TomandEv: Oct. 11 Bar Harbor, Maine and Acadia National Park

This is one of the ports where we had to take the lifeboats into the harbor. We caught our bus tour that would to the park, which was the first national park east of the Mississippi. It is 108 square miles and most of the land was donated by extremely wealthy city people who wanted to keep this "backyard" to their huge summer cottages for recreation instead of development and timber industries, as was threatened. Not many leaves have changed color, as they had an unusually warm September. A marshy area had some color on the ones near it. The guide said they're usually all turned by now.

Bar Harbor is the largest town on the island. Very wealthy settlers came from the 1880's until the depression hit and built the mansions. Four steamships brought tourists. for many years

Moose swim onto the island, but can't live there because no algae grows in the swampy areas and the terrain is too rocky. Most of the coast is rocky, but we saw one sandy beach from above. This is a state whose residents are interested in hunting. Lobstering is a big industry, behind tourism. the fisherman receives $4 per pound and restaurants sell dinners for $35-40. A one pound one has been in the water 8-10 years, If they get hungry, they'll chew on each other. 7000 licenses are issued in this area and they all use different color variations on their buoys. It used to be used for fertilizer in this area and was called the "poor man's" food. Some servants wrote in their contracts that they wouldn't eat it more than 3 times a week. Some of the lobstermen are 8th generation.

There used to be large granite quarry, a leather business, and lots of paper mills. Only 3 mills remain and 2 are in bankruptcy. There is a mice research lab. 90% of America's blueberries are grown here. We passed an area where 100 sailors watched for aircraft during WWII. From 1881-1888 a cog railway ran to the top of Cadillac mountain, but it went broke. Cross country and downhill skiing are still popular here. It can reach 50 below zero, so the runs have to be closed then. The mountain road is closed from December 1-April 15th, usually. We passed a golf course and went under granite bridges. Walls around the homes' gardens were granite. There are 300 kinds of mushrooms here, some edible, some not. There are many beaver here and we saw one dam. The guide explained that their teeth grow like our nails, and if they don't chew constantly, they lock up their jaw and they die.

It was very cold and windy on top of the mountain, which is only 1300! Seemed higher, but it is measured from the ocean at the bottom, unlike mountains we're used to. Our house is at 3200', in the desert!

After we left the tour, we walked around the tourist trap shops and had some coffee and toast before going back on board ship.