 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
Following Obama's Footsteps Article by Marlene Nadle |
| WAVE Journey |
| Women's Adventures, Vacations & Experiences ~ Your Journey Starts Here! |
A Woman's Directory For Travel and Life.
WAVE Journey is your one-stop online resource for women-oriented businesses and
services around the world.
WAVE Journey is for every woman to enjoy. If you love to travel, cook, read or revel in outdoor
activities this website is for you. If you are looking to connect with other like-minded women or
if you are interested in finding businesses or services that cater to women, WAVE Journey is your
number one online resource.
WAVE Journey is your one-stop online resource for women-oriented businesses and
services around the world.
WAVE Journey is for every woman to enjoy. If you love to travel, cook, read or revel in outdoor
activities this website is for you. If you are looking to connect with other like-minded women or
if you are interested in finding businesses or services that cater to women, WAVE Journey is your
number one online resource.
| Page 1 of 2 / Next Page |
Fall was crisping the air and winter
wasn't far behind when I finally followed
Obama's vacation footsteps to Bar
Harbor, Maine, the historic home of
Society's 400.
I was still surprised that the former
community organizer went there in the
summer to bike on carriage roads
created by John D. Rockefeller Jr. Of all
the places he could have selected, he
chose a vacation whizzing around the
edges of the old establishment.
He may have picked the place because
of one good thing the old guard did.
wasn't far behind when I finally followed
Obama's vacation footsteps to Bar
Harbor, Maine, the historic home of
Society's 400.
I was still surprised that the former
community organizer went there in the
summer to bike on carriage roads
created by John D. Rockefeller Jr. Of all
the places he could have selected, he
chose a vacation whizzing around the
edges of the old establishment.
He may have picked the place because
of one good thing the old guard did.
To follow his trail I, being a sedentary type, took one of the free propane-driven buses that wind
along a 27 mile park loop. It only let me parallel Obama's path with peeks through clearings rather
than track him more directly on the broken stone carriage roads. Buses and cars have been
forbidden on the carriage roads since they were built by Rockefeller in 1913. He didn't think much
of the automobile and, perhaps, of the riffraff starting to drive the newfangled machine.
Other wealthy summer residents led by Harvard President Charles Eliot as early as 1901 began to
assemble parcels of land for public use. They wanted to preserve the beautiful natural setting and
their playground. They feared developers and loggers would cut a large swath through the trees.
As a Maine politician once said, "The portable sawmill created Acadia." In 1919 it became the first
national park east of the Mississippi. Its size has expanded ever since to its present 47,000 acres.
I didn't care about the motives of the people who created the park that takes up almost half of
Mount Desert Island, I was just glad they did. As I caught a glimpse of the stone bridges over the
streams bisecting the narrow carriage road, the mix of massive architecture and woodlands
began to produce a rare tranquillity in me. It most have soothed Obama as well.
along a 27 mile park loop. It only let me parallel Obama's path with peeks through clearings rather
than track him more directly on the broken stone carriage roads. Buses and cars have been
forbidden on the carriage roads since they were built by Rockefeller in 1913. He didn't think much
of the automobile and, perhaps, of the riffraff starting to drive the newfangled machine.
Other wealthy summer residents led by Harvard President Charles Eliot as early as 1901 began to
assemble parcels of land for public use. They wanted to preserve the beautiful natural setting and
their playground. They feared developers and loggers would cut a large swath through the trees.
As a Maine politician once said, "The portable sawmill created Acadia." In 1919 it became the first
national park east of the Mississippi. Its size has expanded ever since to its present 47,000 acres.
I didn't care about the motives of the people who created the park that takes up almost half of
Mount Desert Island, I was just glad they did. As I caught a glimpse of the stone bridges over the
streams bisecting the narrow carriage road, the mix of massive architecture and woodlands
began to produce a rare tranquillity in me. It most have soothed Obama as well.
My own bus route was passing through
more dramatic scenery. The shoreline
section wound along cliffs above
Frenchman Bay and a pitched battle
between rocks and sea. At Otter Point only
a low stone wall separated the bus from a
sharp drop to the water below. An anomaly
was Sand Beach, the parks only non-pebble
beach. One of the passengers who tried it
said people had to be very brave to go into
its icy ocean water, and suggested the
warmer, inland Echo Lake. Backpackers kept
popping off the bus to try the linked hiking
trails. As we circled back on the park loop
more dramatic scenery. The shoreline
section wound along cliffs above
Frenchman Bay and a pitched battle
between rocks and sea. At Otter Point only
a low stone wall separated the bus from a
sharp drop to the water below. An anomaly
was Sand Beach, the parks only non-pebble
beach. One of the passengers who tried it
said people had to be very brave to go into
its icy ocean water, and suggested the
warmer, inland Echo Lake. Backpackers kept
popping off the bus to try the linked hiking
trails. As we circled back on the park loop
The next nature stop for both of us was Cadillac
Mountain the highest point on the Eastern
seaboard and one of the first to get the sunrise.
Obama, maybe a bit weary, didn't hike up it, but
went in the presidential car. Months later I
followed him up it in a more commonplace way and
traveled in Oli's Trolley. The tour company's trolley
Mountain the highest point on the Eastern
seaboard and one of the first to get the sunrise.
Obama, maybe a bit weary, didn't hike up it, but
went in the presidential car. Months later I
followed him up it in a more commonplace way and
traveled in Oli's Trolley. The tour company's trolley
The evening continued in an urban manner
with the family's visit to the waterfront
restaurant, Stewman's Lobster Pound.
