Today was our first proper day in Acadia and after an incredibly short walk on the “Ocean Trail” we hit, the ocean.

The above pano was made from 28 pictures or so and has some kludge-y parts where it doesn’t quite come together but the image suggests the absolute gorgeousness of the area.  I used the polarizing filter on my camera and failed to consider its effects on the image.  I repeated this error later, oops.  We were continually stunned by the picturesqueness of almost every vista.  Some shots looked like the stereotypical Caribbean  lagoon with the exception of glacial rock-rape evidence everywhere and others were just… grand.

On the way back Joe and Pat decided to get into a tard fight…

… and then pointed at each other’s junk in triumph (?).

Our next stop was “Thunderhole” that just sounds messy but is named after the natural amplification of the rock shapes to certain waves like in this key-hole:

It took about 10 minutes of waiting to get this spray, and after a few more of waiting a larger wave hit which sprayed my back.  I was angry at first until I realized I’d probably decimated my camera if I were looking in that direction and considered myself lucky.   I took a neat two-parter here which shows the storytelling power of focal distance. Here’s the first:

To which I added the caption “hm… maybe we should get her out of there” followed by:

which screams “This is a neat rock!”

We took an afternoon nap and headed into town that evening and I noticed three things:

1. Every store sells ice cream, fudge, something with a moose on it, or something with blueberries in it.
2. Anything referring to something historic was done in Copperplate Gothic.
3. Pennsylvania consists entirely of the Amish to the rest of America beating out even Philadelphia and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

At one fudge shop Pat and I were impressed with the attendant’s ability to cut precise quarter pound blocks.  Once we brought this to his attention he lost his cooler and was all over the place.  I felt bad.  In an adjoining shop the cashier asked us what we did and I mentioned “proto-actuary”.  She thought I was an aerospace engineer, she probably says that to all the actuaries.  That night we had a fire which looks far more impressive and forge-like with the power of long exposure.

Joe enjoyed some face time with the fire as well.

But recoiled when he thought the fire was getting too friendly.

That night we spent some more quality time staring at the top of the tent and had another painful night on the gravel.