it’s tradition

 Three years in a row?  I think that qualifies as a tradition. 
Yep, we traditionally go to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park over Memorial Day weekend.   I’m sort of an adventurous gal, and like to try new things, so initially the idea of having the same vacation every year seemed a bit drab, but I’ve been converted.  It’s hard to say exactly what it is that converted me. Maybe it’s the comfort of familiarity.  Maybe it’s that I get to see my kids do the same things again and again, only it’s totally different because they are so different.  Maybe it’s the longing to relive the same thrilling moments and see the same gloriously beautiful things again and again or the joy that comes on dark winter days from anticipating a known-to be -happy event.  It could be the fact that my kids get so darn excited about doing specific little things again.  Or possibly it’s that you don’t have to grieve too much at the end of the trip because you’re not saying goodbye forever - just ‘til next year.  Maybe it’s just that Acadia is incredibly beautiful and fun and compelling in every way and we get to experience it with such great friends.   Not sure what it is, but I love having this traditional trip. 
This year there was a big group of all kinds of interesting people who went with us.   Great friends, both old and new. There is something awesome and exhilarating about making new interesting, inspiring friends.  And something so comforting about being with old friends.   Sweet Audrey was so good to Hazel, who was obsessed with catching little “shrimp” (some squirrely little sea worms).  Charlie was obsessed with fire, and happy to have the company of other little pyro boys.  Jordan Pond House is a must.   They have great popovers and look at that awesome adult table.  Where are all the kids?  Oh, they’re at their own table.  Jeff is blocking Charlie with his arm and I burned some kids out of the edges of the photo so I could more accurately depict how much we didn’t have to pay attention to them during our lovely lunch.  Bless those awesome waitresses! Can you imagine a more beautiful place to eat lunch?   Ice cream at Ben and Bills.  I am in love with the quaintness of down town Bar Harbor. We always go out to the ocean head up from Sand Beach.  It is one of the most breathtaking trails I’ve ever hiked on.  I got to go with just little Charlie.  Jeff stayed to nap with Emmeline and Hazel stayed to collect “shrimp” on the beach with some friends.  It was so great to concentrate on my poor little lost in the middle Charlie.  Surprisingly he’s turning into a great little hiker.  And here we are on top of Cadillac mountain.  You’re probably asking yourselves what in the world we are doing…..well, glad you asked.  These are our new poses.  We’ve each picked a pose that we’re going to strike whenever we take a family picture in front of anything.  I know, it’s a bit hokey, but won’t it be awesome to have an album full of pictures of us doing these silly things amidst all kinds of crazy adventures?   Sure, I’m picturing that this album will be documenting our trips to the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China, the Eiffel Tower, some beautiful beach in Fiji.  In reality we’ll probably be striking these poses at a Costco in Detroit or in front of the Missoula, Montana Chuck E Cheese.  And, if we’re really being realistic here, I’ll probably never have an album.  But, it’s still a funny little tradition that we’re going to stick with (plus, it’s the only way I’ve found to cheerfully have Jeff pose for a family picture). Here are the individual poses (just so we’ll remember)
Our final tradition for this trip is eating awesome blueberry stuff at Jordan’s Restaurant.  Hazel is very into sitting at bars, by herself.  So, we sat in a booth in the back and Hazel sat here and watched the chef flip hotcakes.  He kept giving her handfuls of whipped cream and they were great friends by the end of breakfast.  This little independent miss is growing up too fast.

Until Next Year Bar Harbor!