SERENITY IN SOMESVILLE

A Hidden Gem on Mount Desert Island

Written by Doug Weibel

After two weeks of hosting guests aboard, Marjorie and I felt it was time to slow down and find a peaceful spot to relax. Our search led us to Valley Cove within Somes Sound on Mount Desert Island, where we rendezvoused with Jeff and Melissa aboard their boat, SV Tribute. While Valley Cove is undeniably beautiful, the daytime traffic and exposure left us longing for something more secluded. Recalling a recent encounter with friends Jim and Stephanie aboard SV Hero, who had just spent several nights in the Somesville anchorage, we decided to give it a try.

Somes Sound, the only fjord on the U.S. East Coast, cuts six miles into the heart of Mount Desert Island. At its head lies Somesville, the island’s oldest village. The Somesville anchorage has nearly 360-degree protection with an entrance just over 400 feet wide between Bar Island and Mason Point. Despite the northeast’s typical mooring fields occupying much of the anchorage, there was ample room for visitors. During our stay, up to nine boats anchored inside, with us just a hundred yards or so from the dinghy dock.

On our first night, we took the dinghy over to Abel’s Lobster Pound and Boatyard, located on the eastern side of the head of the sound. We enjoyed a delicious lobster dinner and discovered that Abel’s dinghy dock was also a convenient starting point for exploring several trails in Acadia National Park. There’s even a bus stop for the Island Explorer NorthEast Harbor route right at the top of Abel’s driveway.

Somesville, though small, makes a perfect home base for exploring the island with its own visitor-friendly dinghy dock and access to the Island Explorer SouthWest Harbor bus line. The Island Explorer buses, which are free, run all over Mount Desert Island, and we used them almost every day to visit NorthEast Harbor, SouthWest Harbor, Bar Harbor, and various trailheads in Acadia National Park. While we tried using Uber a couple of times, the availability was limited, so it wasn’t always reliable. For example, after celebrating my birthday at Rogue’s Café in SouthWest Harbor, we couldn’t secure an Uber ride back. Fortunately, the Island Explorer bus stopped at a nearby campground, and we caught it just 20 minutes later.

Despite its size, Somesville offers a surprising array of activities. We attended a performance of "Holmes and Watson" at the local repertory theater, and our visit coincided with the library’s Books and Blueberries sale, an event featuring homemade pies and baked goods. Unfortunately, we missed a live music night due to a scheduling conflict with my birthday dinner. Somesville also has a small convenience store and pizza joint, which some other cruisers from the anchorage enjoyed.

Of course, the main draw to Mount Desert Island is Acadia National Park. The park receives four million visitors annually, and while popular spots can be crowded, it’s easy to find solitude. On our first day hiking, we took the Six Summits Trail, which led us to several of the highest peaks in the park. While the more accessible summits had their fair share of visitors, we mostly had the trail to ourselves. Another day, we hiked to the summit of Cadillac Mountain, one of the park’s most popular destinations. While the summit was bustling with people who arrived by car and tour bus, our hike up was peaceful, with only a few encounters along the way till we neared the summit.

Jordan Pond is another must-see in Acadia, and we had a fantastic lunch at the Jordan Pond House. Reservations typically fill up about a month in advance, but we discovered a few insider tips. If you’re just after the famous popovers and drinks, there’s an outdoor seating area with little to no wait until noon. The main seating area opens for lunch at 11:00 AM, and we found that arriving at 10:30 AM put us in a prime position to be seated by 11:10 AM without needing a reservation.  Had we queued up just a bit later the wait would have been long. Operated by Dawnland, LLC, the Jordan Pond House sources much of its food locally, and the cuisine—lobster stew, curried mussels, crab au gratin, and popovers for us —was the best we’ve had at any national park.

Our culinary adventures didn’t stop there. We also visited Charlotte’s in Seawall, known for its great lobster rolls. The proprietor gained a reputation with a unique method of reducing the suffering of lobsters by getting them high on marijuana before cooking. Although the state of Maine eventually put an end to this practice, one of the employees winked and assured us that the lobsters still meet their fate in a blissfully unaware state.

If you’re cruising the Maine coast, I highly recommend spending time on Mount Desert Island. While NorthEast Harbor, SouthWest Harbor, and Bar Harbor are popular spots, we found venturing off the beaten path to Somesville offers a tranquil and rewarding experience.  We ended up staying eight nights!