3 Family Friendly Nights in Acadia National Park

Jordan Pond in Acadia National Park.  Photo by Leanne De Craene

This time our little ones joined the trip!
Photo by Leanne De Craene.

It's that time of year again...Girl's Trip!  For the ninth year in a row, my best girl-friends and I planned an adventure trip together.  Years past have included everything from far off Newfoundland and Iceland to stateside Michigan and Colorado.  Not only have the trips changed through the years, but we have as well.  While we started off this tradition as carefree 20-somethings, we now have husbands, families, careers, and mortgages.  Still, we have found a way to continue our tradition of enjoying an adventure every summer together.  This summer, we honed in on the Northeast.  I had a two month old baby, and Courtney a toddler (and pregnant with number two). Acadia National Park in Maine seemed like the perfect destination - great views, lots of hiking, and relatively "close" to home.  It was the perfect destination for our crew.  Read on to recreate this adventure...

Adventure:  3 nights, 4 days on Mt. Desert Island - Acadia, Bar Harbor, and more!

Hadley's Point Cabins

Lodging:  We wanted an affordable housing option near Bar Harbor (VERY HARD TO FIND!)  Having a baby, I wasn't ready to camp (especially since I booked before I had even had the baby).  We were lucky to find Hadley's Point Campground where we were able to book rustic cabins for $80 a night.

 The cabins included a bathroom, queen bed, twin bunk bed, porch with picnic table, and fire pit.  It was only 10 minutes north of Bar Harbor and 5 minutes from the Acadia Visitor Center.  We loved our stay there.
** Important note - book your stay early!  We booked our July stay in January and Friday and Saturday was already sold out so we stayed Sunday-Wednesday.

View of interior cabin. 

Outside the cabin porch

Trying out the new Baby Bjorn One Outdoors!
Photo by Leanne De Craene

Gear: There's a saying in Maine - "If you don't like the weather...wait 5 minutes".  This is important to keep in mind when packing.  Besides food, camp gear, linens, and beach gear, we also were glad we packed rain gear, warm weather gear, and hiking gear.  I used this trip to gear test a new hiking baby carrier on the market - Baby Bjorn's One Outdoors.  It was crucial as a hiking-mom and allowed me to hike tens of miles each day without pain.  See my gear review HERE.

I also purchased the Appalachian Mountain Club's Acadia National Park Hiking and Biking Map.  This map provided detailed trail information including carriage road and bike trails.

Itinerary: Below is the itinerary for our trip.  I like how we were able to spend time hitting some of the main highlights of the park/island as well as some more offbeat adventures.

Day 1 - Bar Harbor Afternoon

Our first day we arrived by car to a damp and cool Maine day.  We decided to spend the afternoon walking around Bar Harbor, grabbing a bite, and setting up/snuggling in our cabin.  We enjoyed such a great lunch at Side Street Cafe that we ended up going there for dinner again on our last night!  That night we made a camp dinner and enjoyed each other's company at the campground.

Cool and rainy first day in Bar Harbor.

Day 2 - The "Right" Side

View from Gorham Mountain Summit of Beehive.

Mount Desert Island is divided into two sides - almost like two large peninsulas.  The "right" side (north-
east) is more populated and contains the popular tourist town of Bar Harbor as well as the more visited Acadia park destinations like Sand Beach, Jordan Pond, Otter Cliffs, and Cadillac Mountain.  A park loop road takes visitors to the various destinations (note- part of this loop is one-way).  Although there is a free park bus, we decided to drive ourselves around this portion - knowing there was risk of not finding parking at various spots.  Our first stop was the Visitor Center where we purchased our $25 week parking pass.

Our main stop of the day was Sand Beach.  Parking here provides access to the beach as well as popular hiking trails.  We split ways here - some spent 2 hours on the beach, some hiked the challenging Beehive Trail, but I chose to take baby Lucien up Gorham Mountain. It is an easy to moderate trail that provides amazing views of ocean, mountains, and forest at a relatively short distance.  It took me about an hour and a half to hike the out-and-back trail and return to Sand Beach.  We all met up for a little beach time before moving on.

