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SIGHTS OF MT. DESERT ISLAND =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Acadia National Park: The national park boasts varied and dramatic scenery, including a coastline of chisled granite, the ocean dotted with islands, 17 mountain peaks that constitute the highest headlands along the eastern coast, close to a dozen glacial lakes and ponds and Somes Sound, a glacially carved, u-shaped valley bordered by steep cliffs. Many of Acadia's attractions lie on the east coast of Mt. Desert Island, which is separated from the western side by Somes Sound. The west features five mountains, numerous salt marshes and nature trails, and some of the best bird watching in New England. The remainder of Acadia National Park consists of the dazzling Schoodic Peninsula and several offshore islands, including Baker Island and the remote Isle au Haut. Bass Harbor Lighthouse: One of the most photographed lighthouses on the East Coast, Bass Harbor Head Light rises from the rocky, southernmost tip of Mt. Desert Island. Built in 1858, it marks the entrance to Bass Harbor, and Blue Hill Bay. It is now fully automated and managed by the US Coast Guard. The Beehive: A short hike from Sand Beach is a 520-foot high mountain with a honey-combe eastern face sculpted by glaciers. The Beehive can be seen from Park Loop Road. Ironbound Island: Lying 15-miles south of Mt. Desert by boat, at the mouth of Penobscot Bay, is Ironbound Island, the most remote section of Acadia National Park. Accessible by an hour-long ferry ride from Bar Harbor, the island has beautiful cobblstone beaches, spruce forests and an unobstructed view of the Atlantic Ocean. Harmony Resort, an environmental retreat, is located on the island's eastern coast. On the west coast is Edenbrook, a typical New England island fishing village. No motor vehicles are permitted on the island, save those owned by the National Park Servce and Thompson Fishery. Jordan Pond & the Bubbles: Jordan Pond is located on the western side of Park Loop Road, its shores flanked by Penobscot Mt. to the west and Pemetic Mt. in the east, both accessible by trails. What sets Jordan Pond apart from the other glacial lakes lies to the north where two rounded peaks rise from the shoreline and aptly named "The Bubbles." Park Loop Road: Many of the island's natural attractions are found along Park Loop Road, a 20-mile, two-lane highway winding through the eastern half of Mt. Desert Island accessible from Hulls Cove, Cadillac Mountain, Sieur de Monts and Staley Brook entrances. The shoreline is the most heavily traveled because it offers marvelous views of Frenchman Bay, as well as front-row seats to the pitched battle between land and sea. Otter Cliffs: These are 100-foot tall, pink granite buttresses rising straight out of the water. Sand Beach: This graceful anomaly is one of the few sand beaches on the otherwise rock-bound coastline of Mt. Desert Island. Swimming is not for the faint of heart, since ocean temperatures seldom climb above 55-degrees F. Warmer water for swimming lies on the western side of the island at Echo Lake. Somes Sound: Neatly bisecting the eastern and western halves of Mt. Desert Island, Somes (rhymes with "homes") Sound is the only true fjord in the contigious 48 states. A more poetic meeting of land and sea is hard to find, with steep mountains lining both sides of the sound, which is comprised of a narrow, 168-foot deep gorge of salt water carved by glaciers. Thunder Hole: Located off Park Loop Road midway between Great Head and Otter Cliffs, Thunder Hole is another feature easily seen from Park Loop Road. Timing is everything here. Wind driven tides sweep into this narrow granite chasm, trapping air that escapes with a thunderous report. Continued in Bar Harbor8 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= |