Acadia National Park- the national park tour continues!

I was lucky enough to visit Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park 16 years ago on an epic road trip with my parents between my Senior 1 and Senior 2 year of college (I may have taken a little extra time to make it through school) where we took their fifth wheel up the east coast to Maine with multiple stops along the way.  I already had some amazing memories and unforgettable stories about the area but I was eager to go back and see it again.  The funny thing is with a second trip under my belt, I am still eager to go back and see it again!

On my current contract, I had to work one obligatory weekend and then could take one day off the week before and one day off the week after so I took my day off the week before on a Monday and made it into a 3 day weekend.  Now with 3 full days off it made it worth the 4.5 hour drive to get to the park.  I requested the help of my best friend since preschool, Jen, to help with suggestions of things to do since she use to live there and she came up with some awesome recommendations.

First stop on my arrival was the welcome center to purchase a park pass, I opted for the annual national parks pass because I seem to be going to a lot of them and it is really a bargain at $80 for all the beautiful places that it gets you into.  Plus it is so nice to be able to just show the pass and your ID and move on.  Some of the parks even have a separate entrance for pass holders so you can bypass the crowds.  My second stop of the day was to Jordan Pond, one of the recommendations from Jen to try the popovers and jam.  And, of course, I felt the need to throw in a lobster roll to because it was lunch time after all.  Those popovers (and the blueberry lemonade- yum!) were so good that I made a second stop to the restaurant before I left on Monday!  Sitting with a beautiful view of the lake and mountains around me and flowers just outside the window was a memory that will be with me for a long time.  I chose to sit inside because it was the time of year that the bees were extra active and I didn't feel like getting stung was a memory that I needed and the view was still amazing from inside.

View from the deck by the restaurant

Jordan Pond with the Bubbles in the background

After gorging myself on the delicious popovers and lobster roll, I decided I needed a bit of a walk before clambering back into the car.  I walked part of the way around Jordan pond, stopping a taking pictures along the way so I'm not sure it was actually exercise with the frequent stops but I enjoyed it.  I made a stop on Cadillac Mountain as well.  Perhaps one of the most famous points of the park, it is the first place that the sunrise can be seen on the coast of the continental United States.  I made a trip back to the spot on Monday to see the sunrise as well but seeing it in the daytime also gives you a great feeling like you are on top of the world and can feel the expansiveness of the nature around you.

Cadillac Mountain

Dinner that evening was a fried fish sandwich and a beer at the Thirsty Whale in Bar Harbor curtesy of another recommendation from Jen.  I'm normally not a fried fish fan but the batter was so light and didn't distract from the fish at all... it was delicious!

Sunday started with the loop drive and a very foggy start to the day at the beach.  I loved how the fog sat just off the shore making it look like the waves were coming out of the fog.  I walked around a bit taking pictures and just enjoying the morning before moving onto the next stop, Thunder Hole.  I'm not sure that I made it to Thunder Hole at the best time.  It is a cave that makes a loud crashing sound when the waves push the water through the hole with great force.  I stood and watched with many others for a good 10-15 minutes before getting a decent crash of waves then wandered around on nearby rocks that were still a good, safe distances from the strong waves.

Foggy beach

Thunder Hole

Beautiful views

The afternoon brought a drive out to the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse.  It is a fairly famously photographed lighthouse with beautiful rocks leading up to it.  The lighthouse itself is still active and run by the Coastguard so you cannot tour it but you can wander around up to the fences and down onto the rocks to get a better look at it.  One unique thing about this lighthouse over the many others that dot the coastline is that the light is red.

There are so many beautiful vistas on Mount Desert Island that I kept pulling over and taking pictures of water, birds, boats, trees and flowers.  My final destination in the park for the day was to Echo lake for a little hike.  I parked in the parking lot and headed to the trail only to find out later that I parked in the wrong parking lot and picked a little harder hike than I had anticipated but all the stairs and rocks led to an incredible view of the lake below and were well worth it.  Plus all the calories burned made the lobster roll that I indulged in at Upper Deck for dinner that much better!  It had all the makings of an amazing dinner from a view to remember, one of the best lobster rolls I've had so far on my New England adventures, and a salad with a blueberry dressing that actually made me want to eat more salad.  They were really busy and the service was a little slow but with a view like this, who cares!  Take your time 'cause I'm just going to stare out these windows for a little while.

