A Walk Among the Wealthy: Northeast Harbor, Maine

Not all worthy walkabouts are contained within the bounds of Acadia National Park. If you like to take a drive and then a walk among the “cottages” of the old moneyed elite of the East Coast then have I got a route for you.  This route is in the town of  Seal Harbor, on the east side of Somes Sound. It is a short 8 mile drive from Bar Harbor; just head south down Main Street and it will turn into Rt 3/Otter Creek Rd. You will pass famed genetics research lab Jackson Lab. When you reach the ocean again it will be Seal Harbor. Instead of following Rt. 3 at the sharp right, go straight and the road becomes Steamboat Wharf  Road. At the end is Steamboat Wharf, a nice little harbor where steamships docked in days gone by. The Rockefellers would arrived here to spend their summers at the Eyrie, their nearby cottage or later at the Anchorage, built after the Eyrie was torn down.

From Steamboat Wharf turn back for a stone’s throw and take the first right up the hill. Take the first right and that’s Cooksey Drive. Also known as The Sea Cliff Drive:

This is where you start to see the sprawling estates with separate driveways and parking for staff.  Martha Stewart lives nearby. The cool thing is that the Maine Coast Heritage Trust has carved out a bit of this area for the use of the rest of us. The Cooksey Drive Overlook is a great place to park the car and get out for a walk.  Just keep driving on Cooksey Drive for about 8/10 of a mile and on the right will be the parking lot. You can begin your walk by following the path to the shore. You will be rewarded by a dramatic clifftop view with crashing surf below. Now you know what the residents see out their windows. Beware the poison ivy underfoot! We went on a foggy day and the effect was pure Maine! Back to the parking lot and you can choose to continue on foot or by car.  Now, I’m not going to tell you to gawk at the mansions or invite yourself to tea with the Vanderbilts, but if you WERE to get invited I hope you take photos and send them to me.