Our first month back here in Maine and volunteering at the Schoodic Institute on the Schoodic Peninsula flew by. We had a number of wonderful guests, but also managed a few outings on our own.

Campobello Island (August 1): Campobello Island is in Nova Scotia, but the best access is from a bridge in Lubeck, Maine, the most eastern city in the US. We were not able to visit there last year due to restricted access into Canada due to Covid. Interestingly enough, we were talking to the gal at their visitor’s center and the Canadians on Campobello did get special permission to come down to the US for shopping and doctor appts. as that is their only resource from Campobello.

Campobello Island is also famous for the Roosevelt Campobello International Park, the only shared national park in the US National Park system. It is the home to FDR and Eleanor’s summer home where they spent time with their kids prior to FDR’s polio and subsequent paralysis.

Campobello Island is also on Passomoquoddy Bay where it experiences huge tides of up to 20′, which is still significantly less than the tides on the Bay of Fundy just north of this area. There is an area just NW of Campobello that is called the “Old Sow” and is where the tides come in and out at such a rate that there is effectively a whirlpool of ocean plant and sea life. We did see a few Minke whales and lots of bird action in that area. Harbor Head Lighthouse looks across all this area and is only accessible during low tide. We did manage a quick trip over the three ladders and two land bars before the tide started covering the land bridge.

FDR & Eleanor’s Summer House

Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Gardens

August 17: The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Gardens are part of a seriers of private gardens on Mount Desert Island near Seal Harbor that are only open July 12 – September 11 so you have to make a reservation to visit the gardens. It turned out that our first day of full deluge down pour rain was the day we visted the gardens. We didn’t wander extensively in the area outside the walled area, but did manage to still enjoy the vibrant blooms on a gray day in the walled garden.

Bicycling & Other Photos

August 9: We finally tried out the Downeast Sunrise Trail, a Rails-to-Trails road that runs from Ellsworth almost to the Canadian border. While it is easy to ride your bike along this road, it seems to be heavily favored by ATV traffic and the views aren’t particuarly stunning, except in the area we tried out. We did hear a loon twice when we first got started, but never got to see one.

Carriage Roads and eBikes!

August 12: We finally rented eBikes in Bar Harbor over on Mount Desert Island and rode part of the famous 45 miles of Carriage Roads that JD Rockefeller Jr built in the early 1900s. I have been quite resistant to the eBike insisting we need the exercise, but last year’s experience with riding the Carriage Roads on our hybrid bikes convinced me to give the eBikes a try. The Carriage Roads are well maintained, but are much steeper for longer periods of times than the usual Rails-to-Trails and local bike paths we ride. We LOVED the eBikes! We were able to ride a lot further and be out riding much longer AND we definitely got great exercise. We plan to rent them again later in the season.

General Photos of the Area