Going to Maine

This was a full week for our family. On Friday, David turned twenty-five, and his parents returned from their month-long vacation to Israel, Egypt, and Jordan. Avonlea Jane was quite excited to see Grandma and Grandpa again. On Saturday, the other set of grandparents and Uncle Dillon arrived for the first part of their spring break.

The birthday boy

David's birthday cake, which didn't have enough candles, because I didn't know he was now old enough to require two boxes of birthday candles.

Grandma and Grandpa C and Dillon had come up to spend a few days with Avonlea Jane and I in Maine. We left Sunday for Portland and then traveled to Bar Harbor.

On the road

We passed a group of surfers on our way to Portland.


Dad and Dillon in front of a large stack of lobster traps.

Reading in bed

With Mommy (look at that silly baby face)

The Portland Head Light House

After leaving Portland, we headed up to Bar Harbor. Dad had made a reservation on the phone at a Holiday Inn and confirmed it on the phone. As we got into Bar Harbor, we saw that all of the hotels we passed were closed for the season. This is what we saw when we got to our hotel:

It was also closed for the season! It was quite the great April Fools' trick. The reservation line is open year round to make in-season reservations, and a computer glitch allowed him to reserve two rooms in March and get them confirmed. Holiday Inn set us up in a town twenty minutes away, and it seems they are used to this. We were told this happens at least once a year with this hotel. It turns out that most of Bar Harbor was closed for the season, as was most of Acadia National Park. We joked that Maine's license plates instead of reading "Vacationland" should read "Vactionland: June-October." If you are tired of vacation itineraries and having something to do, you should certainly take a trip to Bar Harbor in the winter.

Downtown Bar Harbor

Bar Harbor

In front of a closed sign at Acadia National Park. As you can see, Maine still has unmelted snow.

We were able to locate a winter visitors' center, and a few miles of road were open in the park. What scenery we were able to see was beautiful.

On the beach with Avonlea Jane

Southwest Harbor, Maine

Bass Harbor Light House

At dinner with Uncle Dillon