Acadia Nat'l Park, Maine - Oli's Trolly Tour

We love to take a bus tour or boat tour for the benefit of the narration about the area. Thus the Oli's Trolly Tour of Acadia National Park ! We can then go back to see anything from that tour at length to take more pictures. This tour took us up Cadillac Mountain which is Maine's highest coastal mountain. The fall foliage is changing color more , with a difference from the coast trees and bushes to those further inland . In the valley below Cadillac Mountain the colors are on their way out. From the top of Cadillac Mountain and the winding road leading to it, you can see many different homes and things including, other mountains in the park, Bar Harbor and Frenchman's Bay with all of the boats ,ocean cruise ships and the three porcupine islands . Along the road was an infusion of lava from thousands of years ago, which is the black rock forced up between layers of pink granite. There was an island you could see with a lighthouse, but the distance was too great to see it well. We also saw men repelling the side of one of the cliffs, which is used for a local climbing school. Some of the rock formations along the coast had people climbing over many of the rocks . Note the man in an opening in the rock formation. You can also see the only 18 link golf course of the island. Then there is the only house on the island that survived the great fire of 1947. The owners were not in residence at the time but the servants kept the roof wet which is what saved it. There is a large inn that was rebuilt after the fire. Steps and walkways built of stone that are still in the wooded area around it are from the original building site. You could also see the only full sand beach on the bay. And when weather is prime for beach enjoyment the tour guide told us that it is covered with people. However, there are very few people actually in the water because the water is cold. While traveling through the park, we stopped at Thunder Hole where the waves coming into a formation in the rocks, at times, sounded like thunder. We also stopped at Sieur de Monts Spring to see the Wild Gardens of Acadia which is a living field guide to the plants of Acadia. Before we took the tour, we had time to go through part of the Fine Art Show on the green in Bar Harbor. There were not any crafts at this show and it was great to see so much art at one show. We also had time to go through some of the shops , restaurants and hotels again while walking the streets . I also had to look the boats over again . We enjoyed lunch at the Quarter Deck Restaurant while looking out over the bay and docks. I had Clam Au gratin and Gary had Haddock. Yum! When we went back to take more pictures, we also went to see the tourist center where you had to climb 53 steps to get to it. In it there were many books about the area and past history, and a topographical model of the area.