We took our first family trip to coastal Maine in July. I really, really loved it - I do hope to return someday soon. We stayed in a small cottage about 100 feet from the ocean. We were on the eastern side of the Schoodic Peninsula, adjacent to the mainland portion of Acadia National Park. "Our" part of Acadia was mostly just us, the locals, and little fishing villages in every bay. I will say that my one big disappointment was missing out on the wild blueberries - we saw lots of bushes, but no ripe berries. Oh, well, just another reason to return!
I was able to make all of our food ahead of time, frozen, and then we were happy to return back to our cottage every evening to a yummy meal! We did find a great organic farm and splurged on bacon, eggs, bread, jelly, and in season strawberries. On every trip we try to find a farm and load up on seasonal produce (and in Rob's case - local honey, always).
We enjoyed lobster rolls, lobster grilled cheese sandwiches, maple candy, and local baked goods.
We brought kayaks and bikes and enjoyed an active week. We biked along the entire Schoodic Peninsula and kayaked during high tide and low tide in one of the Acadia bays. We did venture over to the main part of Acadia National Park, but realized we loved our little quiet side so much more!
We explored, ate, relaxed, played games, and enjoyed being together as a family. Settle in for a ton of pictures.
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| our favorite meal - flat iron steaks with corn |
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| perfectly stocked cottage kitchen |
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| the kids loved playing clue |
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| local strawberries |
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| we lost power for a couple of hours, so we collected rainwater |
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| a coffee break on an early morning bike ride - pure bliss |
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| breakfast with local eggs and bacon |
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| mmmmm, chicken enchiladas! |
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| pretty eggs |
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| having lots of fun while biking |
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| tidepools |
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| packing up the food for our trip |
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| lots of little snails |
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| cutest cottage ever! |
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| Mt. Desert Island |
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| Sand Beach on Mt. Desert Island |
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| the top of Cadillac Mountain |
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| Kate |
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| brrrr..... |
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| gathering rainwater to boil for coffee - what a guy! |
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| Mandala Farm |
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| kayaking in Acadia |
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| he's totally flexing here :) |
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| gorgeous views at every turn |
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| Emma loved finding lobster buoys |
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| we loved kayaking! |
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| backside of the cottage |
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| our early morning date - riding bikes around the peninsula |
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| view of Frenchman's Bay |
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| best way to see the park |
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| my kids and I |
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| they love exploring |
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| love this guy |
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| our date to see the sunset on Grindstone Neck |
I can't recommend this trip enough. This may be my favorite place in the U.S. I loved the small town feel, the ocean views at every turn, the quiet rugged beauty and the smells in the air (equal parts pine forest with briny saltwater). I loved the food, the people, and everything about coastal Maine.
