Acadia National Park, Maine

Thursday, May 21: Kathleen, Danielle, Jay and I left Boston at 9:15 AM, fought our way through the heavy city traffic and drove three hours north to Augusta, ME. Fun facts: Maine is the only U.S. state with a one-syllable name and the only state that borders exactly one other state (New Hampshire). Bonus Question 1: Which two states border the most other states? Hint: They touch each other (answer at end of post). 

Augusta (population 19,000) is the easternmost state capital and the third smallest capital city. Bonus Question 2: Which two state capitals are smaller? (answers also at end of post). Portland was Maine’s first capital city, but was considered too far south, and Augusta replaced it in 1827. The attractive statehouse was constructed of locally-quarried granite, hauled here by teams of oxen. After touring the building, which was mostly empty, we ate a picnic lunch in the 20-acre Capitol Park across the street on a sunny but cool and windy day. Map link: Augusta, ME

Number 32 on my state capitol quest!

Next we drove two more hours to Trenton, ME, arriving around 4:00 PM. Jay and I went grocery shopping, we ate dinner at our Airbnb, and spent a quiet night in. Our rental is on the west bank of the Jordan River, a tidal estuary which flows into Mt. Desert Narrows and the Atlantic Ocean. The tidal range here is a whopping 11 feet, big enough that you can see the moving water level in real time during the roughly six-hour cycle. The photos below show the change in the shoreline from high to low tide. Map link: Trenton, ME

At low tide you can walk out to the island behind
the trees on the right

Friday, May 22: We awoke to a beautiful, chilly morning, with blue skies, a moderate northwest wind and 47F outside; cool enough to need our bedroom space heaters. At 8:45 AM, we drove about 30 minutes to Acadia National Park, the first American national park east of the Mississippi River. Established in 1916 and renamed Acadia in 1929, the park encompasses about half of Mt. Desert Island plus many smaller islands and is one of the top 10 visited national parks in the country. The natural beauty, variety of activities and proximity to big population centers are the main reasons for Acadia’s popularity and the park does not disappoint. Its mountains, valleys, beaches, headlands, woodlands, lakes, streams, ponds, ocean vistas, hiking trails, and a 45-mile network of historic carriage roads draw more than 4 million visitors annually. Map link: Acadia National Park

Our first stop was Sand Beach and a hike up to Great Head, once the summer estate of Louisa and Herbert Satterlee, who received the land as a wedding gift from Louisa’s father, J.P. Morgan. We took in the spectacular views of the nearby islands and coastline from the summit, then descended to Sand Beach and ate lunch at the trailhead. Next we took the Ocean Path south to Thunder Hole, a natural blow hole, although it was low tide and there was no thunder. We continued on to Otter Point Overlook before we pooped out, got our car and drove back to Trenton. After showers and a little recovery time, Danielle and Kathleen drove to nearby Ellsworth and an L.L. Bean outlet store, then we all went to dinner in Bar Harbor, enjoying excellent Mexican food outdoors at Salsa Verde Grill, followed by ice cream on the Village Green in chilly 50-degree weather.

Thunder Hole

Saturday, May 23: Kathleen and I were up before 6:00 AM on another clear, cool day. We went through our morning routines (coffee/tea, Wordle, Waffle, crossword, etc.), then read and watched the tide go out, a mesmerizing and peaceful experience that became a new ritual. After breakfast, the four of us drove to Seal Harbor, where we rented bicycles and rode into Acadia National Park to ride on the carriage roads. Built for horse and buggy riding between 1913 and 1940 by philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr., one of five children and the only son of Standard Oil co-founder John D. Rockefeller, Sr., the 45 miles of crushed stone trails are an enjoyable and popular way to see the park’s interior. Only bikes, pedestrians and horses are allowed, motorized vehicles are forbidden, and the system is very well marked. We completed the 9-mile Jordan Pond Loop, which was hilly and challenging in places, but mostly fun. After our ride, we ate a picnic lunch at the crowded Jordan Pond House, a teahouse and restaurant serving vacationers since the 1870s. We returned our rental bikes, then hiked part of the way around Eagle Lake, a beautiful, unspoiled lake under the shadow of 1,530-foot Cadillac Mountain, the highest point in the park and one of the tallest peaks on the Atlantic seaboard. 

We stopped for groceries on the way back to Trenton, then ate in again. Our dinner preparation was interrupted by a large red fox hunting in the meadow behind the house and we all gathered around the kitchen window completely captivated. After our meal, we played Azul, a favorite board game, then watched Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Blake Edward’s 1961 hit movie based on Truman Capote’s novella. The movie was critically acclaimed and a commercial success, but out of the all-star cast of Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Patricia Neal, Mickey Rooney and Buddy Ebsen, only Hepburn was nominated for an Oscar. Composer Henry Mancini won an Academy Award for Best Musical Score and his classic song “Moon River,” performed by Hepburn, won the Oscar for Best Original Song as well as a Grammy for Song of the Year. 

