Friday, July 23. Edie and I arrived in Ellsworth, Maine midafternoon and after checking into the Ellsworth Motel, decided to dine early at "Helen's" which was recommended by the motel owner. I immediately got into the lobster while Edie decided on scallops. After dinner we drove to Bar Harbor but quickly tired of the Friday night crowds and drove to Acadia National Park and spent the rest of the evening there.
Bar Harbor from Cadillac Mountain, Acadia NP
Saturday, July 24. We got up early in an effort to beat the crowds and toured the slightly less traveled areas of Mount Desert Island away from Bar Harbor such as Southwest Harbor, Seal Harbor, Bass Harbor, Tremont, and Pretty Marsh, At ten we joined the annual "Open Garden Day" presented by the Garden Club of Mount Desert. With only six gardens on the tour and $30 a pop I thought it might be less crowded but found it to be an extremely popular event with police at every stop and some participants arriving by limousine.
The most grandiose location was an estate called Kenarden overlooking Frenchman's Bay. It was built in 1830 by John Stewart Kennedy, a Scottish immigrant, who had amassed a fortune in Scotland's ironworks and American railroads. In 1933 it was bought by the inventor of Campbell's condensed soup and today belongs to one of his grandsons. A stream with multiple waterfalls ran parallel to the long entry road through mature forest. The estate included an Italian garden, rose garden, lily pond, and yacht landing, and multiple structures to service the main residence. A large area near the entrance included greenhouses, cold frames, and gardens providing fresh vegetable, fruits, and cut flowers for the main residence. The best thing about garden tours is that you see what others have done and get excited about incorporating the ideas into your own garden.
View from the front porch
Italian Garden
Back in Ellsworth , a visit to the Union River Lobster Pot rounded out the day.
Four Pounders!
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