Sand Beach

Courtney decided to stay with her toddler at the beach while Leanne and I meandered on.  We walked the Ocean Path the 1.6 miles from Sand Beach down to Thunder Hole. I enjoyed cliff and ocean views on this easy, flat path.

Ocean Path Views

Back at Sand Beach, Leanne and I hopped back in the car and drove the Ocean Drive around Otter Point.  We stopped for a beach stroll and more scenic views at Otter Cove before making way to our next big stop - Jordan Pond.

Jordan Pond is a heavily trafficked stop.  It took a while to find a parking spot here.  Besides great

Jordan Pond

hiking and views, there is the famous Jordan Pond House where guests can enjoy lunch or tea on the lawn or restaurant.  I've tried this before- it was nice enjoying gorgeous views and their famous popover rolls.  Be prepared for a long wait if you decide to dine!  We decided to pass this time and opted for another hike instead.  The 3.3 mile Jordan Pond Shore trail is an easy trail that takes you around the entire lake.  The trail is flat but involves a mile stretch of "bog bridges" which can be hard for small children and slippery when wet.  Leanne and I decided to add some challenge to our hike by climbing up the South Bubble Trail.  From the south, we climbed the rocky and steep trail to the gorgeous views of the summit.  Near the summit, the trail was very challenging.  The decent on the north side of the mountain was more moderate although involved lots of boulders with some tricky footing.  Hikers can also take a look at Bubble Rock - a precariously perched boulder on the summit of South Bubble.

**Note - Jordan Pond is the water-source for the area.  As a result - swimming and motorized vehicles are not allowed in the water.

Hike up the Bubbles was more challenging.

After our Jordan Pond hike, we returned to our car and headed north back to Hadley Point Campground for a home-made dinner at our cabin.  It was a wonderful day!

Day 3 - The "Left" Side

Hike up to Acadia Mountain.

Day 3 was designed to explore a little bit of the left (or south-west) peninsula.  After a delicious home-made breakfast in our campground, we drove south to Echo Lake.  This spot is a great place to swim, sunbathe, and relax at the freshwater beach.  After setting up Kendra and Sarah with little Cedar, Courtney, Leanne, Baby Lucien, and I headed up Acadia Mountain Trail (a short drive up the road) for a morning hike.  The trail was a moderately challenging.  Although it can be made into a loop with Valley Peak and St Sauveur Trail, we decided to just go out-and-back so we could fit in more adventures.  The peak had gorgeous ocean and mountain views and was a perfect morning hike.

After dropping Courtney back off at Echo Lake for the day, Leanne, Lucien, and I continued south on 102/102A.  We saw quaint views of Southwest Harbor and made stops to take nature walks at Wonderland and Ship Harbor.  Both trails were very easy and provided cliff, beach, and woodland views.  Ship Harbor was my favorite for the pink/red cliff views in the harbor.

Views along Ship Harbor Trail

Ship Harbor Trail

Bass Harbor Light

Our next stop was at Bass Harbor Headlight.  This picturesque light sits at the southern most point of Mt. Desert Island.  A short walk down some steep stairs and you can get the post-card shot of the lighthouse sitting above the seashore cliff.

After the lighthouse, we continued our scenic driving tour up 102.  We returned to Bar Harbor for a delicious dinner at Side Street Cafe followed by ice cream at Mt. Desert Island Ice Cream.  After watching the sunset in the harbor, we returned to our cozy cabins.

Sunset in Bar Harbor

Day 4 - Sunrise on Cadillac and Delicious Breakfast

On our last day, Leanne and Sarah got up at 4 am to drive the auto road up to the summit of Cadillac Mountain.  This popular activity gives viewers an opportunity to be the first in the US to see the sunrise for the day.  I'd experienced the sunrise view on past trips so I decided to sleep in on this occasion.  After a little more shut eye, Leanne and I packed up and went to Bar Harbor's 2 cats for breakfast.  After a yummy breakfast, we spent time gift shopping in town and lounging in the grassy knoll in the town center before leaving the island.

Sunrise on Cadillac Mountain. Photo by Leanne De Craene.

