Collier House '09

What an awesome weekend....with amazing weather on the island! We're sad to be back, but happy to know it is only the BEGINNING of the season, and there are many more trips to Mt Desert ahead. We were very laid back indeed, just sort of going with the flow (depending on the naps of Callum). We enjoyed the downtown shops of Bar Harbor, the carriage roads in the park, the little taverns and restaurants the island had to offer, and (last but not least) the beautiful setting of the Collier house bed and breakfast itself. If you arent familiar with the carriage roads, you should look them up on line...they are very interesting, and quite the architectural and engineering marvel. They were built by the Rockefellers in the early 1900's, and they go throughout the entire park....traversing mountainsides, meadows, and coastlines. These 100+ year old roads are in better shape than our driveway....which was only re-done two years ago.

Here are Amanda and Callum near the summit of Day Mountain. We took Callum up on the carriage road--this is the only carriage road that actually goes to the summit of a mountain. He enjoyed it very much. We did, however, drive to the top of Cadillac Mountain on Sunday (Cadillac is the highest mountain on the eastern seaboard). Callum did NOT like this very much, since it was very very windy up there. But he LOVED his carseat after, when he napped the whole way down! We must have seen half a dozen cyclists riding up the mountain. What do you think Jonathan? Would we be crazy to ever try this? Have fun. I'll be at the bottom, enjoying a Bar Harbor Real Ale....

Again on the carriage road. Can you guess who is the happiest little guy on earth??
George, the owner of the Collier house, has this big wooden moose out front, which he decorates for the seasons. When we arrived on Saturday, "Merlin" was still wearing his Easter bunny years and holding a basket of eggs. Now, however, he is ready for all his spring planting and gardening. Obviously, we had to get a picture of Callum and the moose.

He already has the correct name.......

George Clemmens and his daughter (actually, especially his daughter, who has been living in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia for the past few years) are accomplished bagpipers. We often talk about bagpipes with George. For breakfast on Monday, George dug out his tuner to Callum to try. So, here is a picture of Callum playing bagpipes (sort of....). According to George: "With a name like Callum, he almost HAS to play the pipes!"

And who could forget: We ran into the Hargroves in Bar Harbor on Saturday! How cool!! We were walking down Cottage street when, all of the sudden, I saw an Amanda look-alike AND an idiot in a yellow fleece....so I KNEW it must be Jesse and Ciara! We caught up with them, and Callum and Aiden enjoyed some play time on the village green while Daddy and Jesse got some "guy time" to check out Bayside Liquors...one of the BEST beer and wine stores ever.

The two look like they could be brothers....

More pictures to come!!