The Bubbles - Acadia National Park
Location: Mount Desert Island, Maine
There are two "bubbles" -- north and south. It doesn't sound very impressive, climbing a bubble, but remember that you're starting at nearly sea level, so everything's up from there.
We parked at the carriage road parking lot nearest to the Bubbles, off the park loop road. There are lots of trails in the area, some of which lead up to the bubbles -- the free park map from the visitors center was useful.
The view south from the South Bubble is gorgeous; Jordan Pond is tucked into a valley between Pemetic and Penobscot Mountains, and further south you can see the ocean and little islands rising up through the fog.
I thought the view north from the North Bubble was even more impressive, with Eagle Lake directly below, and views of Cadillac mountain and large mountain chains further to the north. Both bubbles hosted lovely alpine flora & fauna, which seemed unusual, considering how close to the ocean they are. You could tell where Red Squirrels had stopped for a snack by the little piles of pinecone debris left along the sides of the trail.
We walked back to the parking lot via one of the carriage roads, which are very well maintained dirt/crushed stone roads that run throughout the park. The carriage roads are closed to motorized vehicles, and would be great for leisurely bike riding.
