Downeast Maine part 3

Here is the last installment of photos of our Maine trip. All are taken with my phone as I left the correct camera battery charger at home in my technology drawer which has since been organized!  We were so sad to have to miss exploring Acadia National Park on Mt. Desert Island  because of the ridiculous government shutdown.  Is anyone else as sick of politics as we are? It is all a corrupt mess, both parties.  Many visitors refused to stay out of Acadia as you can see here. We heard that local police were issuing tickets but never saw even one police car and not sure how that would work when the park is not in their jurisdiction.

Bar Harbor is a cute town but it is packed with tacky tourist shops and large groups of cruise passengers milling around. 

We stopped there for a quick lunch and then headed to Seal Harbor. Bar Harbor was warm and sunny with a beautiful sky. Seal Harbor, on the other side of the island, was covered in clouds. 

When we stopped on Route 3 to check out the cove, we spotted dog walkers passing through a gate and entering a stunning pond path and carriage road with Cadillac Mountain in the distance. 

A friendly local told us that David Rockefeller allowed visitors to walk the trails of his property around Long Pond.  (There is also a Long Pond inside of Acadia, that one is often referred to as Great Long Pond.) So that we did.....

There was a blanket of clouds closing in.

Granite boulders are everywhere in Maine!

Much of the trail is wooded with pines, ferns and moss.

Back to the coastline.

I spoke to another local and asked where Martha lives. He said around Cooksey Drive. Found out he was pulling our leg but we did find this nice small trail.

that ended with great granite cliffs and views of the water.

The next day we headed to lovely Castine, Maine.  Difficult not to fall in love with Castine! Picture perfect. Only negative about the town is a huge teaching ship used by the Maine Maritime Academy, docked at the marina for 6 months a year. It obscures water views. 

We talked to a local that owns a cute boat house on the water, half of their view is the boat so they love it for the six months it is out to sea. 

Castine is quiet with a few galleries, shops and restaurants. The owner of the Castine Variety Store also owns The Breeze seafood shack at the Castine Dock. If one is closed, walk up the street and find her at the other. Her lobster and crab rolls were delicious.

I loved this shop/gallery... beautiful blankets, soaps, accessories and art. See husband gazing at the realty company?  He spent 30 minutes looking at the real estate listings posted on an office window. We decided that Castine was our favorite small town in Maine.

Most homes in Castine have a view of the water as the town is perched on a hill. The close islands across from the harbor are quite beautiful as boats appear and disappear around the bends. A few of the pretty sights of Castine.....

 We headed back to our little cottage in Brooklin for our last night and a pretty sunset.

One more cozy fire.

One more spectacular morning view to Deer Isle across the Eggenoggin Reach.

Goodbye Adirondack chairs that I curled up in a blanket on!

We headed home via the Berkshires. What a beautiful place, we love Maine, we are going back for some more one day.

Back to reality and our daily walks with Andy, who loves his farm kennel when we are away. Here he is at our favorite park a few days ago.

Thanks for visiting!

Cindy