Fall is here, and we walked home from brunch today; a ride we'd normally take a 12 minute cab or a 30 minute subway took us over an hour walk, but we didn't mind. It rained yesterday but the leaves have already shrunken back to curled, crunchy edges. You know I breathe the biggest sigh of relief when fall arrives.
![20170903_112906-_D5A4664 20170903_112906-_D5A4664](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/7b3f5dc368874b14db55cd7ea63b6e3c/20170903_112906-_D5A4664-900x900.jpg)
Wanted you all to see Walker's photos from our trip to Maine last year, but I honestly don't recall enough about each specific hike to share details. Instead, I am thinking of how it feels to be where we are right now: chalkboard signs on every block with cups of hot chocolate piping steam wiggles. Walking an extra half block to go by a few thin orange-leafed trees. The frustration of fitting bins of summer clothes into a tiny cab to go to a windowless storage unit, where the lights are on a timer that buzzes like a mosquito. Trays of root vegetables: purple, yellow, orange, pink--mapled and olive oiled in the oven.
![20170903_121542-_D5A4771 20170903_121542-_D5A4771](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/10289c0c6c0015183dfef2dfb9bb5ff9/20170903_121542-_D5A4771-900x900.jpg)
But harkening back just a bit, these photos are from our first hike in Acadia National Park, the park that is contained in the island of Mount Desert. We had pre-bought our car's park pass (about $25/week) and kept it in our Apple Wallet for going through each time. This hike up Acadia Mountain was our first in the park for the week.
![20170903_113513-_D5A4676 20170903_113513-_D5A4676](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/87ef46aee8a705667f14e8e7ffe08aba/20170903_113513-_D5A4676-900x900.jpg)
![20170903_113811-_D5A4684 20170903_113811-_D5A4684](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/1be632abeb0146c26d55ccf1e9976a48/20170903_113811-_D5A4684-900x900.jpg)
It was a 2.5 mile loop that again, I remember as much of as these photos show.
![20170903_114139-_D5A4688 20170903_114139-_D5A4688](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/189bc8348969ee04ad2c81e316789547/20170903_114139-_D5A4688-900x900.jpg)
The hike was rated difficult and there was quite a bit of rock on the way up.
Looks like I stopped for an unusual number of photos, which likely means the ascent was fairly steep,
![20170903_113414-_D5A4668 20170903_113414-_D5A4668](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/37dc75acbc5b3e792b66c038fc45fdbb/20170903_113414-_D5A4668-900x900.jpg)
and I was catching my breath, or letting my heart jump back into my body.
![20170903_115557-_D5A4700 20170903_115557-_D5A4700](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/7f6c3b59181e64355cbe5c3b918bde3d/20170903_115557-_D5A4700-900x900.jpg)
![20170903_120007-_D5A4714 20170903_120007-_D5A4714](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/ff9e39305e8af1f7117e412af343edcf/20170903_120007-_D5A4714-900x900.jpg)
Pretty soon, the top!
![20170903_120303-_D5A4730 20170903_120303-_D5A4730](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/7f845b997d1f2c87482f7acce772d25a/20170903_120303-_D5A4730-900x900.jpg)
All the mountains on Acadia are rocky, the rough stones of the mountain rubbed through the wind-blown pines at the top.
![20170903_121928-_D5A4775 20170903_121928-_D5A4775](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/b2f805e88232d936a0948e753aaceee1/20170903_121928-_D5A4775-900x900.jpg)
![20170903_122354-_D5A4789 20170903_122354-_D5A4789](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/f6fd41c730d76d3d6e9edd605a0594b3/20170903_122354-_D5A4789-900x900.jpg)
![20170903_122736-_D5A4802 20170903_122736-_D5A4802](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/ab9364fa1c42c762664d2e063a6692e9/20170903_122736-_D5A4802-900x900.jpg)
It is 6:30 here in NYC now, and dark enough already for car lights along the FDR to shine into the river. Broccoli is softening into soup on the stove. I am sharing photos of a place that holds that cool autumn feel year-round. Do you know how?
![20170903_122753-_D5A4804 20170903_122753-_D5A4804](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/e70eeffd5f629e7f1f8175ff2630f0fe/20170903_122753-_D5A4804-900x900.jpg)
![20170903_122906-_D5A4808 20170903_122906-_D5A4808](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/c0201d8213f9f92bbf36058b42775692/20170903_122906-_D5A4808-900x900.jpg)
Enter windbreakers! And the first view down a fjord.
![20170903_123117-_D5A4811 20170903_123117-_D5A4811](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/936fe42cb4f86e4618e55db153e3af92/20170903_123117-_D5A4811-900x900.jpg)
![20170903_123132-_D5A4815 20170903_123132-_D5A4815](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/997485a13622473068a53c6e862a9a08/20170903_123132-_D5A4815-900x900.jpg)
![20170903_123138-_D5A4816 20170903_123138-_D5A4816](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/21f034a23c679eba3074b05eac5f21a6/20170903_123138-_D5A4816-900x900.jpg)
And then? Back down again, hands to rock to avoid slippage.
![20170903_123306-_D5A4822 20170903_123306-_D5A4822](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/2bd593d8c231719a8c14464e2d435676/20170903_123306-_D5A4822-900x900.jpg)
![20170903_123450-_D5A4828 20170903_123450-_D5A4828](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/5d78a9bb562656284fcafc84a898b5d2/20170903_123450-_D5A4828-900x900.jpg)
![20170903_124535-_D5A4839 20170903_124535-_D5A4839](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/ecefd236a93bf8cbb14164f665dc5594/20170903_124535-_D5A4839-900x900.jpg)
![20170903_125421-_D5A4858 20170903_125421-_D5A4858](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/60133d6d6e9f35b7165269102f930914/20170903_125421-_D5A4858-900x900.jpg)
![20170903_125813-_D5A4874 20170903_125813-_D5A4874](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/3863663444a4fc777ff12b0e6584c1d9/20170903_125813-_D5A4874-900x900.jpg)
![20170903_130026-_D5A4879 20170903_130026-_D5A4879](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/1ad9d2ca4572c4904730aa5d72a1881b/20170903_130026-_D5A4879-900x900.jpg)
![20170903_130656-_D5A4903 20170903_130656-_D5A4903](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/446181ecc624bbc8a14cef05414742af/20170903_130656-_D5A4903-900x900.jpg)
We stopped at the nearby Beal's in Southwest Harbor,
![20170903_144553-_D5A4927 20170903_144553-_D5A4927](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/d4d6e74f95ce1ae4d87607b1aef7cfdd/20170903_144553-_D5A4927-900x900.jpg)
for the obvious main point of any restaurant in Maine.
![20170903_135508-_D5A4919 20170903_135508-_D5A4919](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/2026f2f0ffb17fb95cbb451000cf7a98/20170903_135508-_D5A4919-900x900.jpg)
Wicked good lobstah stew for Alie; always a roll for Walker.
![20170903_144932-_D5A4935 20170903_144932-_D5A4935](https://media.walkandalie.com/images/a2ae031f60079fe2faab6c9520555aaa/20170903_144932-_D5A4935-900x900.jpg)
And now it is time to blend the soup that sadly has no lobster and no butter, but still reminds of the deep exhale of autumn. Happy November, all!