View from the top of my hike

Dinner view at Upper Deck

I arrived back at my hotel just in time for s'mores!  The hotel would light the fire pit every night and provided sticks and little individual packets to make s'mores.  It was such a sweet little touch that I really enjoyed and after a long, busy day, it was so fun to sit in a big adirondack chair by a fire pit and work on my marshmallow roasting skills.

Monday it was up super early for the sunrise on Cadillac Mountain and a final stop at the Jordan Pond House again before having to head back home to reality.

Isle of Shoals

I finally made it to New Hampshire for a little sight seeing!  This was my first time in the state and while only a small part of it touches the sea, I was able to check out a bit of the coast.  The Isle of Shoals is made up of a few small islands that were home to cod fisherman through the 1700s-mid-1800s and now consist of a few summer homes.  The Maine-New Hampshire state border cuts right through the middle of the islands but I visited Star Island which is on the New Hampshire side.  The Oceanic Hotel is located on the island that is about a 6 mile boat ride from the mainland.  I lucked out with a beautiful, sun shining, low to mid 70s, perfect weather day.  The tour left out of Portsmouth, New Hampshire and drifted past a couple of lighthouses and other historical sights on its way out to the islands.  I even saw a seal pop his head up out of the water near the boat and swim by.

Once we reached the island we had about an hour to explore.  There were guided tours that explained some of the history which I joined for part of the tour but realized I wouldn't have enough time to explore on my own if I stayed for the whole thing.  There were gorgeous views and the water was sparkling and clear from every angle.  There was a seagull nesting ground as well and I was surprised to realize that all the time that I have spent near the water in my life that I do not think I have ever seen a seagull chick!  All in all it was a great, relaxing day to a new place and a new experience.

The Oceanic Hotel from the water

The boat that brought us to the island

Seagull chick

Big Experiences on the Big Island, Hawaii!

As if watching whales jumping and sea turtles swimming was not enough amazement for a lifetime, my parents and I headed to the Big Island to do a little more exploring and see what the different islands in Hawaii had to offer.  After a little bit of internet research I signed up for a snorkel experience with the chance to see and get in the water with wild spinner dolphins.  When I arrived at 8 am for the tour, I soon learned that 11 people out of the group of 15 did not show up and there would only be 4 of us on the tour!  Nothing like getting an almost private tour without the price!

Almost immediately upon leaving the harbor we spotted a pod of dolphins but the captain said these were not friendly dolphins and we would keep looking for a better place to swim with them.  We bumped along in the boat watching the lava-hardened land pass by us and the blue water pass under the boat.  We stopped to look at a piece of wood floating in the water and then spotted a pod of spinner dolphins just off shore.  The captain moved the boat along side and in front of the dolphins, snorkel gear was quickly put in place, and "last one off is a rotten egg!" was shouted in the air.  I started swimming towards the shore and could watch the dolphins still a bit away above water.  I ducked my head into the water and could hear the squeaks and noises of the dolphins but I still could not see them yet and even with the snorkel mask on I couldn't help but smile!  All of sudden I could see one coming towards me, then two, then more than I could count!  They were all around me, close enough that if I had reached out then I could have touched them (although I didn't because it is illegal and it is also important to respect the ocean's creatures).  The dolphins swam back and forth past us several times and each time was just as awe-inspiring as the previous.  It was not just a highlight of my trip but definitely a life highlight as well!  We swam back to the boat and rode forward a little bit before repeating the same experience two more times.  It was one of the coolest experiences that I have had in my life and I find myself watching the videos I took over and over again in amazement.

