Southwest Harbor Weekend Fun

We had a great time up in Southwest Harbor for the weekend and it was so nice to have Mom and Dad join us! We tried to pack as much as we could into each day and I think we succeeded as we were certainly all tired out by the time we got home on Sunday night! 😂😉

Saturday morning, Ryan met up with Jenn for a long run around the island, and Sam and I joined Mom and Dad for breakfast at the Claremont - yum! - and such a beautiful spot 💗

After breakfast, we headed over to Jordan Pond to get in a short hike before we met up with Ryan.

After some time exploring the shoreline of Jordan Pond, we headed down the Jordan Stream Trail to the Cobblestone Bridge, built in 1917 and the oldest of Rockerfeller's carriage road bridges. The Jordan Stream Trail was a nice meander and we took the carriage road back to make a little loop for the morning. (1.8 miles walked)

After lunch at Eat a Pita - delish! - we headed over for a leisurely walk through Asticou Gardens. Some of the azaleas had already bloomed but there was more than enough color to go around. Such a beautiful spot! 🌸 (0.8 miles walked)

Jenn had told Ryan that Thula Gardens was another nice walk, so we decided we would check that out too! We took the long way up, which featured some neat stone steps and nice views out into the Harbor before reaching the actual confines of the garden. (1.1 miles walked)

And then we finished off the day with dinner at Beal's as the rain came down. The perfect end to a great day!

It rained overnight but we stayed nice and cozy and dry in the tent. I woke up early to heavy fog and headed out around 5:30 am to run a loop over St. Sauveur, Valley Peak and Acadia Mountains. The summits were clouded in and the roots were slippery, but the sheep laurel was blooming and I had the whole place to myself ;) The fog and clouds did begin to lift as I was climbing Acadia so I got a bit of a view on the way up before things clouded over again at the summit. My legs felt a bit heavy throughout but looking at the run on Strava after the fact showed that I wasn't running much slower than I have on that loop in the past, so while I didn't feel all shiny happy people on the run itself, it's still nice to know that recovery seems to be coming along. (7.5 miles)

I got back to find Ryan and Sam still sleeping and after a morning fire and a few sparklers, we packed up the damp tent, got the car packed and met my parents over at the Flying Mountain trailhead. One of the best things about Acadia is the bang for your buck, and Flying Mountain is a great example! A short steep scramble up through the woods and you arrive out on rocky ledges with a gorgeous view out into Somes Sound and beyond. And even better, the skies were clearing and the day was warming up!

We hiked down to the beach at the end of the Man o' War road, and Sam scrambled around on the rocks, took off her shoes to feel the water and we all took in the view along with noting a number of jellyfish washed up on the beach! A nice respite before finishing up our walk. (1.7 miles walked)

Once again, we headed to Eat a Pita - seriously, so good! - and then decided to head over to hike the Ships Harbor loop before we headed home. Despite the fact that Mom and Dad's cellphone took a dive into one of the tide pools (not good!), we had a lovely walk! (1.7 miles walked)

John's new spot for his tiny home was just down the road, so we swung in to say hi and check it out. Beautiful location and nice to catch up, even if just briefly!

We didn't end up getting home until 7:00 pm, but it was worth it. Such a great weekend, and we sure do love Acadia 💗