Final Thoughts 

Acadia was the perfect place to spend sometime with kids and girlfriends.  We enjoyed gorgeous views, endless choices in hiking, and a wonderful seaside town.  It would be easy to spend more time there finding more hikes and getting adventurous on the carriage trails.  It was great to realize that even with our busy lives, we could still escape for a wonderful friend and adventure filled vacation.

Me and my girls (and boy)

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One Night on Mt. Liberty

Summit of Mt. Liberty

With my big trip to Iceland, I didn't go on my usual summer backpack trips, and I've been aching to sleep in the woods.  With the weather turning cooler, I decided I better get out before I lost my opportunity for the year.  Fortunately, my friend Jenny, took me up on a last minute invite to spend the night near the summit of Mt. Liberty at the Liberty Springs Tentsite.  We were rewarded with early fall weather, summit sunsets, and a pleasant hike. Here's how to recreate this adventure...

Adventure: Mt. Liberty Overnight Backpack

Jenny on the Liberty Spring Trail

Getting There:  Mt. Liberty is located along the famous and often visited Franconia Ridge in the White Mountains.  To get to the trailhead, I took I-93 north into Franconia Notch State Park.  You can park at either The Flume or The Basin parking area.  I choose The Basin.  Both parking areas are free to park and have pit toilets.  To access the trail, walk south on the paved bike path about 0.8 miles until you reach the Appalachian Trail/Liberty Springs trailhead.  Your hike starts here.

Trail:  We took the Liberty Springs Trail from the bike path all the way to the tentsite and summit.  This is also part of the Appalachian Trail and is marked with white blazes.  The first 0.6 miles gradually rises through a hardwood forest.  At 0.6 miles, you reach the junction of the Flume Slide Trail with the Liberty Spring Trail.  Many hikers choose to take this offshoot to the ridge at Mt. Flume and then loop back to Mt. Liberty.  I've tried it in the past and while it's enjoyable and fun, the Flume Slide Trail is challenging and difficult.  I decided it wouldn't be as fun with my large backpacking pack.

Loving Nature on the Franconia Ridge

From the junction, the trail gradually meandered up through the forest, crossing over a moderate river crossing (not bad in fall).  As we crossed into the boreal zone of conifers and evergreens, the trails steepness increased and the last 1.5 miles was like a long rock staircase.  The challenge of the hike came in the consistent steady uphill, but I would categorize it as fairly moderate since there was little to no slab or technical hiking involved.

At around 2 miles, we reached Liberty Springs Tentsite.  We checked in with the cartaker (still manned through September), paid our $8 a piece fee and were assigned our platform.  Due to to the high numbers of campers, we had to share a platform with another small tent.  Our AMC caretaker warned us of increased bear activity and reminded us to cook in the assigned area away from the tentsites and to keep all food and food-related materials in the bear boxes.

Rainy hike down...bring the right gear!

Jenny and I set up camp and left again to reach the summit.  Back on the trail, it was another 0.3 miles or so to the ridge junction.  From here, we turned right on the Franconia Ridge trail.  We hiked through low trees on a gradual rise until we popped out on the rocky summit of Mt. Liberty (about 0.3 miles from junction).  We reached the summit around 6:30 pm - just in time to admire the sun setting behind the western mountains.

We returned to camp, made our delicious dinner of burritos and settled into our tent for a cool night under the stars.

In the morning, we packed up and returned the same way - 2 miles back down the Liberty Spring Trail to the bike trail and 0.8 miles back up to The Basin parking lot.

Difficulty:  Moderate in fair weather

Bear Watch at Liberty Spring Tentsite

Distance: 5.2 miles on the trail (including summit) plus 1.6 miles on the bike path to the parking lot = 6.8 miles total.

AMC Liberty Spring Tentsite: The Appalachian Mountain Club maintains shelters and tentsites in the White Mountains.  During the busy season, a caretaker is there to help assign tent platforms, maintain the privy, and aid hikers.  There is an $8 fee per person.  This gives you access to the privy toilet (bring your own toilet paper!), bear boxes, and a water source.  In the summer the tentsites and shelters fill quickly, especially on weekends.  Make sure you get to your site early.  Even through it was mid-September, Liberty Spring Tentsite was completely booked by the end of the night.  We got there around 5 pm and there were still spots (although we had to share a platform).  This is a great way to backpack through the Whites with limited impact and guaranteed water/tentsite.

