Denise Goldberg's blog

A coastline beckons
Rocks and crashing waves, an enticement for bicycle and camera

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Traveling WITH a bike

...as opposed to BY bike

This was a different type of trip for me. It wasn't a tour, where my bike and I travel from point to point, moving every day (or two) through and to a new area. Explorations through travel...

Instead, I decided to head to a small corner of Maine, to spend some time each day wandering on my bike, and also to spend some time walking along the rocky coast, absorbing the sights and sounds around me.

Sometimes as I am planning a trip I forget that traveling with my bike doesn't always have to mean that I (absolutely) need to use my bike as a means of moving from place to place. This trip was what I needed at this point in my life, a chance to ride in a beautiful place, a chance to rest, a chance to reflect.

Even though I wasn't touring, I did take some of my touring habits with me. Before I started touring years ago, I was not very comfortable talking to strangers. That is something that came naturally as I started touring, with just my bike (and Rover, of course!) as a companion. Somehow that habit has become a natural part of my life, whether I'm home, touring, or just wandering in the world.
It was a good trip, a time of peace, a time of reflection.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Photos: A last waltz along the rocky coast













Photos: Circling one more time by bicycle











Split personality

...a ride, a coastal walk, a drive

Ah, one more day to enjoy visions of the sea, to roll along the gentle hills, to visit with the birds...

Today's excellent breakfast included pancakes with grated lemons and currents in them. It sounded a bit odd to me, although the smell of lemons emerging from the kitchen was wonderful. That interesting combination adorned with a light coating of maple syrup provided quite a taste delight. Funny, yesterday's desire to go back to simpler foods didn't apply to my B&B breakfasts. I have to admit that I'll be quite happy to return to my morning cereal and fresh fruit though.

Happy stomach, car packed, bicycle ready to roll... Of course you probably already know where I rode today. Yes, really. I headed around Park Loop Road for the third time on this trip. I had different lighting conditions on each loop. The angle of the early morning sun set up patches of sparkling water. A quiet ocean, topped with ripples and sparkles, more beauty.

After I finished the loop for the last time (for this trip, that is), my bike jumped into my car for a lift home, and I headed into the B&B to change into non-biking clothes. My car didn't seem to know how to turn away from Acadia, and I headed back out to the coast for a last camera stop. That stop was rewarded by a butterfly posing for photos. What a nice surprise.

OK, OK, it's 2:00, and I have a long drive ahead of me. A lobster roll for a late lunch made my stomach happy, and then I headed for home.

Some pockets of bright yellow & red trees popped up between the coast and Augusta, and then green became the color of choice once more. Driving from daylight through sunset and into the night sky...

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Photos: Sun drops & colors the sky

From late afternoon sun highlighting the landscape, to the setting sun sinking beyond the horizon...













Photos: A walk in the park













I could lose myself, sitting and thinking, dreaming, staring at the ocean...




My first try at a butterfly capture... unfortunately he decided not to open his wings.




What do you see?

Are you sure this is just an old weathered piece of wood? I see an animal...

Photos: A two-wheeled loop via Northeast Harbor



















Sun kissed

...a delight of a day

I've been thinking of heading up Cadillac Mountain to see the sun rise, but somehow the right morning hasn't shown itself yet. I checked the forecast last night, and saw that yesterday's fog was going to continue to hover overnight. Since I didn't know when the fog would clear, I figured I'd be happier with more sleep. No sunrise for me today...

When I first woke and looked outside, the sky was getting lighter, but I didn't see any blue. Back to sleep for another hour... when I woke up again, bright blue provided a good morning greeting. Another tasty B&B breakfast, and then it was time to ride.

Somehow riding out of the door appealed to me much more than driving to ride, so I dusted off my plans from yesterday's abandoned route and headed to the south and west. The road was lined with trees, and with visions of Mount Desert Island's mountains. Rolling up, flying down, and repeat. I hit the coast in Seal Harbor and then moved on to Northeast Harbor.

