The Maine Coast lies in an east/west direction, with long peninsulas and thousands of islands. The jagged coastline measures 3,500 miles. Seemingly endless cruising opportunities await those exploring by boat.
The largest island, Mount Desert, is toward the eastern end of the Maine Coast. It is heavily populated in the summer, with over 6 million visitors a year. When compared to Maine's total population of 1.3 million people, that is a massive number.
Mount Desert Island's popularity is due to: 1) it is an amazingly beautiful place, 2) it is reachable by land via a bridge connecting it to the mainland, and 3) over half of the island is a national park. Acadia National Park is the second most visited United States park, eclipsed in attendance only by Yellowstone. It is unique in that the property was donated to the park service, mostly by John D. Rockefeller.
Somes Sound lies near the center of the island. This body of water is the only fjord in the continental United States. It was carved by glaciers, creating a narrow, deep bay with high rock walls.
There is a small, protected harbor at the north end of the sound, where the first permanent settlers, Abraham and Hannah Somes landed. Somes Harbor became the home for Last Dance on three extended visits.
Somesville continues as a small village in the middle of Mount Desert Island. The business district consists of an intersection with a stop light, a convenience store/gas station/Subway restaurant, a post office, and a small branch bank.
Those aspects of the village did not hold much attraction for the Last Dance Crew, but three other features made Somesville a great place to call home.
Most importantly is the library. The library is privately owned, but open to the public. It was built 100 years ago as a means of more easily sharing books. Prior to the library, people would visit homes to borrow books from the owners' bookshelves. While the extended summer hours were only three partial days a week, the library provided support 24 hours a day. Much of Mount Desert Island is not covered by cell phone service. In these days of information being gathered through internet connections, the lack of cell service and internet connection is a big disadvantage on a cruising boat. The library broadcasted their WiFi signal 24/7. Granite benches around the library provided a place to communicate with a laptop computer placed appropriately on one's lap.
The library was also the place to meet the residents of Somesville. One couple, Mary and Joseph, took the Last Dance crew to the peak of Cadillac Mountain. It was a spiritual experience. Mary and Joseph visit the mountaintop every Sunday morning, with appropriate communion beverages.
Somesville may be a tiny village, but it does have some cultural amenities. One is the Acadia Repertory Theater.
The crew were able to join the professional productions of The Blaggards, buy John McCort of Angela's Ashes fame, and A Murder is Announced, an Agatha Christie mystery.
Thirdly, the bus. The Island Explorer Bus, sponsored by L. L. Bean, Maine's most famous retailer and a great provider of hiking equipment and outdoor wearing apparel, provides free bus transportation around the island. The library provided a convenient bus stop.
Somesville's economy was once filled with mills and factories, powered by water from dammed mill ponds. The dams and ponds remain, preserving a historic beauty.
An environmentally conscious aspect of the mill dams are fish ladders. All of the dams have stepped pools allowing the fish to swim upstream to spawn. An abundance of natural beauty made Somesville a comfortable place to be.
