Finally, a weekend off. I've been working a lot and though it may seem like we've been taking a lot of trips, really, it's been a tiring time with friends and family visiting (and more to come.) So I was really looking foward to a weekend away from the city, up in the mountains of Maine, breathing in fresh air and eating plenty of lobster. I'd been planning this trip for sometime (it gives me something to do when I'm bored at work), so I knew where we'd be eating and what we'd be doing.
Our trip started off with a long, nearly 6 hour drive up to Maine. I wasn't feeling well, but was still determined to go, and Tom was nice enough to drive the entire trip up. When we arrived, it was late and we were exhausted, so we went to bed early, with plans for a big day in Acadia National Park. So we got up early the following day, picked up some sandwiches at a local place in Bar Harbor and drove into the park.
They have a route in the park that you can drive around and you make various stops, for hiking and picture taking, whatever you want. It takes you through all the diverse habitats in Acadia, so we started off by the ocean, taking pics of the red limestone cliffs, going on short walks and having our sandwiches while sitting and overlooking the ocean.
A little after noon, we ended up at Jordan Pond, where we went on a 1.5 hour hike around the pond. (well, we didn't make in all the way around. The trail just ended abruptly at one point, and we were too tired to figure it up and turned back). By the time we made it back to the beginning, we were tired, hot and hungry; it was a perfect time to visit the Jordan Pond House for some of their famous popovers.
When we started on our walk around the pond, we could see that the picnic tables outside the Jordan Pond House were packed, so we were lucky that many of the diners had left by the time we arrived. Still, the facility is huge and much more modern than I expected (they give off this rustic vibe on their website). Here's Tom, thrilled that we're sitting and enjoying some a/c.
As you can see, it's filled with delicious chunks of lobster. I wasn't expecting it to be so creamy, though. It would've been more correctly called a chowder, but I enjoyed it anyway. Meanwhile, Tom actually did order a chowder- the seafood chowder. It was filled with various types of seafood and chunks of potatoes, and I think he also enjoyed it. 
Here's a view of the outdoor seating area. I don't know how these people managed to sit outside in the full sunshine and still eat. It really was quite warm.
And here's a look at the view from the restaurant. Pretty impressive on a clear, sunny day, huh? (The mountains in back are euphemistically called the Bubbles)
Moving on, we headed to the top of the Cadillac Mountain, and then it was time for a break. We'd been walking around all day and we were exhausted. So we went back to the hotel and watched some TV before heading out for a Maine lobster dinner.
Personally, I think the best lobsters around are in Maine. And I've basically stopped having them anywhere else. There are many lobster pounds to choose from, and most people had suggested Thurston's Lobster Pound in the Southwest Harbor, but since we were staying near Bar Harbor, I had decided early on that I wasn't going to be driving an additional 40 minutes to dinner and opted for the Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound instead. It was just a 20 minute drive from our hotel .
So the Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound is actually quite awesome. And I say this for these five stacks that they have out front, billowing out steam that you can see a quarter mile away. Basically, in front of each stack is a tub, where the lobster goes in. And below that is an oven that uses fire wood. They pipe in sea water and cook the lobsters in that. When we arrived at 6pm, the parking lot was packed, so we had to be a little creative in finding parking.
Also, when you enter the place, it's a little disorganized and confusing. You enter this small room and you see an enormous line before you- and it's not moving. Plus more people are entering behind you. Then, you see a sign to the right, that says "Order lobster here". Is that where we should order? If so, why are all these people standing in line? But don't worry people, the guy standing in front of the cooler will help you out (as will others in line) and you go over to first order your lobsters from this guy. 
The cooler that he's resting against are where all the lobsters are. We ordered 2- 2 pound lobsters which were picked out and weighed and went into these mesh bags. They were then carried outside and cooked. (you can see one of those bags in the guy's left hand). 
