“Life moves pretty fast…”

Posted byJennifer WrightPosted inUncategorizedTags:, , , ,

…If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

– Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Every so often you just need to get out and BE in nature. You don’t realize you can’t breathe deeply or think clearly. You don’t realize you’re holding stress in your shoulders, in your hips, in your fingers, that you’re clenching your jaw and scrunching your forehead. You ask yourself why you feel tired and worn out, why you constantly feel a knot in your chest and knot in your gut. It’s the constant throttle of life and the constant stimulation all day, every day. Even the weekends are filled with catching up… grocery shopping, weeding and mulching, laundry. Did I register and pay for summer camp? Did I work out today? How many days has it been since I checked if the cat had enough food and water? Where is my passport? I’m watching my life whiz by and missing out on it! What happened to the sweet, sweet summertime of lazy days lounging at the lake and drinking mid-morning coffee? Time to pump the brakes. Time for a time out. Time for Maine.

Acadia National Park has been on my bucket list for some time. It’s one of those places that is too far for a long weekend, but close enough to escape for a quick five-day trip. It’s not even accessible for camping until mid-May, making it this summer’s last-minute getaway! So we are escaping. We loaded up six people and zero dogs in a cleaned up Kevin. She’s not so new anymore and that means we want to cover her with stickers showing where we have been!

Kevin is spiffed up and ready to roll!
Toad is all hooked up and loaded with overflow!
New door decals – 28 states and counting!
For those interested in the gritty side of camping… we will not have sewer or gray water (dishwater/shower water) drainage, so we will empty our gray water with this portable tote that we can attach to the Jeep hitch and empty frequently down the drain. The State of Maine does not allow gray water to be dumped onto the ground. We will get our black water tank pumped out by the “honey wagon” every couple of days. We don’t have this type of hookup because we booked last minute (this is how we roll).
Unrelated to camping, but don’t my planters look gorgeous this year? Coleus for the win!

But, Jenn, camping and hiking within a day’s drive sounds like the perfect adventure to take four-legged friends. Nope. Not this time. We are rolling six people deep and the thought of adding two furballs to the mix sounds like something I don’t want any part of. The dogs are enjoying a stay-cation with our lovely neighbor who will likely give them more attention (and treats) than they would get with us. Also, if you remember our Smoky Mountains debacle where dogs were not allowed in most parts of the National Park, you will understand. While Acadia is a little more dog-friendly, I am certain we will have more flexibility and be a bit more spontaneous and adventurous sans pups. I firmly stand by this decision.

Our dogs have very different responses to not being invited camping. Finn is happy not to have to drive in the camper since he spends his time with his head under the seat shaking until we get to our final destination. This is the look of relief.
On the other hand, Lemmy is protesting that he has not been invited on this trip and is laying it on pretty thick.

We have a few things on the agenda for our trip.

1. Drive up the Cadillac Mountain Summit Road.

2. Drive up the Cadillac Mountain Summit Road for Sunrise (this might be a solo venture given that the entry time for this is 4:00 AM)

3. Whale Watch off the Coast of Bar Harbor

4. Visit Thunder Hole at high tide and visit Bar Harbor Island at low tide.

5. See fireworks.

I also plan to finish my book (The Fourth Wing – by Rebecca Yarros), play an insane amount of board games, hike or take a long walk every day, meditate outdoors (working up to five full minutes) and drink all the coffee I want. I will also commit to not wearing makeup, worrying if my clothes match, or trying to make everyone happy. “Insert spiritual being of your choice here” take the wheel! I’m on vacation to rediscover the beauty in our world and to feed the soul with fresh air and family.

Traditional driveway takeoff photo. So glad ALL of us are on this adventure together.
Crossing into Maine – halfway there!
This is what 50+ feet of road warrior awesomeness looks like! Please enjoy the commentary by my sweet neighbor O who will be helping watch our little zoo while we vacation! (This is the first video I’m posting to this blog, so please forgive the poor videography. Just learning. Stay tuned!)

“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike.”

— John Muir

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