[arindamray]

The very next day went out for Acadia National Park in Maine. The journey was scenic all the way through -

[arindamray]

Attempting to complete an unfinished task...

Finally arrived at the entrance of Acadia National Park.


From the wikipedia, "Acadia National Park is a National Park located in the U.S. state of Maine. It reserves much of Mount Desert Island, and associated smaller islands, off the Atlantic coast. Originally created as Lafayette National Park in 1919, the first National Park East of the Mississippi, it was renamed Acadia in 1929."

First stop is the information center to see a small video of the park and buying the entry ticket. Picked up the map and some souvenirs also. Equipped with the map, we charted out our path and reversed the car out of the parking lot.


The road inside has sublime scenery all round.



Came to know letter these islands are called Porcupine Islands, pictures available in wikipedia (File:Frenchman bay and bar harbor from cadillac mountain acadia np.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)



The horse carriage road crosses the motor road through the over-bridge seen.


Stopped for a while in the sandy beach. Were not ready for the same, and thus heavily overdressed








Next stop was thunder hole.




We continued our journey through the scenic road.

[arindamray]

Next stop was in Jordan house for lunch. Tables arranged in the lawn at the backyard overlooking the Jordan pond.




Heard a lot about lobsters of Maine, and two of them ended in our lunch plate


After the lunch, took a leisure walk to the lake.


and took the picture of the Jordan house from there.


Satisfied, we start our journey towards our last stop, Cadillac mountain.


Some snaps on the way up, some snaps from the top.










And the last parting shot.

[arindamray]

Here is the GPS track and the routemap through the GPS Visualizer tool.

AcadiaNationalPark.gpx

[arindamray]

Labor day week-end was round the corner and the next week-end I would return to India. Thought of Washington DC with a night-over in NYC, but had to cancel - it would have been hectic too. BP planned for Niagara, I have already visited and thus was not too keen.

So the week-end came by, and I still had no concrete plans. Finally with the maps of New England area and lots of googling, decided to go to New Hampshire and the destinations are Mt. Washington Auto Road and the Lake Region, to be specific, Castle In the Clouds.

This time I was travelling alone, and hence the number of pictures on the road are minimal.



















The last picture is of the dirt road which GPS suggested, the lack of tar was more than compensated by the green canopy

[khoj]

Good going arindamray, trust there is more to come. Photographs cannot do justice to the natural beauty of Maine. The photos from top of the Cadillac mountain remind me of my drives through the Blue Ridge Mountains.

[narayans80]

Very nice Arindam. Boston brings back great memories. Loved driving the city last winter, especially through one of the blizzards. Wish it was summer, could've been to the beaches.

[arindamray]

So after the wonderful journey through the roads of picturesque Maine, came to the foothill of the Mt. Washington. Stopped for few minutes, to get the confidence, the website talked about checking the cars first gear and all...






Finally slowly rolled into the booth to take the ticket and start the journey. Like most of the days, I was warned, the weather on top is bad. Along with the ticket I have also handed over the sticker and the audio CD.





Start of the journey was ok and was moving ahead in second gear (or whatever it's equivalent in auto transmission, don't recollect), but shortly had to change it to first. Stopped in between for photo shoots and immediately realized that my dress was awfully inadequate, and proved progressively right with the ascent.






















Towards the top was engulfed in the cloud/mist. It was also raining, and the wind, what it is famous for, was almost blowing me away.







Ran from one building to the another, to protect myself, and then finally back to the car and with heater on, came to the senses. And started off the return journey.

[arindamray]

The journey continued towards the Castle in the Cloud through the roads of New Hampshire.




The Castle in the Cloud is situated in a large wilderness,


a walking trail leading to a falls


The journey continued and eventually ended at the parking lot of the castle.


The parking lot is near the carriage house where the guests can have lunch in the open air deck, enjoying the vista of Lake Winnipesaukee.




The visitors are taken to the main castle in a trolley.
"The Castle in the Clouds, formerly known as “Lucknow”, is a sixteen room mountaintop mansion built in 1913/1914 by shoe industrialist Thomas Plant. Designed in the Arts and Crafts style to blend naturally into its setting on 5,500 wilderness acres, the home is built of heavy oak timbering with a veneer of octagonal stones. The interior of the mansion contains work of the finest craftsmen of the era combined with the most advanced, state-of-the-art technology of the time. The home has remarkable integrity, retaining its original configuration, fittings, and furnishings as well as its uncompromised setting. The home also displays the lifestyle of the 1920s with exhibits of clothing, reading material, kitchen utensils, and music of that period."










On the way back, was at the level of the lake and could not resist clicking.

[arindamray]

Here is the GPS tracks and the map through GPS Visualizer tool.

NewHampshire.gpx



These was my last trip from Boston, took the Lufthansa back home.


Thanks for your patient reading and encouragements.