I'd love to know how the town of Northeast Harbor was named. The town is on the southwestern edge of the eastern side of the island. Confused? Mount Desert Island has two distinct sides, with Somes Sound running roughly up the middle. Northeast Harbor is on the southwest corner of the eastern side of the island, and Southwest Harbor is to the west, on the southeast corner of the western side of the island. Are you confused yet?

I stopped at the information center in Northeast Harbor to get a local map and directions to the road that runs along the side of Somes Sound. The rolling road at first allowed passing glimpses of the water, and then it changed to a sound-side road. Water sparkled in the sunlight, and I could see the hills I rode on one of my previous trips to this area when I wandered down to Southwest Harbor. I have to say that I prefer the road that runs along the eastern edge of Somes Sound. Why? Because it runs right next to the water. A roadside sign told me that Somes Sound is the only fiord in the eastern United States. (That's probably a relatively useless fact, but I did find it interesting.)

My big circle of the eastern side of the island didn't venture onto any of Acadia's roads. After my bike was done rolling up and down hills, I headed into the park. Thunder Hole very nicely did some thundering, and I spent time (once again) walking along the rocky coastline. I think that I was very lucky yesterday to catch the eider surfing close to shore. They were out there again today, but they were a bit further out in the water. I wonder how they pick their playground each day. Funny birds...

As I walked, I was entertained by some monarch butterflies. They didn't want to pose for pictures, but they were quite happy to decorate my day.

A sunny day, a blue sky, and I wanted to see the sun paint the sky. The sunset beckons.

Sunset today was at 6:21, and I decided to grab some food before I headed up the mountain. Today was about that point in my trip when my interest in restaurants wanes, so I headed to the grocery store for food choices. Let's see, a bagel, hummus, and fresh tomatoes. That made a great late afternoon meal.

I headed up the mountain at about 5, wanting to give myself time to absorb the late afternoon daylight before the sun disappeared behind the hills and into the water. I went to the summit, then headed back to a lookout point below the summit that gave a good view to the west. There were a lot of folks at the summit, more than at the lower viewpoint. There were still quite a few of us scattered across the rocks at my chosen sunset spot though.

Rover really wanted me to take his picture while we were waiting for the sun to set, but I was afraid that he would blow away. The wind was absolutely howling. I wish I knew how fast it was blowing. I only know that I had to sit down because I couldn't stand straight without swaying.

As I was watching the sun sink to the horizon, my attention was grabbed by a bird. A sea gull was soaring on the wind. Wings spread wide, with no movement. Just floating.

The sun sank lower and lower. There were wisps of clouds that took on the intense colors of the setting sun. The sun painted the sky. It was a good ending to another good day.

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Photos: Fog chasing my feet











Do you ever wonder what tasty morsels are lurking in the seaweed? Oh, to have a bird's eye view...




A raft of Eider!

I really wish there was a way to get closer to these birds. Yes, I did have a long lens on my camera, but it really wasn't long enough. It was fun to watch them anyway...








Photos: Fog sends me around Park Loop Road again

My bicycle wheels started to head toward Northeast Harbor this morning, but the dense fog made me turn around and head back into the park. The first photos here are from outside of the park.







Hey Denise, I think it's too foggy to stay out here... Let's head back into the park. It's probably foggy in there too, but the people in those fossil-fuel powered vehicles are probably moving slower there.

OK Rover, you're right!




Ah, time to turn back, and to seek the more lightly traveled roads of Acadia...




Hey frog, thanks for posing!

Funny, I stopped in the information center after wandering through the gardens so I could change the lens on my camera in a dry place, and I was talking to one of the women working there. Apparently this frog is often sitting on a lily pad in the pond where I saw him. I still feel lucky to have had a chance to capture this photo.






Hmmm... I guess I'm going to be stuck in the fog all day. But riding in the park feels a little safer than on the higher speed roads I started on this morning.