For Thanksgiving 2018 we really had no special plans. Our friends, Mark and Nora, were big fans of Bar Harbor, Maine and suggested we join them on a trip there over the Thanksgiving weekend. I had never been to Maine so I was all in and Lynn had never been in winter, so yeah, she was in too. It would be a new experience for both of us.
We would fly out early Thanksgiving morning, 11/22/18, and return on Sunday 11/25/18. We would fly into Bangor and drive to Bar Harbor where we would be staying at the Inn on Mount Desert. Perfect. A quiet Thanksgiving in an Inn in Bar Harbor sounded relaxing and we really needed a little down time. This trip would be about hanging out with good friends, seeing new sites, and relaxing.
The day arrived and we were up early, packed, and ready to go. We were to meet Mark and Nora at the airport for an early flight. We would have a stop over in Philadelphia and arrive in Bangor about 12:30pm.
Off to the airport! 5:00am, whew.
We met up with Mark and Nora at the airport, spent a little time in the Admirals Club and then boarded the plane.
The flight was uneventful, which is always a good thing. We landed in Bangor and went outside to pick up the rental car. Holy crap! It is cold. Brutal cold. I am a southern boy born and raised so I am not accustomed to real cold. Been to Iceland in April, not this cold. Been to Toronto in January. Not this cold.
Anyway, we picked up the rental car and headed on out to Bar Harbor. The scenery was beautiful and the Inn was everything we expected. We arrived about 2:00pm and got settled in.
One thing Mark and I have in common is a love for whiskey and cigars. That porch was inviting, cold or not, and we had made sure we were stocked for the weekend prior to getting to the Inn.
After getting settled in and hanging out for a while at the Inn it was time to find a sunset venue, then get some dinner. This being the off season in Bar Harbor there are pros and cons. A lot of places close for the winter. On the up side the places that are open are easy to get into and happy to see you because there are no crowds. We went to the Atlantic Oceanside Hotel and Event Center for happy hour to get drinks and appetizers, and watch the moon rise. This time of year and the location of this place offers less of a sunset than it does a spectacular moon rise.
From there we headed over to Leary's Irish Pub. They were serving a traditional Thanksgiving dinner and of course, a wide variety of whiskey.
After dinner we headed back to the Inn and spent the rest of the night playing pool, enjoying good whiskey, and telling tall tales.
Our plan for the next day was to see some of the park areas in and around Acadia National Park. We stopped in at Geddy's for brunch and headed out into the park.
The scenery was beautiful. We had a great time exploring the park areas and stopping along the way. I'll let the pictures tell the story here. What a a great day!
The next morning our plan was to see more of the Acadia Park area and explore as much as we could. No solid plans but we knew we wanted to see the sand beach so after breakfast we headed that direction. I have to say that this kind of weekend is something that Lynn and I cherish as there is no real agenda and we have friends on the same vibe with us, so we just forget about the rat race world for a while and enjoy the moment.
Heading out from the Inn we wanted to see more of Bar Harbor, then explore the park, so we went to the harbor then headed south into Acadia Park. I'll let the photos speak for the journey. I have no narrative for the beauty of this place. It was outstanding...
The Sand Beach...
After that we made our way back into Bar Harbor for some shopping, drinks, and heavy appetizers.
The Thirsty Whale. Kind of says it all. There were shops around and we spent the rest of the afternoon shopping and enjoying the local vibe. We got back to the Inn around 6:00pm and spent the evening there enjoying playing pool, cigars, whiskey, and good conversation. Not saying we got out of hand but since we were the only guests there we kind of had the Inn to ourselves...
The next day being Sunday, we had to catch the flight back home. We decided to get an early start so we could see some of the touristy stuff in Bangor before getting to the airport.
We had to stop by the former home of Stephen King, of course.
And the 31' tall statue of Paul Bunyan. Bangor claims to be the birthplace of Paul Bunyan, however, Akeley, Minnesota makes the same claim. Although the Akeley, Minnesota statue is impressive, Bangor also has a birth certificate on display in the City Clerk's office in City Hall. He was born, according to the official document, on February 12, 1834. You decide.
From there it was a stop at Paddy Murphy's for lunch before heading to the airport. A true Irish bar this is, Paddy Murphy's.
"TRAVELING - it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller." lbn Batutta
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