Eagle Lake

Carriage roads

At Jordan Pond

Sunday, May 24:  We had a slow morning, and passed the time watching the tide and the birds—in less than three days we’ve counted more than 20 different species on the property. We drove to Bar Harbor and walked along the Shore Path, a public thoroughfare that crosses private land, then continued across the namesake “bar” of Bar Harbor. The rock and gravel strip out to Bar Island, which is part of Acadia National Park, uncovers at low tide and is a popular day hike. Hundreds of others had the same idea and the bar and island trails were very busy. On the island there are warning signs to mind the tide tables so you don't get trapped on the uninhabited island; there’s also a phone number for a water taxi if you want a rescue, or you can just wait the 6+ hours until the next low tide. After the walk back to town, we ate lunch at Side Street Cafe, then shopped at the Village Green Craft Fair before driving to Southwest Harbor, in a less-busy section of the park. There we hiked the Flying Mountain and Valley Cove Trails, seeing only three other groups on the trail. We returned to our Airbnb, made dinner, played Code Names, another favorite game, then read until bedtime. Map link: Bar Harbor and Bar Island, ME

The Shore Path

Balancing Rock

The bar at low tide. The dark line of seaweed at
Danielle’s feet is the high tide line,

Village Green Craft Fair

Lobstah pawts in Bah Hahbah

Monday, May 25 (Memorial Day): We woke up to light rain, which turned to steady rain for the first half of our drive back to Boston. Rather than take the interstate, we traveled on the more scenic U.S. Route 1, which runs 2,370 miles from Fort Kent, ME, on the Canadian border to Key West, FL, and connects most of the major cities on the East Coast. We stopped for coffee in Rockland and lunch in Portland, where the rain stopped and the skies cleared, allowing us to stretch our legs in a nearby city park after eating. Traffic wasn’t bad as we approached Boston, and we returned to Danielle and Jay’s around 4:30 PM. After resting and unpacking, we ate dinner, watched Jeopardy and Taskmaster on television, then read until bed.

Bonus Question 1 Answer: Missouri and Tennessee both touch eight states, including each other. See map below.

Number of states bordered by each state

Bonus Question 2 Answer: Montpelier, VT, population 8,000, is the smallest state capital city, followed by Pierre, SD, population 14,000. 

Road Trip: Rhode Island

Kathleen, Danielle and I took a quick trip to Rhode Island, the state where Kathleen and I lived briefly and the site of our 1988 wedding. We first stopped at the large, attractive state capitol in Providence, sharing the atrium and hallways with a number of school groups touring the building. Completed in 1904, the statehouse is made from Georgia marble and boasts the fourth largest self-supporting marble dome in the world, after St. Peter’s Basilica, the Minnesota State Capitol and the Taj Mahal. Map link: Providence, RI

We drove south for another 30 minutes, stopping at 8025 Post Road in North Kingston, the house we rented in 1988 and the location of our wedding rehearsal dinner and reception. Not surprisingly, it has undergone significant improvements since then, but the lines, bones and location were all recognizable. We stopped for lunch in the nearby Village of Wickford, enjoying the shaded deck and sea breeze at Wickford on the Water restaurant in the 90-degree heat. Map link: Wickford, RI

Next we crossed the Jamestown and Newport Bridges that span Narragansett Bay to Aquidneck Island (the original Rhode Island) and the city of Newport, population 25,000. Famous for being a sailing center and summer resort for the wealthy, Newport hosted the first U.S. Open tournaments in both tennis and golf and every America’s Cup sailing regatta from 1930-1983. It was a major hub in the slave “triangle trade” of early America, where Caribbean molasses was distilled into rum, which was then exchanged for West African captives. Today Newport is home to Salve Regina University, the National Sailing Museum and Hall of Fame, Naval War College, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Naval Supply Corps School and Naval Station Newport, where Kathleen did her surface warfare training and where we were married 38 years ago next month. Our first stop was The Breakers, a 70-room, 138,000-square-foot mansion completed in 1895 as a summer “cottage” for Cornelius Vanderbilt II. The Breakers is the grandest and most-visited of a dozen Gilded Age mansions that are open to the public, most along the Cliff Walk, a 3.5 mile National Recreation Trail with stunning views of the historic properties and the ocean. The northern terminus of the Cliff Walk is at Easton’s Beach, which we visited briefly, but the stiff wind and chilly air coming off the ocean limited our enjoyment. Instead we strolled through Downtown Newport, with its waterfront wharves, hotels, restaurants and shops, until it was time to head home. Map link: Newport, RI

It was a two-hour drive back to Boston, interrupted by a vicious line of thunderstorms that brought thunder, lightning, heavy rains and road flooding. By the time we arrived at Jay and Danielle’s at 7:00 PM, the rain had stopped and the skies were clear. After dinner, we watched Jeopardy, and were excited that one of the questions on the show was about The Breakers in Newport!

