Traveling Totes - Acadia National Park

The little bridge in Somesville, Maine is where I was for my birthday in August. Doesn't it look so refreshing and peaceful? Thanks for all the birthday wishes in August and for your friendship. 

We stayed in Southwest Harbor, Maine, and I should have worn sunglasses for this photo...LOL   Shhhh.....Miss Aurora is hiding from all the LL Bean totes. 

Maine is "LL Bean country", so there was not a checked tote anywhere! Miss Aurora thought.....oh boy, how will I ever fit in with all these Miss Beans! 

 Oh look, we FINALLY found some checks at the trolley stop! 

 OK, since the sign is on the side of the quiet side of the road near the woods, let's quickly take a picture. 

At last, I do have a purpose in Maine. I'll tote some Old Soaker Blueberry Soda that everyone is walking around Acadia National Park drinking. Tastes like grape to me! My son gave it A thumbs up. I think I may try a blueberry ice cream float with the soda if there is any left. 

Doesn't Miss Aurora look nice with the lobster rug in the condo?

While in York, Maine, Stonewall Kitchen is always a necessary stop and you can fit a ton of stuff in that tote. 

Wonder how many lobstas would fit in that tote? 

 In August, we visited Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park to enjoy the pristine environment of Mt. Desert Island and the rugged coast and pine forests. Colorful buoys, the smell of pine, summer flowers. That is Maine!!

We utilized the park's free-to-all Island Explorer buses to navigate the park. Acadia has 130 miles of hiking trails so there is a path perfect for every ability. 

One of the most scenic and popular is the one mile Shore Path that begins at the town pier and runs along the ocean at Frenchman Bay. 

We stayed in Southwest Harbor, and there is nothing like New England in the Summer. We rented a marina side condo from Dysart's on Airbnb, and this is where it's at if you like summer living! We spent our days leisurely watching the lobster boats come and go in a modern marina with some sensational summer yachts. We were a 5 minute walk to galleries, shops and restaurants and only a 5 minute drive to Acadia sites, Bass Harbor Head light, Somes Sound, Seawell and Echo Lake. No visit is complete without Jordan Pond's warm popovers with strawberry jam. We were advised not to eat our popovers outdoors at the lovely tables with green umbrellas overlooking the beautiful pond due to "bee season". The bees love the jam! You can make popovers that taste just like the ones at Jordan Pond using this recipe.  

Jordan Pond

 
We went on a horse-drawn carriage ride at Wildwood Stables in Acadia National Park on the southeastern side of Mount Desert Island, Maine. Tours follow the famous and scenic carriage roads that were originally constructed by John D. Rockefeller between 1913 and 1940. The horses were Shires named Moses and Mary, and they get their horses from the Amish once they are retired. The horse (and apparently my outfit) was required to match my tote bag. 

Hiking the Beehive Trail on Mount Desert Island in Maine. It should be your destination if you want to hike where the mountains meet the sea. 

Such a unique location in Maine, and we really hated to leave but we have wonderful memories. Loved being on the quiet side of town and in walking distance to everything in Southwest Harbor.  Favorite hikes were Cadillac Mountain, Beehive, Wonderland Trail, Echo Lake to see the nesting loon, and hiking (and eating popovers) around Jordan Pond. 

The garden photos are from Asticou Terraces, Thuya Lodge and Thuya Gardens. We had one rainy morning so decided to visit the gorgeous flower garden located on a granite hillside overlooking Northeast Harbor on Mount Desert Island Maine.

After five nights of fresh ocean breezes, delicious local seafood and Maine wild blueberry pie, it was time to head south (towards home) with a two night stop in Ogunquit to split up the long trip home. 

 Saying goodbye to our condo. We are on our way to Ogunquit. 

 This photo was taken from the Marginal Way in Ogunquit, ME. You can see it is not as quiet as Acadia National Park. Everyone flocks to the public beach in Ogunquit, and we go to our little private beach during low tide. 

