The Maine I Love - Whitney McCarthy

Frenchboro is a forgiving place for an amateur photographer like me. Twenty miles of sailing from Bar Harbor delivers me, my sailboat, and my husband to a place the chart calls Long Island but the locals call Frenchboro. Here, every trail turn is an opportunity for an artsy shot: in this one I’ll center the pine tree; in this one I’ll focus on the cobblestone beach; in this one my focus is gray-granite hues. But what brings me back to Frenchboro isn’t the chance to snap photos but rather the thousand acres of open space to explore thanks to Maine Coast Heritage Trust. Back in 1999, this land went on the market for development, but the island community had the foresight to protect its identity with a conservation easement. Now, sailors, Mainers, and adventurous tourists can experience the granite coast in all its glory.