A-ah-cadia!

Atop Cadillac Mountain, looking south-ish

So, I grew up not too far from one of the most beautiful places in all the world, the rugged coast of Maine; also, not too far from the most beautiful slice of that coast, Acadia National Park.  It's been several years since we've taken the opportunity to stop here on our annual trip to Maine, so it was high time.

Atop Cadillac Mountain, looking northeast

We drove down along with my sister Carol and her family on National Park Service Birthday, so admission was free!!  It was a gorgeous summer day!

Carol brought an extra bike for Andrew, so he took off on the bike trails with his cousins and we didn't see much of him that day!  

Biker dude!

Dwayne and I took our other three kids (we five being non-bikers!), and freely wandered the trails, climbed the rocks, even browsed through the nature center that I never knew was there!

 It's hard to capture with a camera the beauty of that day.

It's impossible to explain the feeling of walking along Cadillac Mountain where the rocks are pushed back in smooth rolls,

or to put into words the majesty of ragged, chiseled granite as it abruptly meets the salty water.

Whenever I encounter nature that is so vastly different from my everyday, it shocks me anew how great God is.  He brings every wave to shore in the exact spot He intends.  He put those massive rocks in place as effortlessly as breathing.  And He holds it all in place.

 Late that afternoon, we met back up with Carol, Brian, and the boys at Sand Beach, a rather short strand of beach surrounded by so much rocky coast.  It was my kids' first chance to experience the ocean waters of Maine.  So cold!!

 It took a few minutes to work up the courage to stay put when that cold water was coming toward our feet!  But then...

we went further..

and further,  

until one or two "fell" in!

As the shadows lengthened over the beach, and the air grew as cold as the water,

we all headed back to the cars... and to a lobster supper on the way home!