Meanwhile, we were given a number and told to get back in line. After ordering my lobster, all I could think of was, that lobster didn't look very big. I should get some extra stuff to fill my tummy. So I ordered an ear of corn and potato salad. Tom also got corn, coleslaw and slice of Maine blueberry pie. There is actually a system going on here, and we were able to get to the front, put in our extra orders (butter is an additional .75, but very necessary) and headed outside to wait for our food to arrive.
Like the typical lobster pound, this place was no frills. Plastic and paper everything. Just the way I like it. I gave a small cheer when our number was called, and Tom came back with our order of lobsters. 
I wanted to give my lobster a chance to cool, so I started on my potato salad, which was ok. Not really amazing, but it filled my tummy a little. 
Here's Tom eating his corn. I didn't think the corn was that great. It was a bit too starchy. 
But it was time for the main event- the lobsters. Tom had already started on his. And he said that the ones we had last year at Two Lights were sweeter, but these were still good. I liked how the salt water caused the meat of the lobster to become salty. I ate the tail and claws, dipping them in butter, and then...I was full. I couldn't eat any more. Damnit, I never should've had that potato salad. Instead, I sat there disassembling my lobster and making a pile of meat for Tom, but even he hit a point where he couldn't eat any more. By the time we were done, we were covered in lobster juices, and our hands smelled of lobster. I would take a lot of washing and scrubbing before that smell was finally gone. The lobsters were great, but I've satisfied that lobster craving for quite some time. Perhaps we'll take another trip to Two Light later in the summer, but I'm good for now.
You'd think we'd call it a night, but it was still early and the sun was up. So we headed in to Bar Harbor to walk around a bit. We checked out some touristy shops. I really liked this place, adorned with gigantic lobster claws.
That were holding food.
We ultimately found our way to Ben and Bill's Chocolate Emporium, which is half chocolate shop, half ice cream shop. The place was huge and clearly quite popular, but we were here for something special I'd read about- lobster ice cream. I had told Tom about this ice cream a while ago and dared him to eat it, so he ordered up a cone. Meanwhile, I ordered a mud pie ice cream. The cone sizes our huge, which I guess compensates for their high prices ($9 for 2 cones).
Here's Tom's cone. Can you see the chunk of lobster in it?
He initially described it as a very buttery ice cream, with frozen chunks of gummy worms in it. I took a bite, and it didn't taste like much, until I let the lobster chunk melt on my tongue. At which point, it actually tasted like lobster. EEEEEEEwwww. Tom ate it fast and finished it off. He was craving more of it on our drive down.
Meanwhile, I tried to finish off my mudpie
But it was just too much. Also, the coffee ice cream didn't taste like much, so it just wasn't worth the calories.
And here's the last picture of the night, me and their ice cream eating lobster mascot. (actually, it was a chair, you could sit on his tail if you were small enough).
That's all the eating I'd be doing for the day. Meanwhile, Tom still had his slice of blueberry pie back at the hotel, and he devoured it as we watched the baseball game. He liked it a lot, especially the flaky crust. And he thinks I make him fat. Ah well, more eating the next day.
Here's a view of the outdoor seating area. I don't know how these people managed to sit outside in the full sunshine and still eat. It really was quite warm.
And here's a look at the view from the restaurant. Pretty impressive on a clear, sunny day, huh? (The mountains in back are euphemistically called the Bubbles)
Moving on, we headed to the top of the Cadillac Mountain, and then it was time for a break. We'd been walking around all day and we were exhausted. So we went back to the hotel and watched some TV before heading out for a Maine lobster dinner.Personally, I think the best lobsters around are in Maine. And I've basically stopped having them anywhere else. There are many lobster pounds to choose from, and most people had suggested Thurston's Lobster Pound in the Southwest Harbor, but since we were staying near Bar Harbor, I had decided early on that I wasn't going to be driving an additional 40 minutes to dinner and opted for the Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound instead. It was just a 20 minute drive from our hotel .
