. I kept asking myself What will I do for the rest of my life? Where will I find the spiritual fulfillment I desire and need so much?

I only remained in the Texas coastal city for a couple of years until I could not long stay there. Once again, I disposed of my possession down to need level and departed again from Texas, this time to travel to Maine to locate a place where I might find a job and then work and live for as long as I must need do. This was some time after my father had died in December of 1980 which allowed me to inherit a 1966 Volkswagen Beetle. I outfitted it for travel and living in ant then parted for places northeast.

Up and afoot before dawn′s end. The light is dim as we begin the final few steps to the Kennebec. The forest is still drenched from yester eve&prime:s rain. I had awaken several times throughout the night to hear the continuing symphony and only in the early morning hours did I become aware the rain had finally ceased.

The morning arrive with a partly cloudy but also a blue sky and after traveling only a short while, there is a golden sunglow illuminating the way for my steps. Upon my arrival at the Kennebec, there is only two hundred yards left, not much more than a stone′s throw and then then there will be no more white blazes to guide my steps.

Yes, my walk upon the way known as the Appalachian Trail will have come to an end.

We begin climbing from the river up the bank to the road and as we arrive at the top of the bank I pause for a brief moment to turn around for one more glimpse of the mountain, the place that has been my home for such a long time. Too, i silently vow to God that I will continue upon the quest, yes, until I have found those like me; those who travel upon the highway we cal the Way of Holiness; the way in which no one may pass over but the wayfarers. (Isaiah 35:8)

With it still being early in the morning, Ababe and I continue up to the road and begin to move south along the shoulder of the hot asphalt two-lane roadway. Looking down the road, I can see in the distance the heat shimmering just above it′s surface.

Much later that day, after heading south on US 201 to Skowhegon, then east on US 2 to Bangor, next south again on US 1A to Ellsworth and finally, SH 3 south, we arrive in Bar Harbor, Maine and stop at the post office for my mail. I find this to be a quaint village with a central area called the Village Green wherein is a nice park. I drop my backpack on a bench and take up a spot next to the pack. I will be here for a time and hope to find work to restore my empty wallet. I have a little food left in my pantry but will need more soon.

The very next day, after walking into a restaurant to ask for a job, the owner replies with "When can you start?" He tells me that he needs a dishwasher who can start right away, takes me to the back of the restaurant and shows me the layout. I tell him that my dog is guarding my backpack just outside in front of the restaurant and he says that I can bring them around back where they will both be safe. I go outside, load up my pack and Babe and I walk to the back of the restaurant.

Upon my arrival in the back, I find the area to be just as he said, so I set my pack down under an over hang near the back door and attach Babe′s leash to the pack. The owner then steps out the back door and asks, What do you think? Will this be ok? to which I tell him, Yes, it is perfect and I am ready to attack that large pile of dishes in the sink.

I spend most of the month of August working for the restaurant restoring my travel finances. Too, I have acquired from another one of the workers, the use of his rear covered porch to use as my lean-to and he even allows Babe to stay in the back yard while I am working at the restaurant.

On my days off, I have been carrying my day pack and walking south on SH 3 into the national park and then walking the many hiking trails leading to many of the summits. Too, at the local book store, I obtains a topographical map of Acadia national park which has been very useful for me to travel the many paths in totality. Babe really loves the walks we take into the park each week.