Friday (7/12) was the best weather of the trip so far.  We awoke to clear skies and temperatures in the sixties, warming up into the high 70’s during the day.  Having found out that dogs are welcome on the free buses around Mt. Desert Island, we headed out after breakfast to explore.

The first stop was at Sieur Des Monts Springs.  We picked up a trail (rated easy) to The Tarn, a large wetland. The trail was made up of large blocks of granite, which Ranger handled well, leaping from one to the next.  Circling around, we spotted a yellowthroat, the first interesting bird sighting of the trip.  From the nature center, we took the Jessup Path, a boardwalk over wetlands that was supposed to be a great bird-watching place in early morning.  Given that by now it was early afternoon, we didn’t see anything but enjoyed the walk through beautiful scenery.

We then caught a bus into downtown Bar Harbor. What a zoo!  It was so crowded with tourists that it was tough to simply walk down the sidewalks.  It appeared that since our earliest visits to the town, there have been a number of expansive hotels added---too much new fancy construction for our liking! There was even a large cruise ship in the harbor, and I guess the passengers of that added to the crowds.   At this point, it was well past lunchtime, so we stopped at a restaurant with outdoor seating for a sandwich. Ranger behaved beautifully, lying down next to the table with chin on the railing to watch the people (and many dogs) go by.

One more bus ride brought us back to Blackwoods Campground.  On the bus, Ranger was entertained by a trio of small children who wanted to pet him.  He did not mind the attention at all. 

Tomorrow we move to Smugglers Den, a privately owned campground with full hookups, showers, and laundry.  The latter two will be especially appreciated!