Wired

I think most people would rush to Photoshop and edit the wires out of this picture.  But they are exactly what I like about it.  A representation of how we all need to be connected to the rest of the world.

My guess is that these wires are bringing electricity to this little house - bringing light to a simple cottage when night falls.  This building is on Little Cranberry Island off the shore of Bar Harbor, Maine.  A quiet and secluded part of the world...

Signature Dish

It was absolutely still.  Can you imagine having the opportunity to sit in this Adirondack chair and just take in the view?  It felt like a moose was going to walk out on cue.  If you haven't been to Maine, be sure to put it on your list.

When I travelled to Bar Harbor, Maine with my friend Angie a few years ago, one of our travel goals was to make it to Jordan Pond House, a restaurant that is located in the middle of Acadia National Park.  It has been in operation since the late 1800's and is famous for its popovers.  We made it!  The lawn of the restaurant (shown above) leads down to Jordan Pond and it is the epitome of peaceful. 

You know that I love to travel and that I enjoy researching and planning my itinerary almost as much as the actual trip!   Which brings me to signature dishes.  When you read up on a famous local place/hotel/restaurant, take note of their specialties.  And then order it when you get there!  It's fun to participate in the history of a place and to be able to look back at your trip with an edible memory. 
 
Maine was gorgeous and I had so many great experiences.  But I will always remember "having popovers at Jordan Pond" with Angie, I just know I will.

Collecting Sea Glass

My dear friend has moved to an oceanfront cottage in Hawaii.  Sounds dreamy, doesn't it?  But moving is moving, regardless of how glamorous the destination, so (in addition to planning a trip to see her!) I have been trying to think of things to help her adjust to her new beach-y lifestyle. 

I think my best idea is that she could start a collection of "found objects" that wash ashore.  I tore out this article from Coastal Living magazine to mail to her and hope she before long she can make a tabletop display of sea glass, driftwood and other treasures that she finds on beach walks.

All of this talk of sea glass reminded me of a darling shop I visited on Little Cranberry Island (Islesford) in Maine.  It's called "Island Girl Sea Glass" and when I did a Google search to provide a link, I see that Travel & Leisure magazine has found her too!  I met island girl, Kelly, when I was touring the island and found the weathered look of her shop (above) to be irresistible.  Do you love sea glass?

Maine Mode

My blog "Moments of Delight" is designed to inspire. I use only my own photographs. I want to highlight the beauty of everyday life and encourage my readers to look for moments of delight everywhere. In the garden, the kitchen, with friends or on your own. You never know what I will show you and that is part of the fun!

Today I wanted you to see this funny "mode of transportation." I was on a mail boat riding out to "Little Cranberry Island" off the coast of Bar Harbor, Maine when I saw this! I could hardly believe my eyes - a boat pushing a raft with a dump truck on it!

Apparently, this is the best way to get heavy equipment out to the islands to do construction work. It reminded me of an ant pushing a potato chip at a picnic!

Maine Land

Isn't this something? It is as if the fishermen of Bar Harbor knew I was coming and ordered brand new lobster buoys!
I took this photo last September on one of my favorite days. I was travelling with my dear friend, Angie, and we had just arrived by boat to spend the day visiting and exploring Little Cranberry Island.
Can you see the boat with the blue canopy in the distance? It is called "Delight" (I can't make this stuff up! See my post about it here) and was our ride home that evening.
I have been thinking a lot about Maine and life on that little island. It was quiet and friendly and beautiful. On our last day, when we were driven back to the docks to leave, a local woman (and now my friend!) asked me, "How can you leave, now that you've been here?" And I have thought about that statement many times since.
I was so happy for her in that moment and wished that everyone could love where they lived even half as much.

Happy Whiplash

Now this is a room with a view!

When I was on Little Cranberry Island (Islesford) in Maine, our new friend, Soos, drove us around the island on our own private tour. She loved that I was a photographer and went out of her way to make sure that I got every shot that I wanted.

Every time I gasped, she slammed on the brakes! It was like Happy Whiplash.

The crowning glory was a stop at her family home where I took this photograph.

Thank you, Soos, for making my first trip to Maine so wonderful.

