Down East to GREAT CRANBERRY ISLAND!

Saturday morning, bright and early, Hitty Jean headed off on a five hour drive to Maine.  Every time the car stopped for a break, she jumped up on the steering wheel to survey her surroundings.  To say she was excited is an understatement!

By the time she arrived in Northeast Harbor, a refreshing iced tea was required.

The wait for the Mailboat to Great Cranberry Island was full of suspense.  Her destination was just a boat ride away!!  There was lots of activity, and the scenery was beautiful.  Hitty Jean knew that soon she would be in that special place where Hitty’s story began.

After the Mailboat to Great Cranberry Island, there was a short drive to the cottage.  Miss VanDroo and Hitty Jean couldn’t believe the view from the cottage windows!  It was a view of “The Pool” which is a large tidal inlet on GCI,  described by Rachel Field in Hitty’s story.  The tide was out when they first arrived:

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Sunday, a trip to the “mainland” for supplies was necessary.  Before the market, Hitty Jean and Miss VanDroo took a drive through Acadia National Park.  The scenery was breathtaking.

 

After some sightseeing and shopping at the market, it was back on the Mailboat to GCI.  The weather was clear (ish), and the view of Mount Desert Island from the GCI dock was wonderful.

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Monday was spent on GCI.  Hitty Jean met up with Hitty Jenny at the Whale’s Rib Gift Shop.  They tried to convince their Hittymoms to buy them this lobster boat…to no avail.  (Clicking on the photo will reveal its price tag…sigh…)

Then it was off to the the Island’s Historical Museum.  Hitty Jean was a bit shy of Big Hitty (made by Michelle DelValle), but sat in her lap for a photo, nonetheless.

Hitty Jean couldn’t believe that one of her sisters, Hitty Diane, was there, also!  (Carved by TC Vollum and painted by Michelle DelValle.)  They had a nice chat, and Hitty Jean admired all the beautiful dresses, sewn by various Hitty friends.  (Click on Hitty Diane’s link above to see all the wonderful donations.)

She wasn’t at all shy of Hitty Montana!!
(Also made by Michelle DelValle.)

What a surprise to meet another Hitty!  They seemed to be everywhere.  Hitty Jean tried to chat, but this Hitty took her acting job seriously and wouldn’t even say hello!  (Hitty carved by Janet Cordell.)

The Preble Family’s silver was inside a case.  Miss VanDroo and Hitty Jean were enthralled.  The pictures and eye glasses are also from the Preble Estate.

Hitty Jenny helped Hitty Jean to make a donation, while Hitty Veronica and Hitty Marcy offered their moral support:

Most of the Lupine had gone to seed, but outside the Museum, Hitty Jean found one flower still going strong:

By the time Hitty Jean returned to the cottage, the Pool was full from the high tide.  Quite different from the mud flats at low tide:

Later, after a short hike through the woods, Hitty Jean arrived at Preble Cove.  Phoebe Preble had played here with Hitty!  They had perhaps stood here watching for Captain Preble to arrive home from sea.  Wow.

Hitty Jean could see the Preble House from Preble Cove…that is it in the background:

 
 
The Preble House is lovely viewed from the cove.  Hitty Jean knew she was in a sacred place. 

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Tuesday started off with a trip to the GCI Post Office.  Miss VanDroo had asked Hitty Jean to mail a postcard for her.  It was indeed the smallest Post Office Hitty Jean had ever seen, though the one on neighboring Sutton Island has the prestige of calling itself the tiniest in the world.  (You can see for yourself by clicking here.)

Hitty Jean then took the Mailboat back to Northeast Harbor…

…and took a tour on another boat.  This boat was visited by a family of ducks:

There was a stop at Islesford, which is also known as Little Cranberry Island.  Hitty Jean was happy to disembark and explore.  She loved this sign on the dock:

And this Pottery Store on the dock was particularly inviting:

Hitty Jean found some wonderful vases in the pottery shop.  She looked them all over carefully before selecting the white one:

When the boat tour ended, Hitty Jean traveled to the summit of Cadillac Mountain.  At 1532 feet, Cadillac Mountain is the tallest mountain on the Eastern Seaboard.  In the distance is Great Cranberry Island, as well as the other islands collectively known as “the Cranberry Isles.”

What a thrill to discover Wild Maine Blueberries on the mountain!  Especially since Hitty Jean was planning to meet some friends for a picnic.  What a tasty surprise they would be!

Hitty Jean picked some and loaded them into her wagon, along with her picnic basket…

…and met up with her friends for a lovely mountaintop picnic!

 

Bitty Clarabelle was excited about the freshly picked blueberries and delicious looking sandwiches.  Hitty Jean had worked up quite a thirst, though, and was eyeing the juice Miss VanDroo had brought along:

It was a delightful day. 

