Week Five of our vacation, we got to Bar Harbor. It was a cute town, not the cutest, but I think we were just tired of moving every couple of days - so we spent a week there. There was hundreds of miles of bike trails, an amazing pancake breakfast house, and the most creative ice cream parlor that kept us coming back, plus part of the time it rained so we were sort of stuck inside a lot. (It rained about 4 days in that week - crazy because it hasn't rained that much in California in two years!)
We were so thankful to my parents who took us to some great restaurants. So grateful!
At low tide each day an exodus of vacationers would walk the sand bar out to this little island. Carrins were built by kids and adults alike each day, and each day knocked down by the tide.
Walking the sand bar! Look at the cool fog mist on either side of the sand bar!
The girls made friends with some boys and helped gather rocks for them. They all loved helping each other!
Sometimes I just have to grab her!
pre-bed time wrestling.
rain, rain, and more rain
She loves to hide under my skirt! (Sometimes this isn't so great for mommy when in public places with shorter skirts on...)
We went to visit this very cool modern suspension bridge, but it was so foggy we couldn't see the top. We got that far anyways, so we paid the $5 to go to the top via elevator. We saw whiteness - and that's all!
It was windy. Very windy!
Michael discovered you could yell at this wall, and it would echo under the bridge, hit the cliff wall on the other side of the river and echo back. We all yelled and waited for our echoes. It was fun! (The man who worked there for 7+ years said he'd never seen anyone do that and had not known of this cool possibility!)
Mila's curls helped us determine the humidity factor of the day. I'd say it was about 97% humidity on this day!
Avi climbing the walls of a military fort.
Ahhh… Maine in July!
Another part of this cool military fort.
Daddy and Avi up high.
Dance!
Date night! Michael and I went to a cool pub in a train! Then to a movie across the street - we saw The Grand Budapest Hotel (great movie!)
Another rainy day in Maine!
Since it was pouring, we spent the better part of our morning in this super cool library. Gotta have good libraries where the weather is so poor!
About 5 seconds before we took this picture, we told her we're going to get ice cream next!
The BEST ice cream flavors in the world!
Over a century ago, in this lake-rich part of Maine, the Rockefellers made hundreds of miles of trails for their horses to pull them along in carriages. Time has made them public property, and so now, in this situation, we are the horses, our bikes are the carriages, and our kids are the Rockafellers.
A fun day biking through the huge Acadia national park!
we saw a beaver home!
Mila climbed back into the seat all on her own!
Someone was tired and ready for a nap!
They made a spill so they were happy to clean it up! Sometimes - nay, most of the time - these kids amaze me with their sweetness!
Walking to Bar Island and seeing the coolest carins!
Mila getting the last dregs of the ice cream.
We found this beautiful and idyllic lake to swim in. The water was inviting, the mountains were green and tall, and the sand was warm.
Naked babies okay here in Maine!
Naked baby belly!
Building upon what someone else had left...
Outdoor warm showers afterwards - these are the BEST!
Michael and Avi had a date at a tea house, while Maren and Mila had a napping date in the motorhome!
We took parents to our favorite restaurant for breakfast - they had tasty pancakes here, like the Elvis or heath or just chocolate chip!
Avi went on her first brewery tour! Safety glasses included.
The lake we biked to. Unfortunately, no swimming allowed as it was a watershed for the town...
Looking at the turtles. We didn't realize this til later, but they were snapping turtles. I guess we are lucky we didn't get bit because they got really close to us!
This was one of my favorite moments from the trip. Being in nature in such a gorgeous place, hanging with my parents and my family, eating lunch/snacks, encountering a new (to us) turtle species and getting to interact with it so closely and see it swim with the fish in the crystal clear water…
We all had a chance to get our toes too close to these snapping turtles. They were just hanging out on a rock we were picnicking by, and they let the kids feed them cracker bits. Friendly to us, but we did see them fight with each other. Avi said, "these are ugly turtles." Boy, do we have high standards! But I agree, they are very primitive/dinosaury looking. One of my favorite moments from this trip!
We made one more visit to our favorite lake and one last outdoor shower of the trip.
Our last morning in Maine called for blueberry picking!
More rain!
Driving to Portland, Maine to get some grub at a hipster sandwich shop, so had to sport the ironic glasses.
World class travelers!
I love how they bonded on this trip!
Old Orchard Beach. The most populated beach in Maine! Wow, this place was crowded!
Getting ready to see the amusement park.
Getting ready to ride an amusement ride with Mimi and Boppy! Mila wasn't so excited once it started turning...
Avi looks bored and Mila cuddles Boppy for comfort. Sometimes the anticipation of a thing is greater than the thing itself...
The view of the crowded beach from the ferris wheel.
Ferris wheel kiss!
My parents watched the kids so Michael and I could have a date (since tomorrow would be the last time we'd see him for 10 days as he drove home). We went to this good restaurant with a view of this river in the revitalized industrial part of town.
…while Mila played open the door a hundred times at the playground at the campground. She never got tired of this and smiled a huge smile every time they would open the door and see her standing there!
Flying home. Avi uses her stuffed dog Macy as a pillow. Finally got Avi to sleep by putting music on her headphones… Sweet angel.
