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www. FavoriteRidesAndDestinations. com | ridermagazine. com
FALL 2016 ISSUE 02 / VOL. 01
Far left: The Penobscot Narrows Bridge crosses the Penobscot River at Fort Knox. Top left: Artist Arthur Smith used a chainsaw to create this 10-foot-tall lobster claw sculpture from a half-dead pine tree in Winter Harbor. Lower left: Built in 1857, the Winter Harbor Lighthouse, situated on the eastern side of Frenchman Bay, is currently a private residence.
In the morning, we join other riders for breakfast in Bar Harbor, then head for Park Loop Road, the main circuit for motor vehicles through Acadia. With smooth tarmac and winding curves, it would make a fantastic speedway, but that’ s not why we’ re here. The scenery is stunning. We park frequently to look at the pink granite cliffs, dense forests and rocky shore that are synonymous with the park. One thing we see little of along the coast is sand. Maine has few sandy beaches, and most are hours down the coast. Acadia has one natural sand beach, aptly named Sand Beach. It’ s only 290 yards long and the water rarely exceeds 55 degrees, but it’ s spectacular.
We turn off the Park Loop and twist to the top of Cadillac Mountain. At 1,500 feet, it’ s the highest point on the U. S. East Coast. High ground and panoramic views make Cadillac Mountain a popular spot to enjoy the sunset. For people who get up earlier than we do, it’ s also a great place to see where the morning sun shines first on the U. S. But wait; the town of Lubec claims that the earliest sunrise occurs at West Quoddy Point, the easternmost point in the country. Up north in Aroostook County, Mars Hill has a higher elevation and locals there also claim the first sunrise. Turns out they’ re all correct— part of the time. The seasonal variance in the sun’ s angle means that Cadillac Mountain, Lubec and Mars Hill each see the sun first at certain times of the year.
With stomachs signaling midday, we stop at Acadia’ s quintessential eatery, Jordan Pond House, where every meal includes a popover. These pastries manage to be crispy and moist, dense and hollow, all at once. They’ re often served with jam made from Maine wild blueberries. Outside seating enables diners to enjoy their popovers with a view of two mountains known as The Bubbles, apparently so named to acknowledge with polite language that they resemble a pair of breasts on the landscape.