I will, as long as I live, remember this wonderful blueberry pie that we devoured. I brought a couple plates from home....yes I know that is silly but I like to feel at home when I travel. LOL

Now we are back in New York at the Chinese Lantern Festival. This festival was colorful and amazing. Each display includes hundreds of parts, and thousands of LED lights. From a three-foot baby panda in Panda World to a three-story Chinese palace pagoda, 1,000 sculptural components have been created on-site by more than 30 artists from China. Welded metal frames covered in fabric will emerge as flowers, peacocks, cranes, butterflies, archways. The sculptures are LED-lit-from-within lanterns.

  To thank you for following along with our adventures, we are having a giveaway! To enter your name in the drawing, visit Linda with Miss Rosie @ More Fun Less Laundry.

To see what Miss Aurora's tote sistas have been up to, click on the participating blogs below. 

Emily with Miss Courtney Childs@ The French Hutch

Jenna with Miss Coquille @The Painted Apron

Katie with Miss Daisy @ Preppy Empty Nester

Linda with Miss Rosie @ More Fun Less Laundry

Linda with  Miss Lola @ Life and LindaLife and Linda

Patti with Miss Kenzie and Miss Taylor @ "Pandora's Box"

Rita with Miss Luna C @ Panoply 

Sarah with Miss Merri Mac @ Hyacinths for the Soul

Thanks for stopping by! We will have something very awesome to share with you in December. Can't wait!

xoxo

Debbie

Celebrating Golden Days of Fall and A Tasty Traveling Tote

 

We are now into the GOLD days of fall and will soon be raking leaves. Autumn ushers in the season of cozy. I've lit a cinnamon scented candle for us and poured some apple cider....let's venture out for the lush views at one of our many apple orchards.

 In Upstate New York, it might be our official local flavor and important to our economy.

Today we are going to Windy Hill Orchard to pick apples for some pies.  Our biggest export is the McIntosh apple.

In Greece, apples were associated with Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love.  The Greeks believed if a man threw an apple to a woman, he was in love with her. If the woman caught it, or attempted to catch it, it meant she felt the same.

The month of October is National Apple Month so help yourself to a juicy apple.

Do you bake your fruit pies with a pie bird?  Alton Brown recently discussed pie birds on Facebook, and I couldn't believe how many bakers had pie bird "collections". Someone even had an owl pie bird. I only have this pretty red bird. But I think I should have an owl pie bird. They don't take up much room either.

My apple picker did a good job ;o) Thanks for stopping by! If you are enjoying the Traveling Tote and want even more excitement in your life LOL, our next adventure will be on December 15th -- "Preparing for the Holidays".

Miss Merri Mac is offering a giveaway as a thank you for following along and joining us for Tales of the Traveling Totes. Winner will be announced November 11, 2015.

Click here to visit Sarah with Miss Merri Mac @ Hyacinths for the Soul.

Below are the links to more 
Golden Days of Fall with the Traveling Totes
Join the fun!

Linda with Miss Rosie @ More Fun Less Laundry

Patti with Miss Kenzie and Taylor @ Pandora's Box

Rita with Miss Luna C @ Panoply 

Sarah with Miss Merri Mac @ Hyacinths for the Soul

Samantha with Christabel @ Samantha Stone

and our non-blogger friends:

 Colleen with Miss MacKenzie Joy

Tami with Miss MC la Mer

Tales of the Traveling Tote #2 and a Giveaway

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We are having more fun with Tales of the Traveling Tote than I ever expected. Our next post will be September 15, and we are going to one of our local, state, national parks. We've had some lovely summer days here.  Sunflowers, daylilies and clematis are blooming their heads off. Miss Aurora has been enjoying our summer weather and is "feeling useful". 

Toted beach towels to our dock at camp (her favorite thing to do in summer)

Toted the snacks for our annual croquet game on Fourth of July weekend at camp

She strolled the meadow at Olana Historic Site (Hudson Valley)

Visited Cedar Grove (Thomas Cole Site)

Enjoyed her overnight stay at Beekman Arms in Rhinebeck, NY

Helped pick out an oak tree at Zone 3 (Inlet, NY)

Made a quick visit to "hang" with the artsy moose at View (Old Forge, NY)

Fit right in at the Adirondack Renaissance Fantasy Festival (Inlet, NY)
We attended the first annual Adirondack Renaissance Fantasy Festival near our camp in Inlet, NY. Thimbleberry the Woodsprite and her bestest friend Foomp were a delight to young and old. We were entertained by the Paddy Nappers, Gypsies, Fairies, battling Knights and belly dancers.

