Typically, when we head to Maine, we set an early departure time but never make it out the door. Knowing that its going to be anywhere from 12 1/2 to 15 hours in the car doesn't always motivate me to get on the road. It is one of those chores that has to be done if you want to get some where (and the price of flying is not an option).

We hit traffic as soon as we got on the road - even though it was well after rush hour on a Wednesday - the D. C. area always seems to have traffic no matter what time of day. In any case, at least the weather was clear and we enjoyed the ride up the east coast.

We really only took one long break which was at a small park along the Palisades Parkway in N.J. and then it was back on the road, stopping only for bathroom breaks and more caffeine. Its road trips like these where you find out how comfortable (or uncomfortable in our case) your seats are. (Next time I buy a car I am going to sit in it for at least an hour before I consider buying it...)

The side affect of a late start is that you are up early for the sunrise - which has become almost a tradition now for us on the last three trips to Maine. We typically roll into Bar Harbor around 4 AM or so, which puts us in perfect position for a run at Cadillac Mountain and the sunrise.

This particular sunrise was pretty darn cold - this was the earliest I had been to Acadia (end of May) and the temps were still in the low 40's with a wind blowing 15 knots or so up the eastern slope. We may have been among the first to arrive but by the time the sun came up, there must have been 30 or so people enjoying the view.

There was a great group of teen age kids all wrapped up in blankets and singing happy birthday to one of their friends. What a great was to celebrate a birthday and for us another week in our favorite place on the planet.

Cheers!