All is quiet on New Year’s Day

I was humming the title of this post all day (U2, 1983)…

I’m usually not that big on making New Year resolutions, but if there is one thing I would like to do more of in 2012, it is visit Acadia National Park. So, wanting to start the year off just right, we took a quick New Year’s Day drive down to our favorite national park today where the sun was shining brightly and the temperature was an unseasonably balmy 45 degrees. We’re still waiting for winter to arrive here in Maine, so our time spent in Acadia today felt more like late fall than what should really be a dark and dreary time of year. No significant snow to speak of yet – hope I don’t jinx things by saying that – and it hasn’t become that cold yet.

Sand Beach was it’s usual amazing self and, based on previous experiences here in the winter, we were actually surprised that on this occasion we had to share it with a few others. I always enjoy seeing the impact of winter storms and tides that constantly shape and change the landscape here, though with the mild winter we have had so far, at this point in the season the beach still looked very familiar. Swimming at Sand Beach in the summer means tackling a frigid ocean, so when we saw a couple of brave? souls taking a January 1 dip, we were quite impressed indeed! Though if you have ever gone swimming here in the summer, you will probably wonder how much colder could it possibly be?

The rocks along the Loop Road leading from Monument Cove to Otter Cliffs were deserted, so we took the opportunity to enjoy the variety of rugged terrain that stretches all along the shore of Newport Cove. Even though we have spent considerable time exploring this area on many, many previous occasions, there always seems to be something new to discover. The detailed lines and shapes of the weathered granite are a sight to behold, and even though this area is traditionally considered a morning location photographically, it is still quite something… even in the late afternoon shadows.

As the winter sun dipped behind the mountains to the west and the temperatures became a bit more familiar for this time of year, the lengthening shadows forced us to reluctantly retreat back to the warmth of the car. Despite being disappointed about having to pack up and go home, we were at the same time extremely grateful to be able to enjoy the beauty of such a jewel of a national park right in our own backyard.

Looking forward to many more visits to Acadia… Happy New Year!