A great start to the day with a two-hour cruise around the waterways of Bar Harbor. The naturalist on board was part teacher-part comedian and his running commentary was educational and fun. It was also, at times, hard to hear because of the wind. The trip was a fun and relaxing excursion where we heard a history of Bar Harbor, lobstering, Mount Desert Island, and the natural features. We saw some bald eagles, harbor seals, a white-sided dolphin (some people did), and more.

We left immediately after that trip for some explorations in Acadia National Park. We rode along the scenic Loop Road taking in some of the glorious views of the rocks and cliffs which hit up against the Atlantic Ocean. We hiked a two-mile trip  down to Sand Beach (where some boys played a bit in the cold water) to Thunder Hole which is where the waves push into a gap between the rocks and create some amazing splashes and accompanying boom. 

Returned to the motel for some relaxation before capping the night with dinner next door. A lot of boys tried the lobster this night, others had steak, and at least one had chicken fingers. They all had fun.

And it was another fine day of the adventure.

Click to check out the most recent photos.

Kayaking wasn't the only thing the boys did today, but it was certainly the activity highlight for Tuesday. The boys suited up with "skirts" and lifejackets at the outfitters and boarded the bus for the two minute ride to the put-in point on Frenchmen's Bay. The two guides gave the boys a few kayaking pointers and some safety instruction and then helped the boys into their kayaks for a two-hour ride about the bay. Boys saw bald eagles, dolphins, and other assorted wildlife and great views. It was a wonderful experience.

We had a pizza lunch at Pat's Pizza in Bar Harbor and took a ten-minute walk through town that served two purposes. The first was to let the boys get a look at the village of Bar Harbor and scope it out for their evening's dinner event and the second was to get to our vans which we had to move during the kayaking. Parking is at a premium downtown but we've found our secret parking spots for any future trips downtown.

We returned to the motel where boys could swim, swing (on swings), do some slacklining (kind of like tightrope walking but on a 3-inch wide length of nylon webbing), rest, chill, or a combination of all of that. Later in the afternoon we drove into Acadia National Park to the visitor's center to get an overview of the park. We watched their video and checked out maps for possible hikes and explorations we'll be planning for the next couple of days.

We capped off our full day with a shuttle ride downtown and boys were able to explore Bar Harbor in small groups and choose their own restaurant.

Another great day on the road.

Click to see the latest MTA photos.

There's nothing fast about a road trip on these MindStretch adventures. A drive that would take someone three hours took us all day. But we have an excuse. Fun!

We left Portland, Maine for Bar Harbor right on time and after breakfast made it to our first stop at the Maine Maritime for our guided tour of the former shipbuilding yard. Ray, our guide, knew everything about the Percy & Small boatbuilding operation in Bath. The boys did a great job listening and learning about the history of early boat-building...especially the last boat built there - the Wyoming. 

From here it was a short backtrack to Brunswick for lunch at the Big Top Deli which had been recommended by camper Wills and his dad. Great food and amazingly fast service considering they didn't know we were coming. We drove through the adjacent Bowdoin College campus before heading over to Freeport for a stop at LL Bean's flagship store in Freeport. We were awed by the sheer massiveness of this store. For comparison's sake, Greenville's new Cabela's would be dwarfed. 

Next stop on our travels was at Perry's Tropical Nut House in Belfast. Actually, I think the word "Tropical" has been dropped from the name. It's hard to describe this place except as a roadside "oddity." They sell junk, and candy, and junk...and kids love it. Why not? So along side bins of candy you might find a mummy in a glass case (not real for sure). But it's a fun diversion and worth the stop.

We made it to Bar Harbor around 7:30 and after checking in walked to a steakhouse right next door.

All's good.

Check out our most recent photos.

We were ready to start our adventures by noon on Sunday. Perfect plane schedule with all planes on time and flawless remote van pick-up that was nothing short of a miracle. We stopped for lunch at a roadside hotdog stand (Oscar's) for a bite to eat before continuing on to Portland.

Several boys went swimming in the motel pool before we all regrouped for our evening on the town. We had a tasty ice-cream treat at Captain Sam's Ice Cream in downtown and then boarded our schooner for a two-hour sunset cruise. The boys helped raise the sails and we were off for our private charter. Afterwards it was a late dinner at Gilbert's Chowder House where several boys had whole Maine lobster, chowder bowls, or lobster rolls.

We got back to our hotel around 10:30 and the boys went right to bed.

It was a wonderful day. Can't wait to see how Monday shapes up.

Click to check out the latest photos.

It's half-way between the Virginia Mountains trip ending and the start of our two weeks in New England. This group pictured above, 23 boys, was our largest ever and I must say…their behavior was nothing short of impressive. Boys earn treats when they get a sincere compliment given to us by a complete stranger. I've had trips where this never happened, trips where it happened one or twice, and trips where it happened several times throughout the program. But the boys above set new MTA records. For starters, they got six or seven compliments the very first day. That has never happened. All total, I think they must have picked up 15-18 compliments throughout the week. And if that's not impressive enough…here's another first. On two occasions, managers followed us out of their businesses to tell us what a great group we had. We were so proud of these boys and I think they were proud of themselves. 

Don't think that this number of boys can't be noisy. They can make a tremendous amount of noise, especially in an indoor pool or in some restaurants. But they are also good about toning it down when asked. They were great at saying "please & thank you," and they were just good!

The New England trip boys have big shoes to fill. I will present them this challenge on our first gathering at the airport. Check our blog and photo pages to see how often you see them enjoying a tasty treat. We leave on Sunday.

Click to check out photos from the Virginia trip and this is the same link for the upcoming new photos.