1: Solitary Summit

It's one of the most beautiful places in the United States, probably in the world, but since I haven't been to many places out side of the US, I can't be sure. It's one place where you can have the forest at your back, rock under your feet, sky above your head and ocean before you. Acadia National Park in Maine is simply breath taking.

Despite being July, it was still a cool, slightly overcast day, about 65 degrees. I was thankful the rain ceased and the sun was struggling to make an appearance as I started the assent up the Beehive trail. And later, I was thankful that I had decided to wear shorts and my sun hat, the hiking and climbing, sometimes complete vertical stretches with iron rungs blasted into the side of the rock to help your climb, warmed up my body and it wasn't long before I was sweating.

520 feet later, I found myself at the summit. Beautiful. Behind me was the trail I had just trekked. Looking down upon the path I knew I had just come from, it didn't seem possible, there didn't appear to be a path at all, just a pile of rocks. Slightly breathless from the climb, and slightly from the swoon from looking down, I decided to see what else I could see from the top.

The ocean. The sea. The Atlantic. The deep blue color clashed against the light bluish-gray sky giving away it's cold temperature. For as far as I could see, the Atlantic Ocean laid before me. As I stood there, I took in the sights of the water, I listened to the waves crash on rocks below me and off to the distance. The smell of the salt filled my nose and lungs. A few seagulls had joined me at the summit. Unafraid of me, they walked around the rocks until realising I had nothing to share with them, they flew off to see what else they could find. I remained where I was. In complete solitude, in allure of the great Maine outdoors.

Photo and prompt copyright © Cynthia Staples, wordsandimagesbycynthia.wordpress.com.