Posted on April 1, 2026

Acadia National Park is where the ocean collides with the mountains covered with trees dressed in red, orange, and yellow leaves—a perfect collage of fall.

The adventure last November began with my mama surprising me with snacks before my drive to OKC Will Rogers International Airport.

I’d experienced a few 16-hour plane rides alone, and I actually missed being half-asleep while hearing the gentle roar of the plane. This experience was new and different though; when I opened my eyes, Matthew was there beside me—looking out at the clouds and then smiling back at me.

For the duration of the trip, he was there to help carry my bags, roll my luggage, and stand in long lines to get us food while I got us coffee.

Our first full day in Maine was the sunniest, warmest we had, and we spent the morning at The River Church from 10:30 a.m. until 1 p.m.

New Englander and traveling evangelist Wesley Aggrey spoke highly of Tulsa, OK, as he described it as a Christian city. Being from Oklahoma with churches on every corner, I sat there intrigued—I had not considered what other states thought of the Bible Belt.

He said, “How is the city different because you are there?”

Tulsa is where Matthew lives.

On our way into Bar Harbor after church, as Matthew drove the rental car along the winding roads, he said that with every turn were different colors of leaves. I noticed that the license plates were not Oklahoma’s neighboring states like Texas and Arkansas; instead, they were Massachusetts, Vermont, Virginia, and New York.

We spent the afternoon meandering around Main Street and found ourselves taking turns hopping onto a giant rocking horse at In The Woods, a unique shop showcasing handmade woodwork.

On Tuesday morning, we ventured down to the Dr. John B. Ells Pier. My hair blew in the wind as we watched seagulls dance between the ships on the wild white-capped waves.

After a FaceTime visit with my mama, we headed out to Sand Beach—a special place where the evergreens and mountains of Maine met the sands and seashells of the Atlantic Ocean.

Rather than walking barefoot and wearing swimsuits, we were layered up in jackets and left hiking shoe prints in the sand as we gazed out at the sparkling blue waters.

Our next destination surprised me with the most difficult and exhilarating hike of my life—Beehive Loop Trail.

The trailhead featured a warning sign with the following message: “This trail follows a nearly vertical route with exposed cliffs that requires climbing iron rungs. Falls on this mountain have resulted in serious injury and death. Small children and people with a fear of heights should not use this trail.”

Together, we navigated narrow pathways, climbed up iron rungs mounted on cliffs, and “scrambled,” which is a word new to me.

Writer Alissa Bell said that scrambling is like “4-wheel drive” hiking; you use both your hands and your feet, according to her online article “Scrambling: A Hiker’s Guide."

I certainly felt like my body was a Jeep.

My adrenaline spiked when I saw the edge of the cliff, and the views became more magnificent as we ascended.

We eventually reached the top of Beehive Trail, then descended by way of The Bowl, which took us through a dreamy forest with a wooden path. The hike was 1.6 miles but felt like much longer.

Our next stop was Jordan Pond Trail and Bubbles Mountains—and I had been excited to see these mountains simply for the name.

Despite the fierce wind that evening, Matthew and I embarked on the trail. As the sun set, soft light glimmered on the pond with the rounded Bubbles Mountains as the backdrop.

By nightfall, we made it back to downtown Bar Harbor and moseyed into Sherman’s Book Store. The quaint bookstore was bright with life from our view on the street. We were welcomed into the world of books, a haven from the cold.

By 5:40 a.m. the next day, we were layered up again and loaded up with our coffees in hand and ready for our sunrise hike up Cadillac Mountain.

We walked 0.1 of a mile along Kebo Brook Trail to the trailhead for Cadillac North Ridge Trail.

At dawn, the sky was colored with soft pinks, yellows, and blues. As we ascended the mountain, the golden sun started to peek through the trees—casting light on the red leaves around us.

We hiked at a rather quick pace so that we could see the sunrise clearly. Though the temperatures were still in the 30s, I started to sweat under my winter hat due to the workout.

The higher we climbed, the higher the sun rose.

We finally made it to Cadillac Summit Road, the popular route that drivers take.

By 7:15 a.m., we were standing at the top looking at the sun shining through the clouds.

After we climbed down the mountain, it was nearly 9 a.m.—and we had put in our steps for the day. I had 16,910 steps, and Matthew, with his relatively longer legs, had 14,264.

It was then time to eat a giant breakfast, complete with pumpkin spice coffee, orange juice, breakfast pizza, bacon, French toast, cantaloupe, yogurt with blueberries, and cheese.
Our day was not over though.

“Wonderland” by Taylor Swift played on the speakers as Matthew drove us to our next destination: Wonderland Trail. As we alternated between skipping and leisurely walking, we were surprised by the adorable chipmunks along the trail.

By 4 p.m., we arrived at Acadia and St. Sauveur Mountain Trails. The trail was wide and open, and the evergreens towered over us as we walked deep into the forest. We wanted to see the waterfall up ahead, but the sun was setting, so we turned around.

We’d worked up another appetite, so we went to Geddy’s, where we had my favorite meal of the vacation.

Cozy inside, we finally took off our coats and sat down to have authentic clam chowder, lobster rolls, oyster crackers, and blueberry tart, followed by homemade blueberry cobbler and ice cream.

By the end of the night, I had 27,874 steps, and Matthew had 24,835 steps. He said he'd never had more steps—not even when he was an RA at OU.

On our last day, we were up before 5 a.m. to go back to Cadillac Mountain to see the sunrise.

This time, we did not hike; Matthew drove.

As we rounded the mountain in the dark, we had no idea what surprise would be waiting for us at the top of the mountain.

There was snow!

Matthew and I got out of the car multiple times and fought the wind so that we could take photos of the snow. There was even a baby evergreen sprinkled with snowflakes.

Though we could not see the sun through the clouds, the snow was a thrilling, lovely surprise.

On our way to the airport, we made a stop at Bass Harbor Head Light Station, which was built in 1858.

Matthew and I stood at the base of the lighthouse and enjoyed the ocean view one more time.

According to the National Park Service website, “Acadia National Park receives more than four million recreational visits each year," making it one of the most-visited national parks in the U.S.

Rather than being 1 in four million alone, we were 2 in four million together.

Two hiking in the mountains
Two smiling at a restaurant
Two riding on a plane

Perhaps that was the most memorable part of the trip—exploring Maine with Matthew who shares my passion for God and His creation.