And for the most part, that's what went down. Molly stirred a few times between 6 and 8 AM, and the girls were up by about 8. Coffee was brewing, and it was "easy breakfast" morning - a bowl of cereal, a yogurt, or a bagel to get you through the pack up and break down.
After breakfast, the girls strolled to the neighbors behind us - a pastor and retired teacher who just so happened to have a dog named Molly as well. The girls spent a little bit of time just talking their ears off about all kinds of random things 6-year-olds and 4-year-olds come up with. A little while later, as Cara and I were finishing up the packing, Aspen ran over to ask it was OK for them to do some water painting.
That's an easy one to answer! Our neighbors were such a huge help to us in the morning. While they entertained the girls, their friend came over and joined in on the fun. The entertainment the girls got plus the uninterrupted time we got, meant that we were more or less ready to head out by 9:30.
It was a quick and easy hour for all. It also meant a sad goodbye needed to happen. It was bittersweet to see Acadia and Aspen going through the ring of emotions as they hugged, laughed, and waved to goodbye to a friend that had pretty much only known for a day. (We did share our address and encouraged the start of a pen pal.)
As for the drive, it pretty much went according to plan including 2 extra unexpected (but let's be real here) potty breaks. Weather was overcast and occasionally misty, but we crossed into Mount Desert Island around 2 PM. We were pulling into our campground 15 minutes later.
We're staying at HTR Acadia, although it sounds like a recent name change or buyout took place and there's a new name. But they're still using the HTR logo and paperwork. Who cares? It's a beautiful, rocky, and secluded spot that offers up stunning views of Somes Sound. There are a few communal areas as well as a spot to dock a kayak, paddle boat, or paddle board. There are a ton of ten sites. Our camper site is located on jutout that has only 3 camper sites. We're in the middle and both neighboring sites are empty - talk about luck with the privacy.
We set up camp, explored the grounds, and got in touch with my parents, who are staying about 20 minutes away. The plan was to meet up at Little Long Pond (about 20 minutes from both of our places). The reason? Dog-friendly trail in which dogs are permitted to be off-leash after 4 PM - that's a win for Molly who just spent 4 hours in the back two-thirds of the trunk of a RAV4.
Little Long Pond has a small parking area, so it's not super crowded. It's also fairly level with only one gradual incline to a carriage road that connects and can take you back to your car. Along the way you get beautiful views of the pond. It was still overcast and misty, so much of the green blurred into a gray sky that was also dimly reflected into the water. About a quarter of the way into our walk, there's access for dogs to swim. Molly took full advantage of that (twice - the second time with super friendly and energetic 5-year-old dog named Memphis). There were also a handful of blueberry bushes with a few good ones that Acadia and Aspen snagged.
Following the hike, we headed over to my parents cottages, which were pretty cool. There isn't much to the cottage aside from a bedroom, bathroom, and a small open designed living room/kitchen area. But there are also some communal areas like grills (Pap made burgers and dogs), fire pit (Cara crushed the build and starting of the fire), and cornhole and yard games (the girls messed around with anything that resembled a toy).
After dinner, with the fire still going, Grandma brought out the s'mores materials. Can't say "no" to that, and Acadia and Aspen were now on back-to-back-to-back nights of campfires and s'mores.
Parts of plans were talked about. The girls goofed about in the yard. And Molly tried to simultaneously get a nap in while also snag any bites of a hot dog that she could get.
By 8 PM, we headed back to camp. By 9 PM, everybody was ready for bed. And by 10 PM, we're just about there.
There's a lot that we all want to do. And we're thankful to be here for two full days. But we already know that's not enough. It could be overcast, foggy, cool, and misty for our entire stay here, and it might still be the best views we could have hoped for.
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