Recommendations:

- Check the Weather - Franconia Ridge is notorius for high winds and variable weather.  Although it was easily 80 F in The Basin parking lot, it was a cool 40 with windchill at Mt. Liberty summit.  We experienced hours of downpour overnight and woke up to drizzle in the morning.  Fortunately, we had checked the weather and were prepared with rain gear and warm layers.

View of Mt. Lafayette and Cannon Mountain from Liberty.

- Gear - Know what you need for an overnight.  Besides a tent, sleeping bag, and pad - overnight hikers need to be prepared with extra water, water purifier, stove, food, warm layers, and extra first aid materials.

Experiences sunset on the Franconia Ridge was a magical experience.  By spending a night up at Liberty Spring Tentsite, Jenny and I got to enjoy some of the best views and camping in the White Mountains at the beginning of fall.  I highly recommend a night near the ridge.

Please leave comments and questions below.  Don't forget to visit us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheFreelanceAdventurer

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Day 10 - Myvatn - Craters, Sulfur Pots, and Steam Vents

Myvatn Geothermal Area

What a day!  Exploring the Myvatn area was like stepping onto another planet.  Steam blasted into the air through cracks in the crust.  The ground was cracked and folded like poorly rolled pavement.  Craters rose out of the mist across the land.  It was clear to see the earth was alive.  Here's how to recreate this adventure...

Day 10 - Myvatn - Craters, Sulfur Pots, and Steam Vents

Pseudocraters on Lake Myvatn

The day started with enjoying a wonderful continental breakfast at Guesthouse Stöng before heading out to explore the Myvatn area.  Myvatn is a large lake located in northern Iceland.  The lake was created by a large eruption 2,300 years age.  The explosion created a volcanic landscape of pseudocraters, lava rock formations, and calderas.  The lake itself is an important bird and fish habitat.

Our first exploration was to take a short hike at Kálfaströnd to observe the lake and surrounding pseudocraters (rootless cones created from steam eruptions).  We also got to see some arctic terns and other waterfowl.

Lava Rock Formations in Dimmuborgir

We continued to Dimmuborgir - a large lava field covered in tall, unique formations.  Ali wasn't feeling like hiking so she agreed to be our shuttle.  She dropped us off at Dimmuborgir, and we followed the trail system through the lava fields and over to Hverfjall crater.  This impressive cone looks like a massive pile of black lava rock...and essentially, it is.  From the Dimmuborgir, we were able to scramble up a steep trail to the ridge of the crater.  It was a tough climb but worth it.  From the top, we could stare into the crater and walk the edge toward the Hverfjall parking area.  The approach from the opposite side was not as difficult, and we were easily able to get back down to Ali.

Leanne climbs up the Hverfjall crater.

Hverir

Next, we headed to the town of Reykjahlíð to gas up and grab lunch at the supermarket.  After a quick break, we headed on to Hverir - a geothermal area with bubbling mud-pots and steaming fumeroles.  Walking around Hverir was like stepping onto another world.  The ground was red and brown and lacked any vegetation.  Hot steam shot out of vents in the ground and the entire place smelled strongly of sulfur.  Visitors were free to meander through the area with signs alerting them to hot temperatures and danger.  It was similar to some things I've seen in Yellowstone National Park.  This place was truly an amazing sight.

We continued to Viti Crater.  Viti in Icelandic means "hell" and although it might have caused hell in 1734 when it erupted, Viti looks nothing like it now.  The perfectly round crater is filled with turquoise water.  Ice sheets were still present in part of the rim in summer.  We enjoyed walking the rim and admiring the surreal landscape.

Viti Crater

Detifoss

With still more to see and a long drive ahead of us, we reluctantly left the Myvatn area.  Our next stop was the formidable and famous Detifoss waterfall.  Detifoss is the largest waterfall in Iceland according to volume of water that discharges over the falls.  It was a 5-10 minute walk from the parking area to the falls.