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Wednesday began with an exciting discovery.  There were Wild Maine Blueberries growing in the cottage garden!!

Hitty Jean picked until she could pick no more.  They were delicious!

Another walk was taken to Preble Cove.  Miss VanDroo had insisted that Hitty Jean bring along a sun bonnet, but Hitty Jean just left it on the blanket and enjoyed the fresh Maine air on her curls.  It was a pleasant, quiet day spent on GCI.

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Thursday, the fog rolled in.  Hitty Jean felt chilled when she went outside.  The fog made her ponder the tall pine trees next to the cottage.   Imagine Hitty being stranded in a crow’s nest up in one of these tall trees!  Hitty Jean sure hoped she hadn’t had to endure such fog while she was stranded up there!

The Pool was invisible in the fog:

So, another ride was taken on the Mailboat, and Hitty Jean found herself on the sandbar in Bar Harbor.  This sandbar is the reason that Bar Harbor has its name.  It is only walkable for ninety minutes during low tide.

Hitty Jean was intrigued by the barnacles:

She also enjoyed the tidal pools.  One had a rock in the middle which was the perfect place to rest:

Hitty Jean searched for creatures in the tidal pools.  She saw many tiny, shrimp-like critters, as well as a crab.  She was glad she wasn’t pinched!

Then it was off to Thunder Hole.  At high tide, the water can splash up as high as forty feet.  Hitty Jean saw some smaller splashes and heard some small rumbles caused by air being forced out of the small cavern below.  She was grateful that it was not quite high tide when she arrived.  Forty feet of water and thunderous roars!?!  No, thank you!

At last it was tea time.  In Acadia National Park, the Jordan Pond House is famous for its tea and popovers.  How nice it was of them to have a teapot perfectly suited to Hitty Jean:

It was a nice ending to a busy day.

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Hitty Jean couldn’t believe it was already Friday!  She took an early morning walk on the island’s main road.  She wanted to have her picture taken in front of the Preble House.  The island’s Postmaster had once lived here, and the Post Office was in the small building on the left.  (The Post Office is now located at the docks.)  The Preble House is beautifully maintained today, though a woman who grew up on GCI told Hitty Jean that when she was little, the Preble House had fallen into disrepair and they had called it the “Haunted House.”  Imagine!!

The Lilacs in front of the house are enormous:

As Hitty Jean walked back toward the cottage, she passed the Church.  Hitty Jean remembered Hitty’s terrifying winter days and nights spent there alone when Phoebe had lost her.  Hitty Jean just had to take a look.

 

Hitty Jean wanted to explore under the pews, where Hitty had been dropped.  It was a bit dark, so she brought a flashlight “just in case.”  (Hitty had seen bats there, you know!)

Under the pew, it was a solemn moment:

Later, Hitty Jean decided to return to Jordan Pond.  (The popovers were wonderful!)  The fog cleared a bit while she had her tea, so she took a short hike down to the pond.  Jordan Pond did not disappoint.  It was beautiful:

On another small hike, Hitty Jean discovered a “Hitty~sized” waterfall:

Then, it was time to take the Mailboat back to GCI.  The next time she rode the boat would be her last.

It had been a wonderful week, visiting all the places Phoebe Preble had played with Hitty.  Saturday, it would be time to move on.

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Saturday’s drive to York Beach took much longer than anticipated.  Hitty Jean was sad that there wasn’t even enough time to stop and meet some Hitty Friends along the way.  Some of the younger Hittymoms in the car were rather cranky upon arrival, but a late dinner at the Goldenrod cheered (almost) everyone up.  (A good night’s sleep helped, too!)

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Sunday morning, Hitty Jean and Miss VanDroo shared a large cup of coffee.

Then, they sat on the beach.  The sand was warm, and the breeze was cool.  It was a perfect morning.

Hitty Jean took some time to explore the beach while Miss VanDroo went back to the hotel for a rest:

Then, it was off to town for some shopping.  Watching the saltwater taffy being made is always fun:

And an ice cream sundae is always a treat!

Sadly, it was getting late and was almost time to drive home.  Before leaving, Hitty Jean took a quick drive to Nubble Light.  Hitty Jean is sure it would be fun to live there and tend the light, like in the “olden days.”  The fog horn sounded the entire time Hitty Jean was there.  It was a sad sound, and Hitty Jean thought perhaps it was sounding especially for her, as she was sad that her adventure was coming to an end.

Hitty Jean and Miss VanDroo spent a while just enjoying their surroundings.  It was going to be hard to leave.

But…as they say…all good things must come to an end.  This trip had certainly been a good thing, but now it was time to go home.

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• July 30, 2008
• Uncategorized
• 4 Comments