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BAR HARBOR & MT. DESERT ISLAND =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The following files provide valuable information regarding the setting of Shadowed Isles and is taken in part from websites and publications produced by the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce. It contains an overview and facts about real and in-game Bar Harbor, Acadia National Park and Mt. Desert Island. The Staff of Shadowed Isles considers this information pertinent to both theme and "feel" of the game, and suggests players take a moment to read the files, or browse the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce website www.barharbormaine.com. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= OVERVIEW =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Some 500-million years ago, Mt. Desert Island began to take shape on the ocean floor. Erosion swept sediments from the North American continental plate -- sand, silt and mud, and later volcanic ash and seaweed -- out to sea. There, they slowly amassed, hardening into what would become the island bedrock. Magma further transformed this sedimentary rock. Churning and rising through the Earth's crust, the magma eventually weakened and consumed the overlying bedrock, produing diorite and then coarse-grained granite that defines much of the island today. Through the intervening years, glaciers gave Mt. Desert Island its shape, the last ones gouging out lakes and vallies and mountains around 100,000 years ago. From that humble beginning has Mt. Desert Island grown into Maine's premier, four-season coastal tourist destination. Nestled between mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, Bar Harbor is a vibrant, historic jewel on the island's northeastern coast. Mt. Desert Island itself is the third largest island on the eastern seaboard, consisting of 108 square miles and 69,000 acres. It is 16 miles long, 13 miles wide, and roughly shaped like a lobster claw. Bar Harbor is the largest of several towns, the artistic, culinary and social center of Mt. Desert Island. Located on the shores of Frenchman Bay, Bar Harbor offers the charm of a New England fishing village with all the modern attractions of a major resort, including a wide range of accommodations, restaurants and activities. The town is surrounded on three sides by Acadia National Park, and serves as a base for park visitors. The main attraction is the National Park, which takes up 2/5ths of the island and adjacent offshore isles, covering a vast 41,000 acres. In the southeast, Mt. Desert Island is divided by Somes Sound, the only natural fjord on the east coast of the United States. The island's unique topography was shaped by glaciers and is enhanced by magnificent woodlands, waterways and mountains. Island society is a microcosm of America, a lifestyle derived from its farming and seafaring past, a mix of modern-day occupations and influences of unique artistic, scientific and academic communities. Both the island and surrounding Gulf of Maine is home to a variety of wildlife, whales, porpoises, seals, bald eagles, peregrine falcons and osprey. Visitors may also catch glimpses of deer, beaver and fox, as well as the elusive moose, coyote and puffin. Samuel de Champlain named the island "l'Isle des Monts-deserts" because of its rocky, barren mountain summits, a poignant contrast to the spectacular natural beauty and thriving community of today. As the saying goes, "No day is ever the same, and one day is never enough" when it comes to Mt. Desert Island and Bar Harbor. Continued in Bar Harbor2 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= |