Stonington with Side Trips to Acadia

Winter Harbor Light Station

With narrow streets, curves, hills, and no shoulder on the roads, biking in Stonington, in fact on almost any portion of Deer Isle, is a foolhardy exercise.  So instead, we drove roughly 2 hours with our bikes to Schoodic Peninsula near Winter Harbor.  This is the only portion of Acadia National Park located on the mainland of Maine, located roughly an hour by car or ferry from the rest of the park on Mount Desert Island.

An eleven-mile route leads bikers through the park to Schoodic Point, where visitors can explore 400-feet of granite coastline, and then back through the community of Winter Harbor.  The ride was uncrowded, and the two-lane one-way loop asphalt road, for the first 7 miles of the trip, allowed cars to pass around us with no problem.  Heavy clouds threatened imminent rain as we reached Schoodic Point, the highlight of the trip, so, sadly, we weren't able to explore the rocky shore, but we did complete the ride relatively dry, so we were happy about that.

Eagle Lake

Later in the week, we opted for the drive to the portion of Acadia near Bar Harbor, once again with the bikes in tow.  Having visited just about every nook and cranny of the park over the years, we headed straight for the carriage roads.   Luckily, we had decided to skip the more challenging routes.  The hills around the comparatively easy Eagle Lake and Jordan Pond seemed substantially steeper than last time we biked on the roads.

Even though the season is almost over, and we traveled to the park on a weekday, a significant number of bikers were spread out on the extensive trail system.  But, with clear, blue skies and temperatures around 70, we couldn't have ordered a more perfect day.  

Knights of the Round Table

Later in the week, we revisited Nellieville.  Since our last trip, the sculptor, Peter Beerits, has added extensively to the make-believe community.  Wandering around the property, we kept finding nuggets of creativity that made us chuckle, or stop and think.  He has added a church to the town, (which he says is his last building); and his version of Michelangelo's Madonna and Child awaits on the pews inside.  In the trees surrounding the property, you find the Grail Castle, taking artistic license with The Legend of the Holy Grail.  Production of the popular, Nervous Nellie, an assortment of jams, preserves, and chutneys also continues from The Jelly Kitchen.  This classically-trained sculptor's town is a delight.

Before leaving town, we made one last stop by our blueberry patch and picked 2- 3 quarts of berries.  Then, we stopped by the Friday morning Farmer's Market and purchased some crab meat and scallops.  We may be leaving Maine, but we are taking a little bit of it with us.  Heading south now, next stop Black Mountain, N. C. 

Clipper ships near Sand Beach with Mark Island and lighthouse in the background

Dramatic view at Schoodic Point as a storm threatened offshore

Alan commiserating with the Nellieville local

Guards at the Castle

Billy goat

Along a trail and yes, on this overcast day it was in the high 50's, I needed a jacket in August!

A trail at Shore Acres

Carriage rides are still given along the carriage roads in Acadia

Miniature Stonington, locals take them home in winter to protect them from the weather and do any needed repairs

Moose playing chess

Madonna and Child

King Neptune

Along Sand Beach at low tide

View from our deck on the foggy days disappeared

View from our deck most of the time