We spent a long weekend exploring northern Wisconsin and the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. 

Camping
We stayed at a small campground called Apostle Islands Area Campground. It was minutes away from downtown Bayfield, had full hookup sites, open space, a playground with gaga ball, and a fun brew pub in walking/bicycling distance! 

Adventure Club Brewery
​This was a fun stop for both kids and adults. The kids loved getting the wolf to move and playing Frisbee Golf, while the adults enjoyed some locally made drinks.

Hiking
We hiked the Meyers Beach Sea Cave Trail at Meyers Beach. It was hot and sticky on this 4.5 mile hike. It made jumping in Lake Superior at Meyers Beach at the end of the hike feel great! The hike itself was very wooded and the majority of the hike was very well maintained. You really don't get a view of Lake Superior or sea caves until the end of the hike. It was very pretty, but I wish you could see the lake on more of the trail. 

Car Ferry to Madeline Island
We took the ferry over to Madeline Island for a day. It was nearly $100 for the round trip, so make sure you have your day at Madeline Island planned to make it worthwhile. 

Boat Tour
There are so many kayak and boat tours in this area to choose from. We took a boat tour through Apostle Island Cruises. We took the Grand Tour, which was a 55 mile scenic tour around the National Lakeshore. We saw lighthouses, sea caves, and bald eagles. 

Ithaca is gorges!
​Ha, this shirt made me laugh, but it’s so true! There are lot of gorges and waterfalls in this area. We spent two nights in the Finger Lakes Region of New York. It definitely wasn’t enough time to explore everything this area has to offer. There were three state parks within 15 minutes from our campground and of course the beautiful Finger Lakes. 

Camping
We stayed at Spruce Row Campground. It was a pretty busy campground, with a lot of seasonal sites. They offer a lot of activities. The weekend we were there was Glow Party Weekend. Saturday afternoon they had a color run through the campground. Mia was very excited for this and wanted to do it all by herself (thankfully, because I would have slowed her down!). She ended up running with about 20 other kids and finished in 2nd place! The kids also loved the large pool!
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Taughannock Falls State Park
We walked the Gorges Trail, which was an easy flat 2 mile down and back hike to a 215 foot waterfall. It was pretty spectacular. You can also drive to a lookout which will give you a great view from the top. This park is on the Cayuga Lake. This would be a really fun area for a boating vacation. 

Robert H Treman State Park
We hiked the Gorges and Rim Trail to a 115 foot Lucifer Falls. This area was hit with heavy rains, so swimming next to the waterfalls was not allowed this weekend.  Both Robert H Treman and Buttermilk Falls State Parks have swimming holes right next to waterfalls and have lifeguards on duty during daytime hours. We were bummed we didn't get to experience swimming at these parks, maybe some other time!  

Buttermilk Falls State Park
Buttermilk Falls is right next to the entrance to the park and offers a swimming area right next to the falls. Unfortunately, all the swimming holes were closed this weekend because of the recent heavy rains. 

Camping
We are staying at the Quechee/Pine Valley KOA. Really nice campground with a pool. We only have two nights here, so we only have a few things on our list to check out.

Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian Trail is near this area. Rain was in the forecast so we wanted to hike a few miles to a shelter. We ended up hiking overall 7 miles. We made it to the Happy Hill Shelter. We had a snack and headed back, just in time. It started pouring rain when we got back to the truck! The Appalachian Trail is 2,190 miles total. We hiked a few miles in Tennessee and now in Vermont. Only like 2,180 miles left to explore, lol! It's a pretty cool experience to come across people hiking the entire trail, lots of people were moving pretty fast today in hopes to make it to a shelter before the rain. 

​Maine here we come! Maine was our halfway point. It was our 25th state we slept overnight in (according to the kids, it only counts if we sleep there).

Camping
We arrived in Bar Harbor Oceanside KOA around 1 pm. Traffic through Boston was not bad at all, we were pleasantly surprised! We got set up and walked around our campground, it is right on the ocean! We got there in perfect time for low tide so we checked out the tide pools. Besides being right on the ocean, this campground has a lot to offer. There are lots of activities for the kids, they offer shuttles to Acadia and Bar Harbor, and they also have a little cafe that serves snacks and lobster dinner each night! 

