Santa Came to Town

Dec. 9th was unseasonably warm so Santa hitched a ride into Southwest Harbor by fire truck instead of sleigh to oversee the lighting of the town tree.

He then visited with the local folk in the post office parking lot where a cozy fire blazed and the Pemetic School Band played seasonal music. Over at the Harbor House local crafters displayed their skills. Several stores in town stayed open late and offered fabulous deals for shoppers.

Go here: http://fenceviewer.com/site/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=70274:park-sells-passes-for-50-percent-off&Itemid=938

to learn more about Park passes at half price.

Early Snow

On the day before Thanksgiving most of MDI received a about 6" of snow. I drove into Southwest Harbor from Pretty Marsh around 9am while it was coming down pretty hard. As I crossed the town line the snow became wetter and wetter. By the time I passed Seal Cove Rd. it was all rain. It would appear that Southwest Harbor, just being a little bit farther out to sea and south, was spared (or deprived) of the snow this time. Today, the day after Thanksgiving, any remaining ice and slush in town is melting rapidly with temperatures in the mid 40s.

Tomorrow, Sat. Nov. 26th, most stores in town will be opening early and offering huge discounts. Support your local merchants and get a great deal at the same time.


Speaking of holidays and shopping....
Santa Claus is Coming to Town

December 9th

3-7pm Local crafters will be selling beautiful gifts for the Holidayseason in the Old Yellow Schoolhouse.

5:30pm Santa arrives to light the town Christmas tree in the VillageGreen.

5:45pm A Bonfire warms the evening and music by the Pemetic/TremontBrass Ensemble fills the air. Hot Cocoa & Cider available outside.

5:45-7:00pm Caroling & music inside Something's Cooking with Holly& John. Cookie Decorating with Denise from 3D's Baking.

6:00-7:00pm Photos with Santa by Mary Ellen Martell at Harbor House.Refreshments and cookies will be provided.8pm-midnight Stay in town for special holiday from local merchants.

Beech Mountain Fire Tower

Some of the many attractions of the quietside are the nearby hiking trails. A couple of weekends ago, my wife and I hiked Beech Mountain because we read that the old fire tower at the summit would be open to the public. Acadia National Park only allows visits up to the top of the tower once a year and we didn't want to miss it. We used trails # 5, 6, and 7 on the Trail Map published by this chamber. #5, The Valley Trail, is one of our favorites. It winds through huge pieces of granite that were knocked off the sides of the mountain during the last ice age. The boulders are covering with ferns, mosses and lichens.The picture to the left was taken on Oct. 15th from the fire tower looking south toward Southwest Harbor.

The picture on the right is from the tower facing toward the north. The end of Echo Lake is just visible. Beyond that is the northern end of Somes Sound.

Welcome

It's funny to be starting a blog on the last day that the information center will be open for this season. It's fitting, in a way though, because through this blog we can keep everyone posted on the happenings over here on the Quietside of Acadia National Park and Mount Desert Island. Even though we won't be keeping regular hours, we WILL be monitoring phone messages and emails, so keep those questions coming. We hope to add some photos now and then to keep everyone up-to-date with the season changes and interesting sights.


To the left is a picture I took earlier this summer at Charlotte Rhoades Park's Butterfly Garden in Southwest Harbor. It may be covered in snow by the end of this weekend if today's forecast is to be believed.