In 1923, the magnificent Marginal Way was given as a gift to the Town of Ogunquit by Josiah Chase of York and is now a paved footpath beginning (or ending) in a corner of Oarweed Cove near the harbor, then running for 1 ¼ miles to the marvelous expanse of Ogunquit Beach. Once called “the margin” because of its patterned development along the rocky edge of the cliff, the origin and preservation of this truly precious piece of natural beauty was not the result of far-sighted conservation planning, but of the dealings of a shrewd businessman and some stubborn, persuasive “locals.” This delightful, exhilarating walk meanders by tangled bayberry and bittersweet bushes, gnarled shrubs of fragrant pink and white sea roses, shaded alcoves formed by wind-twisted trees jutting out onto high granite outcroppings, and humbling views of the mighty Atlantic with its varying seasonal moods. Although the bends and inclines along the way are rather gentle, most walkers will choose one of the thirty memorial benches dotting the path to sit and rest, to contemplate and sometimes to paint the panorama of sea, surf and sky which daily unfolds amid noisy protests from the roiling ocean and screeching gulls. After a freak storm damaged the path in 1991, the Committee to Restore the Marginal Way and a capital fund were established to ensure its continued preservation and maintenance. Each year more than 100,000 people take this scenic path along the rugged cliff line, and, while Maine has several similar ocean walkways, Ogunquit’s Marginal Way is undoubtedly the most unique, the most popular, the most painted and the most beloved.