Relaxing in Maine with a Touch of Grief

This is our third year going to Mt. Desert Island and we still love it. Several of the families we talked to kept saying that every year they want to go somewhere else for vacation, but end up right back at the same campground. I figure why mess with success when it comes to a week of relaxation.
We have plenty of other opportunities for excitement.....
Our first two days were very chill. We got our camp site all set up the first day after a leisurely drive. The second day we hung around the camp site for most of the morning. In the afternoon, we did a really nice hike across from Echo Lake. There were some pretty steep sections, but the views were spectacular. We also started our "Handstands in ME" photo collage on the hike. There is no place where Bug will not try a hand stand.
Monday, our third day, started out nice. We made our usual run up to the Gathering Spot for pastries, coffee, and daddy-daughter chit chat. Then the cat sitter called....
Alex, our cat, had been up and down since the winter, but nobody really knew what was wrong with him. At first we thought it was just asthma and put him on steroids, and he bounced back. Then as summer wore on, he started getting more and more picky about his food and generally just slowing down. He'd do great for a while; then not so great. We were planning on having some more testing done after vacation, but it seems like he had other plans...
The sitter said he looked pretty bad and that he needed to see a vet ASAP. She would take him, but one of us would need to come home and fill out the final paperwork.
After talking it out as a family, we decided that we would leave the camp site set up, all drive home to be with Alex, and them come back the next day. Bug was adamant about wanting to be there for Alex even knowing that he was likely not going to make it. It was a somber drive.
About halfway down, the vet called and confirmed what we already knew. He was in a very bad way; she could probably give him some drugs and stuff to perk him back up, but that would just be a short term fix. We let the vet know that we were on our way and wanted to be there when he passed; she said she would make him comfortable until we got there.
We told Bug what was going to happen when we got to the vets. She was sad, but resolute. She and H spent the rest of the drive making a mural of all the things we loved about Alex.
The vet had a nice room set aside for saying goodbye. There is a little couch where we all sat together and held Alex. He looked comfortable, but definitely weak. When we were ready, the vet gave him the shots and he drifted away.  We all had a good cry. Yes, even me. I reminded Bug, that pets who are truly loved never die.
After we finished at the vet, we went home to put some of Alex's things away. We didn't want to keep it hanging about.
Before anyone could think too much about it, I made the executive decision to drive back to the campground that night. H was skeptical, but didn't up much of a fight. I figured that if we lingered we would never get back. We would sleep in, then we'd be all mopey and drag our butts until it was after lunch, and we'd miss two full days of our vacation. That is not what Alex would have wanted....
It was the right decisions. Bug passed out in the backseat and we go back to the campground before midnight.
We woke up on Tuesday ready for pastries, cold brew coffee, and fun in the sun. After a bit of planning, we decided it would be a biking day: we would catch the shuttle into Bar Harbor, take the bike express to Eagle Lake, ride out to Jordan Pond House, then reverse course. Plan in hand, we packed up our water bottles, threw some snacks in a back pack, hopped on the bikes, and headed up to meet the shuttle into Bar Harbor.
When the bus arrived we started loading the bikes on the racks only to find out that the shuttles cannot accommodate standard 29" MTB tires.... We're not talking fatty tires, just plain old 29" tires.
So, back down to the camp site to make a quick swithcheroo on our toy transport set up. We moved the bike racks off of the trailer and onto the roof of the bus. It was harder than I thought it would be. The bus is super tall and wide. Getting a bike in the middle was quite the trick. An hour latter we were on our way....
At the trailhead, H had me ask for help getting the middle bike down. It is nice to have an extra hand and not risk banging up the bikes.....
Bug and I enjoyed our new wheels on the trail. The added suspension was cushy and I hardly noticed the extra weight. We did make sure we stuck with H up the hills. Last year we just went around Eagle Lake; this year we decided to extend the trip over to Jordan Pond. It was a nice extension. The trail was mostly level and the scenery was nice.
It was easy to tell when you got to Jordan Pond. There was a throng of bike and people milling about taking selfies and chilling.
We made our way over to the actually Jordan Pond House just to see what it was about and ended up staying for some popovers. It really is all that. The popovers are deliciously lite and airy. The jam and butter was a perfect match. The outdoor seating was lovely and our waiter was delightful. It was a perfect little break in the middle of our ride.
The ride back is mostly down hill. Kenzie did have to stop a few times to wait for us. For the most part she did really well. With the new wheels, she can zoom. I empathized with her. My new wheels really wanted to zoom down the trail as well.
We had help getting the bikes back on the car, but not getting them off at the campground. Fortunately, no bikes were hurt (or any buses).
The next day was our annual Mt. Gorham hike to collect blueberries. It is always a nice hike.
We parked at Sand Beach and walked up past Thunder Hole hoping it was thundering. We had no luck on the thunder; all was quite at the hole.
The Gorham trail is easy and we made quick work of it. We did get a few nice hiking handstands to add to our collection. H and Bug worked harder looking for berries than they did hiking. They scoured the summit and got a nice haul. The hike down was also pretty uneventful. The only hard part was trying to convince H to let Bug and I do the Beehive trail.... Maybe next year....
Back at the campground Bug wanted to try paddle boarding, so she and I rented a pair for two hours. At first, Bug was not too into it. I think she was a little scared and a little cold. It did not take too much prodding to get her to try some backbends and handstands on the paddle board. Once she realized that she could manage that, she was all in. She spent more time doing tricks than paddling, but that was OK. I got to paddle and she had fun. What is vacation for if not for having fun.
Thursday was a family kayaking day. After pastries and puttering around, we set off down Sommes Sound. It was a little windy and Kenzie got chilly paddling the sit on top, so we only made it about a mile or so before hauling out for lunch. After some snacks and a quick swim, we headed back to camp. First we went looking for some Ospreys. Bug and I had seen some when we were paddle boarding. Today they alluded us.
On the way back to the docks, Bug saw some of her friends and wanted to stop. So, I stopped with Bug and H continued back. H deserved some down time. Bug and her friends set up a fancy restaurant on the rocks while I practiced my boat control skills and generally goofed off on the water. Then the kids asked for on water entertainment, so I did a bunch of rolls for them.
Thursday night was the Stars over the Beach presentation in the park and we always try to go and see the show. Last year it was cloudy and you could hear the thunder coming in from the mainland. This year the full moon and fog made star gazing less than rewarding. The rangers did their best and told some good stories. Even when the sky does not corporate, laying on the beach listening to good stories with the gentle tide in the background is a nice way to spend an evening.
Our final day was set aside for Diver Ed. As expected it was a fun time on the water. Ed is goofy and educational. Getting to spend a few hour out at sea is a bonus.
Driving home was bittersweet. While we were happy to be heading home, we were sad that vacation was over and that home was going to be empty. It will take a while to get used to not having a giant fuzz ball wandering around the house.