Hwy 1 to Acadia June 25

I was being way too optimistic about the scenery being radically different today. We are still seeing mostly trees. As we drove north along the coastal route we did see more and more frequent glimpses of the water - glimpses being the key word here. Our planned stop at Red's was aborted when we saw how long the line outside was. As we sailed by we figured we would just pull over at the next place we saw. But pulling a heavy camper along a busy single lane highway makes it difficult to stop quickly when you spot a potential lobster shack, so by the time we got to the spectacular Penobscot Narrows bridge it was three o'clock and we were ravenous. I spotted a scenic overlook, pulled over, set up the camp chairs and table, and proceeded to serve an impromptu picnic lunch with a view towards the bridge. Other tourists stopping at the overlook admired our luxurious meal. Just after Penobscot we gave up on the coastal route and made a bee line to Ellsworth then down to Acadia. My expectation for the island was one of rugged, open expanses with little development. What a shock - the island is jam packed with houses, businesses, and trees of course. Only a portion of it is national park. Roads are narrow, so bike riding will have to be reserved for the old carriage routes, which are auto free zones. I had assumed there were only national park campgrounds here, but many private campgrounds dot the island. We are in Seawall campground, in the southern region. The light at sunset is beautiful. We explored the tidal zone rocks near the campground, the Bass harbor head lighthouse and had lobster for dinner in Southwest Harbor. Tomorrow we plan to explore Bar Harbor and the coastal loop road. Hopefully we will get a good bike ride in as well.