New England Day 10: Acadia: North and South Bubble, Carriage Ride

Monday morning, we headed to Otter Point and Otter Cliffs where we admired the cliffs and the views.

Hi U!

Megan, Me, Matthew and Sarah with some of the cliffs behind us. The highest cliff is over 100 feet tall. 

Megan and U with Sarah looking on.

There were some nice views.

Another shot of Megan and U with Matthew on the side.

It's a long way down.

Our next stop was Otter Cove. (No, we didn't see any otters in the park although they do live there.)

Megan enjoyed the water.

Sarah, U and Matthew with Otter Cove.

We then hiked up South Bubble, taking a detour to visit Bubble Rock. Here, Sarah is with the rock.

Matthew tries to dislodge the boulder.

Sarah thought this looked like a nice slide.

Capturing the videographer.

Me pushing Bubble Rock.

Megan pushing the rock.

Matthew trying another technique.

U attempting to push Bubble Rock.

Matthew, U and Megan work together to push.

We had some nice views with lots of fall color. Eagle Lake is in the distance.

Me holding Bubble Rock.

At the top of South Bubble, elevation 766 feet.

We decided to hike up North Bubble as well. Parts of the trail were quite steep!

U with Jordan Pond behind him on the way up North Bubble.

Megan and Matthew at the top of North Bubble, elevation 872 feet.

View from the top of North Bubble towards Jordan Pond.

After climbing down North Bubble, we decided to walk back along Jordan Pond (instead of taking the Island Explorer). It was a lovely walk. U, Megan and Matthew sang for much of the walk.

Matthew with Jordan Pond behind him.

Panoramic from the south end of Jordan Pond looking towards North and South Bubble.

Next, we went on a carriage ride to see some of Mr. Rockefeller's Bridges.

Matthew is 12 hands tall (10 hands if measured to the shoulder).

Megan is 14 hands tall (11.5 if measured to the shoulder).

Megan, Sarah and Me on the carriage. Everyone but Sarah enjoyed the journey on the carriage roads which Rockefeller built to be enjoyed automobile-free. We learned a lot of history of Acadia National Park and the surrounding area. Sarah, however, had an allergic reaction to the horses and didn't have such a good time.

The Jordan Pond Seal Harbor Bridge.

It was built in 1932.

Megan, Sarah, Me and Matthew in the bridge.

View from the other side of the bridge.

The next bridge we went to was the Stanley Brook Bridge, which has three beautiful arches and was built in 1933. We went over this bridge.

Beautiful tree!

When making the bridges, Rockefeller created a drip system of sorts to ensure that trees would grow around the bridge and provide shade.

A couple of shots of the bridge. It's a bit hard to see the three arches since we were above the bridge.

View of Long Pond in the distance.

Our two horses, Larry (age 6) and Willy (age 12). Larry was quite lazy and would sit down in his harness whenever we stopped.

Me with Cobblestone Bridge. It's beautiful and unique.  It was the first bridge Rockefeller built.  Originally he had planned on using cobblestone for all of them but the rise in price and the scarcity of proper stones led him to make the rest of granite.

Built in 1917.

U and Megan with Cobblestone Bridge.

One of the gate houses. Rockefeller built these where the Park Loop Road (which he also built) and the carriage roads met to ensure safety. (There is one location where the carriage roads and Park Loop Road meet that there isn't a gate house because it is on Acadia National Park property and the National Park Service wouldn't let him build it.)

Side view of the gate house.

Erosion happens but they try to prevent large rock slides from happening on the roads (although they do occur sometimes).

Which way to Day Mountain Summit?
Mr. Rockefeller didn't build the carriage roads to get places quickly--he built them for wandering and for enjoying the outdoors. Hence, the signs are only somewhat useful. Yes, they will get you to the place indicated, but will it be in 2 miles or in 11 miles? We actually met a lady who was out wandering the roads without a map for over 3 hours and was lost. Our guide asked if she's been following the signs and she said she had been. That might have been part of the problem....

The carriage roads and the Park Loop Road have a thick layer of granite rock below them with the roads sloping from the middle to ensure good water drainage. There is no mortar in the foundation. The coping stones at the road level are called "Rockefeller's teeth" and when they clean them, the workers say they are flossing Rockefeller's teeth.

Matthew and Willy

Megan and Larry

After the carriage ride, we walked to Jordan Pond Bridge.

Built in 1920.

Nice view of North and South Bubble from the south end of Jordan Pond.

Yummy salad Me had for dinner at Paddy's Irish Pub. The red blob in the center is a beet and kale burger.

Love the knife through the burger!