SWEMB BIRT Day 6 Acadia National Park, New Hampshire, and Vermont

 Today was the day I have anticipated for months!  When I found out, via the internet, that the sunrise in Acadia was a must see, I booked us tickets for the day!  We got the very LAST ticket to drive up to the top of Cadillac Hill.  The sunrise on Cadillac Hill is the first place to touch the United States each day.  It was jam packed with people but 100% worth the early wake up.  We got all the kids up at 4:28 AM and just got in the van to head over to the hill.  It was magical.  No picture could do it justice.  I tried and tried to capture what we saw in real life, but there was no way a camera could replicate the beauty of the sun.

After watching the beautiful sunrise, we drove back to the hotel and went right back to sleep.  I was so tired.  I slept for two more hours, and then we went down to the delicious hotel breakfast and ate.  We packed up and headed back to the DAMM museum in New Hampshire since we didn't get to walk through it the first time.  

It was the perfect quick stop before our drive to a waterfall and swimming hole in Vermont.  I think this was one of the kids favorite stop. They played for hours in the water at sunset.  We thought our hotel was pretty close so we stopped and ate dinner at a ski resort nearby.  The food was ok but the service was awful.  Must have been summer season service because they did not know how to take care of a large group with kids.  We started driving towards our hotel and couldn't find it.  We had to sort of guess where the hotel was as we had no service on our phones.  When we found the hotel, the manager was upset that we were arriving close to closing time.  He was incredibly rude.  We arrived at 8:45 and the office closed at 9:00.  We drove over to our room and found no blankets or pillows in the room!  So I quickly drove back and the manager was even more upset that I came back!  He gave me one blanket and one pillow!  HA!  It was a rough nights sleep with a very loud air conditioner but at least we had a roof over our heads for the night. Of course, no free breakfast.

SWEMB BIRT Day 5 Acadia National Park

 Well, by now you already know that I had to limp through Boston and the limping didn't end in Acadia, although I could walk a little better.  We slept in a little and then went down to the hotel breakfast and ate.  It was delicious!!  I love a hotel that provides breakfast!  We had a beautiful view of the ocean from our balcony. 

Our first stop in Acadia was Sand Beach.  The only sandy beach in Maine.  Maine's coastline is covered with jagged sharp rocks so this beach was a diamond in the rough.  I didn't plan on the boys wanting to get in to the water since we had just swam in the ocean two days earlier.  I was WRONG!  LIFE LESSON ALERT: If there is ever a beach, a swim-able beach, BRING A BATHING SUIT!  I don't know why I can't learn that lesson.  Just seems silly to not carry a swim suit with me at all times for the boys.  Edward got into the water in his pants.  Both boys had to go through the rest of the park soaking wet for the day but the enjoyed every minute of the ocean.

 

 

We left the beach to find Thunder hole.  Well we missed the thunder so the kids just hiked around and played on the rocks.  

We jumped on the park bus and headed to a place to eat and shop.  We arrived at the visitor center but it was packed!!  So, instead of eating, we grabbed some quick snacks, keepsakes, and walked down to the lake nearby.  The kids were still soaking wet so we went back to the hotel to swim, do laundry, and get dinner.  

Now I wanted to have real lobster from Maine.  So we found a great little restaurant to eat lobster.  I made everyone try it; even Nolen.  Edward liked it.  I didn't mind it but I don't think I would ever order it as a meal.  After dinner we drove over to see a light house and then went straight to bed because we were getting up at 4:28 AM to see the sunrise.