New Year's New Adventures

So how did I, someone who hates when the ambient temperature dips below 70*, and Lindsay, who is more apt to vacation on a Cali beach than a frozen mountain, end up 400 miles North in Bar Harbor, Maine during one of the coldest winters in recent history? Simple. It was new.

Lindsay and I are both the types to pack a bag and head out for a new adventure on a whim. Whether it's a quick hike in the Connecticut woods, a road trip involving a 7 hour drive, and an adventure involving 2 plane tickets, we are both ready to try new things. We both love to try new things, see new sites, and visit new places. So when I suggested visiting Acadia National Park for New Year's Eve, Lindsay, of course said, yes. What better way to start the New Year than by adventuring with your favorite adventure partner (and amazing girlfriend!!)?

There are two things I can tell you about Acadia National Park in the winter. 1) It's cold. Really cold. And 2) It's stunning

Picture walking out on to a rocky ledge covered in a frozen waterfall that runs into the icy and rough open ocean below. Driving down a completely deserted road and seeing a deer eating grass on the side of the road, and being able to get out of your vehicle and spend time staring at her, without any disruption. Climbing perilously down the frozen salt water encrusted stairs to view the Natural Wonder of Thunder Hole without waiting in line or feeling rushed. Hiking 3 miles into the ice covered Maine woods to visit Jordan Pond House, which is usually bustling during peak season with tourists eating their famous popovers and jam, and being the only people there. And then hiking 3 miles out of the woods as the sun sets, stepping out onto a ridge overlooking a pond, and the only sound you hear is the rustling of your backpack as you breathe. 

Stunning doesn't even begin to describe those moments.

On average 2.5 million people visit Acadia National Park each year, most during Spring and Summer. During the winter months, however, Bar Harbor Maine is essentially a ghost town filled mostly with locals and a few crazy adventurers (ie Lindsay and I). So after a long bath in the jacuzzi tub at our suite at the Mira Monte Inn we headed downtown to one of the 3 open restaurants and bars on the island, The Thirsty Whale Tavern where we rang in the New Year with a small band playing acoustic rock and 20 some odd locals who were somehow able to stand out in -2* cold in t-shirts to smoke cigarettes.

The music was ok. The locals were very hospitable. We split a bottle of Allagash Curieux and talked and laughed and loved as the ball dropped in New York City and 2014 began. I can't think of a better way to start a new year than that.