Portland to Bar Harbor

This morning I continued driving North. Really NorthEast. At the suggestion of Aaron from the Aloft front desk, I stopped at the L.L. Bean Campus , which was more interesting than I anticipated. It was not quite the pilgrimage that B&H Photo was in NYC, but there was a time when I used to order from L.L. Bean, so I thought it would be fun to see the store. The place is huge. Really it is a campus, with several different buildings with multiple floors, each specializing in a different aspect of the store - hunting and fishing, housewares, clothing, discount. It is also open 24/7, something I have never seen in a retail store. While I was not necessarily looking to purchase anything, I did find a few items that were useful. The town of Freeport itself was also - dare I say - wholesome. That is truly the best description.

I think continued up to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park . I stopped at the smaller of the two visitor centers on the way in and received lots of valuable information from Bill. After checking into my hotel, I decided to take a preliminary spin around the main loop of the park. While the day was perfect and the park stunning, I was reminded of why I avoid any highly visited area during high season. The crowds were ridiculous and the parking lots full, even at 5 PM.

The experience motivated me to take advantage of my early rising tendencies and get out very early tomorrow so that I could be out before the hordes descended. The other issue is the very annoying requirement to purchase a timed on-line vehicle pass for sunrise at Cadillac Mountain. While 30% of tickets are released well in advance, they hold back 70% until two days prior. And they release them, most inconveniently, at 10 AM. That is exactly when everyone is in the park, with little to no internet access. I have to imagine they do this on purpose, because any bureaucrat with half a brain cell would realize just how annoying this is. So I will plan to return to my lodging for a mid-morning break, and to click the request. Button at 10 AM on the dot. This still does not guarantee a spot, but it is the best chance.

Today’s experience has also motivated me to explore some of the less-frequented areas just a bit further afield later in the week. A little bit of time and difficulty discourages many people, so I hope the crowds might be fewer.