Discovering Maine's Rocky Coast with Kids - Week of July 1

By Maine author Jennifer Parker

We ventured onto a magical maze that led us to a mysterious place. That was how Libby described our evening walk along the Marginal Way in Ogunquit, ME to her big sister, Anna.  We had spent the day at home by the pool and weeding our vegetable beds.  The sun was hot and dry and the sky was blue without a cloud in sight.  It had turned into a scorcher and our little house had heated up like a sauna.  I’ve never been one to venture to tourist spots during peak season  but I needed a distraction for Libby, her sister had been invited to a sleepover and she was sad and lonely.

We picked up a family friend and headed off down the back roads through South Berwick to Ogunquit.  Libby wanted to know where we were going so I quickly turned as I was driving and told her it was a surprise and she would love it.  We found a free parking space in our secret location and parked.  Ogunquit was  buzzing.  It was nearly 7:00pm and the streets were filled with people window shopping, eating ice cream, and looking for the perfect place to stop and dine.  We held Libby’s hands as we crossed the traffic and walked towards Perkins Cove.  We stopped to stare awhile as Libby pressed both of her little hands up against the glass of Harbor Treats.  There were lavish lollypops on display and the shop was filled with bodies of all ages and sizes filling their baskets with favorite candies from their childhoods.

Libby was promised a budget of $5.00 at the end of our adventure and she seemed content to move on.   The sun was resting low in the sky as we entered the Marginal Way.  It was the time of day when the sun casts a magical glow on everything in its path.  The tide was almost in and people seemed happy just to be there.  We climbed the nooks and crannies along the coast and stopped every so often to gaze out onto the horizon and take note of the sailboat that was determined to catch it.  Libby was convinced that we were on a treasure hunt and at the end of the path, X would surely mark the spot.  The walk  took us nearly a half hour to complete and as we stepped off into the heart and soul of Perkins Cove we felt as though we had arrived on our own vacation of sorts.   Libby squeezed our hands and quickened her step as we made our way around the quaint little loop of shops.  I led her up the wooden stairs that resembled a plank to the Pirate Cove Candy Shop.  Her eyes brightened as I handed her one of their buckets and reminded her that her budget was $5.00.

Libby took almost as long picking out her “penny” candy as we did making our way along the Marginal Way.  She delighted in choosing each and every piece and the air conditioning cooled us from our hike.  As we walked back along the path with her candy bag in tow, the sun had decided to set and the lights from the coast filled our vision.  Off to the right, fireworks appeared out of nowhere and decorated the shoreline just north of where we were.  It was truly an unexpected magical getaway and I decided that peak season is the perfect time to take advantage of living along the rocky coast of Maine.  Libby found her treasure at the end of the trail just as she had predicted.   The Marginal Way in Ogunquit is a great adventure anytime of the year for kids of all ages.