Day 10- Touring Acadia National Park

A special highlight for me- Entering Acadia National Park

           Rugged beauty…that’s one way to describe Acadia National Park. Foggy beauty…that’s the best way to describe Acadia National Park today! Fog was my fickle friend throughout a day devoted to touring Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island. On one hand, disappointment set in because I knew there were many commanding views of the area I could not fully grasp…On the other hand, the foggy interplay with the forest and the coast made for curiously eerie visuals. A curious fact for you…Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park is one of the first places in the United States to see the sun rise…neat!

            I wanted to include Acadia in my fellowship study to get a feel for what it would be like to explore and contemplating living in rough, unspoiled nature, as our founding fathers did when they set up shop on these shores. After just a short time within the park’s boundaries, the scenery quickly reminded me that within its surface beauty lies a treacherous, foreboding parcel of land that would be tough tame and settle. For example try clearing or going around the following examples…

Approaching Sand Beach in Acadia National Park

Approaching Sand Beach in Acadia National Park

            At the end of the path from the above pictures was Sand Beach. Sand Beach is the only sandy beach in Acadia National Park and it is situated right at the front door of the Atlantic Ocean (here going by the pseudonym French Bay). The surf churned, the beach was littered here and there with beach debris, and the water was shockingly cold. Anyone who was crazy enough to cross at the time ocean of colonial immigration was really a rugged individual. Imagine how strong and strong-willed somebody would have to be to cross an unknown ocean and settle in New England? The remainder of the day was spent driving and stopping at various areas within the park to appreciate the scenery and enjoy the solitude. More pictures from that adventure tomorrow..

The Atlantic Ocean behind me, the rugged beauty of Acadia National Park greets the waters...

The water is so cold it will take your breath away. Shocking at first, then soothing, but very cold.

One of many endless vistas that surround you in Acadia National Park...

            Bar Harbor, ME is a post-card perfect town just outside of the ANP boundaries.  Plenty of shopping, picturesque views, and, of course, eating opportunities! After a day of touring the park, I was ready to get into some classic New England fare…Tonight’s feature was a stop at Geddy’s right on Main Street. Geddy’s came from a local recommendation and they must be doing something right because their doors opened in 1974…

I opted for a fried clam dinner with crab bites. Before you roll your eyes saying, “Fried, again?” let me first explain that fried seafood is a New England tradition and when entrée is fresh, fresh, fresh as it is here, fried is culinary Nirvana. Of course, it help keep the meal planning within budget. Here’s the call on dinner:

Few things beat a New England Fried Clam Dinner...

Local place, local color, GREAT food...Bar Harbor, Maine is fantastic!

The fried clams were buttery smooth with a light, crispy crust that nicely countered the tender goodness of the clams. To go with the clams I prefer a puddle of catsup, a drizzle of hot sauce, and a container of fresh tartar sauce. Each bite gets a pass through the condiments as I see fit…Sometimes I go all catsup for cool and tangy, other times I hit the hot with the cool tartar, and other times I go for all three in a flavor bonanza. Each bite takes strategy, and it’s all based on personal preference. I’d probably get a gold medal in condiment use, but of course, the condiments should not outclass or over power the main dish…they are used to simply enhance the focus of the feast. Along with the clams came good crunchy fries and a tangy slaw that rounded out the meal. Included was a sourdough biscuit that was not in the same league as its plate pals, but I dispatched it nonetheless. Enjoying a fried clam dinner in New England never gets old.

The crab bites get their own paragraph. Imagine brown, crispy golf balls sitting on your plate. You marvel at two things: 1) How perfectly round they are for a fresh-made dish and 2) You wonder how you’ll ever have the self-control to NOT order two more orders to go with the first order once you have your first bite. The crab bites, without a doubt, were the winner of the dinner. You pick up your tasty golf ball, eye it up as you think of your approach, then you sink your teeth into something you’ll never find as good back home in Chicago. After my first bite I was impressed and I carefully (and I mean CAREFULLY) planned how I would eat the remaining 2.5 crab bites. Here’s what you face when you eat one:

The crab bite’s outer texture is firm and crispy but upon biting into it for a bite the crust instantly surrenders into a medley of savory flavors that all combine to show of the main ingredient: Fresh crab. There’s veg (peas and carrots, maybe cabbage?), mayo, seasonings, and crab all packed into each crab bite and the combination of the crispy outer edge and the gummy/smooth savory center gives you INCREDIBLE mouth feel (Thanks, Laura!). It’s a flavor explosion in your mouth and I felt happy and sad after I polished off my first bite: Happy because I discovered a new eating item that I will remember forever (I love and REMEMBER my foods…) and sad because I only had two more to enjoy before they were gone…Here, the textures AND the flavors both played such an important role that I’m already contemplating on a return trip to Geddy’s for another order…but then the dilemma would be what other new experience would I give up for a return visit? Alas, tomorrow has yet to unfold. I think I'll have another bite!

Wow! The Crab Bites are incredible...Note the hot sauce lurking in the tartar sauce for a slight kick...

Leaving Geddy’s, Bar Harbor’s waterfront, just across the street, offered up its own visual dessert as a prelude to the ice cream dessert I hoped to have after dinner. During dinner the fog lifted and the setting-sun colors were making their way across the land. The view was snapshot perfect for my mind and my camera.

Enjoy my closing photos of both the Bar Harbor waterfront and the dessert I scored about twenty minutes after I took the waterfront picture. I won’t tell you which one I ordered but I will give you a comment and a clue. The comment: All products shown are home-made on site. The clue: When in Maine, eat what comes from Maine. The verdict: Simply heaven.

Sun setting and fog lifting on the waterfront in Bar Harbor, ME. It's like walking into a post card...

What would YOU order?

 Thank you for joining me today. I hope you feel like you’re here…~Mr. K.