You know I'm feeling like crap when I resort to this. Enter gag reflex.
Originally uploaded by BroAndDonna
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
You know I'm feeling like crap when I resort to this. Enter gag reflex.
You know I'm feeling like crap when I resort to this. Enter gag reflex.
Originally uploaded by BroAndDonna
Monday, September 27, 2010
On a number of occasions, I caught my dad napping in the back of the kayak while my mom paddled away. Good thing those kayaks don't have rear-view mirrors.
Bad hair day
My dad knows the trick to avoid letting the wind wreak havoc on your hair - baseball caps. I haven't seen my dad's hair messed up in quite some time. I can't say the same for Donna.
Check it out, mom
The lighthouse tour that departed from Bar Harbor has us reaching for caps, hats and coats. I've heard the trick to avoiding motion sickness is a cool body temperature but there's a difference between cool and cold. I knew I wasn't just me when I caught my mom wearing a hat with ear covers - keep in mind, this is a woman who used to walk out to get the newspaper in the snow, in her bare feet!
Cassie and Joe (my family's dogs) would be terribly jealous to see this photo of my dad making a few new friends in Acadia. Fortunately my sister's computer is password protected, to keep the dogs from surfing the web and running across content like this.
Mom and dad make their way to one of our last spots in Acadia - a rather remote, not-so-well-marked cove. A half-mile hike lead us to some beautiful scenery and some slippery rocks.
It was like returning to the scene of the crime, when we pulled into the shop that served fried cheesecake. Mom made a valiant effort but ultimately has to rely on her supportive family to polish off the dessert that can challenge even the most sophisticated sugar aficionados.
We spent about five hours looking for the contact lens that mom lost while hiking to Otter Cliff. Yes, I'm kidding. I don't recall exactly what mom and dad were doing here, but we were en route to Otter Cliff, which can be seen in the distance.
One of the many scenic shoreline areas of Acadia National Park. We got to see it once with beautiful blue skies and once with a cool, foggy, overcast setting.
There was little Fall color to be found when we arrived in Bar Harbor, but by the end of the week, reds and yellows were popping up everywhere.
We can be rather clumsy, so we take helmets even when we're just going for a walk. Actually, this was from our bike ride around Eagle Lake in Acadia National Park. I don't know how we managed to get a photo with no bikes anywhere in sight.
My wife, the drama queen - this was her reaction to a nearby spider. Ok, maybe she added a little intensity for the camera - she's a good actor, isn't she?
My dad told me he was getting a birthday cake for my mom. He told my mom he was getting a birthday cake for me. Turns out, it was a birthday cake for both of us. Those (retired) FBI guys are pretty sneaky.
If I told you I hear a wolf howl right after shooting this, would you believe me? Had the nearby scenery not been so spectacular, this might have spooked me a little more than it did.
Parking in Bar Harbor is a mess
Most captains don't know how to parallel park, which makes for a messy parking situation in Bar Harbor. Fortunately free two-hour parking is easy to come by. Despite all the boats off shore, I never saw anyone acually swimming to shore. Maybe everyone was just sleeping on their boats.
Yes, winds off the Maine were that cold
Sure, I've turned into a weather wimp since moving to SoCal but there were a few days during our Maine vacation that justified a wool cap. Thank goodness I didn't get rid of all of my cold weather clothing. If only I had remembered my mittens. You can get frostbite in 50-degree weather, right?
Shopping... Really?
Fall color, breathtaking seascapes, Acadia National Park, and what was Donna doing? Shopping. Well, not really. We took a drive to the 'other end' of the island to check out Northeast Harbor and discovered a quaint little town with a few shops that appealed to the women. Donna, who is less of a shopper than any of them, was the only one who returned to Bar Harbor with a shopping bag.
Shopping... Really?
Fall color, breathtaking seascapes, Acadia National Park, and what was Donna doing? Shopping. Well, not really. We took a drive to the 'other end' of the island to check out Northeast Harbor and discovered a quaint little town with a few shops that appealed to the women. Donna, who is less of a shopper than any of them, was the only one who returned to Bar Harbor with a shopping bag.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
After Donna walked up to the edge of Otter cliff, she realized just how steep the cliff was. Ummm, straight down. By definition, isn't that what a cliff is?