In the evening, I booked a swim with manta rays.  The Big Island is well known for these swims and there are two areas near Kona that the manta rays like to congregate.  The water had gotten pretty rough by the evening and it was quite a bouncy ride to get to the swim sight when off in the distance we saw two outrigger canoes, one was flipped over and missing it's passenger and the other was quickly taking on water and it's passengers were frantically waving us down.  We motored over towards them and after righting the single canoe and rescuing it's passenger, we were able to tow in the other canoe making for an exciting start to the evening.  With the rescue complete and successful, we moved onto our snorkel site and jumped in the water.  The companies place a giant surfboard looking thing with multiple handles in the water and each person grabs on and lies flat with their head in the water.  The wingspan of the manta ray is 20+ feet so you have to lie flat so you do not touch them.  The have a protective coating on their bodies and human touch can wear away the coating and make the manta rays more susceptible to infection.  Underwater blue lights were switched on and we waited.  I kept popping my head above water because as much as I loved watching the fish, there was the most beautiful sunset that I had seen in the entire time that I was in Hawaii going on above the water.  After popping my head up for a minute, I heard the guide yell "Here they come!" and immediately my head went down and these giant, majestic creatures were swimming towards us.  I counted 4 different ones and they would swim along under the surfboard and then loop back around in a kind of water ballet with every bit as much grace as the most talented ballerina.  They look prehistoric and are filter feeders so they have no teeth and are able to eat by just gliding smoothly along.  I had two very memorable experiences with nature and the ocean creatures in one day and it is a day that I will never forget!

Our second day on the Big Island was also eventful.  When our tour guide arrived to pick us up he was in a bit of excitement and explained that the tour we signed up for we may not be able to do.  The lava in the volcano that he normally took tours to had dropped and could no longer be seen.  The real excitement came because no one knew where it had gone to or where it would resurface at that time.  The opposite side of the island had already felt several earthquakes as the earth was shifting.  He explained that this volcano was not the kind of volcano that would abruptly start spewing lava and ash everywhere but it would instead start oozing out but had yet to display from where, so it was still safe to go near the volcano but we didn't know what we would see.  The tour circles the island and we saw beautiful beaches and a long, cascading waterfall before a lunch stop and making our way up to Volcanoes National Park.  When we arrived, the skies were clear enough we could see the lava bubbling occasionally in the volcano a mile away from the visitor's center.  We waited to see if it would become more active (kind of like waiting for Old Faithful in Yellowstone but without the regularity).  Eventually the fog rolled in and completely blocked our view so we decided to go ahead and head back to the Kona side of the island where we were staying.

 Akaka Falls

Dewey spider web near the falls

Lava bubbling in Volcanoes National Park

Black sand beach

Our final day on the Big Island was one of relaxation.  It was much needed after the late nights packing and getting ready to leave Maui followed by all the excitement of the previous days.  We ventured into the town of Kona and had lunch and dinner over looking the water.  The town has a street of shops and restaurants that line the waterfront so you can enjoy the view and pick up a few souvenirs along the way.  All in all it was a great way to spend our last day on the Big Island.

Saturday morning tea

When I first started the travel physical therapy thing, I headed to Key West for my first assignment and found a place to stay a little farther north on the island of Cudjoe Key where I rented a house on the canal.  Every Saturday morning, I sat on the back porch drinking my morning cup of tea and watching iguanas  bask in the sunlight in the bushes.  If I walked down to the water I would see fish swimming and even saw a manatee and I thought to myself, you better not get use to this because there is no way that you will ever be able to top this view.

My next assignment was in Ft. Myers and I rented a condo on the 8th hole of a golf course that had two lakes on either side of the hole.  I would drink my Saturday morning tea while watching the alligator float in the little lake, turtles would sun themselves next to the lake (and far from the alligator's jaws), egrets would stalk their fishy breakfast along the outskirts of the lake and I would listen to golfers alternately cheer that they had missed the water trap or curse when the ball settled its way on the bottom of the lake.  Both of which gave me a good giggle, and I thought how did I get so lucky a second time to get to live in a really beautiful place.

In California, I sipped my Saturday morning tea in places all over the state with a view of the man that I loved while excitedly discussing whatever was to be the adventure of the day.  How could it get any better than that?

Now I am sure this view could never be beat!  I wake every Saturday morning, fix my cup of tea while I look for whale spouts out in the Hawaiian ocean and excitedly anticipate whatever show they decide to put on for the morning.  Whether it is the graceful rise and fall of their backs while they glide through the ocean, baby following close behind its mama or vice versa, or watching the massive animal launch itself into the air in a breach, or the whale tail flip up as the whale descends into a deeper dive all while I listen to the ocean waves lap the shore and the sound of palm fronds being rustled by the breeze.  This view is incredible and every day, I am more and more amazed and in wonderment of how I got here and got this lucky.

