Little Long Pond and the Rockefellers

Acadia National Park exists because of the Rockefellers. Much of Mount Desert Island exists because of the Rockefellers, the Astors, and other obscenely wealthy families over the last century and a half.

In the thirties when John D. donated his land Mount Desert to the National Park system, he created a wonderland of nature available to the public. The family did, however, keep some significant chunks of land around their houses and the "secret" garden John D. built for his mother. Part of this land is included in the Little Long Pond carriage road loop.

As an aside: the Carriage Roads were the centerpiece of Rockefeller's holdings on Mt. Desert. They are a beautifully graded and engineered system of roads for horses and carriages. They have become an essential connective tissue of Acadia, an important way for people to get from trail to trail and to ride bikes and horses.

Little Long Pond is better kept, however, than the rest of the network. The private Rockefeller crews keep the property beautifully, and there are no bikes allowed. The only horses allowed are those owned by the various parts of the family. The loop is kept open for the public, as well, and one benefit the family offers is that dogs are allowed off-leash. Unlike the rest of the park system, this allows for people to take a three to four mile hike with their dog roaming and saying hello to other dogs. It's brilliant and rare.

Add to this the stunning natural beauty of the woods and the wide-open fields, the pond with its fish and tadpoles, the beaver huts, the occasional moose, and you have the recipe for an Eden-like setting. Never forget, however, that you are a guest. This is not a warning; just an acknowledgment that we are lucky to have people who still do this.

on the coast

Today, we packed lunches--a lesson well-learned from yesterday's extended excursion to Little Tunk--and headed farther Down East to Schoodic Point. For those who do not know, Schoodic is a mainland extension of Acadia National Park. It's near Winter Harbor, and is a good spot for scrambling around some really cool granite coastal formations. It's also a favorite spot for kids who grow up spending their summers around here:


Even Reilly looked a little more spry after acting like a mountain goat:


You're facing out to the North Atlantic, the territory of rafts of gulls and serious fishermen. In fact, watching boats like this after all the politics I've been dealing with lately makes me wonder if I'd rather cash in my chips, and do something where there are no chess-like mindgames to play:


The surf might be no more predictable, but at least it doesn't smile at you while finding ways to screw you...
And it's a lot more fun to watch.

But I forgot the point. The point is what we can find. Or what Banana can find. Thankfully, nothing came home with us today.


Banana then found twins from New Jersey to follow her to tidal pools. These girls were a few years older, but they were great at exploring with her. A few minutes after this shot was taken, however, one twin's protectiveness proved even more valuable when Banana took what could have been a painful plunge off the rock face. The girl caught her arm, and Banana emerged wet but mostly unharmed.


A short time later, I snapped this as we headed off Schoodic toward Darthia Farm. This little shed is on the edge of Wonsqueak Harbor, and has had these signs painted on the side for as long as I can remember. Never shot it until now...