Acadia: Carriage Roads

Eagle Lake, Acadia

Wednesday we finally got on one of the Carriage Roads in Acadia and walked about 4 miles along Eagle Lake.  The weather here this week is so perfect you could be walking just about anywhere and it would be beautiful. I really love the idea of the Carriage Roads, though-- they are a network of 57 miles of crushed stone trails that were built by John D. Rockefeller, Jr.  between 1913 and 1940.  He didn't want the automobile to take over this part of Maine so he built these roads to be motor-free.  Now they are used by hikers, cyclists, runners, and cross country skiers in the winter. There are also 16 different and unique stone bridges along the roads. The trails are well marked so it's easy to know where you are going.

Starting the trail

Hello sky

We were talking to a waitress last night who said her favorite time here is the winter, when there is nobody here and she can ski the carriage roads totally alone. She said the best part is the total quiet.  It would be a great place to cross country ski. I love talking to people about what the winters are like up here. So much closes down in the off season, I can't imagine what it is like. But the locals we have talked to seem to really like it. I like that idea of such quiet.

Glimpse of Eagle Lake from trail

After finishing our hike on the carriage roads, we got in the car and did the entire loop of Acadia, stopping at various pull-offs with amazing views. We walked awhile on the Ocean Path Trail,  which follows the coast above Sand Beach, and then stopped at Thunder Hole and sat and relaxed on the granite ledges at Otter Cliffs.

At Thunder Hole

Typical Maine coast

Savasana on Otter Cliffs

We were tired after all that walking, so we came home and read for awhile and relaxed before going out for our splurge dinner at Red Sky Restaurant here in Southwest Harbor. Red Sky is a cozy little restaurant with great food, and we both had the best meal we've had since being in Maine. Lobster and mushroom risotto for me, and vegetable cannelloni for Walt.   For dessert we had a blueberry cream cake, set in a pool of pastry cream. It was good!!