My life is different—I went to Texas in the summer, when it was 40 degrees Celsius, and I went to Maine in the winter, when it was -10 degrees Celsius. Oh well, it's even more interesting this way; I rarely get the chance to see the unusual winter landscapes of national parks.
I flew into Boston and immediately headed toward the park. It's about a four-and-a-half-hour drive. I was very lucky with my car this time; Hertz generously gave me a Mercedes GLK. I really regretted getting there so quickly; I didn't want to get out. Traffic in the park is seriously restricted in winter. Officially, the Loop Road (45 kilometers) closes on December 1st, but in reality, it was closed due to weather conditions as early as late November—everything was covered in snow. The NPS website has a helpful brochure explaining what you can do in the park in winter.
In winter, most hotels and restaurants near the park close. I stayed in Bar Harbor, at the Acadia Hotel. I liked the place, the staff was very friendly, and there was a large tank of hot apple cider outside the entrance 24 hours a day.
I woke up early this morning and went to meet the sunrise on the Bar Harbor Shore Path, a walking path along the shore.
The trail is about a kilometer and a half long. It's not well-maintained, so you need to be careful when walking in winter.
One of the hotels on the shore. There should be a good view from the balconies.
In the summer, Bar Harbor is probably a bustling place with crowds of tourists. In December, however, it looks like a frozen, abandoned town from a fairy tale. Many hotels and restaurants are closed until April or May, as indicated by signs on their doors. Some locals have clearly moved to warmer places for the winter (and I understand their feelings). I saw a sad sign on one storefront about the owners selling their business and moving away.
Lots of cute little souvenir shops. I loved the signs on this one: "Yes! You can bring ice cream, just be careful not to let it drip. Dogs are welcome too! And cats, if you happen to have any!"
The state's main dishes are local lobster, which can be found in a variety of forms at almost any establishment, and my favorite, chowder (a creamy seafood soup).
Church and snow-covered cemetery:
In winter, two small sections of the park's loop road are open to traffic. One can be accessed via Schooner Head Road. The other section is a driveway to Jordan Pond. Roads 102A and Sargeant Dr. are also quite scenic.
This is what the snow-covered and closed section of the park's ring road looks like:
More accurately, it's not snow, but pure ice. In fact, almost all the paths are covered in ice, so you have to walk extremely carefully. I only fell once, but it was a real blast. I tore my favorite storm pants, and the cut on my knee only recently healed. It's a shame I didn't break my camera.
You can drive up to Sand Beach. The contrast of snow and sand is stunning:
The beach has signs directed at swimmers. In the cold winter, they look like an inappropriate joke.
A stop at Thunder Hole. It's named so for a reason—the water really does rush into the crevice with a terrifying roar.
Winter road:
The second large open area of the park is the access road to Jordan Pond.
There is a walking path around the lake, the longest of those open in the park in winter.
You can walk around the entire perimeter of the lake, but it's quite time-consuming. I walked for about an hour and a half and decided to return to the lake for sunset.
I stopped by the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse. A lighthouse keeper and his family live there, and they ask that you keep it down. This is the only angle you can get to the lighthouse! 🙂
A stunningly beautiful place called Natural Seawall is located near the lighthouse (marked on the map as Seawall Rd).
Please do not remove round pebbles from the shore—they are an integral part of the landscape:
The sun never quite rose. It rose slightly above the horizon in the morning, swung around for a bit, and then sank back down.
I went to watch the sunset at Jordan Pond, a lake I already knew.
Source: travel.ru