Where in Maine?

Can you name the island and the peaceful cape where this boat is docked?

Photographed by Susan Cole Kelly

The original name of this island town was a tribute to a British lord best remembered for his enthusiasm for turnips — the viscount was a gentleman farmer and major player in England’s 18th-century agricultural revolution. To reach the island, contemporary visitors cross a landmark swing bridge over a watery span still named for the plow-happy parliamentarian. Turnip farming never took off here, but the fishing’s good, and as early as the 1620s, English settlers had made it a fishing outpost. Just up the road, a historic inn was once the haunt of conservationist Rachel Carson. She’d have enjoyed looking out at the same distant light station, named for two granite ledges that have vexed sailors for centuries — their slightly risqué moniker derives from how well they’ve deluded and embarrassed boatmen over the years. These days, the recently restored keeper’s house is a B&B. For $500–$600 a night, you can feel just about as isolated as those 17th-century settlers (but with your own on-call launch service).

If you can name the island and the peaceful cape where this boat is docked, write us at P.O. Box 679, Camden, ME 04843 (with “Where in Maine” on the envelope); send an email to editorial@downeast.com; or post a comment below. We’ll feature our favorite letter in an upcoming issue — and send the winner a Down East wall calendar.

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