Bonus Content: It’s Walter Cup and Stanley Cup playoff time and I am watching as much of the action as my schedule allows. Ice hockey is by far my favorite spectator sport and is unique among sports, in my humble opinion. There are also many peculiar and little-known NHL rules and regulations—here are some of them:

1. The Blood Rule: To improve player safety and minimize the spread of infectious disease, players must leave the ice if they have blood on their jerseys. The rule applies regardless of whose blood it is. 

2. The Two-Stick Rule: Players may not carry more than one stick. They cannot pick up a dropped stick and pass it to a teammate or carry a replacement stick without dropping their own first. 

3. The Gretzky Rule: From 1985-1992, the NHL forced teams to play 5-on-5 rather than 4-on-4 during coincidental penalties, specifically to limit Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers’ dominance on open ice. 

4. The Jersey Tuck Rule: Players may not tuck their jerseys into their breezers, so that player names and numbers are always visible and hip pads are not exposed. Famous former “tuckers” were Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals and Wayne Gretzky, who superstitiously tucked in the right side of his jersey before every game. 

5. The Brodeur Rule: Established in 2005, a trapezoid behind each goal limits the area that the goalie may play the puck. It was implemented to prevent talented puck-handling goalies, specifically the New Jersey Devils’ Martin Brodeur, from playing the puck in the corners on dump-ins, which limited offense and scoring. 

Other Goalie Rules: Teams may only play one goalie at a time. Goaltenders must use white tape on their sticks, to allow refs to see the puck better. Goalies may not leave their sticks in the crease when pulled in an empty net situation. The Emergency Backup Goalie (EBUG): Teams typically roster two goalies, and in the event that both are sick, injured, or otherwise unable to play, a local player is hired to fill in. Each NHL home team is required to have an EBUG in the stands—they are typically local amateurs, former college or junior hockey players or recreational league goalies. It is rare that EBUGS ever play, but it does happen, and has resulted in some legendary moments in professional hockey. David Ayres, a 42-year-old Zamboni driver and former American Hockey League goalie in Toronto, filled in for the visiting Carolina Hurricanes in February, 2020 and was credited with the win when the ‘Canes beat the Maple Leafs. He is in the NHL record books as the oldest goalie to win his regular-season debut. 

Road Trip: Indiana and Kentucky

I was ready for another road trip and actually had somewhere to go. It was time to go sailing again in the British Virgin Islands with John McSherry (Mick), and I decided to drive down to his family’s home outside of Cincinnati before flying down to the islands. 

Sunday, May 3:  I left our St. Paul home and stopped by the University of Minnesota dorm room of John William (JW), Mick and Sue’s son, whom I sailed with in January on AIRSHOW’S sea trials (post link: DragonflyBoating—Jan 23, 2026 ). At JW’s, I loaded up a computer, monitor and clothes to transport down to Kentucky ahead of his end-of-semester move-out, then headed southeast, stopping in Lake City, MN, to check on Dragonfly, which we launched on May 1 into Lake Pepin. I drove another 670 miles to southern Indiana, with stops in West Lafayette, IN, to visit Purdue University and Tippecanoe Battlefield. 

The Battle of Tippecanoe was fought on November 7, 1811 between U.S. troops commanded by General William Henry Harrison, the Indiana Territorial Governor, and tribal coalition forces led by of Shawnee chief Tecumseh and his brother, Tenskwatawa. Tensions had been building over the ongoing American settlement of native homelands, and Governor Harrison and his 1,000 soldiers dealt the natives a decisive defeat, burning their villages and destroying winter food supplies. Harrison earned the nickname “Tippecanoe” and the Whig Party turned “Tippecanoe and Tyler too” into a campaign slogan and song for his and running mate John Tyler’s successful 1840 presidential campaign. He died from illness just 31 days into his term, the shortest serving president in American history and the first to die in office. Map link: Tippecanoe Battlefield, IN

Bonus Question 1: The special stairs in the photo below are used to climb over the fence at the battlefield. What are they called? (answer at end of post)

Monday, May 4: After breakfast at my hotel, I visited Churchill Downs in Louisville, the home of the Kentucky Derby. It was only two days after 23-to-1 long-shot Golden Tempo shocked the field to win the 152nd Derby, and the track was closed to visitors while workers finished deconstruction of the infield. The interesting Kentucky Derby Museum was open, complete with a 360-degree movie about the historic event billed as “the most exciting two minutes in sports.” Fun fact: Thoroughbred foals are fitted with a halter the day after they’re born to immediately accustom them to their lives as racehorses. 

