At the end of April, my sister and I took a train ride up to Maine and Vermont. It was such a great experience I wanted to dedicate an entire blog post to it.
The trip actually started by traveling with my parents to Charlotte, where Leah used to live. We stayed at her apartment and I got acquainted with Willy and Jack Jack. Jack is very skittish and apparently does not warm up to most people, but we got along!
Initially we were considering flying or driving from Charlotte to Maine, but flights were really expensive and the schedules were inconvenient. Driving would have taken a long time too. Randomly, we decided to try Amtrak. Train travel took about as long as driving would have and it allowed us the option to work during the day.
Day 1: Charlotte to New York
We got up super early to catch the 6AM train from Charlotte all the way to New York. Not much went on that day...just 12 hours of sitting on a train and watching the states pass us by.
Day 2: New York to Portland
Once again we got up early to catch the 7AM train from New York to Boston. We didn't realize the train terminals were announced only 15 minutes prior to departure. It's such a scramble to get down the escalator when it feels like a thousand people are doing the same! Somehow we made it though.
Most of this day was also spent sitting. We had a layover in Boston to transfer from train to bus. Originally we had planned to explore some of the Boston food scene, but I got nervous we wouldn't have enough time to eat and catch our bus.
By 3PM, we were in Portland, Maine! The weather was much nicer than expected.
We got a rental car and checked into our Airbnb. Then it was time to eat!
Our first Maine dining experience was at Eventide. Leah and I basically spent the whole trip eating seafood.
The people were kinder than expected too. We had previously been warned that they would not be, but I don't think we found that to be the case at all. Everywhere we went, people would have conversations with us (mostly Leah, the more sociable sister). And I appreciated how direct people seemed to be. At Eventide, we asked the waitress to "surprise us" with her preferred side dish and she didn't hesitate. It was a great meal, too!
We ended the night at Gross Confection Bar - a restaurant purely for desserts! We got the dessert sampler. Because...vacation!
Day 3: Portland, Maine!
The next morning, I woke up to get a quick run in before we started the day. I was training for a half marathon and I also wanted the experience of running in Maine.
For lunch, we headed to The Lobster Shack at Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth and ate more lobster rolls.
Cape Elizabeth is beautiful! We spent a while at the beach and Fort Williams Park where the famous Portland Head Light is.
Day 4: Portland to Bar Harbor
In the morning, Leah and I said goodbye to Portland and ventured north to Bar Harbor. I had discovered Acadia National Park a few years ago and always wanted to go.
Before we left, we tried the potato donuts from The Holy Donut. I'm not much of a donut person, but these were pretty good.
We made a few stops on the way to Bar Harbor. Venturing out to the Rockland Harbor lighthouse and finding sea glass in Camden.
By the evening, we made it to Acadia National Park! We lightly explored the park to familiarize ourselves and caught an impromptu sunset at Cadillac Mountain.
While watching the sunset and goofing off, the Bar Harbor Manor called us and politely asked us when we would be checking in. This prompted us to drive over, set our bags in the room, and enjoy some more seafood at Geddy's.
Our Maine experience was magical!
Day 5: Bar Harbor
After all the early mornings and not nearly enough sleep at night, somehow Leah and I were able to wake up even earlier to watch the sunrise over Cadillac Mountain. Because it was still barely the "off season," we were able to do this without a reservation.
We thought we would be the only people there too, since it wasn't yet the popular time for tourists. We were definitely mistaken!
While we were there, a couple got engaged behind us! Leah and I were way too concerned with the sunrise and not having our hands fall off that we actually missed the moment.
We walked around Bar Harbor and explored some of the stores. Most of the shops were closed until May, but I didn't really mind. Once we had rested up, we returned to Acadia for hiking!
The Precipice Trail was closed, but the staff at Bar Harbor Manor gave us wonderful alternatives.
Leah did great on the Beehive! I was a little nervous for her since the trailhead warns it's not for people who are afraid of heights, but I actually think she handled it better than I did.
We continued to the top of Champlain Mountain.
We looped back to Sand Beach and did one more short hike before heading back to Bar Harbor.
Once back at the hotel, we rested a bit more. We had been out for so long and had so many bags with us, I forgot where I had placed the keys. We awkwardly encountered one of the Bar Harbor Manor hosts who opened our room for us and sternly told us to find our key, haha.
Then I ventured out solo to see one last Maine lighthouse and sunset.
Day 6: Bar Harbor to Burlington
Finally we slept in! As much as I could stand to at least. I toured around for breakfast and then we hit the road for the seven hour drive to Burlington, Vermont.
We stopped at Bragg Farm for some souvenirs, postcards, and maple syrup. I was shocked by how much of a difference real maple syrup tastes! I wish that was sold in stores everywhere.
Of course we tried the creemees, too!
I don't know what I expected, but I was surprised by how much of the drive was through the countryside. We even saw a Confederate flag which definitely does not make sense, haha.
