Tag: gluten free eats

A Perfect Getaway: Discovering Acadia National Park

by stephsimply, posted in Travels

“Keep close to Nature’s heart . . . and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.”–John Muir 

A Place Where Mountains Meet the Sea ⛰️

Rocky coastline of Acadia National Park with trees and calm sea under a cloudy sky.
One of the views along Park Loop Road in Acadia National Park.

“I heard that you’re heading to Acadia, too, this summer!  When are you going?”

That casual question was our first clue about Acadia’s dual nature—a place where the ocean meets the mountains and where natural wonder collides with popularity. John, my husband, and I hadn’t realized, when planning our trip, that Acadia National Park is one of the most visited parks in the U.S. 

Why Acadia Draws Millions 🌄

A group of hikers enjoying the scenic views from the summit of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, with lush greenery and ocean in the background under a cloudy sky.
View from atop Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park.

We now know why! With its dramatic coastlines, granite peaks, and network of trails, it’s no surprise Acadia draws over four million visitors a year, especially during July through September. Few places offer so much to do in a day: bike/jog/walk trails built by a millionaire at sunrise, summit a picturesque mountain, stroll a rocky shoreline, cross a tidal land bridge, and end the evening with a sunset dinner overlooking the bay

According to the National Park Service, Acadia ranks among the top-ten most visited national parks. Its compact size—about 50,000 acres—makes many attractions easily accessible. John and I spent five days exploring Acadia and Mount Desert Island, the largest island off the Maine coast encompassed within the park. Though we experienced several highlights, we left feeling we’d only scratched the surface. Therefore, we are already planning a return next summer.

A Cozy Stay in the Woods 🦌

Our cozy cabin in the woods of Mount Desert Island, perfectly situated to all things Acadia.

We stayed in a cozy cabin, we found on VRBO, surrounded by acres of woods. However, in less than a three-minute drive, we were driving along a major route central to Acadia and the surrounding areas. In fact, its central location gave us short, easy access to major attractions, trails, and dining options.

Scenic Drives and Iconic Sights 🚘

The views along Park Loop Road were spectacularly stunning.

One of our favorite parts of our trip was driving the scenic 27-mile Park Loop Road. We used a narrated app that provided directions, history, and geology of the surrounding areas as we drove, taking in spectacular vistas. Stops included Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, and Otter Cliffs to name a few. We spent the day hiking and sightseeing along the sublime beauty of the route—a perfect introduction for first-time visitors. The downside?  The park road is heavily trafficked, especially midday, so parking can be a challenge for some stops.

Peace and Solitude on the Carriage Roads 🌅

I was fortunate to run Eagle Lake Loop each morning, one of the numerous paths that make up the Carriage Roads of Acadia National Park.

Most mornings, I ran on the peaceful Carriage Roads—45 miles of tree-lined trails donated by John D. Rockefeller Jr. originally built for horse-drawn carriages. These 16-foot-wide gravel paths follow the land’s natural contours and were built to preserve the line of hillsides, protect trees, and align with the landscape contour. The trails offer scenic views and safe, car-free routes for walkers, joggers, cyclists, and cross-country skiers. Additionally, several trails permit horseback riding. The potential downside to these peaceful and winding trails is that parking is limited at some trailheads and fills up quickly. Additionally, cell service is spotty, so plan ahead with trail maps.

Reflections at Jordan Pond 🥾

The water of Jordan Pond, and its trails, were pristine despite the foot traffic.

Another favorite site John and I enjoyed was the 3.3-mile Jordan Pond loop—a mostly flat trail with boardwalks and views of the Bubble Mountains reflected in crystal-clear water. In fact, swimming is prohibited to preserve its purity. At the trail’s end is the popular Jordan Pond House, renowned for its quintessential popovers as well as other refreshments/snacks. As with many Acadia spots, prepare for long waits for food and crowded trails during peak hours.

Cadillac Mountain’s Unforgettable Views 🌄

The views from Cadillac Mountain were breathtakingly beautiful.

Cadillac Mountain, with its rocky, pink granite outcroppings, is the tallest peak on the eastern seaboard and a true gem of the park.  The summit offers stunning views of Frenchman Bay, Bar Harbor, and surrounding islands. Sunrise and sunset are especially popular times to visit, though weather can limit visibility. It is also a prominent spot for stargazing. Due to its popularity, the National Park Service requires advance reservations to drive the winding 3.5-mile summit road—an effective measure to reduce overcrowding.

