While thousands of people crammed Acadia National Park to view the high waves caused by Hurricane Bill passing through the Gulf of Maine this weekend, I decided to take the road less traveled: specifically, route 131 to Port Clyde and Marshall Point Lighthouse.

Marshall Point is one of the most beautiful yet under-appreciated lighthouses in Maine. Through its  years of service as a beacon on the Mid-Coast, its most memorable role may have been its inclusion in the film Forrest Gump as one of Forrest’s turnaround spots on his cross-country run.

If Forrest had ventured out to the light yesterday, he wouldn’t have left. The loud booming waves provided a spectacular show at the lighthouse and along the nearby coast. It was a great opportunity to see the power of Mother Nature first-hand.