Bar Harbor
Heavy Rains forecast for today. I quickly got everything zipped up and had my breakfast before finding my way into the town of Bar Harbor.
Bar Harbor
This is a small town that is mostly dedicated to tourism related to Acadia National Park. Normally, parking is a problem in Bar Harbor. There are residential parking spots and there are metered parking spaces for visitors. In the summer months it is next to impossible to find a spot . There are fewer tourist in September, and I immediately found a spot. The parking meters have been upgraded since I was last here to support credit card payments. It was 2 USD per hour with a maximum of 4 hours. I maxed out my parking option.
Choco-Latte
I found my way to Choco-Latte for a cup of coffee. When I entered the two woman that were taking the mushroom photos yesterday were sitting there. I said, “the mushroom ladies” and we laughed. Madyson on the left and her friend were hiking the carriage trails yesterday. We chatted about the mushrooms a little bit. They had found the mushroom I posted yesterday and some even larger mushrooms. We shared trip stories.
The Mushroom Ladies
Jesup Library
Coffee in hand, I headed to the Library to relax and do a little reading and avoid the rain. The Jesup library is located downtown about 5 blocks from the coffee shop. It was already lightly raining as I entered the library and found an empty table. The library was built roughly 100 years ago. I was told there is an initiative underway to expand the library in the next few years. The library has a very warm relaxing feel. The table I selected was in a little nook surrounded by walls of books and a built in window which was slightly open. There was no power for my laptop.
Bar Harbor: Jesup Library
My meter time was running out as I left the library. I got to the meter and inserted the card once again and added four more hours.
I walked the streets and visited shops like all the other tourist. The streets were packed with umbrellas getting caught in each other and poking faces. The rain was progressively getting heavier as the day went on. I needed a sandwich and located Downeast Deli and Boxed Lunch Co. I ordered an avocado wrap. They have a ledge like a stand up bar in front of the window which is perfect for eating a sandwich while it’s pouring down rain. They told me I couldn’t eat the wrap there because they didn’t have a restaurant license. I got drenched further looking for a place to eat as I located a bench that was covered two blocks down the street.
My jeans were now soaked and I was chilled. I wanted a coffee and headed for Choco-Latte once again. A table was free by the window and I grabbed it. Three Germans were sitting there and I had to get by. I said, “Entschuldigung”, excuse me in German. They were a little surprised and let me through.
Jalapeños
I ordered a coffee and sat down to finish yesterday’s blog. I stayed until the meter ran down. The rain had subsided a little but the streets were still draining. Jalapeños Cantina & Mexican Grill was right there by the car. I ordered the chicken Enchiladas with black beans and rice. The food was good but didn’t have an authentic Mexican taste. It was more Northern TexMex style of food. There were no chips and salsa served with the meal, that had to be ordered separately (WHAT?).
I went into a few tourist shops along the way. One shop had an entire area dedicated to blueberry related items. I remembered the conversation some guys were having yesterday about everything having blueberries in it including the beer. They added a 4 pack to the cart.
Everything Blueberries: We’re in Maine
The Barnacle Pub and Oyster Bar
After dinner, I walked down the street to my favorite bar in Bar Harbor, The Barnacle Pub and Oyster Bar. My son introduced me to this hidden oasis. This isn’t a loud tourist type bar which can be found nearby. The Barnacle serves really good Maine beers and as their website states, we have 23 draft lines and many are rotating. They do have a nice selection of scotches and they can also create your favorite mixed drink. I ordered the Gunner’s Daughter nitro stout.
I met Jay from Jamaica and Hailey from upstate New York. Both lived in the Bar Harbor area. They seemed to know each other somehow. Hailey had just completed the entire Appalachian Trail with four other woman. Kudos!!! Not a small undertaking. They did it in five months. We compared Mount Katahdin stories (earlier blog post). She also got lost on part of the mountain. We agreed they need to do a better job of marking parts of the trail. Hailey also just started working for the park service helping to deal with invasive plants and insects. It was fun hanging out with both of them. I wished them both a mild winter as I headed back to my tent.
Sometime after midnight I woke and went outside. The winds had blown all the clouds away and the sky was filled brilliant stars.