Day 27: Eden

Theologians have debated the location of Eden for centuries. It turns out it's near Acadia National Park in Maine! Seriously, there is a small settlement near Bar Harbor called Eden, and it's been my home base for the past couple of days for exploring Mount Desert Island (the name comes from the fact that the peaks appear barren of vegetation when seen from the sea). I haven't posted a blog about my lodging so far, and most aren't worth writing home about. This one, however, is different. Eden Village Motel and Cottages is located on 25 acres about seven miles outside of Bar Harbor. The motel is a place of peace and tranquility, situated about 100 yards back from the highway and backed by forest. I badly needed a day of rest from travel, so I relaxed this morning near the pond watching ducks and geese come and go, and leisurely strolled the nature trail through the forest. This afternoon and evening I used to catch up on my blog and record keeping, organize paperwork, back up photos and videos, and plan my future route. Here are some photos of my surroundings.

Eden Village Motel as seen from the back.

The short jet contrail (short for "condensation trail") indicates dry air and fair weather for awhile yet. A long contrail would indicate more humid air high in the atmosphere (making the contrail evaporate more slowly).

Mixed forest of conifers and hardwoods, typical of the island's lower elevations.