Maine- Day Three

To start this day off right we went on a lobster boat tour. It was small and simple boat compared to the triple decker whale watching yachts. It was named “Miss Samantha.” June loved learning the names of all the boats, it's cute. The other best part was that there were only three other people on the tour and it looks like there could be at least 50 on a busy day.

They went out around the small porcupine islands, called that because of the pine trees crowding the small areas like needles. On the ride out the guide showed us a lobster trap and explained that, showed us some lobsters they had in a tank on the ship, and taught us about the conservation efforts of Maine and lobstering. They have an educational license so they release what they catch after a few days in their tanks. June didn't want to touch the lobsters but she did get to hold a sea snail that they had onboard.

Once we got out to the buoys the captain pulled up the ropes and hoisted the lobster basket traps onto a counter, revealing how many lobsters were captured. He would then pull them out one by one and inspect them and decide if he was keeping any. The ones they kept they put rubber bands on the claws. And at one point they actually caught a female that had thousands of eggs! That was cool, and weird... to see. They put a notch in her tail and sent her back in. They notch it so it tells other lobsterers not to keep her either in the future so she can remain to reproduce. They even accidentally caught a little decorator crab.

June was really into it and I loved that moment. This is what my dreams are made of, taking my kids to different and unique experiences all their lives. She stood right up by the counter and watched eagerly to count how many lobsters were in each trap.

The female with thousands of eggs! Gives me the EBGB's for some reason...

 Hazel on the other hand.... was not so into it. She was pretty grumpy, although the photos don't show it. She would go in waves of being happy looking at the ocean and then suddenly she would be having a fit... it was nice to have four adults to cycle her around through so that we all still got to enjoy the experience. The best part with her was when we climbed up on the platform and sat right on the tip of the ship. We were going around a small island that had trees and bald eagles to watch and Hazel just chatted and pointed at it all, loving life for a moment. 

 

We also went up by the rocks and saw a bunch of seal laying there like kings. Some were in the water and kept poking their heads up to see us. It was great.

Holding lobsters!

After some naps at the inn we headed to Acadia National Park.

We went to “Thunder rock,” a place where there is an alcove and rocks and the waves crash into it making a loud thunder sound. We went down onto the rock platform and watched as the waves gave a small show. It was actually pretty crowded there. Suddenly we saw this wave pull back the water, sucking it in, building itself high, swelling. As it crested everyone on the platform started screaming and running. And then it hit, splashing everyone there and washing up over the whole ground. It was hilarious and afterwards everyone there was laughing together. Kind of cool how nature makes a group of strangers suddenly into a group of laughing friends.

We finally left and drove on along the cliffs and coasts. We stopped at the lodge and went to the gift store. I let June and Hazel fill up a bag of shiny and colorful rocks to buy. 

Then we went to eat at the restaurant. we ate their famous “popovers,” a hollow biscuit thing that you fill with butter and jam and had some hot chocolate. 

Outside the restaurant was a beautiful view of what Maine calls a "pond." But let's get real, it's a LAKE. Either way, you know I made Buck go with me to see it and take photos.

By the time we finished eating it was dark so we went back to the hotel and the girls got to go swimming with Grandma and Grandpa and have bedtime stories with them.