Maine 2019: Days 2-4

History

What is now known as Mount Desert Island was known to the local Wabanaki Indians as Pemetic, meaning "mountains seen at a distance." The Wabanaki fished, hunted and collected clams, so many in fact that what has become Bar Harbor was originally known as Man-es-ayd'ik, meaning "clam-gathering place."

What is currently known as Acadia National Park was initially called Sieur de Monts National Monument,  by proclamation of President Woodrow Wilson in 1916. That monument was renamed to Lafayette National Park by Congress in 1919, in honor of Marquis de Lafayette. Finally, the park was given its current name in 1929, an Anglicized word meaning "a colony of New France in northeastern North America."

Over 3.5 million people visited Acadia National Park in 2018, making it in the 7th most-visited national park in 2018.

Photos: Day 2

Day 2 featured a hike that Alison did with two girlfriends, acquaintances of my Uncle Bert, that she met last summer. Here are some pictures from the day.

Photos: Day 3

Day 3 started with breakfast at Jordan's Restaurant, a local favorite. They feature "all things blueberry," which provide plenty of terrific breakfast options. Later in the day, Alison and I were joined by my niece Becca for a stroll along one of the carriage paths in Acadia. These carriage paths, a very popular destination at Acadia, were built between 1919 and 1931 and funded by John D. Rockefeller Jr. They represent his (very impressive) intent of keeping Mount Desert Island free from motorized vehicles. It's amazing what one can do with virtually unlimited funds.

Photos: Day 4

My stroll along the carriage path the previous day turned out much longer than I anticipated (I'll spare you that embarrassing story) and so my own Day 4 was spent entirely at our rental home, reading, resting, napping and recuperating. There are worse ways to spend a day of vacation! While I did that, Alison, Liesl and Becca went for another hike, this one with some more elevation to it and offering a significantly better view from the top. You'll find some pictures below.

Tidbit

In an op-ed piece from 2017 titled Legislative Lemons, author Michael Tomasky writes that:

In 27 years, Republicans have passed one popular conservative law and spent most of that time voting against things that clear majorities of Americans wanted. If they weren’t serving Americans, whom were they serving? And how have they gotten away with it?

The answers to both questions, alas, are depressingly familiar. They are serving their megarich donors and the most extreme elements of their base. And they get away with it because of the way they’ve gerrymandered House districts, because of an ideological right-wing media that obfuscates facts and because the one thing they’ve done astonishingly well is to make a big chunk of the country hate liberals.

​Do you consider yourself a Democrat? If so, then you probably already know all of this (sadly, too well). On the other hand, do you consider yourself a Republican? If so, then I implore you: read that piece and then explain to me how you can hold your head high in 2019 and continue to call yourself a Republican, proudly or otherwise.

Music

Thank goodness I've got music to help distract me from the otherwise chaotic news cycle that has dominated our world since He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named was elevated to the presidency of our country. 

One of my very favorites, captured at right, is the Prelude of J. S. Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major. In fact, I've just finished a book that focused on Bach's life and his composition of the suites. I'll tell you about it sometime.

The hour is late. Time for sleep.