Friday 9/27/2024 Class Begins (Daily Diary)
We were up and ready to go… at 10:00 am! OMG, yesterday's trip was exhausting. We got to the hotel nine minutes after their breakfast service was over and was done! We decided to walk to the end of the street and find a quick breakfast.
Bar Harbor, Maine was named after the sand and gravel bar that connects Bar Harbor to Bar Island at low tide:
The town was originally called Eden when it was incorporated in 1796. The name was changed to Bar Harbor on March 3, 1918.
Bar Harbor is a coastal town on Mount Desert Island, Maine, facing Frenchman Bay. It's known as the gateway to Acadia National Park and is a popular summer destination.
During the Gilded Age, Bar Harbor was a summer resort for wealthy families, including the Rockefellers, Fords, Vanderbilts, Carnegies, and Astors.
It was a magnificent day, a great way to start school!
We found the perfect place to grab a bite right on the ocean. The food was excellent and quick for Mary, who had to check in by 11:45 am. We did bagels, and they were a full meal.
How do you make a bagel stop moving? Put lox on it.
The little shop was teaming with business.
The signage was funny!
The arrow points to where we had breakfast!
The tide was out so the pier footage was clearly visible.
The harbor was busy!
Tonight the water level will be up eight feet.
Here are some trivia facts about the sand bar in Bar Harbor, Maine:
Name: The sand bar is the namesake of Bar Harbor.
Access: The sand bar is accessible by Bridge Street, but there is no parking on lower Bridge Street. Vehicles are allowed on the bar, but drivers should be careful to monitor the tide.
Safety: It's safe to walk across the sand bar about 1.5 hours before and after low tide. Walking across at other times risks getting stranded.
Activities: Kayakers use the sand bar to launch into the harbor, and hikers use it to explore Bar Island. Visitors can also dig in the sand, find shells, and discover other organisms .
Tidal flow: The tidal flow of the sand bar can be up to 12 feet twice a day.
Location: The sand bar is located northwest of the Town pier.
The orange kayaks look interesting!
Hi Guys!
The Eye is watching us!
Between the buildings on the walk to the hotel!
We decided NOT to dig!!
Trees with red or scarlet leaves in autumn include red and sugar maple, flowering dogwood, sweetgum, black gum, red and scarlet oak, and sassafras.
Some trees are already turning.
Autumn is not yet in full bloom but has started on some trees. This guy will be naked in another two weeks, and all his leaves will be swept up and turned into soil!
Do you know what the ginkgo tree says when it answered the phone? "Yellow!"
The flowers are everywhere.
We stopped at our hotel so Mary could have her picture taken with the flowers. Ba Haba has flowers everywhere, and they are pruned and maintained daily.
Settled in 1763, the city was incorporated in 1796 as Eden; the present name (for Bar Island in the main harbor) was adopted in 1918. Most of the town was destroyed by fire in 1947. Rebuilt Bar Harbor is the center of a popular resort area verging on Acadia National Park and is a port of entry.
Just basking in the sun before class.
The Criterion Theatre is a historic performance space at 35 Cottage Street in downtown Bar Harbor, Maine. Built in 1932, when Bar Harbor's summer scene was at its height, it is one of only two Art Deco theaters in the state.
It seats 588 people and is quite active to this day.
Looks old, and it is BUT it is seats almost 1000 people and is active!
The weather was brisk!
Loads of visitors every day!
After getting the walking stick, I wandered back to the hotel via Main Street and shopped for some coats in case the boat ride was cold. Being a prudent shopper and an awful judge of color, I decided we had enough warm clothes for this evening.
Walking is good for you, so I began the journey back to the convention center to await my bride.
I stopped at Patty's and had a burger and a nip of the whiskey!
Paddy's is located right on the water. Click for high resolution photo.
It looked like rain but no moisture yet!
Nestled on picturesque Frenchman Bay, Harborside Hotel, Spa & Marina is a true gem in downtown Bar Harbor. Featuring 193 thoughtfully designed accommodations, outstanding on-site amenities, and authentic hospitality, Harborside has everything you need for a memorable getaway. Head out into the lively neighborhood or relax and take advantage of everything the exceptional resort has to offer.
It looked quaint but there were almost two hundred rooms!
The complex hosted the Maine Ophthalmologists every year!
I came to get here form school every day!
Downeast?
In Maine, "Down East" refers to the eastern coastal region of the state, which includes Washington and Hancock counties, and stretches from Ellsworth to the Maritime Provinces. The term can also refer to the entire coastal New England region. The phrase is thought to come from sailing terminology, as sailors from western ports would sail downwind toward the east to reach the area.
Do you see the small pumpkins?