Next I visited the boyhood home of boxer Muhammed Ali. Born Cassius Clay Jr. in 1942 in segregated Louisville, he began his boxing training at age 12, and won a gold medal at age 18 at the 1960 Olympics in Rome. In 1964, he defeated Sonny Liston in a major upset to win the world heavyweight championship, converted to the Nation of Islam and changed his name to Muhammed Ali, denouncing Cassius Clay as a “slave name.” During the Vietnam War, he declared himself a conscientious objector, refused to serve in the army and was arrested and convicted as a draft dodger. He appealed, and his conviction was eventually overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, but he was not allowed to compete for the 43 months that his case was pending. After his successful appeal, Ali won 27 more fights, and reclaimed the heavyweight title in 1974 when he defeated George Foreman in the “Rumble in the Jungle” in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo).

In downtown Louisville I toured the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, manufacturer of major league and amateur baseball bats. As an avid childhood baseball player, I fondly remember my first Louisville Slugger—durable and effective, or so I believed. Founded in 1884 by 17-year-old Bud Hillerich, the company has been making bats in the area ever since. During the 30-minute factory tour, I learned that all of the lumber comes from forests around Warren County, Pennsylvania, near the New York border, and that the wood shavings and sawdust are sold to local farms as turkey bedding. At the end of the tour, we all received a free mini-bat, which the factory’s precision lathes churn out in under a minute. In front of the building is the world’s largest baseball bat, a 120-foot, 68,000-pound version of their famous product. 

I took a stroll down Louisville’s Main Street and then to the Ohio River, admiring the quirky public art, passing the Muhammed Ali Cultural Center, and viewing the state of Indiana on the opposite shore. Map link: Louisville, KY

My last stop in Louisville was the gravesite of Zachary Taylor, our 12th president. A descendent of the venerable Lee family of Virginia and the son of a prominent plantation owner, he was a career army officer who rose to the rank of major general. He became another national war hero following successes in the Black Hawk, Seminole and Mexican-American Wars, was a reluctant candidate before he won the 1848 election, and was the first American president elected without holding any previous political office. Taylor died of stomach illness, possibly cholera, just 16 months into his term, the third-shortest serving president in U.S. history. Bonus Question 2: Who was the second-shortest serving president? (answer at end of post). 

I’ve been to many national cemeteries, and it always moves
me to see these huge fields of military graves. War sucks. 

After leaving Louisville I drove to Frankfort, KY, the seat of state government, and of course I first visited the capitol, which was closed for renovations. Frankfort, population 29,000, is the fourth smallest U.S. state capital city and was likely named for settler Stephen Frank, who was killed by natives in the 1780s on the Kentucky River. The location, a popular river crossing,  became known as “Frank’s Ford.” In the Frankfort Cemetery overlooking the river, I stopped at the gravesite of 18th-century pioneer and frontier hero Daniel Boone, whose larger-than-life persona was part reality and part myth. Fun facts about Boone: He didn’t wear a coonskin cap; He never attended school, a decision apparently sanctioned by his Quaker parents; He was captured and adopted by the Shawnee people, who were impressed with his wilderness survival skills; His remains may actually still be in Missouri, where Boone died in 1820 at the age of 85. Map link: Frankfort, KY

After I was done sightseeing, I arrived at the McSherry-Jones farm, aka Flyaway Acres, near Walton, KY. I was in time to watch the end of Sue’s training session with Irabel, one of her dressage horses at the impressive facility, with an indoor riding arena and seven horses stabled in two barns. Sue’s pride, passion and love for her animals were on full display as she finished her ride, groomed Irabel and then prepared the next mount, all while explaining what she was doing and patiently answering my questions on all things equestrian. Afterwards, we ate dinner with Sue’s mom, Anita, and cousin, Denise. Mick made martinis and cooked chicken wings and thighs in the outdoor pizza oven that he built himself. Map link: Walton, KY

Sue and Irabel

The pizza oven is the white dome on the left

Bonus Question 1 Answer: Stiles are constructed to allow humans to climb over a fence or wall while preventing livestock from crossing over. They were commonly used in rural areas where animals needed to be contained, and were once legally required in many parts of the United Kingdom where public rights of way passed through private farmland. 

Bonus Question 2 Answer: James Garfield, our 20th president, served 199 days before he was assassinated in 1881, making him the second shortest serving U.S. president.