May 18-Bar Harbor

Last evening we went to a special dinner for people who are part of the PTV at Sea program. The special lecturer and musician were part of the dinner. There were about 100 people dining in a special section of LaVeranda. I think I expected them to do more pitch and push for PBS but they just expressed appreciation for our interest in the kinds of programs PBS produces. This program has added a neat dimension to this section of the cruise.

This morning I looked out to see that a Coast Guard ship was escorting us in Bar Harbor. It has stayed with us all day. Actually now there are two Coast Guard ships slowly circling the Voyager. We are tendered in this port so there are lots of boats in the water.

Bar Harbor, Mount Desert Island’s largest community currently with slightly less than 5000 people, was New England’s premier summer resort in the 19th century. It was home to the largest hotel in North America and to Millionaires’ Row, a line of spectacular summer estates built for America’s most powerful families—Rockefeller, Ford, Vanderbilt, Carnegie, Astor and Morgan, to name a few. Many of the same names that made Newport, Rhode Island famous. All this was before the days of air conditioning and the island was known for its cool breezes. Many of the large homes burned in 1947 and were not rebuilt. Some are now inns and hotels.

Lobster Trap markers are everywhere. At one point as we sailed in I counted more than 100 right around our side of the ship.

Bar Harbor is adjacent to Acadia National Park, home to 1,532-foot Mount Cadillac. Its summit is the first spot in the United States where the sunrise can be seen. Acadia’s stunning mountains, lakes, and sea cliffs can be viewed from a number of vantage points. The park is more than 30,000 acres in area and is the 2^nd most visited National Park in the US- the 1^st being Smoky Mountain National Park. Thunder Hole is one of the popular places where the water comes splashing up making a great loud noise. It is always slippery.

The island and its surrounding Gulf of Maine are home to a great variety of sea life: whales, seals, eagles, falcons, ospreys and puffins. We are hoping to see something of this. Out the dining room window we saw a boat waiting to pick up passengers for a tour that was a “Lobster and Seal Watch” boat. Can’t figure how or why you’d want to watch lobsters.

Weather is sunny and chilly. The balcony is comfortable for reading and watching. We decided that you could really treat this like a hotel with a different view from the window each day and never leave the ship. But exploring off the ship is always fun!