Flight of Ice Cream

Have you ever had a flight of wine? A flight is a small sampling of wine or liquor for the purpose of comparison. I had my first ice cream flight at Mount Desert Island Ice Cream! I chose an all-white flight:

• Kahlua White Chocolate
• Sherry Raisin
• Ginger
• Coconut

Each flavor was better than the last. If you are planning an adventure to Bar Harbor & Acadia National Park, you must schedule some ice cream time.

On that note, you can skip the "Lobster Ice Cream" (yes, it is true) at Ben & Bill's Chocolate Emporium. I "took one for the team" and tried a sample on your behalf. All I can say is, you guys owe me big! I tried to erase the taste by having a scoop of their "Pecan Pie" ice cream - vanilla ice cream studded with chunks of flaky crust and sticky sweet pecans. It worked. Yum.

Acadia National Park

The day we designated for exploring Acadia National Park turned out to be damp, chilly and gray.

My "to go" cup of English Breakfast tea from the Bar Harbor Tea Company tasted particularly good that afternoon.  The shop is beautiful and I could have browsed all afternoon.  But it was our first Fall weather day, and we needed to get on with our drive through the park despite the damp weather.  When we pulled off the road to take photographs, we really felt a sense of calm.

A few days before this, we went inside the park to have dinner at the famous Jordan Pond House. Tea & popovers have been a tradition here since the late 1800's.

Angie knows how much I love popovers and insisted that our plans included dinner (and popovers) at this historic restaurant.


Yum! Before dinner, we walked out onto the lawn that stretches down to Jordan Pond and looked at the view. We could clearly see "The Bubbles" (hills) in the distance - I have never been anywhere so quiet.

Little Cranberry Island

(This photo is of our arrival at the Islesford Dock.)

One of our adventures was to take the Mail Boat out to Little Cranberry Island. Since I am not particularly "sea worthy," I was really worried about being motion sick on the rough ocean waters.

Can you believe it? The water was like glass the whole way. It was such a beautiful ride and I loved every second of it. The Mail Boat is just that - the Captain, a few passengers and the day's bin of mail. It was really neat to be a part of their daily routine. At one point I called over the wind to the Captain, "Where's Martha Stewart's house?" and he pointed out the long narrow roofline within the trees on the opposite shore.

We stayed on the island a few hours after the last mail boat run, so we hired a water taxi (the boat was named "Delight!") to take us back to northeast harbor. We ripped through the dark open waters on a gorgeous starry night - it is an evening I will never forget.

I've enlarged a portion of the main picture so that you can see the "Delight" tied up at the dock.

Lobster Roll

I don't know if you have ever had a lobster roll, but the pictures I had seen in the magazines pale in comparison to this!

Having a lobster roll was at the top of my list when I traveled to Maine. I had heard about this indulgent sandwich many many times over the years and I was ready to try it at the source! Fresh Maine lobster (look at how perfectly they extracted the meat from the claws!) with a light mayonnaise or butter dressing, piled high on a hot dog bun.

My requirements were as follows: I wanted to eat it outside, near the coast, from a place recommended by the townspeople.

I stood on the harbor docks and got two of my new friends to agree that Docksiders was where I should have lunch. Take Sea Street up from Northeast Harbor and you can't miss it. I ordered at the window, "paid dearly" for the best lobster roll around and ate it on a picnic table in the sunshine. (Sigh) Fresh, rich and delicious. Thank you, Maine!

Bar Harbor, Maine

Last week, I had the most glorious time in Bar Harbor, Maine. My dear friend, Angie was going on a trip to "Where America's Day Begins" (as the furthest state East, that is the slogan on their driver's licenses) and she let me come along on her adventure!

Apart from a family trip when I was four-years-old, I had never been to Maine. However, my maternal great-grandparents were from Bethel, Maine and my paternal grandparents loved Bar Harbor so much that they often d-r-o-v-e there from Michigan for vacation.

So I knew, genetically speaking, that Maine would be my kind of place. It was wonderful to photograph (everything!) and imagine it through the eyes of my ancestors. I loved it all, really. Over the next few days, I will tell you some stories and show you what brought me delight.

Travel Tips

I am going to Bar Harbor, Maine in September.

I will be photographing the coast, scanning the shops and (apparently) eating wild blueberries on everything!

Any tips for me? I would love it if you would share any restaurant/cute shop suggestions so that I don't miss a thing!