Some beach time and a big climb

We spent a couple hours at the beach in Acadia. The girls were happy to run up and down the beach and to build sand castles.

My Favorite hike of the week was probably this one. I think it was the Emery trail but they were in the process of changing many of the trail names so I'm not positive. It seemed like a lot of trials had one name on the map and another on the trail marker. This hike is a set of steps that go UP behind Acadia's wild plant garden and nature center. All told I think the hike was only a mile but it consists of steps cut out of the granite almost the entire way up. Some of the stairs come up to the middle of a two year old. But we all had a great time and the view was beautiful.

Long Meadow House

Our next stop was Long Meadow House. It was formerly a farm but the land was broken up some time around 1902 my aunt tells me. Now it is just a giant old house full of secrets and treasures on a small piece of land rather near the sea. As it turns out we don't know the exact age of the house. My aunt has spent a considerable amount of time at the county deed office trying to ascertain the age of the house. But apparently its not as simple as waltzing in and asking for the former deeds. It requires a bit of detective work. She was able to get back as far as 1902 but we suspect the house is somewhat older. Missions for another trip I guess. Our family spent only a day there. My aunt was there all week. She has been tasked with the tedious but fascinating job of sorting through a lifetime of stuff. Her in-laws collected antiques of which the house is full. Her father-in-law liked to collect broken antiques and fix them. I do believe there are upwards of thirty broken dining chairs in the attic. Everywhere one looks there is another nook to explore. The house seems to be full of endless rooms. Really the upstairs rooms just go in a circle the way old houses do.

Truth be told after 20 years of no repairs the house has become a bit of a fixer upper. Oh that I would win the lottery.... But I digress. Phil loves these tin ceilings. I must admit I'm a fan too.