I have so much to say and catch up on that it's almost overwhelming! Here's a preview, mostly in pictures.
We hiked all over Acadia National Park and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Shortly after I returned from Acadia, my mom and I went to Rocky Mountain National Park. Magical doesn't quite cover it.
Plans are coming together for our October trip to Acadia National Park!
Traveling: We had originally planned to fly and rent a car, but ultimately decided that a road trip was the way to go. So the K Caravan will be heading across several states in our van, stuff and all! Our kids are good road trippers, we like being able to carry some of our stuff and gear we couldn't be able to bring easily on a plane, and lord, airports are SUCH a hassle with kids and stuff.
We plan to leave on a Friday and make it to Buffalo, where we can hang with my parents. The next day, we either leave super early in the morning and make it all the way to Acadia, or we decide to make a real road trip out of it and pick a random location before or around Boston to stop. Buffalo to Acadia is anywhere from 10-12 hours from my parents' house. Stopping just prior to Boston is one option, and hanging with JK's sister for the night; the other is a more winding route into some of the small towns in VT or NH.
We are traveling with friends who will join our caravan in Buffalo. Their child lives out in Maine, so they are combining this with a visit to her.
Stay: We've got a place rented with a local company. We've got a whole house to ourselves, shortly after you get onto Mount Desert Island. I'm excited about this place, because it's got water views. We figured this was a good base for exploring all of MDI, while also giving us easy access to get off MDI and maybe check out parts of the park that are located elsewhere.
Hikes: I mean, as per usual, we have a whole list that we will adapt, depending on weather, kid participation, etc. EK has agreed to get up before sunrise and hike up Cadillac Mountain with me to see sunrise at the top--we shall see if she will do it. It might be JK and I, and our kids may hang with our friends.
Other stuff: We've got plans for kayaks, renting bikes, a boat ride, time in Bar Harbor, seeing the lighthouse and other landmarks, and more. All weather depending, obviously. We also know that there's the chance to do some tidepooling and other things that will be wildly new experiences for us.
I can't believe I get to do this, but the stars aligned and everything came out just right, and it looks like this fall break we will be in Acadia National Park.
Our original plan was Rocky Mountain NP, but EJ and I were talking about fall break and travel plans, and she asked about other places. So she and I came up with a list of other places we thought it would be cool to visit. When I mentioned Acadia to JK, he immediately latched on to that idea because (1) something new and (2) we would fly into Boston, which would give us the chance to see his sister. So, we are off and running on an Acadia National Park adventure--neither of us have ever been, and we've always to go. I may plan a solo trip to RMNP for a short weekend, just so I can get my time in the place I love most.
Tentative plan: Fly to Boston, rent car. Drive to Acadia and stay in vacation rental there. Hike, explore, do the national park things for 4-5 days. Come back to Boston, hang out with JK's sister, do the Boston touristy things (and maybe toss in some national historical sites!), for a day or two, then head back.
I've started planning hikes and picking places to stay. I tried to talk JK into a train ride from Boston to Maine, but no dice there.
