Our friend, David, grew up in Ellsworth, the gateway to Acadia National Park, so he was the perfect guide to his old stomping grounds. Acadia is still home to many turn-of-the-century mansions, but many others burned down in the great fire of 1947.

John D. Rockefeller Jr., a skilled horseman, wanted to travel around the mountains and valleys of Mount Desert Island without having to put up with motorists, so he built quiet carriage roads throughout and gorgeous stone bridges over the many streams.

We beguiled ourselves on the way home by plotting a novel about the Great Fire of 1947, based on a dream David had had.