Today the Zuiderdam visits Bar Harbor, Maine. Since we went to bed so early, I was awake at 4 am. During the night I heard a ship’s horn twice; maybe when we left port.
Bar Harbor Morning
We had coffee in the Lido Market until 6 when the coffee bar opened in the Explorations Cafe. Steve had an Americano and I had an almond milk latte. Yum. The fog horn is sounding regularly and we can’t see a thing.
Then we went to breakfast in the Lido. We both got omelettes.
Steve’s usual is ham and cheese while mine is bacon and cheese. We might have had a pastrie or two also. 🙂
After breakfast I took an hour nap while Steve watched us arrive in the harbor and anchor. He said it cleared up as we got out of the open ocean. We both got ready for our day ashore. I filled a laundry bag and got it ready for our room stewards. We’re doing the package.
Then we went to the Billboard Onboard to get tender tickets. Our number was 13 and it was about 20 minutes or so wait until it was called. Fortunately we had the local tender which was quite large and comfortable with great views of the neighboring islands.
We walked the shore path which is to the left of the tender dropoff.
It was a very scenic walk.
There we visited some of the shops. Bar Harbor is full of tourists and not just from our ship.
Bar Harbor Afternoon
By this time it was past noon so we navigated to the Thirsty Whale and got the last empty table. I ordered a lobster roll and clam chowder. My drink was blueberry soda.
Very good! The lobster roll was a more manageable size than what I had in Boston and I liked it better.
The chowder was excellent too. When we left we stopped at the Walgreen’s nearby for a couple of forgotten items — gum for Steve and deodorant for me.
Then we continued our loop walking through Agamont Park which is a beautiful park right in the town. This fountain was made by a well known concrete artist, Eric Sodderholz, in the first half of the 20th century (couldn’t find an exact date).
Continuing on we ended back up by the tender area. We were an hour early so found a shady bench and people watched. Our tour group assembled on time at 1;45 pm and we were taken to our bus after checking in a few minutes later.
Acadia National Park Small Group Tour
Tour Description:Your drive will trace the ocean’s edge before stopping at Thunder Hole where, under the right tidal conditions, ocean swells converge with a thunderous roar against the granite coastline. You’ll pause high above the 107-foot Otter Cliffs before winding through lush pine and deciduous forests. Pass scenic glacial lakes, then continue up the famed summit road of Cadillac Mountain, the Atlantic coast’s highest peak; from the summit, you’ll get breathtaking, 360-degree views of Frenchman Bay (where your ship is anchored) and the Cranberry islands.
There are 14 people and every seat on the minibus is taken. Gail is our driver/tour guide and she started telling us about the area right away. One the way out of town we pass the road where you can walk to bar island at low tide. It wasn’t low tide. The tidal shift here is 12 feet so I wouldn’t try it at other times.
It was a short drive to Acadia National Park. The first quick, unscheduled stop was Eagle Lake.
It’s just a beautiful day.
Cadillac Mountain
We continue on to the Cadillac Mountain summit.
We walk the loop which takes 20 minutes taking time for photos and is all the time we’re given.
I can see our ship!
What wonderful view of all the neighboring islands.
Rest of Acadia Tour Sights
Back in the bus Gail continues on and we pass several trailheads. The signs are these carved posts.
Precipice trail is closed right now because of peregrine raven nests.
That’s okay, I wouldn’t ever do that one! We passed beaver homes and a dam.
Our last stop was Thunder Hole.
The tide wasn’t low enough yet for optimal sound.
The scenery was incredible though.
There were a lot of people but we made our way to the front of the lookout.
Back on the bus we passed Jordan Pond.
Next we passed the start of the Carriage Road system which was created by John D. Rockerfeller for visitors to enjoy the park free of automobiles.
There are 45 miles of trails for bicyclists and hikers. This is the gate house for one entry point.
Our tour ended right on time at 4:30 at the same spot we left. We walked to the tenders and got on one that left about 10 minutes later.
Bar Harbor Evening
Once onboard we dropped off our things and headed to the main dining room for dinner. There was no wait other than check in since it was early.
I started with cod/corn fritters.
Very good. My soup was just okay. I wasn’t expecting a clear broth.
It was hot though.
Steve enjoyed the pumpkin salad (no picture). My entree was the pot roast.
Steve had filet mignon and lobster tail for an up charge.
He gave me a bite of his filet and it was pretty good. He said the lobster tail was chewy. For dessert I had the mousse cake and Steve had almond cake.
Back in the cabin we learned the clock goes forward an hour tonight.
We also got a nice canvas bag noting the 150th anniversary of holland America.
We were both too tired to go to the show. Steve did go up the Crow’s Nest to watch the ship leave the harbor and go back out to sea. The Captain had updated us and said we might leave late due to a lobster trap getting entangled with the anchor. It appeared we left on time though.
Here is today’s Daily Program. Click the image for the full PDF.
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