So... Massachusetts... you are on deck and you have a lot to live up to!  Let's see what you got.

West Maui

Whale season in Maui is starting to slow down as the whales head back up to their feeding grounds in northern waters and sightings from my balcony have become farther apart and fewer as well so I am finally able to pull myself away from the balcony to explore more of the island.  We have had quite a bit of rain too so going to west Maui was a risk due to road flooding and rock slides but finally the weather cleared up a bit (or so I thought) and I headed in that direction.

I had to drive through the town of Lahaina to get in route to the nature. I have spent the day in Lahaina before and located along the waterfront is Front street and it is loaded with little shops and restaurants and is a fun way to spend the day.  I helped out the local economy a bit with the purchase of a few token treasures and souveniers to bring home and remind me of my stay.  If you are in Lahaina you must try the Hula Pie at Kimo's and bring a couple of friends to help you eat it, it is amazing!

This trip was focused on following the curving, winding roads along the oceanfront to explore what mother nature in Maui has to offer.  There are many pull offs along the road to provide a place for safe viewing of the scenery and sometimes even whales off the coast.  I saw a couple of whales but the weather was very windy making the water choppy and a bit harder to see the whales.  My first real stop along the way was at the Nakalele Blowhole.  As the waves crash in, water comes up creating a huge force of water through the hole and creating a geyser-like flow of water into the air.

There are plenty of scenic vistas along the way that you can pull off and take a look around you and I made quite a few of those stops.  Eventually the road narrows to one winding lane split between you and the oncoming traffic and I decided that was my cue to turn around and go back but only after stopping at a road side stand for some delicious banana bread.  I can't seem to ever get enough homemade banana bread.  It ended up being a bit rainy and cloudy throughout the day but it was still nice to get off the beaten path and see some of the amazing scenery here on Maui.

Olivine Pools

Welcome to Maui!

I landed my dream location for my next contract... Maui, Hawaii!  When I asked my recruiter to look for jobs for me in Hawaii I told him any island would be fine but Maui was my number 1 choice and the Big Island was second.  I knew I would have to be patient and the first job that came around in Honolulu was not the right fit but the second was on my dream island and while it was in a setting I had never worked in before, with my recent experience in home health, I thought I could make a successful bridge into the new setting.

The day after I got the official contract, I woke up to an ad on a travel site I am on that was advertising for a roommate on Maui and thought it was meant to be.  I contacted the lady, had a nice conversation on the phone, and had a place to stay booked!  I have been traveling for over 2 years now and I can say 100% that finding a place to stay is always the most stressful part and I have never had things fall into place so easily.  It was right on the water with an unobstructed view of palm trees and ocean and I couldn't believe my luck!

When I arrived it was even more that I imagined it would be.  I sit on my balcony and watch whales jump and slap their fins and tails and it is AMAZING!  I knew the sound of the ocean would be lulling me to sleep at night but to get to see whales playing every day has been so much more than I ever dreamed it would be!  I find I have my eyes glued to the ocean looking for whale spouts and other whale activities at every moment that I am home.  I also get to see the occasional sea turtle head pop out of the ocean to take a peak at its surroundings and the rocks below have crabs scurrying around and eating algae off the rocks.

Tail slaps from my balcony

Four whales doing pectoral fin slaps taken from balcony

Whale breaching and photo taken from balcony

The beach is about a 1/2 mile from where I am staying and has turned out to be an amazing place to find sea glass.  I have already proven that I can spend hours looking for shells on the beaches of Sanibel Island in Florida but I think I might be substituting the shells for sea glass in Hawaii!  I find it so relaxing and am rewarded with my beach finds at the same time.  So far brown has been the most common color but I have also found some various shades of green and even a few pieces of clear glass that have become frosted by the rolling of the ocean.

I have been on a few snorkeling and whale watching tours since I have been here as well.  The fish are colorful and I find it relaxing to follow along behind them as they weave in and out of the coral.  I have been told that you can hear the whales talking to each other when you are under water but I have not been able to hear them yet.  So far I am loving Maui and all it has to offer but mostly just enjoying the peaceful and relaxing atmosphere of island life.

Following taken from boats while on whale watching tours: