Twenty-nine down...23 to go...

What: #77 Use a totally cliché pick-up line

Where: Smuggler's Den Campground
When: August 9
Why: Throughout my life, I've always had a bit of a bold streak, and it lends itself to lots of amusing anecdotes that friends will torture me with into my golden years. One of the ways my boldness manifests itself most often is in the presence of handsome strangers. So, this one seemed easy enough, but somehow premeditated boldness was not as easy as when it just randomly strikes. Thus, it took a large chunk of the year to finally tackle this list item. Alas, the moment finally arose when I decided to try a totally cliché pick-up line.

It happened at our campground; there was a new arrival at the site across from us and he seemed very well-equipped...in terms of camping gear, of course. He had his laptop, a lantern, a great tent, a bottle of wine, a nice chair, lots of fun accessories, but seemed devoid of a camping partner. So, eventually I couldn't take the curiosity any longer and just wandered into his site, sat down next to him around his campfire, and asked "So, are you here alone?" Ok, maybe not super smooth, but definitely cheesy and lame, and I guess that's what I was going for in this case. He and I struck up a conversation (he WAS there alone, thankfully). He was a photographer on assignment to get a few early morning shots of the fog rolling in around Acadia, and there was no shortage of that the days we were there. He shared some of his images, we chatted for awhile, but then it was time for me to make s'mores back at my own campsite, and sometimes, that takes priority. I did invite him to join us, he did decline, and that is the end of our story.

Twenty-eight down...24 to go...

What: #7 Hike in a National Park I’ve never been to

Where: Acadia National Park, Maine
When: August 8-10
Why: Growing up, I was fortunate to be exposed to the joys of being outdoors, traveling with my family to many national parks across the country, and I often recall vivid memories from many of those amazing road trips. With so many of my travels being international lately, I had felt I was missing out on a few of the awesome things we have in this country. After another amazing trip to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (which didn't count for this because I've been there countless times), I knew I was hooked and ready to get back to the parks. For me, Acadia has stood out as this really timeless place, and I wanted to experience it for myself, and as I had a road trip planned out that way, it fit easily into the itinerary.

For me, the best things to do in Acadia were biking the carriage roads, hiking on a few great trails, and getting up close in the tide pools. Or, as our ranger guide said one day, "be wanderers and wonder-ers." So, we took that to heart.

The carriage roads (imagined and constructed by Rockefeller along with the hand-built stone bridges) were a treat, hard enough to feel like you earned the views, but not so hard that it was altogether miserable.

And the hikes, up the Beehive, along the Ocean Trail, around the summit of Cadillac Mountain, and to the top of Flying Mountain...each was amazing in its own way. 

And finally those tide pools, it really was impressive how much life you find in them. I could have spent hours, days, seeing and doing more in the park, but the adventures I did have already are some of my new favorite memories.