Maine Day 5: The Schoodic Peninsula

It would have been enough to spend three days exploring the main park at Acadia. There was so much to see and it is one of those places where you can just hike and wander and climb and explore for days. But, of course, I love to get off the beaten track. While Cathy and I were looking for places to stay, we had come upon information about the Schoodic Peninsula, just 45 minutes from the main park. And it did not disappoint! It began as quite an adventure. Google Maps, taking the direct route, had us winding down a small road that turned into a gravel road that turned into a dirt road through the middle of some sort of quarry. Not sure we were really supposed to be there, but it was quite on a Saturday morning, and I didn't feel like backtracking and finding the long way around... so through the quarry we went. A short cut to the Schoodic Peninsula. We were hoping to hit the Lobster Festival at Winter Harbor on the way, but poor planning on our part and poor weather on God's part made that a very unproductive side trip. Except, of course, the Winter Harbor Visitor Center. Beautiful. Fairly inexpensive sandwiches, salads, and coffee. Free wifi. And a great view of the water. So, on we went out to the Peninsula. It seemed that with each bend in the road, we would come upon another beautiful vista and move farther away from civilization. Each stop was a new beach, each unique, each stunning and so interesting! I have heard of sand beaches and rock beaches... but never a beach that was covered entirely with shells! Okay, there were some rocks and a lot of seaweed...

A beautiful beach off in the distance... the sound of two loons calling to each other. A family fishing off the pier. A few picnickers on the shore.

The next stop was a true rock beach... not pebbles and not boulders... baseball sized rocks... of course in a cove between larger boulders... with a view of our first lighthouse off in the distance.

And then out to the point. The one place that was slightly crowded on the whole peninsula. As with most of Acadia, it seemed as if rocks had just erupted from the ocean, pushed up from the sea floor, and formed this beautiful barren coastline.

The mist and the wind were perfect on this day... waves crashing. I realize they were probably minimal compared to what might occur during a storm. I would love to be there on a stormy day! I don't know what draws me to the coast on storming days. I love the power and the beauty. I would much rather go to the beach during a storm than on a sunny day. Something about sitting in silence just listening, feeling, sensing... On the way back we passed a misty cove with a single lobster boat docked in the middle. A bit farther up was the boat house at Wonsqueak Harbor, stacks of lobster traps on the shore. A beautiful final scene on our way out of Schoodic.

There is more to the day... if you can believe it. A surprise at sunset, but that will need to come in another post.