Mary ran out of the classroom and hightailed it to the hotel, with me hobbling along after her! We put on our jackets and carried our inflatable rubber ducks just in case. The boat departed at the dock where we had breakfast this morning, which made it easy to find.
Everyone went upstairs or outside; Mary and I, seasoned travelers, stayed inside and downstairs for three reasons: it was warm, out of the wind, and near the bar!
Our boat is on the left!
A 112 foot a jet-powered catamaran, was built in Massachusetts in 1996 and has two cabins, three decks, AV/PA system, and advanced navigation equipment. She is a INCAT design. She has four 1205 horsepower MTU marine diesel engines. Like the AtlantiCat, this it is a smooth and fast riding vessel. It has restrooms and galley available when needed. The main deck and amenities are wheelchair accessible.
Inside seating was plentiful.
Oh my! Wine from a can?
Mary points out the surroundings.
We are just having too much fun!
We are off!
We pass by Bar Harbor!
There is a breakwater in the bay!
Did You Know? - Bar Harbor, in the community of Bar Harbor, is located on the northeastern shore of Mount Desert Island in Frenchman Bay. One of New England's most popular summer resort areas, Bar Harbor is used extensively by a commercial fishing fleet and a growing charter boat industry and serves as a terminus for passenger and auto ferry service to Nova Scotia.
The project at Bar Harbor, completed in 1917, is a breakwater extending a total of 2,315 feet from Bald Porcupine Island southwesterly towards Cromwell Cove, ending about 600 feet short of the cove's entrance. The structure, located about one mile southeast of the main waterfront, is 895 feet long from Bald Porcupine Island to Dry Ledge, then 1,420 feet from Dry Ledge southwesterly towards Cromwell Cove. Although a portion of the breakwater was not constructed to its full height, the structure provides effective protection for the wharves and natural anchorage at Bar Harbor.
It controls the waves going into the populated area.
Secluded? Duh!
Wow!
Chick and discover hoe the other half lives!
No city noises here!
How do they get there?
How do you keep it warm?
That would be exciting to live in during a real storm!
Sitting on the rocks!
Solid rock!
Sun facing!
Did You Know? - Over 60 Historical Lighthouses in Maine
For over two centuries, Maine lighthouses have stood as beacons in the night along Maine's rocky coast. They have also stood the test of time. Not only are these glowing citadels still providing protection for seafarers and their vessels; they offer safe harbor to visitors searching for an unforgettable experience.
As spectacular as they are at night, they're fantastic places to navigate in the daytime. Among Maine's 65 lighthouses, many are open to the public, some even offer access to keeper's quarters. A good number have adjacent museums. All are photo- and paint-worthy – as discovered by a who's who of American artists. Visitors can enjoy lighthouse tours on the water or in the comfort of your own car. Either way, you'll be experiencing a brilliant example of the living legacy of Maritime Maine.
During a storm it gets pretty wet!
Did You Know? - The Egg Rock Light Station consists of two buildings, a combination light tower and keeper's house, and a fog station building. The keeper's house is a roughly square 1+1⁄2-story wood-frame building, with a hip roof pierced by dormers on all four sides. The painted brick tower, 40 feet (12 m) high, rises through the center of the house. The light is a VRB-25 aerobeacon, mounted in a 1986 replacement lantern house. It is configured to flash red every 40 seconds. The fog station is a brick structure southwest of the main building, with a gable-on-hip roof.
The Egg Rock light originally was fitted with a fifth-order Fresnel lens. The fog station (originally steam-powered) was added in 1904. The station was automated by the United States Coast Guard in 1976, at which time its ancillary structures except the fog station were torn down. The lantern house was removed and the light was replaced by the present aerobeacon. After public protest, a replacement lantern house was installed in 1986. The light continues to be managed by the Coast Guard, and is not open to the public; the island and buildings are owned by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
Everything is automated today!
The sea has risen as the break water is starting to go under!
Egg Rock Light is a lighthouse on Frenchman Bay, Maine. Built in 1875, it is one of coastal Maine's architecturally unique lighthouses, with a square tower projecting through the square keeper's house
The birds seem to enjoy the facilities.
The sun is setting.
Slivers of gold appear in the distance.
Bye Ol Sol, see you tomorrow!
One last glimpse of the sun!
Windblown or not, here I come!
Lobster is one of my favorite foods and I love the shellfish in all forms – as meat pulled directly from the claws and tails and dipped in melted butter, in lobster rolls or in pasta. This recipe is for a traditional New England lobster boil also known as a lobster bake, using whole lobsters, kielbasa, red potatoes, sweet corn, and clams seasoned with salt and herbs.
Steak, lobsta, corn, and potatoes! Life is good!
We polished off three of these beauties!
The hall was full!
Dang!
