The Pflueger Odyssey: Sutton Island

We left Belfast this morning and our first stop was at the Penobscot Narrows Bridge. It was originally built in 1931 and was originally named the Waldo-Hancock Bridge. It was a stunning engineering achievement. However, due to corrosion, the bridge had to be replaced. From conception to completion, it took only 42 months to build the replacement.

The Penobscot Narrows Observatory on top of the bridge was the first bridge observatory tower in the US and the tallest public bridge observatory in the world. Its 420 feet high!

Our next stop was the Fort Knox historic site. Yes, we are still in Prospect, Maine. This and the one in Kentucky are both named for General Henry Knox, the first US Secretary of War and a Commander in the American Revoluation. Construction began in 1844. It was built to guard a narrow channel of the Penobscot River, through which all enemy ships going up and down the river would have to pass. The fort was never attacked, so its in great condition to this day.

But enough about forts.....we are now at Northeast Harbor and here comes our ride!

Ok, so at this point we are beyond excited. D&D invited us to join them on Sutton Island two years ago. Then covid prevented anyone from going to Maine in 2020 so we are finally here.

Sutton Island is a small private island south of Mount Desert (pronounced dessert....still learning) Island and north of the Cranberry Isles. From the 1950s until 2008 mail was delivered by private ferry and it was left in a specially marked trash can on the dock for the recipients to pick up. The island is only inhabited during the summer.

The island has no roads and the only way there is by ferry, water taxi, or private boat. D's grandparents owned this house and it continues to be passed down through the generations. His mother enjoyed visiting the island as a child, as did he, his children, and now his grandchildern.

Remember all that stuff we had in the trunk of our rental car....it all had to be carried up to the house. Great teamwork got it done!

This wooden foot path was awesome for getting around the island. Layers of chipped wood helped maintain these paths.

After settling in, we took a walk across to the other side of the island. D&D are on the north side of the island, looking at Acadia National Park, the south side is facing the Cranberry Islands.

Late afternoon we were treated to a boat ride around Sutton Island.

D&D pointed out a house perched on the shoreline. It was previously owned by Nelson Rockefeller. While his summer home was located on Mount Desert Island, he liked to come to this "little house" on Sutton every afternoon for tea.