So after a rather lengthy drive with a few stops along the way, we make it to Bar Harbor, Maine. Daddy is HOME!!! I love Maine. This is only my second time here but it still lives up to the legend that exists in my feeble brain from our visit prior to kids back in the mid/late 90's.

I'm not sure what it is about the state, but I simply feel at home unlike anywhere else, including Iowa where I was born, raised and lived for all but 3 years of my life.

I love the scenery. I love the smell of the air (same as Iowa, but only certain parts of the year). The people are mostly great. I love the fact that you can easily visit the ocean, but it's not the focus. Want to climb a moutain? No problem. Want small town shopping as well with family owned businesses? You got it!

Maine is great, as well as Vermont (and New Hampshire) as you'll learn in future posts, and I've even searched properties here that we could sell our house in Iowa and pay cash to move into... hmmm...

Must... get... kids... thru... school...

Nevermind, lets get back to vacation! Let's look at some pictures.

The first night at our new temporary home at Bar Harbor Woodlands KOA. We were happy to be settled, tent set up and a warm fire so we could just chill. Caleb is dabbing for some reason...

The next morning, we headed up to Bar Harbor proper and more directly, to

Jordan's Restaurant (Breakfast-Lobster Rolls-Burgers-Pancakes-Sandwiches). Just to the left of center of the photo, there's some 5 gallon buckets. That's the pancake mix! I'm not a huge pancake fan, but the blueberries were fresh and the pancakes with fresh blueberry syrup were out of the world fantastic!!!

This is the roadside view thanks to Google Maps. Just wanted to include it so that if you're in the area, swing by Jordans with the striped blue awning, for a crazy good breakfast and also to warn you that if somehow, you end up in the second story, you watch your step if you exit out that door on the far left of the photo.

After breakfast, we drove thru some of Bar Harbor just to see what the town had to offer. It was quite nice overall and while I made an incorrect turn at one point that saw us facing the wrong way on a one-way street, we easily corrected our error. On the far right of the pic is the Fish House Grill with the whale watching tours in the foreground. Luckily, for our wallets anyway, the boys were NOT interested in another whale watching boat tour after our (mis)adventure off of the coast of Oregon a few years back.

Not sure what we're looking at in this pic or the next one.

We're increasing elevation here and I think I remember where we're driving too, but still not sure.

Again, I am unsure why our boys feel the need to climb onto the stone barriers along roadways to keep people from plunging to their deaths, but here's yet another example.

We're finally in a parking lot to check out a potential swimming hole for Rob. This is at Sand Beach and if my memory serves me correctly, that hill in the background is named Great Head. Just gonna leave that here...

Sand (and seaweed'ish) beach.

The same, but dressed up with a sparkling little Chinaman!!!

I love the rock-scapes on the New England coast.

These two... love them. They were not happy about being delayed in their effort to get their feet wet.

And off they go!

I like this picture. There was no place to sit on the beach other than... you know... on the beach, which means I pretty much have to lay down because I need some type of back support. So I decided to go back up and cross the road to the hiking paths. This was taken on the big staircase that takes you back up to the parking area. That's mom on the beach and Rob in the water. I think Caleb is just behind the tree.