Shelly and I continued our adventuring of Maine last weekend with a boat ride out to one of the most commonly painted islands in the state,
Monhegan. I work on a few islands in Maine and, therefore, had an idea in my mind as to what this one would be like. I couldn't be more wrong...it was not "a mix of Vinalhaven and the Cranberry Isles."
First of all, this island is a big rock sticking out of the ocean, whereas the others tend to be flat and more like the coast of the mainland. And this place really is just like an old fishing village, despite the fact that it's very popular with artists and tourists. Here there are very, very few big old grand houses or land available to build them. This place is just a step back in time.
We had a nice few hours out there just doing what we do, walking around and seeing the sights, which included a lighthouse, of course. We ate at a "quaint" little shack, where I had a very good fish chowder and Shelly had local crab cakes.
There is a smaller version of Monhegan (which is funny to say given that Monhegan is only .7 by 1.7 miles) call Manana, which nearly touches Monhegan. It is currently uninhabited but I encourage you to Google "The hermit of Manana" for a very interesting human interest story.
It's an hour-long boat ride out, and there are always seals to see as well as other little islands dotting the way out. On the way back we got a neat view of the Marshall Point Lighthouse that we visited last year. We finished our day with a lobster dinner at the Dip Net Restaurant right on the docks in Port Clyde. I hope you enjoy the pictures. And never hesitate to ask questions.
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| Lunch. Nearly every building here looks like a fishing shack. |
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| There are just a couple of gravel one-lane roads on the island. |
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| From Lobster Cove looking back at the artist Jamie Wyeth's house. |
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| Library |
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| Capt John Smith was everywhere apparently |
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| It was a steep hike to get up here to the lighthouse. I'm getting better at taking selfies. Note the road. |
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| From the lighthouse back down to the village. Yes, that's all of it. And the island of Manana |
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| Nice dingy |
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| Looking back up at the lighthouse |
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| The white sign says to call Rusty on the radio in the box if you want to go to Manana. |
Oh, I can't believe I forgot to mention
there's a brewery on the island with a tasting room. We stopped in for a cold refreshment on our way back from viewing the shipwreck at Lobster Cove, and the blonde ale I had was lovely. Please click on the pics...they're much better that way.
