Our First Trip to Acadia: Sand Beach

View of Porcupine Islands and Schoodic Point

Saturday was a perfect day weather-wise, so we decided to get our bearings at Acadia National Park. We lost quite a bit of time trying to get oriented and figuring out where to go, but now that we know what we're doing, the trips will be a bit easier.

Sand Beach

It is a 45 minute drive from where we are staying to Acadia, so we have a bit of a time constraint given my energy level. 

On our first trip, other than stopping at a couple of look out points, we decide to spend most of our time at Sand Beach.

The photos speak for themselves. 

This place is stunning in every way. It's nestled between granite mountains and rocky shores. The beach is made up mostly of shell fragments. The water is two glorious shades of blue. Behind Sand Beach is a funky mountain called The Beehive. :) 

I did a lot of walking on the beach and quite a lot of stairs.

So, my ANS freaked out and I had a night of not sleeping and day of crashing out and not feeling well the next day.

Sadly, illness doesn't disappear on vacation, nor do the ups and downs of good days and bad days!

Other than Sand Beach, we drove the Park Look Road around all of Acadia and got a sense of our next stops.

It's so hard for me to reign myself in on vacation.

I want to see it all and do it all. This place is incredible and there are so many things to try and to experience. 

I spent yesterday a little blue, feeling sorry for myself that I had to pay such a big price physically for the big outing. (I've been having some cause-unknown spasms in my belly that keep me up at night.) The poor sleep has been a challenge lately.

I Love the Contrast of Ocean, Sand, Rocks and Trees

It's interesting how quickly I want more.

Or how quickly I can make 'vacation' stressful thinking about all of the things I want to try to pack in during our stay.

The reality is that all of us struggle with the same things. We feel pressure to see and do it all, and forget to relax.

The Beehive

Somehow, for me, I feel like I am making up for so many years of missing out on all that the world has to offer, it's hard to slow myself down.

But if I don't BREATHE and enjoy this beauty, even if it means seeing LESS rather than MORE, what is the point if I am miserable, anxious and stressed?

What I can do now, what I can do in a day, the fact that we are even on this trip and can take in this beauty is such a huge step from where I was even a year ago. And it was certainly unimaginable for most of the past 18 years.

Lots of Aspen and Birch Trees

I made a little list of the things I most want to see, and we hope we'll be able to make those outings happen.

Any of the 'extras' I listed will be exciting bonuses.

I really want to relish how much I can do, not focus on what I can't do.

Why is this so hard?

I have so much learning to do on the path of acceptance.

Notice the Pink in the Rocks (at a Lookout Point)

My next-day moping aside, Acadia is amazing and I am so excite to go back tomorrow to see Otter Point and Thunder Hole.

We Stopped Here for a Snack Break

 I also love that Acadia is dog-friendly so we can take the pups!

We ended our Saturday with another view of the gorgeous moon glistening over the water.

One More Night of The Gorgeous Moon 

I am in love with this place.

Blessings,

Emily