Julie Barnes and her family have been coming to Ogunquit for so many years that her 17-year-old son Nate once quipped, “If it’s not Ogunquit, it’s not vacation!” Their affection for the area includes a special fondness for the Marginal Way.
“I have brought every single one of my friends up there,” said Julie from her home in Westfield, Massachusetts. During her last visit, she and her guests chose their lodging based on its proximity to the shoreline footpath.
“I just loved the way we could walk through the woods and how they would open up,” she said, “and there’s the ocean.”
Julie and the rest of the Barnes family members are so enamored of the Marginal Way that they have become the first-ever monthly sustaining donors to the Marginal Way Preservation Fund. Their support and that of other contributors to the Fund helps ensure that this unique piece of oceanside beauty is kept safe and accessible.
“They’ve taken such good care of it,” Julie said. “Fixing the bridges … trimming the bushes.” She is especially fond of the entrance to the path. “The hotels do such a great job with all the flowers. I take pictures and get my [computer] screen savers for the year!”
Being able to take walks along the coastline is something Julie treasures, calling her strolls “me time.”
“I walk. I pray. I Iisten to my music,” she said. “It’s very meditative.” Even when it rains, she’s on the Marginal Way every day. “Well,” she laughed, “maybe not when there’s a downpour, but certainly if it’s only sprinkling.”
Julie’s visits to Maine began when she was only 7 years old, with family vacations in York. Ten years ago, she and her husband purchased their current Ogunquit timeshare, where they spend weekends and several weeks each summer. They enjoy the area so much they have also been known to visit in February. Attempts to lure the Barnes family to other destinations have been fruitless.
“I’m never going anywhere else,” Julie said. “I’m so glad to be part of contributing to keeping the Marginal Way protected. I hope to do it forever.”
If you would like to join the Barnes family and become a sustaining donor to the Marginal Way Preservation Fund, contact us at 207.641.2200.