Miss Aurora was welcomed at Woodsy Gifts (Old Forge, NY) 

Hung out on the chair while I was reading a book at camp

We really enjoyed our trip to Rhinebeck, a tree-lined village that is upstate from New York City. A place for adventure, celebration and resting your head at night at a cozy B& B or Inn.  If you take Amtrak, you can get off the train, grab a shuttle and walk to quite a few inns, many fine restaurants and shops.

Talking to the locals was one of our favorite things to do. The Hudson River came up in every conversation, and defines "this side of river" and their preferences on what to do and where to live in the Hudson Valley. Our agenda included dinner at the Liberty Public House, saw Love and Mercy at Upstate Films, fine dining at the Terrapin and The Local, shopped for gifts at the Paper Trail (my favorite store in Rhinebeck) and the Rhinebeck Department Store.

While in Rhinebeck, we went to Olana State Historic Site. Loved this place!

Today Olana is known as one of the most important surviving picturesque landscapes in the United States. Produced during the same period with the same aesthetic and ideological motivations, the landscape at Olana has been compared to Central Park. Olana was one of several grand artist's homes in the Hudson River valley, and was the magnificent estate of Frederic Church.  

Church began the physical landscape design at Olana by searching three years for the ideal property. Frederic had walked and sketched throughout much of New England and elsewhere by that time, but his formative two years studying with Thomas Cole in nearby Catskill, New York, brought him back to the Hudson Valley.

Before you leave, tell me if you enjoy picnics, where you picnic and what you bring. Everyone who leaves a comment with an email link will be entered in my Voyage of Life giveaway. Winner of four photo cards and a surprise gift will be notified on August 14, 2015.

Located in the heart of the Hudson River Valley, the Thomas Cole Site (Catskill, NY) and Frederic Church's Olana (Hudson, NY) are two miles apart directly across the Hudson River from each other, connected by the Rip Van Winkle Bridge.

While we were in Rhinebeck we visited the Thomas Cole National Historic Site, home to Thomas Cole (1801-1848) founder of Hudson River School of Art.

The Voyage of Life, painted by Thomas Cole in 1842, is a series of paintings that represent an allegory of the four stages of human life: childhood, youth, manhood, and old age. The paintings follow a voyager who travels in a boat on a river through the mid-19th-century American wilderness. In each painting, accompanied by a guardian angel, the voyager rides the boat on the River of Life. The landscape, corresponding to the seasons of the year, plays a major role in telling the story. In each picture, the boat's direction of travel is reversed from the previous picture. In childhood, the infant glides from a dark cave into a rich, green landscape. As a youth, the boy takes control of the boat and aims for a shining castle in the sky. In manhood, the adult relies on prayer and religious faith to sustain him through rough waters and a threatening landscape. Finally, the man becomes old and the angel guides him to heaven across the waters of eternity.

MacKenzie Joy is "traveling" to celebrate Colleen's grandson's birthday and toting S'more jars made for another birthday celebration. Her beautiful tote looks so cool, festive and inviting. (Excuse the issue I am having with fonts and spacing on this post. I copied and pasted from emails and it is not working out)

Miss MC la Mer does not have many vacation plans this summer but came to lunch.

Yummy salad and fruit in the new MacKenzie containers...nice day to sit outside under the shade at the picnic table.

Check out my Tote playmates:

Debbie (Miss Aurora) @  Mountain Breaths 

Linda and Miss Rosie @  More Fun Less Laundry

Patti and Miss Kenzie @  Pandoras Box

Sarah and Miss CC @  Hyacinths for the Soul

Welcome our newest playmates:

Rita with Miss Luna C  @  Panoply 

Samantha with Christabel @ Samantha Stone

Tote playmates that don't have a blog
Tami and Miss MC la Mer
Colleen and Miss MacKenzie Joy

If you are enjoying the Tales of the Traveling Tote, I hope you'll visit again in September when Miss Aurora shares her tales of picnicing in a famous park. 
xo
Debbie