Maine Event: Day 35

We awoke to a cool house and the outside low temperature of 47°. We slept in and then had a day exploring Peaks Island. We walked around the perimeter and caught the ferry back to Portland all before noon. It was a high of 66° and super sunny. We both got rosy cheeks from walking on the backside of the island heading East. We spent the rest of the day tidying up from our long weekend doing laundry and such things. 

Peaks is an interesting community. It feels a little hidden because there is so much tourism. I liken it to North Beach in San Francisco. The people that live there are not particularly friendly and all the tourists are zipping around happy as clams. I read about their effort to separate from Portland and become independent and there is a show at a local museum on Peaks (no pictures but a nice overview of the history of secession). Peaks Island is the most populated year-round of the islands in Casco Bay and yet I think businesses find it hard to survive there because everyone can go to Portland on the ferry for their groceries and whatnot. This means the little stores are not what they could be if all residents shopped on the island. We didn't need to buy anything there but my guess is it is more expensive because getting it to the island costs something. Overall, I liked the 'feel' of Cliff Island more than Peaks. That said it is gorgeous. Excited that there are still several more islands to explore. 

Here is another island off in the distance and some culinary sumac in the foreground. I'm not yet enough of an island buff to be on one and tell you what another one is and while Google Maps is helpful they are all overlapping and depth perception is thrown off.

In every small town, there are civil war memorials. It is a huge presence here and so many lives were lost. This is a small museum on Peaks. It was closed but this is an overview out front.

This is the fine building that houses the Fifth Maine Regiment Museum on Peaks Island.

Another island in view.

Looking inland away from the water isn't bad either. I have a thing for cattails...they seem so useful and represent a healthy place to me.

More islands and beautiful rocky coast...

Most of the time the Atlantic we have been exposed to doesn't have waves or spray so this was a little exotic shot. :) I love the beach roses and the new york asters that are blooming everywhere.

Another beautiful view inland with the trees changing color. The beautiful dark red in the foreground is poison ivy which looks very similar and just as sinister as poison oak. Turns out they are related. Poison ivy isn't very common here along the trails (unlike poison oak in N. California).

This old-fashioned telephone booth was just sitting in someone's garden. It looked like there was a modern phone in it.

Unlike in Portland, most houses on Peaks are made of wood. This house really stood out. There are a few municipal-looking buildings out of brick but no other houses that we saw.

Old jalopy of a boat seen through the leaves.

This is Fort Gorges which you pass on the way to Peaks Island. It was a military fort that came about from the War in 1812. Here is more information.

A beautiful stained glass window in a brick house back in Portland.

Good night. This was taken just 15 minutes after formally being declared full. Enjoy her great beauty where ever you are.

Sending oodles of love,

Tawnia

p.s. I found this article about Paris going car-free interesting. Could we use it as a potential model?