Acadia National Park
Acadia has been on my to-do list for a long time! This year I think Acadia was on everyone's list, it was extremely crowded! Hikes and trips had to be pre-planned and it was a little overwhelming. We booked our campground stay 7 months in advance and Cadillac Mountain summit and whale watch tour 2 months in advance. Not all of our gambles with weather worked out, but we still found a lot to do and had a wonderful time. 

Acadia Mountain Guides Climbing School
​This was definitely our favorite adventure! We got away from the crowds and pretty much had the cliffs to ourselves! We rock climbed Otter Cliffs with a guide through Acadia Mountain Guides Climbing School. So cool!! This was the kids first time rock climbing outdoors and they did great. Mia and Travis were pretty nervous on their first repel, but were able to do it! It was so fun to watch them work through their fears and succeed! The scenery was amazing and our guide, Ron, was so great! Ron taught our family how to make the figure 8 knots, tying into belay, and how to belay each other. So it wasn't just an excursion, it was a fun learning experience! I hate heights, but am fine if I'm on belay! Something about the security of the harness and ropes allows me to enjoy the thrill of rock climbing without hyperventilating! 

Whale Watching
I would highly recommend this tour through Bar Harbor Whale Watch Company! We got there early to make sure to get a seat outside and on the top of the boat. The weather was beautiful, however, it was pretty cold when the boat was moving. Fortunately, we were prepared for the weather. I was a little worried about the possibility of sea sickness, so I had peppermint oil handy just in case. Travis has a history of motion sickness, but all of us were fine on the boat. Not all passengers were as lucky, so I would suggest being prepared with motion sickness remedies if you have a history of it.

We ended up seeing 6-8 different whales on our trip, a shark, seals, and lots of birds. Some whales were off in the distance and we could see the blows, but others were really close to the boat! There was tons of action and it was so cool to see! The kids were so excited. At one point we had whales all around the boat and a few came up really close! I feel like we got really lucky with this action, some reviews said they didn't see any whales or maybe one at a distance. The Bar Harbor Whale Watch Company gives you credit for another tour if you do not see any whales your first time. 

Hiking Acadia National Park
If you enjoy hiking, Acadia is definitely for you! There are so many trails, that it was really overwhelming trying to plan without knowing the layout of the park. The park itself is huge and on multiple peninsulas so trying to coordinate multiple hikes took a lot of pre-planning. We didn't get to do all the hikes that I had planned, but the ones we did do were beautiful!
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Beehive Trail
This trail is a little scary looking, but just know there are two ways to get up to the summit. Jess and Travis hiked the ladder trail which is on the face of Beehive. There are sections that have steep ledges and you have to climb up metal rungs on the face of the mountain. Comparing it to Devils Lake, they said it wasn't hard. They said there were a few spots I might have had a hard time (ledges and heights), but they thought I would have been fine. They were a little disappointed because of the crowds. They had to wait a lot for people ahead of them.

Mia, Willow, and I took the trail around the backside of Beehive. Dogs are not allowed on ladder trails so that is why we split up. We started at the same trailhead, but there is a spot where you split off. Mia and I thought it was a pretty easy trail, lots of rock stairs and a lot of vertical spots, but definitely not scary. We met Jess and Travis at the summit of Beehive. 

The Bowl Trail
This is a fairly easy trail. We did the Beehive-Bowl-Gorham Mountain to make it a loop, but you could do each one separately. I think it was 4-5 miles total so really not that bad to hike all three trails at once.

Gorham Mountain
This is a really beautiful hike. It would be a great beginner hike to get you ready for the ladder trails. It offers some fun bouldering opportunities and walking through the crevices of rocks and there is a beautiful summit. 

Thunder Hole
Thunder Hole is a fun spot to stop a few hours before high tide. The waves roll up into this crevice and makes a thundering sound. We never really hit this at the "perfect" time, but we did get some fun thundering sounds! You definitely don't have to hike to this spot, you can just park and walk down. Or you could do the Ocean Path and get some miles in with this as a stop!

Sand Beach
It was definitely too cold to swim at Sand Beach, but the week before it was in the 90's and probably would have felt great after a long hike! We had to stop by for a few pictures because it is really beautiful! Star gazing is supposed to be wonderful here, we just didn't have the weather or the time to see the stars from here.