What power!  We marveled at the impressive falls and when the sun broke out, got a glimpse of a waterfall across the canyon.  Before leaving, we also strolled down to Selfoss, a smaller, but still beautiful, waterfall upstream.

Rainbow over Detifoss

Back on the Ring Road (Rt 1), we cruised to the town of Egilsstaðir.  We stayed at Icelandair Hotel Herad.  This was a nice hotel and we enjoyed happy hour in the hotel bar before heading out for a terrific dinner at Cafe Neilsen.  We also grabbed soft serve ice cream (another Icelandic ironic favorite) at Salt.

Selfoss is upstream from Detifoss

Our day in Myvatn and Detifoss was nothing short of amazing.  The geothermal activity and stark landscape makes Iceland incredibly special.  It's a shame that most tourists don't have the time to drive up north to these treasures.  They are truly a wonder to behold.

Please leave comments or questions below, or visit us on our Facebook page at The Freelance Adventurer for more photos and stories or visit us on Instagram @FreelanceAdventurer.

Scortched Earth

READ ABOUT THE NEXT DAY HERE: Day 11 - East Iceland - Hot Tubs, Lobster, and (more) Waterfalls

Day 9 - North Iceland - Whales, Waterfalls, and Nature Baths

I'm standing on Godafoss Waterfall

One of the things I was most excited to do was go whale watching in Iceland!  Our tour guide, Linda, signed us up for a trip out of Húsavík, a town known for excellent whale watching.  We also got a chance to see another amazing waterfall on this day called Goðafoss.  Read about our adventure here...


Day 9 - North Iceland - Whales, Waterfalls, and Nature Baths

Whale Watch Boat with North Sailing

We left Akureyri early.  Our travel agent had arranged for our guest house Gula Villan to give us a breakfast basket to go.  We drove Rt 1 to Rt 845 to Rt 85 to catch our 10 am Whale Watching tour with North Sailing.   

It had been pretty cold the past few days (40s Fahrenheit), and we were concerned that we would be freezing out on the boats.  To our surprise and relief, the boat supplied the passengers with warm coveralls to protect us.  

The sail was lovely and the crew hospitable.  The naturalist spoke in English and gave us information about the local area and resident marine mammals.  Iceland is a popular feeding ground in the summer for a number of whale species so it's not surprising that whale watch cruises do well there.  We were lucky to get views of a humpback whale, multiple minke whales, and white-beaked dolphins.  In addition, we enjoyed the beautiful views of the fjords and got lucky with some blue skies out at sea.

Bundled up in for our whale watch!

HumpbackWhale Fluke

We returned three hours later hungry and happy.  We strolled into the busy Naustid restaurant where we enjoyed delicious and heaping bowls of fish soup.  It was the perfect way to warm up after the boat trip.

Fish soup and bread at Naustid

From Húsavík, we headed back to the Ring Road (Rt 1) and retraced part of our drive that morning to see Goðafoss waterfall. From the parking lot, we could walk up to the top of the falls or down to the base on the opposite side.  The water was a turquoise color and it was definitely one of my favorite sights on the trip.  

View from base of Godafoss

Next we went to Stöng Guesthouse.  This guesthouse is off the beaten path but close to the popular tourist area of Myvatn.  It offers dinner for purchase and a continental breakfast.  There was a hot tub on the property but we didn't take advantage of it.  Instead, we decided to drive into Myvatn area to visit the well know Myvatn Nature Baths.  This large geothermal spa is very similar to the Blue Lagoon in the south.  We enjoyed soaking in the warm water and relaxing after days of exploring by car.  We were even treated to a mens' a capella choir that was singing and shooting some sort of movie in the pool! 

Myvatn Nature Baths

We visited nearby Daddi's Pizza for dinner (I mentioned Icelandic people love pizza right?) where we enjoyed a large delicious pizza at a reasonable price.  After dinner we happily returned to our guesthouse to retire.  

Between whales, waterfalls, and nature baths, North Iceland is proving to be a jewel.  