So the Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound is actually quite awesome. And I say this for these five stacks that they have out front, billowing out steam that you can see a quarter mile away. Basically, in front of each stack is a tub, where the lobster goes in. And below that is an oven that uses fire wood. They pipe in sea water and cook the lobsters in that. When we arrived at 6pm, the parking lot was packed, so we had to be a little creative in finding parking.
Also, when you enter the place, it's a little disorganized and confusing. You enter this small room and you see an enormous line before you- and it's not moving. Plus more people are entering behind you. Then, you see a sign to the right, that says "Order lobster here". Is that where we should order? If so, why are all these people standing in line? But don't worry people, the guy standing in front of the cooler will help you out (as will others in line) and you go over to first order your lobsters from this guy. 
The cooler that he's resting against are where all the lobsters are. We ordered 2- 2 pound lobsters which were picked out and weighed and went into these mesh bags. They were then carried outside and cooked. (you can see one of those bags in the guy's left hand). 
Meanwhile, we were given a number and told to get back in line. After ordering my lobster, all I could think of was, that lobster didn't look very big. I should get some extra stuff to fill my tummy. So I ordered an ear of corn and potato salad. Tom also got corn, coleslaw and slice of Maine blueberry pie. There is actually a system going on here, and we were able to get to the front, put in our extra orders (butter is an additional .75, but very necessary) and headed outside to wait for our food to arrive.
Like the typical lobster pound, this place was no frills. Plastic and paper everything. Just the way I like it. I gave a small cheer when our number was called, and Tom came back with our order of lobsters. 
I wanted to give my lobster a chance to cool, so I started on my potato salad, which was ok. Not really amazing, but it filled my tummy a little. 
Here's Tom eating his corn. I didn't think the corn was that great. It was a bit too starchy. 
But it was time for the main event- the lobsters. Tom had already started on his. And he said that the ones we had last year at Two Lights were sweeter, but these were still good. I liked how the salt water caused the meat of the lobster to become salty. I ate the tail and claws, dipping them in butter, and then...I was full. I couldn't eat any more. Damnit, I never should've had that potato salad. Instead, I sat there disassembling my lobster and making a pile of meat for Tom, but even he hit a point where he couldn't eat any more. By the time we were done, we were covered in lobster juices, and our hands smelled of lobster. I would take a lot of washing and scrubbing before that smell was finally gone. The lobsters were great, but I've satisfied that lobster craving for quite some time. Perhaps we'll take another trip to Two Light later in the summer, but I'm good for now.You'd think we'd call it a night, but it was still early and the sun was up. So we headed in to Bar Harbor to walk around a bit. We checked out some touristy shops. I really liked this place, adorned with gigantic lobster claws.
That were holding food.
We ultimately found our way to Ben and Bill's Chocolate Emporium, which is half chocolate shop, half ice cream shop. The place was huge and clearly quite popular, but we were here for something special I'd read about- lobster ice cream. I had told Tom about this ice cream a while ago and dared him to eat it, so he ordered up a cone. Meanwhile, I ordered a mud pie ice cream. The cone sizes our huge, which I guess compensates for their high prices ($9 for 2 cones).Here's Tom's cone. Can you see the chunk of lobster in it?
He initially described it as a very buttery ice cream, with frozen chunks of gummy worms in it. I took a bite, and it didn't taste like much, until I let the lobster chunk melt on my tongue. At which point, it actually tasted like lobster. EEEEEEEwwww. Tom ate it fast and finished it off. He was craving more of it on our drive down.Meanwhile, I tried to finish off my mudpie
But it was just too much. Also, the coffee ice cream didn't taste like much, so it just wasn't worth the calories.And here's the last picture of the night, me and their ice cream eating lobster mascot. (actually, it was a chair, you could sit on his tail if you were small enough).
That's all the eating I'd be doing for the day. Meanwhile, Tom still had his slice of blueberry pie back at the hotel, and he devoured it as we watched the baseball game. He liked it a lot, especially the flaky crust. And he thinks I make him fat. Ah well, more eating the next day.
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