Sunburned, bug-bitten, and dog tired. But happy.

Today we got up bright and early and went canoeing along Long Pond, which is on the lesser-known western half of Mount Desert Island. Maria had never canoed before in her life, and I hadn't done it in years, but after cutting some goofy figure eights in front of everyone on the shore, we finally got our act together and set out merrily along our way. The pond is approximately four and a half miles, north to south, and has a ton of nooks and crannies for exploring. So we explored, paddling our arms off in the process. I was happy we were back in the Western Mountain region, since when we hiked there all the surrounding topography was shrouded in mist and fog. Today, however, there was hardly a cloud in the sky, enabling us to marvel at what we were stumbling up blindly on Monday. I think if we had seen what we were getting into that morning, we probably would have hesitated! Though it did turn out to be worth it. For an extra ten dollars, we got freshwater fishing gear with our canoe, and so I made like a Junior Bassmaster whenever we got tired of paddling - emphasis on the "Junior". Although I think I saw a big fish going for my lure early on in the morning, it was nothing but small fry after that, no bigger than the lure itself! Still, fishing is a great excuse for lollygagging, and that's exactly what we did, paddling and drifting, paddling and drifting, breaking for lunch on a tiny island that was part of Acadia National Park, then back to the water. As the day went on, we had to watch out for motorboats and waterskiiers, but mercifully the pond was big enough to get away from their roar and nasty gasoline fumes and enjoy the silence and the breezes (which took our minds off the sunburn-in-progress). Wildlife report: we saw a couple of loons while we were on the water - one of them popped his head up right next to our canoe before diving back down again for his lunch. Those birds are huge! And their call is quite striking.

After crashing at our motel room for an hour or two, we mustered our strength and visited the Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound (just over the bridge from Bar Harbor), and were richly rewarded for our lack of lameness. As it turns out, this lobster pound is considered the best of the best in the region, and we had no reason to argue with that judgement. The steamers were the most delicious we'd ever tasted, and the lobsters were fresh and ridiculously large. Best of all, this place has a Tide Cam!

Having scarfed our shellfish, we then headed down to Compass Harbor and Dorr Point, which are also part of the National Park and just a hop, skip, and a jump from our motel. Dorr Point is named after George B. Dorr, the founder of Acadia, who kept a seaside residence along Compass Harbor. Although the house is long since gone, some ruins remain, including a set of granite steps inexplicably rising from the water's edge into a stand of trees. Dorr Point at sunset was a wondrous site - the Porcupine Islands appeared ethereal, dreamily lit by the rays of the waning sun. Far off to the east, heavy rain was falling over the Schoodic Peninsula, and the clouds there slowly turned from cranberry to deep purple, while the lighthouse of Egg Rock in the foreground gleamed bright white and red in contrast. Maria and I hopped the rocks, looking for starfish, but the tide wasn't quite right, so we only found two. We did however find a natural sea cave very similar to the famous Thunder Hole, only much less crowded and easier to get to. Ever since my wife and I discovered this tiny little slice of Acadia, right next to our doorstep, it's always been a special place for us.

Finally, a stop by the Ocean Drive Dairy Bar. How does vanilla ice cream with homemade wild Maine blueberry sauce sound? Yeah, that's what I thought.