A perfect Acadia escape

Last weekend, Delta and I took a couple days off and drove down up to Maine. It had long been on my list of things to do to go see the famous Acadia. It was a long drive, and I was Chief Navigator, a role that comes rather effortlessly to me because the vast American countryside offers long stretches of snoozable time.


Maine itself is gorgeous. And Acadia specifically even more so. As it turned out, our campground was ideally situated in prime hiking territory, and afforded us easy access to all the trails.

I learn efficient showering: There were public hot showers nearby, allowing us 4 minutes of shower time for $2 worth of quarters.
"Four minutes isn't a lot," one of the women cautioned me kindly, "so plan your washing strategy before you go in." I don't do well under such kind of pressure, and she brought out in me a mild sense of panic. So when I jumped in the shower, I immediately launched into a frenzied series of movements, hair - soap - shampoo - knees - ears - ankles - face, scrubbing away and forgetting even to breathe, and then I realised I'd done everything in about 45 seconds. The second day, I got a bit better at pacing myself, and realised a 4 minute shower is absolutely fine after all.


A renewed faith in humanity: There were firewood stands every mile or so along the road. Each one had a little sign above piles of firewood: $2.50 per bundle.
"There's so many of these firewood stands," I asked Delta, "but are they all closed? I don't see anyone manning any of them!".
So we approached one of the stands, and incredibly, it turns out they're not manned at all. Just a little tin box next to the stand, where you're supposed to put your money as you help yourself to firewood. A real, true, trust system. I gawked at Delta - I'd never seen anything like this.
"Do you think people really put money in there?!" I asked incredulously, ever the city person. I couldn't believe that people could actually be trusted to put money there if they weren't monitored.
But as we picked up the tin to put our own $5 in, we noticed it was absolutely crammed full with everyone's money - we could barely fit ours in. It renewed my faith in peoples again.


I have to confess, in the run-up to our trip, I had worked myself up to the level of disproportionate excitement where the reality could only disappoint.

And yet, incredibly, it didn't.