Walking Across the Sea: Bar Island Trail 🚶🏽‍♀️🚶🏿‍♂️🚶

In the bottom center picture, I am standing at the edge of the path during high tide, the other pictures illustrate what the path looks like as the tide recedes. Notice the number of people waiting for the tide to fully recede in order to walk to the island.

One exceptionally unique trail in Acadia is the Bar Island Trail, a sand and gravel land bridge, which is only accessible at low tide. Visitors have about 90 minutes after low tide to cross and explore the short trail to the top of the island with views of Bar Harbor. Miss the low-tide window, and you’ll be stuck on the island for hours until the tide recedes again.

A Foodie’s Delight in Bar Harbor 🍦🍔🥗🍝🦞

Bar Harbor offers so many tasty places to eat!

Having unique and tasty dining experiences are a memorable part of most vacations, and the Bar Harbor/Mount Desert Island community does not disappoint. For such a small community, there is a diverse food scene: freshly caught seafood, lobster, and classic lobster rolls; decadent ice cream, baked goods, and sweets; pasta, pizza, steak, burgers, sandwiches as well as hearty breakfast options. What’s more, I was thrilled to find numerous restaurants offering gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options—plus staff who understood allergies and made dining easy. From cozy cafés to surf and turf spots, from pubs to roadside stands and burger joints, there are delectable treat possibilities for everyone.

The Spirit of Acadia

There are so many delightful places to visit on Mount Desert Island, Maine, in addition to Acadia National Park. It is definitely worth the trip!

Acadia National Park is absolutely worth visiting. While crowds, required park permits, occasional spotty cell service, and unpredictable weather can present challenges, they’re small trade-offs for what the park offers. Personally speaking, the scent of pristine pine, the crunch of gravel on quiet trails, the shimmer of granite in the sun, the morning mist over coastal shoreline, and the haunting call of a loon over a sparkling mountain lake left an indelible mark on my heart—one that refreshed my spirit and deepened my gratitude for our National Parks. I look forward to returning. Maybe I’ll see you there.

Lexington, KY, June 2021, Part 1: The Adventure Begins

by stephsimply, posted in Travels

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”–Marcel Proust

Ready, set, go . . . travel!  Yes! After months of not traveling, like many people across the country, John, my husband, and I, were ready to hit the road for adventures.  As educators, we have the opportunity to use June and July as months readily available for travel, but last year, of course, was a different story.  In fact, our biggest trip last year was to local home improvement stores for plants!   While we debated the merits of one big, blow-the-budget-trip, we instead settled on more frequent, pocket friendly exploits.  Thus, for our first short venture we decided to visit a beloved friend, Lexington, KY.

Having been to Lexington on several previous trips, we decided to add a twist:  stay downtown.  Looking on Airbnb, we found a cute downtown apartment just off Short Street–which made me giggle since I am 4’11”!  Hostesses Susannah, and assistant, Heather, were excellent communicators to ensure we had a clean, comfortable place to stay.  Additionally, Susannah provided us with her personal guidebook to Lexington.  Full of information, this guidebook proved to be a valuable asset as we wanted to explore new parts of the city.

Rainy weather and storms forced us to modify plans and go with the flow.  However, Lexington is the perfect place in which to do this as there are plenty of indoor and outdoor sites.  One such modification led to a serendipitous stop.  

One of my student’s parents recently gifted me with two books by Kentucky & Appalachian author, Crystal Wilkinson’s books.  According to the backs of both books, Wilkinson and her partner, a poet and an artist, owned a bookstore in Lexington–Wild Fig Books and Coffee.  Based upon the book cover’s description, the store sounded right up my alley (Plus, I would have personally loved to chat with Ms. Wilkinson if the opportunity presented itself.), but I was unsure if the bookstore was still in operation due to conflicting Google searches.  John and I were never able to find it, and I later sadly read afterwards that it was permanently closed.

