day 2 – Poland to Bangor to Acadia, Maine

Miles driven day 2: 200
Total: 380

Tuesday late morning: We made it to Bangor, ME, in time for a quick light lunch in the car. The whole drive we’d been going back and forth over how to pronounce “Bangor”, with Caitlin insisting on repeating “banger” at various volumes and random times as she drove, me responding “ban-GORRREEE” each time. When we stopped, she suggested we “ask a local”, so I turned my data on and googled it. Make your guess before watching the video.

How to Say Bangor, Maine | “We are Bangor”

We explored the University of Maine’s Museum of Art, which is open and free to the public.

They have a small selection from their collection, as well as a couple of exhibits. It was the perfect size for a short visit that was worth it but didn’t feel rushed.

Siobhan McBride (American, born 1980), Captivity, 2015, Gouache on paper on panel

What do you think this sticker says?

After the museum we explored Bangor a little, walking through a park behind the museum and popping into little shops. The Rock & Art Shop was a fun collection of stones, plants, taxidermy, gifts, and art. Definitely worth a visit.

A restaurant we stopped at gave us two cups of hot water for coffee and tea to keep us going for the next part of our day. On our drive to Bar Harbor, we stopped at an intriguing building for sale. We’re not quite sure what the purpose of it is but it’s a lot of fun.

From what we could gather, it’s a car dealership meets auto repair meets car wash meets private eye meets “clerk of courts”? (It’s bizarre.)

When we made it to Bar Harbor, we explored the town a little.

ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE STICKERS…What does it say??? Snow man or new eons? What does new eons mean?

Dinner by the water

 

Acadia was absolutely gorgeous. We drove up the Park Loop in the fog. In some sections you’d look out the window and see the edge and then nothing…just the white fog. When the sun broke through in sections, we’d see how high up we were.

On top of Cadillac Mountain, we moved all of our luggage into the front seats and set up our sleeping mats and sleeping bags in the back of the car. We pointed the trunk of the car towards the East (C: “which direction does the sun rise again?” M-singing-:”Certain as the sun, rising in the EAST”). 

We were surrounded by fog, which was probably a good thing that helped us stay there all night without being kicked out. Cozy in the car, we had a little bible study before a long night of napping, listening to the wind and the distant ocean, and slowly freezing. It started raining in the middle of the night but it wasn’t too bad. The fog lifted during the night and we started to be able to see stars and lights at the bottom of the mountain. At about 2am I woke up to see the Big Dipper clear and bright outside my window.

What we could see at night

What we saw at 5:30am 

Wednesday plans: breakfast fail, morning at health food store/cafe in Bar Harbor using wifi, housekeeping stuff & blogging, lunch at a pretty place, walk/hike, drive to Franconia, New Hampshire.

Weather: High 50’s and partly cloudy in Bar Harbor this morning, low 50’s dropping to 32 at night in Franconia, New Hampshire.