We drove around the main park loop in Acadia National Park in Maine, including the main visitor center, a nature center, Thunder Hole, and Jordan Pond.
Here’s an interactive map of our route:
The Wild Gardens of Acadia:
Thunder Hole Gift Shop:
Thunder Hole:
We went to Jordan Pond House for dinner:
Jordan Pond:
We visited the Salem Maritime National Historic Site in Salem, Massachusetts. It was the first National Historic Site in the US, established March 17, 1938.
The Salem Armory Visitor Center:
Custom House:
A couple of neighboring buildings in the park:
Waterfront:
Light:
We kinda visited Fort Williams Park & Portland Head Light in Portland, Maine.
I say kinda as we went into the park, but the parking wasn’t cooperating, so we just left again.
An interactive map of the park:
Entrance sign:
Portland Head Light, dimly visible in the marine layer haze:
That’s about it. Would have been nice to explore more, but sometimes it doesn’t work out.
We briefly visited the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park in Woodstock, Vermont.
Billings Farm visitor center, which serves as the visitor center for the NHP when its one is closed, as it was when we visited:
The Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller Mansion:
Info sign:
Pool:
The mansion again:
An interesting place.
We visited Old Fort Niagara in Youngstown, New York. The fort started as a French base in 1678, then British in 1759, then later US. (Wikipedia article.)
An interactive map:
Visitor center:
Layout:
Exhibits:
Historic 1812 garrison flag:
Exploring the fort:
A talk and demonstration:
Gift store:
Lighthouse:
Some viewpoints on the American side of Niagara Falls.
Niagara Falls State Park map:
American Falls:
Horseshoe Falls:
Maid of the Mist viewing tower:
View from the tower platform:
Maid of the Mist boat and access:
Nice!
We had a boat ride below Niagara Falls on Maid of the Mist, which goes up close to both the American and Horseshoe falls.
Boarding the boat via the floating loading platform:
A viewing platform tower, included as part of the package, which also serves as an elevator down to the boat:
A view of the Rainbow Bridge to Canada from the top deck of the boat:
The American Falls:
Cave of the Winds platforms:
Horseshoe Falls:
Canadian boat:
Back to the American Falls:
A super fun (and damp!) experience.
We visited Cave of the Winds in Niagara Falls, where one can walk below the American Falls.
A fun experience.
We visited Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan.
The visitor center:
Map and info:
Covered bridge on a scenic drive:
Picnic lunch:
View of dunes from an overlook:
Lake:
Scenic drive:
“Avoid getting stuck at the bottom! … Rescues cost $3000”:
Steep dune and Lake Michigan:
Blacksmith in a historic village:
Inn:
Canning building:
Dune climb:
We took a drive to see the St Clair River and Lake Huron.
It’s kinda crazy how far one needs to drive to see the lake; there were some paid parking areas near St Clair, and a few minor roads, but pretty much all of the coastline was populated with houses. We drove 37 minutes north to a roadside park to be able to properly see the lake.
An interactive map of our route:
St Clair River and the Blue Water Bridge to Canada:
Very blue water:
Quite swiftly moving river:
Under the Blue Water Bridge:
Nearby, Fort Gratiot Lighthouse (closed on the day we drove by):
37 minutes north, Lake Huron Roadside Park:
Steps down to the lake:
But the bottom is blocked off:
A navigation buoy? washed up on the shore:
Endless lake:
