Although summer will always be my favourite season, there’s no denying that fall brings inspiration with its beautiful colours. In Maine, we’re treated to these colours in full display.
October 9th-10th
Driving to Maine
After a wonderful time in PEI, we made our way back to New Brunswick to get to Maine. Before leaving, I purchased a large Play Doh canister for the children, and on the next few rainy days, the kids fully enjoyed their new toy. I purchased it both for an activity for rainy days, but also for my little ones to practice their fine motor skills. All three children love it.
October 11th
Brewen, Maine, and Holden Family Campground
As the rain falls and it becomes obvious our children are ready for a change from the RV, we decide a visit to a library is an excellent idea. The Brewen library is small and cozy, and the librarians friendly. A small room welcomes young children, who read and play to their heart’s content. Initially, only our children are here, but a 4-year-old girl later arrives and makes fast friends with them.
As K-girl reads countless books and G-boy and M-girl play, I decide to wander through the library for a few minutes. I come across an excellent children’s book about a children’s librarian and the Japanese American children she loved. Ms. Breed exchanged letters with Japanese American children who were sent to interment camps during the second world war.
It’s hard to imagine the hardships these children endured, but the book manages to address a serious and heartbreaking topic, while also sharing the love the children were able to feel because of this librarian’s courageous acts. During an extremely difficult time, Ms. Breed managed to provide some hope to those who were treated unfairly, and used her pen to bring awareness to the mistreatment of Japanese Americans. Writing is a powerful act.
As I continue to walk through the library, the decorations catch my eye. One is a house sculpture made of toothpicks over a wooden frame. I’ll later learn that Maine is the largest producer of toothpicks in the country.
There is a chart with rocks from the area, a cricket model showing the digestive system of the insect, and several other educational displays. After reading some books with the children and playing for a while, we return to Holden Family Campground for the evening, where I work at the clubhouse for a while.
October 12th
Bar Harbor, Maine
The colours in Bar Harbor, Maine, proudly announce that fall is in full swing. While summer, which is full of life, laughter, and warmth, is my favourite season, the beauty of the colours in fall is awe-inspiring. Here in Bar Harbour, pinks, yellows, greens, and reds combine to form a scenery that inspires art.
Although I consider myself an amateur in art (and in almost everything), I nevertheless had to capture these inspiring colours in something other than just photos. So I grabbed my coloured pens, and drew this.
The gorgeous colours continue through our drive to Acadia National Park. The park is gorgeous, but be aware that to get to the Visitor Center, you must be able to climb several steps.
Another important thing to know is that there are impassable places for a tall RV in this park. So we go to the Visitor Center, watch a short film about the area, grab Junior Ranger activity books for the children, and continue our drive to discover other places in Bar Harbor, Maine.
One recommended place to stop is the Abbe museum, where you can learn about the indigenous people of Maine, their struggles, their customs, and their beautiful art. We park the RV on the road, where fall colours once again greet us.
At the Abbe Museum, it’s interesting to read about the settling and birth of the United States from the perspective of those who were here before the Europeans arrived. You can also admire the talent of club carvers, basket makers, and canoe builders, in displays that are as awe-inspiring as they are sobering.
Intricately carved clubs displaying stereotypical images of indigenous people stand in stark contrast with simple clubs from earlier time periods. Later indigenous carvers saw an opportunity for trade, and catered to the tastes of the tourists in the area, perpetuating myths about what real tribe life was like in order to attain economic survival.
The museum is interesting, and provides a different perspective than what most people my age learned from high school history books. In addition to beautiful and informative displays, the museum also has a great children’s area, where kids are encouraged to interact with traditional indigenous toys, learn indigenous creation stories, play with animal puppets, and learn about the solar system. Our kids spend most of their time here, and enjoy themselves fully.
After exploring the Abbe Museum, we walk back to the RV, taking the time to observe the gorgeous fall colours, as well as some funny Halloween decorations.
Before leaving Bar Harbor, we pass through Acadia National Park’s Seal Cove, where the children explore rocks and tide pools, and where the beauty of the water once again brings me wonder and peace.
As seagulls fly overhead, our children explore the beach to find unusual rocks, crab claws, and shells.
Before we leave Seal Cove, a lone red maple leaf reminds me of the season we are in, and somehow, makes me feel more Canadian, even here in the US.
Bar Harbor’s fall colours and majestic mountains continue to amaze us as we leave the town. We fully enjoyed our time here, and will probably be back one day.
What is your favourite thing about fall?
My favourite part was seal cove. It was a lot of fun playing in the sand bar as the water goes out.
I really enjoyed seal cove as well. I especially liked finding rocks that reminded me of cows.