F ALL 2015
P AGE 15
Acadia Has So Much to Offer:
See the stars and hear the thunder
Izzy Miele ‘20
Contributor
are visible compared to Abington.
When I laid down to see the sky, I was
able to clearly see a part of our Milky
Last summer I was fortunate enough to Way galaxy. My Dad had a pair of
explore all of the natural beauty of
binoculars in the car, and with the
Acadia National Park with the people magnification, we were able to locate
that I love. Acadia is a nature reserve many constellations, and even the
located on Mount Desert Island in
galaxy closest to us (Andromeda).
Maine, about a five and half hour drive
from Boston. The island has rocky
coasts, mountains, lakes, ponds, mead- Echo Lake is a popular swimming
spot with a small public beach and a
ows and even Bar Harbor, a small
town that attracts people from all over view of Beech Mountain. The beach is
the country. Personally, the outdoors a great place to relax and take in some
sun, but it is extremely crowded. My
is where I am most comfortable, so
family and I stumbled upon a great
Acadia is the place for me.
spot on Echo Lake that had huge rocks,
perfect for eating lunch, relaxing, and
One of the first stops my family and I even for jumping off of. The fresh
made was the summit of Cadillac
water leaves you feeling refreshed and
Mountain. We hopped in our car
cool.
and drove up the winding road to
reach the top, stopping at many of the
Thunder Hole is a major tourist
viewpoints to take in the stunning
views. From the top, you could see the attraction in the heart of Acadia. It is a
countless islands off of Maine’s coasts huge inlet in the rocks of Maine’s
shore that was naturally formed by
and everything else below. The true
beauty though, is Cadillac Mountain at water smashing against it. There is
night. At around 11 p.m., my Dad and something about the shape of the hole
that creates a loud noise when the
I drove up the same winding road to
waves crash into it that resembles the
the summit, this time not to see the
view below, but to see the view above. sound of thunder. You can see the
waves reach a height of 40 feet during
In Maine there is less light pollution
than our home in Massachusetts, so the the intense impact. There is a small
stars are much clearer, and many more elevated walkway leading tourists to
the attraction and providing a great
view of the water flushing in and out of
the inlet. The famous thunder-like roar
doesn’t happen all the time. You have
to visit when the tide is coming in if
you want to get the full effect.
The Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse was built in 1858 and is now
used for Coast Guard housing. When
we arrived, we walked down a short
trail that leads to the rough face of the
cliff the lighthouse stands on. The view
of the lighthouse from that point seems
like one from a postcard or calendar.
There is a separate trail that brings you
to the lighthouse. When standing next to the structure, you
really appreciate the amazing
view of the ocean, sparkling in
the sun.
Acadia National Park is a family
friendly place that connects
people to nature. It helped us
truly appreciate the world we
live in. We sometimes take for
granted the beauty that the
world provides us, so going to places
like Acadia can remind us of what really
matters. Whether you find peace in
swimming in lakes, hiking a mountain,
natural thrills, or just fresh air, Acadia
is a great getaway. And if you go, be
sure to bring your camera!
Fall Game Faces
Sarah Tornato ‘17
Staff Photographer
“The outdoors is
where I am most
comfortable, so
Acadia is the place
for me.”
Izzy Miele ‘20
Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse—
Izzy Miele ‘20