We made it to Vermont by dinner time. Initially we disregarded the advice to make restaurant reservations, but we soon learned that was not exaggerated. Our dinner plans worked out though because we enjoyed a delicious Asian meal at A Single Pebble.
Day 7: Burlington, Vermont!
I had to work most of the day so Leah went out to explore downtown solo. Thankfully we actually love our hotel, so it wasn't a total loss. Eventually we met up at the waterfront park!
Being in Vermont made me realize how little I give thought to geography. I'm able to place every US state (Zach and I had a competition once, haha) but actually being in Vermont was different. I didn't realize you can actually see New York from Vermont and that Vermont is so close to Canada! (I know, common sense.)
Somehow, Vermont felt much colder to me than Maine. Maybe we just got lucky with the Maine weather.
At this point in the trip, I was feeling less adventurous and less in "vacation mode" due to day 7 of little sleep and trying to keep up with work while also wanting to sight see. I'm sure it was noticeable but I still wanted Leah to have a good time so hopefully I was able to keep my spirits up enough.
Despite working during the day, I still feel like we were able to see most of downtown Burlington. Previously Leah had made a list of activities which had overwhelmed me at first, but later when I asked her, she said we had done most everything!
We had made late night dinner reservations at Hen of the Wood, a restaurant that was highly recommended from a forgotten source. Because of the weather, I wanted to hang out at a coffee or tea shop beforehand, but we actually had trouble finding a place open in the evening. Leah had found a Dobra Tea location, but apparently they were closed until May.
The experience at Hen of the Wood was exceptional! It was a magnificent way to end our time in Vermont.
Every dish we got was flavorful. I couldn't decide what I wanted for dessert so we just got everything, haha. Maple tart, carrot cake ice cream, coffee ice cream, and and orange cake (if I remember correctly).
By that time it was late. Our train out of Vermont wasn't too early, but we still needed rest.
Day 8: Burlington to New York
Once again, Leah and I prepared to spend the majority of the day on a train. I had extended our rental car reservation so we could sleep in more than usual. Although there was an Amtrak stop in Burlington, we had to travel to Essex for our train. I'm not sure why...maybe I didn't book the most sensical travel since I'd never used Amtrak before and I just took the route that was suggested to me.
At least we got home in the end!
We arrived in New York around 6pm and really struggled to carry all our luggage to the hotel. After realizing that Amtrak doesn't actually check how many bags you are bringing aboard, we maybe overdid it with the souvenirs (i.e. books and maple syrup) and snacks.
We got there though and without too much irritation on my part. (Sorry, Leah!)
The second New York hotel experience was a disappointment compared to the Kitano Hotel, where we stayed on the first night. In the end, all we needed was a clean and safe place to sleep which the Executive Hotel Le Soleil provided but I am glad we only stayed there one night. The room was TINY and the staff lacking hospitality.
So we headed out for one last northeast adventure.
Once done being tourists, we set off for dinner and settled on a Dim Sum restaurant. There was hardly anyone there except for a very loud crowd watching a game (how random) so it felt like a gamble. The food was great though! We really lucked out with the cuisine, even when we were being spontaneous - which I hardly ever am, haha.
Another early morning was ahead of us so we went back to the hotel and tried to get as much sleep as possible.
Day 9: New York to Charlotte
Back on the 7am train for another 12 hours of sitting until we reach the south. This time, we knew the Penn Station rush! We walked into the station just as they were calling our train.
On the way down, Dad asked us to report on each state we encountered. Leah wrote a long essay for him, haha. I don't remember how each state panned out, especially the ones we just rode through, but I definitely think Maine was #1.
It helped going into the trip with little expectation. In a way, I was honestly expecting to be let down because I had heard Acadia National Park is "overrated." I definitely did not find that to be the case. Although small, there is a lot to do and it is so beautiful.
Because of all the unrelated turmoil I felt going on in my life, I was considering canceling our trip even up to the last minute. I just didn't feel like I would be able to channel the pleasantry to contribute to an adequate experience for both my sister and myself.
I'm so glad I didn't listen to those feelings though. The trip was well worth it and I loved spending time with my best friend. Even if some of the circumstances were not initially how we expected or hoped them to be. I hope we get the chance to go on another "sister trip" someday.
Our train arrived in Charlotte around 10pm and Leah's gracious friend, Renee picked us up. What a favor to accommodate! When we got back to Leah's apartment, we were not done. Instead we drove to our parents' house because Mom had made family plans the next day.
Day 10: Bryson City
After being on trains for days at a time, the family rode on another train, this time for pleasure rather than a commute.
It was a fun family experience and while different from Amtrak, in a way it was more relaxing.
I'm sure Leah will agree with me when I say I was glad to finally be home and able to rest, not having to worry about catching the train or exploring a city with limited time. (I'm not sure that was entirely the case for her though since she quickly had to start the moving process.)
The trip with Leah was one of the most memorable vacations I've had. It was a delightful distraction from the reality I was living at the time as well. I'm so happy we shared that time together, especially since we live so far away from each other these days. I hope we can do it again soon!