In my defense it should be pointed out that Bar Harbor was not the main focal point of the vacation I took this summer with a friend. We had spent a week at a cottage in Prince Edward Island, and on the suggestions and urging of my friend, Bar Harbor was inserted into the itinerary for our drive home. She convinced me that Bar Harbor was somewhere that she had always wanted to visit and her life would not be complete if we didn't visit it. Now!

First of all, travel by car is not for everyone. Secondly, car travel is better if it IS the vacation, rather than merely the means of getting from Point A to Point B. We chose driving because despite absurd gasoline prices it was still the most economical means of travel, as well as the fact that neither of us had driven to these areas and wanted to take in the scenery. I think that the ideal situation would be to drive to your destination, spend a restful week and fly home.

Having said that, our side trip to coastal Maine was delightful. Even if the weather was not delightful. Like most areas in central and eastern North America in summer 2008, rain was a constant irritation.

This car trip certainly brought back memories of car trips my sister and I had endured with our parents growing up. Back then we had no idea how far places were and how long it would take us to get there. Well, despite being considerably older, I still had no idea how far places were and how long it would take to get to them. At least on this trip that was the case.

And, did you know that Bar Harbor is on an Island? Of course you knew that. It was only us that discovered this interesting fact as the drive along Bar Harbor Rd. through Ellsworth on the way to Mount Desert Island seemed to take forever. This is where the difference between driving to get somewhere and driving to enjoy the scenery became quite evident.

Considering how tired we were after a day of travelling by car to get to our 'dream' destination, we were extremely pleased with what we found when we arrived in Bar Harbor. We were able to find a very adequate hotel despite arriving without reservations. The hotel we checked into was right on Eden St. at the north edge of town, and we quickly discovered that there was a shuttle bus that passed on a continuous route from the outlying hotels to the center of Bar Harbor. Of course we also quickly discovered that if you weren't right there when the bus passed your hotel it was not going to wait for you. Not to fear though because as I mentioned the buses kept a regular schedule. One caution though. You would have to enjoy bus travel because it is a very "up-and-down" journey and you would need to have a seat or strong arms to hang on to the rail.

Bar Harbor is a very interesting place and our very short stopover just wetted our appetite for more. Another visit is definitely in store. With any luck the weather will be better because a little bit of fog and rain seemed appropriate, but too much rain just put a 'damper' on our visit. Many restaurants and shops will give you plenty to do while in the center of town and the National Park is fantastic. I have to make special mention of one particular shop that got a lot of attention from us. That was a store called Christmas Vacation on the right hand side of the street heading toward the water. You will know it when you get there. Awesome! Ask them if they have any Flamingos!

So, for anyone traveling along the east coast of the United States I would recommend a side trip to Bar Harbor, Maine. You just never know what you will find there. You may even find me there!

I wonder how many other couples suffer from Unequal Navigation Ability Syndrome. It must turn many an annual holiday or weekend jaunt into a nightmare, particularly when the navigationally-challenged partner is also a non-driver:

"Shall I stop and show you where we are on the map?"

"No - if you'd just slow down a bit I could work out where we

are."

"I'm only doing 50."

"Anyway, you said we had to follow the signs for Berwick."

"No, I said ignore the signs for Berwick because that's in the wrong direction."

"Well, that's a fine way to get somewhere - just avoid all the places you don't want and you'll end up in the right one!"

"There's no need for sarcasm. I'll stop in this lay-by."

"If you stop this car I'm getting out and catching a bus."

If this sounds hideously familiar, don't despair. Assuming that you scorn new-fangled gimmicks like SatNav, all you need is a little practice in the art of map reading, and the right attitude. It's said by some (well, me anyway) that anyone can understand quantum physics if they try. It follows that getting yourself and your partner from Acle to Bootle via Cheadle (or the equivalent for whichever country you happen to be in) should be a doddle.

The first and golden rule is know where you're going. This may be blindingly obvious, but is easy to overlook - I once guided a friend to Stroud for a football match, only to be coldly informed that Stroud F.C.'s ground is in Nailsworth. Conclusive proof that it's best not to rely on telepathy.

Another point to remember is that route planning is the easy bit. Road atlases tend not to show traffic jams, abnormal loads, tractors or convoys of New Age Travellers. A good one (3 miles or less to the inch) will, however, show the extremely minor roads you can use to bypass virtually all such obstacles, and you'll hardly ever end up axle-deep in mud.

With regard to your road atlas, position it with your destination at the top if you find this helps. Relatively few of us are blessed with automatic orientation correctors in our cerebral matter. Of course, you'll have to practise reading upside down. The only alternative is to confine your travels to a northerly direction, which in the U.K. will eventually lead you to Dunnet Head. Still, what better place for a weekend break?

One thing is certain - when your newly acquired map reading skill is consummated by a punctual arrival, the feeling of satisfaction and achievement is well-nigh incomparable. Don't let it go to your head, however, and tell your host/landlady/receptionist etc how clever you've been, with a road-by-road account. It made a glorious Monty Python sketch, with Eric Idle droning on and on about how he had to wait half an hour to get on the M5 at Droitwich, and usually came round by the B3339, but is the quickest way I know to induce terminal, glazed-eyes boredom.

Excuse me now; I'm off to Dunnet Head to open my School of Navigation (reasonable rates - inverted reading our speciality). I shall be making my own way there.