SUMMER VACATION, Day 4: The peak of the trip

We explored by boat, by bike and now, finally, by car. We wanted to see more of Mount Desert Island, and for that we needed four wheels.

So, after a nice breakfast in our new inn (which you can see here), we hit the road for, sadly, our last full day in Maine.

First stop: Cadillac Mountain.

Actually, we made several stops along the way, without having intended to do so. There are too many places to park, get out of the car and enjoy a view - when the best view, we all should know, is on the peak!

So we won't bore you with most of that. But this one is pretty cool.

And this is a good view of Bar Harbor, including the "bar" near low tide.

But this is what you come to see. Click on it for a better look from the tallest peak on the Eastern Seaboard.

That's right. Despite its modest elevation, it does qualify as that - the highest point within 25 miles of an Atlantic coast.

There's Bar Harbor again.

We next drove to Sand Beach, the largest saltwater beach on the island. It's very popular, supposedly, but the water is frigid.

Our next stop was nearby Thunder Hole, which can be spectacular - under certain circumstances, at least. The sea wasn't rough enough on this day, however. So we had to use our imaginations.

Then it was time for a destination lunch, a bit of a drive around the island to little Bass Harbor. Dad wanted a lobster roll from Thurston's Lobster Pound, and it would seem the crustaceans go right from a boat to a restaurant here. You can see part of Thurston's yellow structure on the left.

There it is. And see the painter?

There he is.

And there's lunch!

Mmmmm. Here it comes...

Mom also ordered a bottle of local blueberry soda. It's delicious. So we brought a couple of six-packs back to Massachusetts to share.

From there, we were making our way to a nearby lighthouse when we passed this neat spot. It had more action than Thunder Hole.

Then we arrived at Bass Harbor Head Light.

From there, we went on a wild goose chase to find someone's summer home, and we believe we found the (unmarked!) street. But we went no closer, and Dad was ready to be done for the day.

We finished at one of the island's most respected restaurants, Burning Tree, and Dad ate lobster-stuffed Swiss chard leaves. That was different, but yummy all the same.