Humpback whale

READ ABOUT THE NEXT DAY HERE: Day 10 - Myvatn - Craters, Sulfur Pots, and Steam Vents

Please leave comments or questions below, or visit us on our Facebook page at The Freelance Adventurer for more photos and stories or visit us on Instagram @FreelanceAdventurer.

Girls Trip 2015: 16 Days in Iceland!

It's that time of year again...My FAVORITE time of year!!!  It's time for this summer's "Girls Trip" 2015!!! Since 2007, I've been going on a summer adventure with girl friends.  Girls trips have ranged from camping the Michigan coast, hiking through Colorado, and exploring Newfoundland.  This year's adventure is a big one...we are spending 16 days traveling around the Nordic country of Iceland!

I've been planning, saving, and daydreaming this trip for at least three years and today is the day.  I'll post when possible so other adventurers can get advice.  What's more, please leave comments below or on my facebook page if you have suggestions.  Our trip was planned with the help of tour company Iceland Unlimited and our agent Linda. She have been extremely professional and easy to communicate with.

Here's the plan...

Day 1 (July 8) - Reykjavik and Blue Lagoon - Arrive in Iceland at 6:30 am. Take Flybus to Blue Lagoon for opening at 8:30 am.  From Blue Lagoon, take Flybus to Reykjavik.  Check into Guesthouse Aurora and explore local spots.

Day 2 (July 9) - West Iceland - Get rental car from Enterprise and drive west.  Explore Hvakfjordur fjord and the Glymur waterfall. See other sights along the road. Stay at Hotel Hafnarfjall.

Day 3 (July 10) - Snaefellsnes -  Explore the Snaefellsnes peninsula and glacier.  Stay at Guesthouse Kast.

Day 4 (July 11) - Westfjords -  Take 9 am ferry  in Stykkisholmur alon Breidafjordur bay.  See Latrabjarg cliff and puffins!  Stay at Radagerdi hostel in Patreksfjordur.

Day 5 (July 12) - Waterfalls and Coastal Villages - Explore more of the Westfjords including Patreksfjordur, Talknafjordur, and Bildudalur.  Visit the Dynjandi waterfall and Isafjordur.  Stay at Hotel Edda Isafjordur.

Day 6 (July 13) - Strandir and Holmavik -  Explore the capital of sorcery and witchcraft while exploring more fjords and beauty.  Stay at Guesthouse Laugarholl.

Day 7 (July 14) - Northwest Iceland - Drive by fertile farmland and barren mountains roads.  Take an afternoon tour on Icelandic horses.  Stay at Guesthouse Holar.

Day 8 (July 15) - Akureyri - Drive to the capital of the north.  Explore the town and stay at Guesthouse Gula Villan.

Day 9 (July 16) - Whale Watching - Head for Lake Myvatan.  On the way stop and see Godafoss waterfall.  Go on 3 hour whale watching tour in Husavik.  Stay at Guesthouse Stong.

Day 10 (July 17) - Egilsstadir - Drive to Eastern Iceland.  Stop to see Dettifoss - Europes most powerful waterfall.  Stay at Icelandair Hotel Herad.

Day 11 (July 18) - East Iceland - Drive through East Fjords and fishing villages.  Stay at Guesthouse Arnanes.

Day 12 (July 19) - Glacier Lagoon and Vatnajokull - See glacial lagoon through a boat tour.  Explore Vatnajokull National Park, Svartifoss Waterfall, and Vik.  Stay at Hotel Edda in Skogar.

Day 13 (July 20) - The South Coast - Drive the south coast and stop to see many waterfalls including Seljalandsfoss and Gljufrabui. Snorkel to Silfa in Thingvellir National Park. Spend the night at Guesthouse Lambastadir.

Day 14 (July 21) - Golden Circle - Visit Thingvellir National Park.  See geysers and gullfoss waterfall.  Return rental car and stay at Reykavik Hostel Village.

Day 15 (July 22) - Reykjavik - Enjoy the last day in Iceland by exploring Reykjavik on foot.

Day 16 (July 23) - Fly home - Morning flight back to Boston.

I can't wait to start this adventure and continue the tradition of amazing girls trips!