Tag: Tours

🌅 Golden Hour in Acadia: A Sunset Cruise You’ll Never Forget
✨ Early Fall Magic in Acadia

Early fall is a magical time in Maine’s Acadia National Park. Daytime temperatures stay pleasantly warm, while evenings bring a cool, comfortable breeze—perfect weather for spending time on the water. My favorite moment is the “Golden Hour”, that radiant stretch before sunset when the light softens and the landscape glows.

Golden light spilling over the rocky coastline of Acadia during early fall.

🚤 A Sunset Cruise with Sail Acadia

On our latest post-summer adventure, we booked a two-hour sunset guided cruise with Sail Acadia out of Southwest Harbor. At 5 p.m., we boarded the Elizabeth T., a 33-foot wooden lobster boat, ready for an evening of sightseeing, wildlife encounters, local history, and lobster fishing.

The Elizabeth T’s hands-on lobster experience.

Dressed in jeans and light layers, we felt perfectly at ease as the sun lit up the mountains and rocky islands with a warm golden hue. Bottlenose dolphins and seals surfaced nearby, playfully escorting us through the harbor. We passed elegant waterfront estates owned by entrepreneurs, professionals, and celebrities—now mostly shuttered after the busy summer season.

🦞 Local Life & Lobster Fishing

Our captain, a seasoned lobster fisherman, hauled up a trap and pulled out a couple of lobsters, proudly sharing stories about the rewards and challenges of a profession that has shaped generations of island families.

Our captain demonstrates how lobster traps are hauled and checked for size and gender.

🌍 Shared Moments on the Water

A dozen fellow travelers joined us on benches lining the bow. Over the course of the cruise, we became a little community—swapping stories about where we’re from, our travels, and the special ways each of us experiences Acadia.

Moon rise over Acadia

📹 Our Video Diary

I have a saying:

Any day on the water is a good day. But in Acadia National Park, it’s a spectacular day.

📌 Travel Tips for Your Own Cruise
- When to go: Early fall (September–October) offers warm days, crisp evenings, and fewer crowds.
- What to wear: Jeans and light layers work well. Bring a windbreaker for the ride back.
- Where to book: Sail Acadia offers sunset tours and private charters departing from Southwest Harbor.
- Tour length: 2 hours (5–7 p.m.) is ideal to catch Golden Hour and sunset.
Steve Geiger

Mellow Wanderer Creator & Publisher

Susan Geiger

CFO & Website Photographer
Bucket List This: Rock Out At The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame!
America’s Only Tea Garden Has Acres Of Southern Comfort
Scenic Tiny Town In Ireland Embraces The Folklore Of Magical Fairies

On the grand Ring of Kerry scenic route, deep in the southwest region of Ireland, is the idyllic town of Sneem. With quaint atmosphere and colorful appearance, Sneem is a popular tourist spot. Cheery pubs, restaurants, and cozy shops line the town square. Sneem was the winner of Ireland’s Tidey Town National Competition in 1987. With sweeping scenic landscapes, it’s easy to see why.

Monuments and statues honor local heroes and distinguished visitors, such as the legendary President of France, Charles de Gaulle, who vacationed here in the 1969 when he resigned as president. A life-sized statue of former world wrestling champion, and native son, Steve “Crusher” Casey, poses and sneers at visitors— a perfect invitation for a variety of entertaining photo ops.

Sneem’s charm really shines when you stroll by St. Michael’s Church. There’s a dirt walking path to the right of the church that takes you to “The Way The Fairies Went,” a sort of fairy village. A local sculptor created brick pyramids– fairy homes– as a tribute to Irish folklore and the belief in magical fairies, known as “The Little People” in rural Ireland. With small entryways, and lookouts, and even stained-glass windows, you’ll walk through them and this Little People village with childlike wonder.

St. Michael’s Church

Fairy Pyramid

Pyramid Inside

Pyramid Stained-Glass

Pyramid

The Way The Fairies Went River Walk

A stopover or longer stay in Sneem is a perfect respite for any road weary traveler touring Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way.

The Sneem River

Sneem Tour Map
Dallas Cowboys: A Work Of Art Off The Field

By Sam Iannuzzi

Mellow Wanderer Contributor

Only in Texas can one purchase tickets to an Audio Art Tour to gawk at world-class contemporary works of art at… a football stadium.

AT&T Stadium, also known as Cowboys Stadium before the phone giant threw a bunch of money on the table, is that rare football venue with an art gallery of sorts where visitors can view paintings, mixed media, and sculptures while heading up an escalator to get a beer and some popcorn.

Inside “Jerry’s World,” as in erstwhile oil baron and current billionaire Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, chief promoter of himself, there’s a mash-up of equal parts art museum, sports arena, and Las Vegas glitz, including ten full alcohol “clubs.” Not to mention one of the biggest HD TVs in the world hanging over the playing field like a moored Zeppelin.

Completed in the summer of 2009, the stadium cost over $1 billion to build and sits in Arlington, Texas, about a 20-minute drive from downtown Dallas.

Primarily the home of the Dallas Cowboys, AT&T Stadium is becoming the venue of choice for some of the sporting world’s biggest events.

In addition to being the home of Super Bowl XLV on February 6, 2011, the stadium has hosted the 2010 NBA All-Star Game, the WBO welterweight championship fight between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottney on March 13, 2010 and the 2014 NCAA Final Four basketball tournament, to name a few.

“Jerry’s World” is also going to be the site of the first ever College Football Championship game on January 12, 2015.

If your travels take you to North Texas, AT&T Stadium is definitely worth a look. The massive structure dominates the landscape. With glistening glass panels and streamline design, the place is hard to miss.

If contemporary art is not your thing, regular stadium tours are available. But then again, here in Cowboys Country, perhaps the only work of art lately is away from the playing field on the ride up and down the escalators.

(PHOTOS COURTESY OF AT&T STADIUM)