They arrived by boat after cruising
Frenchman Bay with officials. I imitated
their boat ride during my later trip on in my
usual down scale fashion. I passed on
booking a place on any of the elegant
sloops sailing the bay, or on the whale
watching ships, and instead took a tour on
Lulu's Lobster Boat which gave me a quick
look into the real life of this New England
town. Obama's kids would have loved it as
Captain John dragged up lobster traps to
explain how they worked and to detail the
anatomy of the wriggling creatures he
pulled out of them. One of their kind was
soon my dinner.
with the family's visit to the waterfront
restaurant, Stewman's Lobster Pound.
They arrived by boat after cruising
Frenchman Bay with officials. I imitated
their boat ride during my later trip on in my
usual down scale fashion. I passed on
booking a place on any of the elegant
sloops sailing the bay, or on the whale
watching ships, and instead took a tour on
Lulu's Lobster Boat which gave me a quick
look into the real life of this New England
town. Obama's kids would have loved it as
Captain John dragged up lobster traps to
explain how they worked and to detail the
anatomy of the wriggling creatures he
pulled out of them. One of their kind was
soon my dinner.
They donated land and created Acadia National Park with its spruce trees and granite mountains
running down to the sea. The park was the first stop for Obama, his 30 bicycles, family, secret
service men, and staff all peddling past Witch Hole Pond.
running down to the sea. The park was the first stop for Obama, his 30 bicycles, family, secret
service men, and staff all peddling past Witch Hole Pond.
other athletic types sweating and scratched from rock climbing got back on the bus to head back
to Bar Harbor's Village Green.
to Bar Harbor's Village Green.
After I returned to town, I felt guilty because I had
been negligent in my Obama sleuthing. I figured if I
wasn't willing, like him, to get on a bicycle, I should
at least go see the bikes he rented. I made my
way past the whimsical shops and art galleries
aimed at tourists and found Bar Harbor Bikes. Joe
Minutolo, the owner had trucked all 30 bikes to
Obama on the trail, and, remembering the occasion,
said "Obama looked very happy to be having some
vacation time with his family. He was just beaming.
The little one was very excited. She couldn't wait to
ride." When I asked Joe which bikes the family had
ridden, he led me to the shop window. There each
of their four bikes was on display and had the name
of its rider taped to them. Obama's bike had an
American flag draped over the back wheels and his
helmet hung from the handlebars. Leaning against
it was a cardboard Obama-Biden poster from the
2008 campaign.
been negligent in my Obama sleuthing. I figured if I
wasn't willing, like him, to get on a bicycle, I should
at least go see the bikes he rented. I made my
way past the whimsical shops and art galleries
aimed at tourists and found Bar Harbor Bikes. Joe
Minutolo, the owner had trucked all 30 bikes to
Obama on the trail, and, remembering the occasion,
said "Obama looked very happy to be having some
vacation time with his family. He was just beaming.
The little one was very excited. She couldn't wait to
ride." When I asked Joe which bikes the family had
ridden, he led me to the shop window. There each
of their four bikes was on display and had the name
of its rider taped to them. Obama's bike had an
American flag draped over the back wheels and his
helmet hung from the handlebars. Leaning against
it was a cardboard Obama-Biden poster from the
2008 campaign.
bus, like the propane-driven buses that went through the park and to most
of the towns on Mount Desert Island was perfect for a true New Yorker like
me who doesn't drive. They were also a continuation of Rockefeller old
attempt to keep cars away and of current efforts to go green.
When I got to the top of the bald granite mountain that glistened with
quartz crystals and a pink hue I could see Frenchman and Blue Hill Bay with
islands scattered in them. It was a favorite place for hawk watching during
their fall migration. I managed to spot some of the birds as well as the
ranger counting them.
After all the wilderness of Cadillac Mountain, Obama had a craving from
civilized living and it took the form of ice cream. A woman secret service
agent advanced him by fifteen minutes telling Linda Parker, owner of Mount
Dessert Island Ice Cream, not to tell anyone the president would soon be
arriving. " Of course," Linda told me, "I got right on the phone and told my
husband to get down here quick." When the family arrived Obama, with a
nod to Hawaii, ordered a coconut cone. One of the girls wanted a concoction
called Candy Shop and the other something named Cookies and Cream.
"Michelle," Linda continued, "ordered chocolate. I've read she always orders
chocolate." We weren't sure whether that was a matter of taste or a
political statement.
of the towns on Mount Desert Island was perfect for a true New Yorker like
me who doesn't drive. They were also a continuation of Rockefeller old
attempt to keep cars away and of current efforts to go green.
When I got to the top of the bald granite mountain that glistened with
quartz crystals and a pink hue I could see Frenchman and Blue Hill Bay with
islands scattered in them. It was a favorite place for hawk watching during
their fall migration. I managed to spot some of the birds as well as the
ranger counting them.
After all the wilderness of Cadillac Mountain, Obama had a craving from
civilized living and it took the form of ice cream. A woman secret service
agent advanced him by fifteen minutes telling Linda Parker, owner of Mount
Dessert Island Ice Cream, not to tell anyone the president would soon be
arriving. " Of course," Linda told me, "I got right on the phone and told my
husband to get down here quick." When the family arrived Obama, with a
nod to Hawaii, ordered a coconut cone. One of the girls wanted a concoction
called Candy Shop and the other something named Cookies and Cream.
"Michelle," Linda continued, "ordered chocolate. I've read she always orders
chocolate." We weren't sure whether that was a matter of taste or a
political statement.