Acadia National Park is beautiful, even on a rainy day. We've had great weather all week so I can't complain about one day of rain, especially in an area like this.
A RAINY DAY MADE FOR A VERY SCENIC ACADIA SHORELINE. DONNA AND I FELT LIKE WE WERE BACK IN OREGON. THE WALK TO OTTER CLIFF WAS DAD'S IDEA - I'M GLAD WE WENT ALONG, GIVEN HOW BEAUTIFUL IT WAS.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
This young, tall read-headed woman offered to take a photo of Donna and I together after she saw me taking a picture of Donna by herself. I was thrilled to get one of those rare photos of us together but after she took our picture, I noticed the woman got her own camera out, zoomed in on just me, and took another photo. It's amazing the lengths women will go to just to get a picture of me or to get my autograph. To add insult to injury, she was a lousy photographer - she cut Donna off at the ankles!
On top of the world with the woman of my dreams. 'On top of the world' might be a stretch given that Cadillac Mountain is only (about) 1,500 feet, but given the nearby landscape, it provides a view of almost the entire state.
This portion of today's ride didn't last too long - after a nice ride along one of the ponds, the trail began a never-ending climb that forced us to turn back. Given the climbing we had to do to get back to the car, it's a good thing we turned around when we did - I don't think anyone got back to the parking lot, wishing there was more trail ahead of them.
My absolutely, without a doubt, FAVORITE sister - and ditto on the wife thing - hangin' at the top of Cadillac Mountain above Bar Harbor. Three cruise ships were here today, dumping almost 7,000 tourists into the downtown area. Darn tourists!
We had a few minutes for a family photo following today's ride around Eagle Lake. The shuttle wasn't quite ready to drive us back into town so we meandered along the shoreline for a bit.
Dad and Tiff celebrate as they summit one of many climbs on today's ride on the carriage roads through Acadia National Park. Topographical markings would have really come in handy while planning our route.
Fall is just beginning to arrive and it's amazing how much more red and yellow we're seeing just since our arrival a few days ago. These colorful leaves adorned the edge of Eagle Lake in Acadia National Park.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
A PINCH OF FALL COLOR IN ACADIA NATIONAL PARK
We arrived in Bar Harbor a few weeks too early to catch any serious fall color, but I really had never planned on the colors being the highlight of the trip, given that I'm here with my family in one of the most beautiful places in the United States. Nevertheless, yellows and reds are popping up here and there and I thought the leaves looked particularly pretty with a few rain drops resting on their backs.
NOW THIS IS HOW YOU EAT LOBSTER
Forget cracking the shell, digging for every last morsel of meat... THIS is how you eat lobster! Tonight's lobster roll was probably the best I've ever had, but I'll be searching for yet another one tomorrow just in case maybe there's an even better one out there somewhere.
CRYSTAL-CLEAR WATERS ABOUND IN ACADIA NATIONAL PARK
The water is amazingly clear in the ponds and lakes of Acadia - so clear that it makes you want to go for a swim. Unfortunately, 'human contact' with the water is not permitted. I guess that explains why it's so clean. Donna attempted to get me wet with her "back up one more step" instructions, while taking my picture. Fortunately, I didn't fall for it.
IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW, I'M MARRIED TO WONDER WOMAN!
After flying into Bar Harbor in her invisible jet, Donna managed to save this boulder from rolling into the ocean.
ANOTHER AWESOME DAY IN BAR HARBOR
Today was the first day we really drove into the shoreline of Acadia National Park and wow, what a day. One of the many perks of traveling with family is that Donna and I have someone to take pictures of us from a distance, instead of my arm's-length self portraits. Tiff, my sister, was kind enough to grab this shot with my camera. The house in the distance is our new home - the guy who was building it ran out of money and we decided we'd love to have it as a summer home, so we bought it as-is and renewed all the work orders with the contractors. It should be ready for us by next summer.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
FORGET THE WHALES, LET'S GO SEE SOME LIGHTHOUSES
Between whale watching trips, nature tours and lighthouse tours, we opted for the lighthouse tour out of Bar Harbor. We tried the motion-sickness patches that adhere to your skin and had tremendous luck - no drowsiness and no sickness. The lighthouses were amazing and the weather was perfect, though I'd be the first to admit I was getting a little chilly on the way back to town.
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