It was an exceptionally beautiful day, cool and clear, that we chose for our daylong excursion to Monhegan Island. The island is a small community with a handful of permanent residents, mostly of an artistic sort. The rest are like us, tourists and visitors staying in one of the island inns or B&Bs overnight or for a few days. So we booked our tickets the night before with the ferry of the Monhegan Boat company. It's a 1 hour ferry ride to the island, which is about 10 miles offshore from Port Clyde, which is just down the road from where we are staying. It was a busy time as the Elizabeth Ann was loaded with passengers and cargo for the trip. Some were day visitors, like us, while many had luggage in varying amounts and were obviously staying for a longer term on the island. But we were on our way soon enough, and enjoyed a beautiful and scenic ride out to the island. Once ashore on the island, we began our time roaming around and seeing the sights. There were a few art galleries displaying the works of local artists. At the far end of the island, there is a brewery, which was surprisingly busy. After sampling their brews, we hiked up a very steep road to the island's lighthouse, which is positioned at what appears to be the highest point of the island and affords wonderful views of the surrounding area. As we walked, we passed several artists with their paintings held by ingenious folding easels as they captured one astonishing view or another. Indeed, one set up right in front of us as we sat on a bench near the lighthouse. As we headed down the hill from the lighthouse, we passed the quaint little town library, and entered their fund-raising raffle to win a painting by a local artist. We went inside the small library and found it to be surprisingly well stocked. I made sure the works of Trollope and Dickens were well represented, and they were. We stopped at a few more shops and galleries before our time on the island was finished. Boarded the ferry and enjoyed a relaxing trip back to Port Clyde. Tired from the hiking, and just a little sunburnt, we enjoyed our day and came back with many happy memories.
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| It's an hour ride from Port Clyde to Monhegan Island |
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| One of the most remote breweries I've ever visited |
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| Artists are everywhere, capturing beautiful scenes |
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| The view down from the lighthouse is spectacular |
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| The small community library |
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| Just one of several well stocked library rooms |
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| Back home in Port Clyde |
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