Hadley's Point Campground 08/21 to 08/26/2022

The Sunday travel was light with sunny skies and temps in upper 80's.

Stopped for fuel in Brunswick, Maine and came upon three members of...

...the Roadmen Car Club out of Massachusetts fueling up as well.

A national Car Club, this group, from MA has a Facebook page if you're interested.

Hadley's Point Campground is one of eleven RV campgrounds on the island.
Check out their website for more details.

 

Once over the Trenton Bridge and Thompson Island, Hadley's Point is another five miles and then, to Bar Harbor, another eight.

Although everyone has heard of Bar Harbor, I don't think many know it's on an island. Mount Desert or as it's know locally, MDI, is a 108 square mile island and has Cadillac Mountain at 1,532 feet, it's highest point. Mt. Desert is a mere 132 feet above sea level. Cadillac Mountain is famous for being the first place in the continental United States to see the sunrise each day during certain times of the year. Mount Desert island is second only to Long Island as the largest island on the eastern seaboard and ahead of Martha's Vineyard.

Members of the Hudson Islanders in attendance include John/Dawn, Jim/Pat, Tony/Doreen, Ray/Sue and Walt/Fran. Although a tad spread out, we did manage to gather at Walter's site for our evening campfires.

Arriving Sunday, we wasted no time getting the lay of the land, the Bar Harbor Rte 66 Restaurant was our first evening's meal get-together.

Creative and inviting entrance set back from the sidewalk.

 

The collection of memorabilia was extensive and impressive.

A table for nine in a back alcove was perfect. Our server, Cameron,
did a good job taking care of us.

Old Fashioned Cream Soda:
Vanilla Vodka, Butterscotch Schnapps, Cream Soda, Club Soda, Cinnamon Bitters and Whipped Cream.

Lobster Mac & Cheese:

Fresh picked Maine Lobster meat sauteed in butter, then tossed in our homemade macaroni and cheese, topped with a breadcrumb topping and baked. (Very light on the lobster chunks, however)

With loads of space, our gathering place would be in the area where Ray/Sue and...

...Walt/Fran were set up. Note the fog rolling in from the ocean. It eventually burned off.

Here, "One-Match Tony" starts our evening fire. They will be welcomed.

On Tuesday I had the good fortune to coincidentally have an unplanned get-together with my cousin, Kathy and family who were staying at the Harbor Ridge Resort, 11 miles away in Southwest Harbor. The last time I saw them was at Bear Creek Campground at Lake Compounce in Connecticut, July 25, 2016. You can read that blog HERE.

l. to r. Reid, Elena, Erin, Lisa, Jenna, Jeff

Blink, blink...all grown up. UConn students.
l. to r. Reid, Elena, Jenna, Erin

ACR & Kathy

A terrific, well-traveled family

Oh, and by the way, my dinner was Baked Stuffed Haddock, layered with garlic and herb cheese, topped with homemade seafood stuffing and a baked potato.

Thank you, Jeff & Lisa for dinner.

Wednesday, Tony/Doreen, Walt/Fran and Ray/Sue made an early (6:50 a.m.) trip to Cadillac Mountain. Too late for the sunrise, the first place in the continental United States to see it, they were impressed with the spectacular, though cloudy, view of the surrounding countryside.

The following photos, courtesy of Tony, are from their trip.

The Porcupine Islands are an archipelago of five islands that lie in the Mount Desert Narrows of Frenchman Bay in Bar Harbor, Maine. The Porcupine Islands consist of Sheep Porcupine Island, Burnt Porcupine Island, Rum Key, Long Porcupine Island, and Bald Porcupine Island.

Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds are wave-shaped clouds that indicate
an area of unstable and turbulent air.

And from John.

Jordan Pond from Cadillac Mountain

If you're interested in my photos of Acadia National Park when I traveled through it in 2014, I've placed my collection IN THIS LINK.

From there, breakfast at Jeannies' Great Maine Breakfast and a trip to Thunder Hole in Acadia National Park completed their morning. Fortunately, they were not there during the 2009 Hurricane, Bill. This is what they missed.

That night we ventured north off the island to Trenton, Maine and Smokey's BBQ & Lobster

Nothing elaborate

Brisket: Texas style brisket done right. Lovingly rubbed with salt pepper and a bit of garlic. Potato salad; diced red potatoes celery onions egg and house seasoning and sauce.

And from there we caught a sunset at Hadley's Point Beach

If you're a cloud watcher you may see the snake or shark gulping something...

...or a beautiful watercolor rendition of the sky with blended pastels.

Terrific menu. Check out the link.

My last evening at Bar Harbor, I joined Dawn and John and had dinner at Jack Russell's Steakhouse in Bar Harbor. I had the House Cut 6 oz. filet mignon with grilled baby asparagus and fingerling potatoes and a glass (or two) of 14 Hands Cabernet Sauvignon. Sorry, no photos...except for dessert.

Blueberry Crumbler for dessert

On that sweet note, I conclude another terrific week with the Hudson Islanders. Our next gathering will be our second rally of this year in Croton (CPP) September 7-14th. There will be an anticipated gathering of sixteen RVs and their 27 occupants. Each of us left Hadley's Point for our own destinations. My destination is 46 miles south along Route 1 to Searsport Shores Campground on Penobscot Bay visiting my cousin, John and wife, Barbara, for our 8th annual get-together. Stay well and happy and I'll see you there in my next blog.