Aug. 22 – Northeast Harbor, ME

Northeast Harbor Mooring

Mount Desert Island

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” ―Lao Tzu

We spent most of the day on the boat relaxing, reading, napping and doing research on what we want to do the next few days. Having a day of rain now and then really isn't too bad...it gives us a chance to catch on a few things, work on maintenance projects and relax.We are on Mount Desert, which is the largest island off the coast of Maine and the second largest (behind Long Island, New York) on the east coast. It’s the home of Acadia National Park…the oldest national park east of the Mississippi. It was established in 1919. From 1915 to 1933, the wealthy philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr. financed, designed, and directed the construction of a network of carriage roads throughout the park. These carriage roads provide a great way to hike, bike and ride horses through the park. The park also offers 125 miles of hiking trails ranging in difficulty from easy to strenuous. Terrain varies from rugged shoreline and deep woods, to open mountain summits with views of the ocean and outer islands.  

Many visitors to the area are confused about how to pronounce the word “Desert” as used in Mount Desert Island. Most who live in Maine, pronounce it like “Dessert” as in a cookie or a piece of pie. More often than not, the second syllable is accented as in “de-ZERT” following the French manner of speaking.

By late afternoon the fog, rain and clouds were gone and we had a beautiful evening on the deck of the boat.