Geo: 44.3875, -68.2044Day 6 – The Maine Attraction Bar Harbor, MEI have always thought the MAINE reason to do Maine was Acadia National Park. But perhaps not. Not that it wasn't pretty. Just not as pretty as Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Glacier and some of our other favorites. The reason, we think, is that there are very few vistas. The island is heavily wooded and the park service has done little to cut back trees that have grown old and big and have eaten up the views. Bummer.Note: One blog reader commented that there are spectacular vistas if you are hiking the park instead of driving it. I'm sure that's true. Point well taken.We began the day at Jordan's in Bar Harbor, which gets rave reviews for its breakfast, particularly its wild blueberry pancakes. I don't ... read more

Geo: 44.3875, -68.2044Day 4 – Rockport to Bar Harbor, MEMaine is full of harbors. I mean everywhere along the coast. Could it be that I designed our itinerary around them? Perhaps. There are towns with "harbor" in their names … like Boothbay Harbor yesterday and Bar Harbor tonight. And there are others located on harbors that aren't as blatantly obvious. Samoset Resort falls into this latter category.Samoset is a lovely resort with a full-service spa and fitness center and a well designed and well kept 18-hole golf course overlooking the water. It was a gorgeous day for golf. Wish my golf was gorgeous!We had breakfast at Bella Vita where we dined last night. The lobster called out again and this time I succumbed. A yummy lobster Benedict with fresh basil, fresh sliced tomato and oversized muffin. ... read more

Geo: 43.8514, -69.6283Day 2 – Lobster Trifecta Cape Elizabeth to Boothbay HarborI planned to work my way through Maine eating lobster. I started in Massachusetts, attending a clambake that featured whole lobster, and I suppose I'll continue right on into the Canadian Maritimes. Today was no exception. #1. I started with breakfast at Bayside American Café in downtown Portland, where I had their lobster Benedict. Very tasty, with spinach and an exquisite hollandaise. There wasn't a whole lot of lobster (perhaps half a tail) but it was perfect. The price was $16, just a $5 increment over the classic eggs Benedict. This restaurant has won a lot of rewards and deserves it. Check it out.#2. Skipping to lunch, we skipped lunch. Breakfast had been late and rich. So when it came time for lunch, we weren't ... read more

Geo: 37.7792, -122.42DAY FIVE: There's gold in them thar hills!We began the day meeting John Muir, portrayed by Lee Stetson, who appeared in The National Parks: America's Best Idea. He looked like Muir and told stories in Muir's own words. He spoke fast and softly, so he was somewhat difficult to understand. One of the stories I liked best was about his one-minute thrill ride down a Yosemite mountain on the top of an avalanche through what he called the "Milky Way of a snowstorm". He wasn't injured and he found it the most exciting of his life's adventures. He also spoke about the time he and Teddy Roosevelt camped out for three nights at Glacier Point, Half Dome and a meadow in the Yosemite Valley. Muir's objective: to plead his case for having the President ... read more

Geo: 37.8772, -119.727Day Three: Monolith"It was like lying in a great solemn cathedral." Teddy Roosevelt about Yosemite.We left San Francisco in traffic and headed east through Oakland and Berkley on our way to California's Central Valley. It was raining, which made photographs challenging.Nicole gave us some history of the area and then some history on Yosemite. The Central Valley is referred to as the great food basket of the world. The Valley produces many food items: almonds, walnuts, persimmons, strawberries, peaches, citrus and date palms, among others. We stopped at the Oakdale Cheese Factory where folks bought fresh cheeses and nuts, mostly for the journey. We wandered through a lot of small towns and then stopped in Jamestown, famous for its steam railroad. Many a movie (“My Little Chickadee”, “High Noon”) and TV episod... read more