Anne Mitchell Illustration

Sunset in Bar Harbor, Maine

Where did the summer go? My last post was in June and now we are over half way through August. I must have been having fun because time flew.

This summer has been HOT. Globally, this is shaping up to be the fourth-hottest year on record. Only the three previous years were hotter. 17 of the 18 warmest years since modern record-keeping began have occurred since 2001.

Trail marker in Acadia NP

Acadia trail

In an attempt to escape the heat, the Mr. and I headed to Maine but temperatures near 100 followed us. The Mainers we met said they were not complaining for they had had a particularly cold winter. Hiking in Acadia National Park was still enjoyable, as were the sunsets in Bar Harbor.

The carriage roads, precarious trails and giant granite boulders of Acadia all lend to its step-back-in-time feel. Even in Bar Harbor, walking among the old homes transports you to a bygone era. Tall masted ships sail around the nearby islands.

Fourth of July, Camden, ME

We celebrated Independence Day with a sail followed by fireworks over the bay in charming seaside Camden. Driving further south we checked out one of Mr.'s childhood homes in Cape Elizabeth. Not much had changed, he said, but it was hotter than he remembered.

Continuing down the coast we checked out Portsmouth, NH, Mystic Seaport, CT and Providence, RI. (All hot, by the way.) Each gave a us a chance to explore the history of this country from its founding to the Gilded Age. We gained a sweat stain in every state, too.

Historical architecture and art abound on the east coast and we only scratched the surface. So many times we passed a place worth stopping but there was no time. Where we did stop, we left much unexplored. We must and will return, but perhaps, in a different season.

Stay cool.