I dragged myself out of bed due to the guilt of being the only one still asleep at 7:30.  I guess the lure of the park is very strong.  I spent the day driving round the coastal Arcadia park, which is really very beautiful.

After looking at the gardens and the Native American museum I headed straight for the attraction with the highly descriptive but totally useless name of Sand Beach.  I believe it sits between Water Ocean and Grass Meadow.  Maine describes itself as "America's vacationland", and on a hot day in July it certainly lived-up to its name.  The park was busy even at 10am, and by noon the beach looked like Bournemouth beach on the one hot day of the year back home.    I went rock-pooling and collected some winkles and crabs, I might eat them later.  I sliced my foot yet again, just as I did on the banks of the Colorado the last time I went barefoot on the beach.

One attraction is Thunder Cove, a thin inlet that roars like thunder as the tide is rising.  It's quite a subtle effect, but it certainly drew a large crowd.  

I drove - it was too hot and there was too much ozone in the air to make oneself out of breath, it would be dangerous - up Mount Desert to enjoy panoramic views of the island.  It was great to look down upon the town of Bar Harbor and see the small islands and boats surrounding it.  The mist rolled-in in veils that clung only to individual coves, not the entire ocean. 

The villages on the island are very quaint, and one even has a working lighthouse at its tip.  Apparently this lighthouse typifies the Maine coast, but I do look forward to seeing better specimens as I drive to Boston tomorrow.

After a whole day hearing the L-word nonstop, and seeing fishermen checking their traps, I was gagging for a lobster dinner.  I hand-picked a feisty looking chap and sent him off to the steamer, bidding him adieu for 20 minutes. On his return I discovered that 'he' was a 'she', as she was stuffed full of roe.  She was delicious but in my mind I had built-up an unattainably high standard of taste, and my 10-legged friend indeed could not reach this.   I'm not sure that a 1.5lb lobster should cost $30, even with a seat by the water.