Dateline Acadia

Beverly and I have traveled up to Acadia National Park, and we are staying in Bar Harbor for the long weekend (Patriots Day is somewhat of a holiday in Massachusetts and of course is otherwise known as Marathon Monday) in search of transcendental hiking and relaxation.

Frenchman Bay is right outside our balcony door. Listen. The waves are noisy at night. From the balcony, you can see the length of the Bay from the harbor out to Egg Rock Lighthouse and beyond to infinite ocean. When we arrived the sun was just setting. The sky directly above was overcast, but the western sky remained clear at the very margin. The sunlight shot onto the Porcupine Islands directly opposite our balcony and tinted the trees with a goldien hue.

This island touches my soul like no other place I know. All my normal defenses come down. Inhibitions melt away. And the spirit that lies still all winter long begins to flow.

Today I'll hike some trail that skirts a waterfall, ambles along a rushing brook, climbs a granite overhang, to reach a peak of intermittent island views and endless ocean vistas. Or maybe take it easy and ramble on a carriage trail around the circumference of Eagle Pond. I'll let you know tonight.