Across the Pond – The Treasures of Peaks
-by Priscilla O’Kelly Wilkinson

Last summer I had the pleasure of joining my friend from California on a trip across the water via Casco Bay Lines ferry to Peaks Island. I had not been to the island for about twenty years and had never had the opportunity to look around. It’s amazing to me how a wonderful little vintage gem of a place could be so close to such a highly urban area like Portland. Peaks Island is just fantastic and a perfect get-away for townies and tourists alike.

Peaks Island is a great and surprising step back in time for those who appreciate unique old homes. Traditional coastal Maine cottages line the streets, many of which have been lovingly restored to their original ornate Victorian styling. It’s a great trip for old home enthusiasts, history buffs as well as being a family friendly island.

When you arrive at Peaks there is a beautiful little café directly to the left as you come off the ferry. It offers wonderful local Coffee By Design java by the cup (if you have not tried CBD, you absolutely must) and freshly baked pastries, delicious croissants, soups and sandwiches. A delightful little garden is adjacent to the café where you can sit and sip your coffee or tea amongst gorgeous flowers.

If you did not bring your bike over on the ferry ($6.00 fee per bike ticket) your next stop should be at the bike rental shop (which opens around ten a.m. give or take) Brad’s Recycled Bicycle Shop, located at 115 Island Ave, (207) 766-5631, where you can rent bikes by the hour or by the day… and they accept credit cards. Get there early for the best selection as they run out of them quickly. The cost was somewhere around $10.00 for three hours which seems to be plenty of time to cruise around the island. Brad’s offers bikes of all styles. If you have children, do not fear, they also have children’s bikes, helmets and tandem bikes as well. On off-season I found it to be self-service where you leave your information and payment in a box and help yourself to the three dozen or so bikes that they had out in the yard. Luckily I had some cash with me since Brad seemed to be off that day. Probably biking around the island! Bikes seem to be the easiest way to travel around this very low-keyed island. The traffic is generally minimal, as a lot of islanders do not own vehicles, but keep an eye out… it’s very simple to forget that you are not solo on the road.

It’s easy to cover the island in a fairly short amount of time on bikes even with children and it’s always an interesting time. A few of the wonderful finds we came across while exploring were the stone garden, Peaks Island Honey and the private cottage art studio painted with glorious life sized flowers.

The stone garden is breathtaking. It’s a huge portion of rocky beach covered in various stone formations crafted by the previous visitors to the island. I highly recommend taking some time to build your own sculpture and watching the others build theirs. It’s a beautiful and ever-changing gallery of stone. Amazing!

If you can find your way to Trefethen Avenue (somewhere close to the ferry dock and Brad’s Bikes near Island Avenue) you’ll no doubt come across the studio of Margaret Richards, painter and crafter of delightful pansy jewelry. The home has become an outdoor canvas for the resident artist, with the foundation painted in colorful array of flowers. It’s magical!!

Not far from the studio at the end of Island Avenue we came across a quaint roadside table of honey made on the island at the Peaks Island Honey Company. Totally self serve with an “on your honor” mason jar. Honor, isn’t that a beautiful thing? For just $4.00 you can bring home a bit of the island. I dare you to keep your fingers out of it on the ride home! I will mention that I’ve been told by a helpful gent that the makers of this fine honey are seasonal residents, so you’ll have to be sure to grab plenty of it in-season!

All around Peaks Island residents are a fantastic array of warm folks who all are very kind to its visitors. In my experience, they are inviting and peaceful and are more than happy to make your acquaintance and welcome you to their little island. While riding along the roads I found all of the drivers to be most courteous for those of us who don’t bike daily and may get a little off kilter every so often and the older folks seem to really love children. We did not pass one single resident who did not greet us as we went by. The island residents seemed to have tapped into a truly good life and it shows.

Have a glass of wine on the deck at Jones Landing

A great and traditional way to finish up your trip is a glass of wine and tapas at Jones Landing. The staff at Jones Landing is all so friendly and seemed to be very used to their guests loosing track of time, watching the sunset over Casco Bay. Save some time at the end of your trip for this storybook ending to your perfect day.

Safe travels to you,
Priscilla O’Kelly Wilkinson PDRA, CWC
Sanctuary Design