Homecoming

The Shore Path, a gravel trail that runs north of Bar Harbor

Today's workout (elliptical): 40 minutes
Yesterday's run (Bar Harbor): 3.5 miles

We are home after almost six days travel between New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. It was a great trip where we saw and did many amazing things. We originally planned to finish up with a couple of days in Portland but were disappointed with the location of our hotel which was adjacent to art museums (good) but surrounded by scores of seedy looking people (pretty bad). I asked the desk clerk about running in Munjoy Hill and he did a double take and said "I guess you'd be okay if you are running." After realizing that this assessment was based on his thinking that the hotel's location was safer, I decided I'd use the fitness center.

We attempted to walk to the waterfront area on Commercial Street but the parade of inebriated looking people (being kind here) made us reconsider our stay. We ended up leaving the hotel and heading home. An already jam-packed day turned into a longer one. We hit the road around 5:30 PM and reached Long Island about 6 hours later.

Earlier in the day, we'd spent time around Bar Harbor. I did my third run along the shoreline and through the town and soon we were on our way to Portland. Before we reached our destination we stopped in Freeport to visit L.L. Bean and have lunch. I looked around the Patagonia and Horny Toad outlets but didn't bite. I thought outlets were supposed offer bargains, but there were few to be had.

I ran every day while we were away and the change of scenery was welcomed and fun. The hilly challenges of northern New England roads felt motivating and energizing. The hikes and runs in Acadia were incredible and the sights of beaver dams, majestic trees, mountains and ocean were inspiring. We played mini-golf, drove go-karts and hit a water park. We even went to a cheesy (but very fun) lumberjack show.

Portsmouth New Hampshire and Bar Harbor Maine are great places to vacation with kids. I already miss both Acadia and the shoreline of Bar Harbor. I think I'll need a shot of the Bethpage trails before I return to the working world next week.

Another day in paradise (Acadia)

Today's run (Bar Harbor): 3.35 miles

It's been another great day at Acadia. This morning we explored different parts of the park and stopped at Thunderhole where we watched the fascinating rush of water that blows back after being channeled against the rocks through a natural tunnel.

Later we spent time at Jordan Pond where we went out on the rocks and then followed one of the many nature trails. After lunch we went out for a walk along the shore path that runs along the coast. I've included that in my running routes the last two mornings.

I got out early again this morning and started with a run along the shore path before cutting north through downtown and then along some back streets. I went to the eastern edge of Main and came back to the hotel. The streets are gently sloped but it adds up to a pretty good workout.

It's interesting to run around here with such a diversity of things to look at along the way. At 6:15 AM I see merchants readying their stores and smell the coffee brewing from the open-door cafes that are already serving customers. My favorite view is the water, rocks and the mountains across the cove.

Tomorrow we head south for our next adventure in Portland. Hope the running is as good as Bar Harbor.

Bar Harbor running and hiking

Sunday run (Portsmouth, NH): 3.75 miles
Monday's run (Bar Harbor, ME): 3.5 miles
Acadia National Park hike (morning): 5 miles

It's been a busy vacation and I've found blogging on my Android phone almost as frustrating as I did with the iPhone. That said, I'm keeping my entries short and will post pictures when I return. Here's a summary:

Sunday morning: ran a duplicate route to Saturday's in Portsmouth, NH. Enjoyed the trees and New England homes and the very early morning quiet.

Monday morning: ran around Bar Harbor, along the coastline to the harbor and then through the streets of town. Some good hills, excellent views and interesting sites along the way.

Later in the morning we did a family hike at Acadia near Witch Hole Pond. My son and I ran a bunch of that carriage road back to the trail head. The views of Hull's Cove were fantastic. We'll be back later in the day to do more Acadia exploration. Last night we drove to the top of Cadillac Mountain. 1,500 feet never seemed so high!

So far it's been a great vacation. The running conditions have been perfect and the park is even more amazing than I'd hoped it would be.

Portsmouth running

Downtown Portsmouth, NH

Today's run (street): 3.35 miles

I went down to the fitness center at the hotel this morning at 5:45 and saw that it didn't open until 7:00. I went to the lobby and asked to be let in early but the guy had no one to watch the desk so I asked him to plot out a route adjacent to the hotel for an outdoor run. He mapped a course that, out and back would cover about 3.35 miles.

I wrote a long post with pictures but my phone and Blogger managed to lose it so I'll just say it was a great run and we had a great day.

Pre-trip run

Today's run (street): 3.3 miles

We're on our way to New England to spend a little time in New Hampshire and Maine. I'm looking forward to the experience, too bad it takes hours of tedious driving to reach our destination. Hold on, I need to get around this car. Just kidding, my wife is driving.

I got out early this morning and covered a little more than three miles. I wanted to get some exercise in before today's long journey. The weather was perfect, cool and dry, and I ran well. I would have liked to cover a few more miles but I didn't have the time.

Unlike Colorado, I didn't research trails or running routes at any of our destinations except Acadia. I'm hoping there are some traffic free areas and off road options. We'll soon see.