George

As we plotted and planned our first travel columns, we were excited to receive an invitation from Fred Forsley — owner of Shipyard Brewery and a sponsor of our website — to be his guests at his Inn on Peaks Island. Our column about that experience — our very first column — appeared on Jan. 16, 2011, when we wrote, “We plan to return to the Inn on Peaks Island during the spring bird migration.”

I’m sure you understand how much anticipation adds to any experience, and we eagerly anticipated our return to Peaks. Alas, we didn’t get back in 2011, so we made sure to do so this year. Over Memorial Day weekend we birded, feasted, luxuriated in our gorgeous room, sunned ourselves on the deck, and hiked all over the island, including the extensive conservation areas.

And we got one surprise treat: a wonderful parade celebrating Memorial Day (two days early) that we watched from our room’s outside deck. We especially loved Portland’s Mahoney Middle School Band. Awesome job, kids!

Rooms at the inn feature bright colors, lots of amenities, comfortable chairs and couches, a gas fireplace, large refrigerator and a soooo-soft bed.

The inn’s food rises well above pub fare and unlike our first visit, we were able to sit outside for our meals on Saturday. Imagine sitting there, enjoying a Shipyard brew or glass of wine and a very tasty appetizer, while watching the sun set over Portland’s tall buildings across the water. Wow!

Two dinners and one lunch gave us a good opportunity to experience much of the menu. The bar was packed with islanders and somewhat rowdy on Friday night, so we settled into a table in the quieter dining room where folks at the closest tables shared laughter and news about families, boats and homes.

“What’s new in Philly?” asked one. “Temperature’s going to be 95 there tomorrow,” came the answer. No matter if they are permanent residents or summer folks, everyone feels at home here, including us.

My Seafood Puttanesca that night was delicious, featuring a hearty tomato sauce with kalamata olives, capers, calamari, mussels and Maine shrimp served over fettuccini. I loved it. We’d had hot and spicy chicken wings with a great ranch sauce about 4 p.m., starting our own version of a progressive dinner.

“This goes great with beer,” Lin said enthusiastically about the spicy wings. Well, of course, as does all food!

After enjoying our Friday dinner from 7 to 9 p.m., we continued our progressive dinner theme, taking our dessert to our room to enjoy on the deck. We’ve never forgotten the fabulous peanut butter pie. Fortunately, it’s still on the menu. We also enjoyed it on Saturday night!

On our Saturday morning walk around the island, we spotted three dozen species of birds. The benches along the ocean-side drive are really nice, and we sat for a while enjoying the surf and the hot sun while scouring the water for birds.

Cecilia, our exceptional server for most of the weekend and a University of Southern Maine college student, arrived by ferry in time to serve our lunch. I really overdid it, ordering the special fried clam appetizer and the fish taco. Portions here are huge and I felt compelled to eat it all. The clams were spectacular with a homemade tartar sauce that had some zing to it.

The taco was imaginative, featuring haddock with a house taco seasoning, lettuce, chimi churi sauce and mango black bean salsa served in a thick folded flatbread. Very, very good.

Hard to believe, but I was ready to eat again that night (after Lin forced me to take another long hike around the island on Saturday afternoon). We ended the walk with a cold lemonade, sitting in the shade on a bench in the town square.

At dinner that night, Andrew, the bartender, made a nice white-towel presentation of our Cigar Box Malbec, 2011 Reserve, and we lingered over our dinner, enjoying visits with several of the staff members.

The starter cup of clam chowder was really good and I loved the fried ale-battered haddock — three generous pieces of haddock, lightly crusted, with that same tartar sauce that I enjoyed at lunch.

Linda

Our ferry ride over on Friday night was in “pea soup” fog. The crowd getting off the boat moved with a purpose, some with push carts of groceries or loaded with flowers for planting.

When I awoke on Saturday morning to clear blue skies, I urged George to get up and moving so we could see some birds. Equipped with our binoculars and a bird book, we were off for a hike. But we only made it to the side of the inn when we encountered birds everywhere!

In a very short time we’d spotted cardinals, several varieties of warblers, and more. One resident came out of his house curious about what birds we were seeing. When we told him what he had right in his own trees, he was pretty surprised. We eventually hiked a shore route and into a conservation area that was filled with birds. Just as we suspected, this is a birder’s paradise.

On this beautiful 80-degree day, almost everyone was out either walking or jogging in the morning. Around noon, we started noticing a change in activities to biking or gardening. The people here seem to live outside as much as possible, and they have to be some of the friendliest people ever! Not too many people passed by without a hello.

At the inn, our “Chebeague Island” room was on the front of the building, affording us a view of the water and Portland’s tall buildings beyond. An open main room features a couch, fireplace and bed. There was a vaulted pine ceiling on the front half of the room. The outside deck overlooked the ocean and the square where people exit the ferry.

The rooms here are neat and tidy, without any clutter. The pale yellow walls and white woodwork make this room bright and cheery, but it’s the brightly painted furniture that gives this room a decidedly island feel.

We noticed there were always people dining no matter what the time of day or night. Many took advantage of the great weather and were eating outside. A great lunch item was the Brewer’s Choice Chicken sandwich. Golden fried chicken with prosciutto, beer cheddar and a cherry pepper aioli. Yum!

The Risotto Stuffed Portabella for dinner was also very special. Creamy risotto filled the earthy mushrooms topped with a crumb crust. A meal like this while watching the huge red globe disappearing behind the city of Portland is a pretty perfect way to spend an evening. The staff is friendly and welcoming here and the restaurant is informal.

The toot of the ferryboat might help you keep time. It’s certainly easy to lose track of it here — part of the magical experience of Peaks Island. And yes, we anticipate a return!

IF YOU GO . . .

Inn on Peaks Island
www.innonpeaks.com
766-5100

Casco Bay Lines Ferry
cascobaylines.com
774-7871

Fisherman’s Wharf on Commercial Street, right in front of the ferry terminal, has a parking garage. Other parking can be found here: http://www.portlandmaine.gov/parking/park
ingsfacilities.pdf. You don’t need your vehicle on the island.

Visit George’s website: www.georgesmithmaine.com for travel tips, book reviews, outdoor news and more.