Four forts and several hikes ago, we set off for a grand adventure!  Last week Asa and I took Mom and Dad on vacation. This year we visited the Searsport, Maine area.  Searsport is approximately one hour south of Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park, and offers many scenic dog friendly places to explore, yet without all the crowds.  Now for those of you who have been following us for awhile you’ve come to expect certain things on our vacation: an appearance by Asa’s Imaginary Friend, lots of hiking, and fog!  This vacation certainly included all that and more!

So in case you’re wondering, yes, Asa’s Imaginary Friend tagged along.  He was spotted hanging out behind the glass doors on the fireplace of the house we rented.  Another tradition, yes, Asa ended up in the cone of shame once again.  Don’t worry!  He’s not injured!  He just got bored on the long car ride to reach our destination and gave himself a hot spot.  Sure Mom gave him his favorite Nylabone to chew, but Asa decided he tasted better.  So at night he had to wear the cone.  But that didn’t stop him from enjoying our vacation!

Each morning we began the day by taking Mom and Dad on a sunrise walk on the beach.  Followed by a day filled with exploring new places.  Normally we like to reach new heights while on vacation, by hiking rugged trails with scenic overlooks on the headlands.  But this time we took an easier pace and stayed at sea level, learning about the local history.  Spoiler alert: Belfast, Maine was once the “Broiler Chicken Capital of the World” in the mid-1900s.  Among the many places we visited was the location of a French chapel founded by Capuchin missionaries in 1641, and an earthwork fort built in 1779 by the British during the American Revolution.  We even explored an island that was rumored to be a favorite hiding place for rum runners during Prohibition.  Also on our adventure we saw a Bald Eagle soaring over our heads and Seals playing in the water.  I never realized Seals like fetch as much as I do.  But there they were frolicking in the waves, tossing fish in the air and catching them in their own version of my favorite game!

There was also a lot of fog.  But rather than just covering the view as in past vacations, the fog around Searsport had fun playing with us.  In the course of a half hour we watched it roll in completely covering the view, roll out to reveal the spectacular coastline, then roll in again covering the tops of the land in the distance like frosting on a cake, and then drifting to the bottom making it look like meatloaf sitting on mashed potatoes.  Ok, I should probably tell you this was around dinner time, so my thoughts may have been a bit clouded by thoughts of food.  And speaking of food, yes, my on-going quest to have lobster continued…also Asa insisted on wearing his ridiculous lobster costume once again.

I’m excited to tell you all about our Searsport adventure, but first I need to supervise Mom and Dad as they unpack.  My sensitive nose tells me that there’s a rather large pile of dirty laundry that needs their immediate attention, and our treat jar is woefully low on snacks.  So let me get Mom and Dad settled, organize our pictures, and I’ll be sharing all of our vacation adventures in the days ahead!  But first, I need a nap.  Vacations are exhausting!