Bar Island
On this rainy day, we headed to Bar Island at low tide. At low tide the land bridge opens up and you can walk and hike on Bar Island. Just make sure to get back in time so you don't have to pay for the ferry to come and get you! 

Jordan Pond
This is a beautiful walk. The pond had some great reflections. The trail itself is pretty easy with some spots with boardwalks. The hardest part about getting to this trail was the lack of parking. We attempted to get parking multiple times throughout the week, but couldn't find parking until the last day. 

Fireworks
According to www.visitbarharbor.com, Bar Harbor’s Fourth of July has been voted the #1 Fourth of July celebration in America by the Today Show, and recognized by National Geographic as one of the top ten in the U.S.

The Bar Harbor fireworks were well worth the wait! They cancelled them on July 4th due to weather, but were able to do them on July 5th. They were spectacular!

LOBSTA!!!
Of course when in Maine, you gotta try the lobster! So stinking good! We loved The Traveling Lobsta restaurant. It was all outdoor seating and delicious food. We also bought some live lobsters one night and steamed them back at camp. 

Camper's Haven Resort
​Cape Cod here we come! The seven hour drive had some stressful spots. Google Maps sometimes take us on crazy routes and this was no exception. The first hour was through twists and turns on mountain roads. We had one road that was an 18 percent grade downhill, pretty crazy with towing a 5th wheel. Once we got to the main highways, it was smooth sailing! We arrived at Camper’s Haven Resort in Dennis Port, Massachusetts around 3 pm. Just enough time to set up, check out the private beach, and jump in the ocean! 

Camper's Haven is a pretty packed resort with mostly seasonal sites. It was a little pricey compared to the state parks, but it did include a 300 foot private beach. To spend a day at the beach in this area, it is $25 for the day so the beach was already included with our site. It was located in Dennis Port, which is on the Nantucket Sound. The water was really warm and perfect for swimming. 

Chartered Fishing/Lobster Trip
We scheduled a chartered fishing/lobster trip through Billingsgate Charters. I highly recommend this trip! Captain Dave is so knowledgeable about the area and at one point said Travis would hook a fish in 30 seconds or less and he did! His first mate, Eric, was also super helpful and friendly. These guys are definitely a class act! We all were able to catch striped bass, but unfortunately none of them were keepers. Then Captain Dave taught us all about trapping lobster. This was Mia’s favorite part because it was so hands on. Travis put the rubber bands on the lobster claws, Mia pushed the traps back in the water, and both kids took turns behind the wheel. Captain Dave brought up 15-20 traps and we were able to explore all the fun creatures he brought up. It was so exciting to see the surprises each trap had to offer. Puffer fish, small flounder, lots of different types of crab, snails, skates (looks like a small stingray), sand dollars, and of course lots of lobster! He taught us how to tell between a male and female and which ones are legal to keep. We ended up with 19 lobsters that were keepers and he let us keep 5 lobsters and a few of the big crabs! Needless to say, we ate very well that night! 

Provincetown and the National Seashore
Today we drove up to Provincetown (P-town) for the day. It was extremely hot, so didn’t explore the town very much. We did walk to the marina, grabbed smoothies, and walked a couple blocks downtown.

Next we headed to the National Seashore, Race Point Beach. It was absolutely beautiful, but the water was only 65 degrees. Only 35 miles south in Dennis Port the ocean is like 70-75 degrees. So much colder! On this 91 degree day, the cold actually felt really great! We all jumped in, but didn't stay in for too long. While hanging out on the beach, seals would pop out of the water in front of us. It was pretty cool. Probably a good thing that I didn't find out until after we swam there, a few days earlier a great white shark attacked a seal really close to shore...yikes! I guess sharks are a regular thing at Race Point Beach, glad we didn't see any!! 

Crab Creek Conservation
We started the day by going to Crab Creek Conservation Area, which is in Yarmouth, only 10-15 minutes from our campground. Here you can catch blue crab! You can use open top traps, nets, or a string with chicken attached and reel it in really slowly. We had the most success with using a net. We caught probably over 50 crabs, but only 4 keepers. It was still a blast! We brought the keepers back and steamed them up for lunch, yum! 


We finished our stay with chilling at the private beach, flying our kite, and playing mini golf. Overall, this was a great place to stay! So much more to explore here, but we just didn’t have the time.