Friday, October 21, 2011

Bar Harbor, Maine (pronounced Bah Hah-bah)

Today was a day for a lot of things. First of all since we are back in the United States we had to clear immigration. Second of all we had to tender into port. Lastly it was rainy and the entire Mount Desert (pronounced like what you have after dinner – dee-zuhrt and no that’s not a typo above) Island was socked in with fog. This has been a lovely cruise but the weather has just been awful. In fact last night the ship had to sail its way in the fog sounding its fog horn as we went. Up until now the wind has just been gale force. You would think the gale force winds would blow away the fog. You would be wrong. You can hear the wind howling against our suite window. In fact several times it has stopped for a short time and you run over to the window to see why it stopped but it comes back.

After we tendered to the harbor we got on a bus and couldn’t go to Cadillac Mountain because of the fog so we went to the Acadia National Park Visitor’s Center. Tom and I were bored in five minutes. There was no place to sit and nothing to do but shop in the gift shop and I have enough junk amassed already.

Then we went to Bar Harbor Baked Lobster Company for lunch and it was delicious. The lobsters were soft shelled and we had mussels from Prince Edward Island which were also delicious and I don’t normally like mussels. And we had corn and potatoes and cole slaw. This was definitely the best lobster dinner we’ve had so far and we’ve had a lot. I’m pretty sure Tom and I are beginning to grow claws. Nobody eat us when we get back. We’re like little otters – we can suck all the meat out of a lobster in short order now. Professionals.

Then we went to Sieur de Monts Springs which was apparently springs encased in a gazebo and you couldn’t see in because the sides had fogged up with the rain. There was a teepee there which maybe the guide told us about but I wasn’t paying attention. Surprisingly it was even more boring than the Acadia Visitor’s Center. Just saying.

Then we went to Thunder Hole and it was nice but we have better surf in California. Tom said he heard it “thunder” once but I never heard it do that.

So after that she wants to take us up to Cadillac Mountain because the sun is starting to come out but by then we were all tired and grumpy and wanted to come back to the ship, besides which it was getting dark. Of course we had to tender. So we’re in the tender and we’re circling around and around the ship, the water is very choppy and the tender boat in front of us doesn’t leave and doesn’t leave – so we are circling and all of a sudden this giant wave comes crashing into the boat. The guy two down from Tom got totally soaked. Then finally the boat in front of us leaves and we actually CRASHED INTO THE SHIP and then they want us to get off. Uhm, what? So you reach the top of the stairs on the tender and the top of the step goes up and down like two feet. Then when you get up to the top of the upswing four crewmen grab your arms and haul you over onto the ship. I was literally terrified. Fortunately it was over very quickly. And thank goodness Tom and I don’t get sea sick.

Tomorrow is Gloucester which is another tender. I told Tom if we have to tender I’m not going. We’ll have to see what kind of a day it is and how choppy and rainy it is. Although it would be a shame to miss Boston and Cambridge.

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