Nonetheless, in our search for the book store, we happened to encounter Greyline Station, which describes itself as, “A dynamic public marketplace in the heart of the bluegrass.”  This 65,000 square foot marketplace felt very grassroots and community driven as John and I walked around, visiting the numerous and varied vendors. Built in 1928, the building was home, in the 1940s, to Southeastern Greyhound which was, at one point in time, the largest employer in Lexington.  As the years progressed, this building had several reincarnations before becoming forsaken. Then, in 2014, the abandoned building was added to the list of National Register of Historic Places. Four years later, revitalization began, and it now houses eateries, bars, offices, a radio station, retail stores, event space, and a public market. John and I can only imagine the exponential potential this unique area has for growth.  We are eager to return to Greyline Station in the coming months to witness the further expansion of this vibrant and community-centered hub. 

“Greyline’s 65,000 square foot building has a storied history. For almost 100 years, the building was home to bus & transit companies, and was deemed historically significant in 2011. Come explore Lexington’s newest place to Shop, Eat, & Meet.”–as seen on the official website

With the rain clouds tentatively staved off, it appeared that we had a decent window of time to visit what was described by AirBnB hostess, Susannah, as a local favorite, the Arboretum State Botanical Garden of Kentucky, located on the UK campus near the football stadium.  Described by Susannah as a “three-mile walk/run path through beautiful gardens,” John and I were positively stunned by the sheer number and variety of flowering plants.  Identified as Kentucky’s official botanical garden, this 100-acre public garden provides visitors with both native and not-so-native flowers, trees, shrubs, and other plants. From the Children’s Garden to the Visitor Center, from the Walk Across Kentucky displays to distinctive horticultural displays, and from the Kentucky Utilities Ornamental Tree Collection to the fragrance and roses gardens, this botanical paradise has much to offer visitors.  It was clear this was a favorite spot for exercise due to the number of walkers/runners we saw in the parking area and exercising on the various paths–until lightning flashed, the thunder clapped, and the heavens dumped buckets of rain.  John and I earned an extra cardio boost as we ran to the car during this gully washer, ending our visit far too soon.  Therefore, the Arboretum State Botanical Garden of Kentucky will definitely be at the top of our list of places to return!

“The Arboretum celebrates nature, fosters an understanding of relationships between humans and their natural world, provides cultural opportunities for the community, and serves as a community center for environmental education, horticulture, and urban forest renewal.”–as seen on the official website

Heading back to the apartment to wait out the storm, we discussed dinner plans.  The great thing about Susannah’s location was our ability to walk to dinner each night.  On the previous evening, we walked around and through Thoroughbred Park. Dedicated to the Thoroughbred Industry, this 2.5 acre park features numerous bronze sculptures by artist, Gwen Reardon, and it was located right across the street from one of our favorite Lexington eateries, Carson’s Food and Drink. Their diverse menu offers John plenty of meat-centric dishes as well as gluten-free plant based options for me.  Carson’s service is always on-point, and the food never disappoints.  This is one restaurant upon which we always look forward to returning.

“A rustic, yet refined atmosphere with chef-driven recipes paired with prohibition cocktails, hand-selected wines, and craft beers.”–Carson’s Food & Drink

Another one of our favorites places to dine is Pies and Pints, and Lexington has one!  Conveniently located across the street from both Triangle Park and the Lexington Convention Center, it is also a short walk to Rupp Arena.  Thus, making it one hot location on the night of concerts, basketball games, and other public events. Pies and Pints, personally speaking, offers me a rare opportunity to eat a pizza that is both gluten-free and vegan while still offering all of the traditional favorite pizza toppings, such as sausage and pepperoni, for John.  Plus, they have wonderful apps, salads and sandwiches, all of which have gluten-free options.  With attentive service, 35 taps for those so-inclined–including ciders and root beer, and a wide array of one-of-a-kind pizza toppings, Pies and Pints remains high on our list of go-to eateries in Lexington.

“Stop by for lunch, dinner, happy hour or anytime you want to enjoy a delicious pie & brew while cheering on the Big Blue.”–Pies & Pints, Lexington, KY location

Next week, I will share more of our Lexington adventures–including two, new-to-us food stops and a historical location that is also a base for several types of out-of-doors adventures.  In the meantime, if you haven’t put Lexington, KY on your short-list of friendly, tourist attractions, be sure to take time to add it.  Then, plan your visit soon, and hit me up on Instagram, Facebook, or at stephsimply.com with any questions you may have.  With so many points of appeal and interest, you’ll be glad you visited Lexington, KY!  And while you’re there, be sure to tell them Steph simply sent you!