A cross-country trip through America’s national parks on the eve of the Park Services centennial celebration this August.
Lois Parshley
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Acadia National Park, Maine
The 1880s brought unprecedented affluence for the one percent of the day. Mount Desert, a remote island in Maine, became a popular destination for newly flush businessmen looking for an escape from Eastern cities. The Rockefellers, Morgans, Fords, Vanderbilts, Carnegies—they all summered on the island. In 1919, it became a national park, and is still one of the most visited places in the country. But when fall comes around, the traffic dies down and it’s still possible to watch a sunset on a beach all by yourself.