Mewzings: But It's A LOT More Than "Marginal"... REALLY!

What do you think of when you think of the word "marginal"? Of secondary or minor importance? Not central? Narrow? On the edge?

Today we are going to talk about something that is indeed narrow and on the edge, but it is much more than "of secondary importance". In fact, it is very important! Today we are going to talk about The Marginal Way which was central and important to my visit to Ogunquit, Maine.

What is The Marginal Way (TMW), you ask? In simple terms, it is a 1.25 mile long paved pathway that borders the coast of Maine in Ogunquit. But this pathway is anything but simple. It is the starting point for an entire travel experience like non-other that I have enjoyed.

It has its own website which can be found here - complete with history, and photos.
There is also a Lighthouse webcam which I will talk more about later.

Starting on the yellow line that is beside the 3 gray bars, The Marginal Way begins on the property of a hotel called The Sparhawk Oceanfront Resort. In the picture below, the tennis courts and pool at the right, as well as the building at the left by the big tree are part of this hotel complex.

Here are a few more shots of The Sparhawk and the part of TMW before our hotel property starts:

We stayed at the next hotel to the south of The Sparhawk called Anchorage By The Sea represented on the map above by the 3 gray bars. We stayed at the beach end of the northern most gray bar. Our room was very comfortable with the BEST hotel bed I've ever slept in! Here are some photos of our building, our room at the lower right, as well as the hotel's round restaurant.

Here is a view looking from our patio area toward the gate (at the left) from our hotel's property onto TMW.

Looking back at the map above, you will notice "Lighthouse" is a little less than halfway down the path. The lighthouse is a landmark on TMW. Here are some shots of that:

In the photo below, you will see the webcam that I linked to above.

This isn't really a true lighthouse in the traditional sense.

It is actually a pumping station for the city's sewer services,

but it is an important landmark on TMW.

Here is the plaque that is on the side:

There are 39 benches along the path that have been donated in someone's honor or memory. Each one has a plaque with someone's name on. Now, sit back and enjoy some photos of my walks back and forth on TMW:

The photo below also shows the 3rd hotel on TMW - The Beachmere Inn

On a close look at the map at the top of this entry, you may have noticed a small section of TMW at the top that is separated from the rest. The 2nd photo shows the bridge that goes across the Ogunquit River out to the big beach. Here are some photos of that section: