acadia national park and the challenges of landscape photography

It's been just over a week since Josh and I left for two months of cross-country driving. We've got several beautiful New England towns in the rear view mirror, including Cambridge (MA), North Conway (NH), Freeport and Camden (ME), and one National Park: Acadia.

We had been anticipating Acadia as much for its backpacking as its opportunities for taking landscape shots. Although we explored the park for days, taking pictures all day, every day, we sit here in Montreal, looking at our photos wondering why they aren't better...more powerful...sharper.

Josh, keener on landscape photography, did some research and came across some helpful hints, found here:
http://digital-photography-school.com/11-surefire-tips-for-improving-your-landscape-photography

To summarize:
1. Choose a small aperture setting (large number), therefore maximizing your depth of field.
2. Use a tripod to ensure complete stillness.
3. Have a focal point.
4. Consider your foreground (is there a point of interest in it?)
5. If you focus on the sky, enhance it. Otherwise, keep it in the upper third of your shot.
6. Use of lines to lead viewer to a focal point in the image
7. Capture Movement - wind and such.
8. Weather - sunny days can be boring. Storms are cool.
9. Shoot during golden hours - around dawn and dusk.
10. The Horizon. Two questions to ask: is it straight and where is it compositionally? (consider rule of thirds).
11. Change your point of view (think outside the box).

Seawall by Josh/Montreal Marriott by Lauren.