Bailey Island, Maine Vacation

by Jen
(Nashua, NH)

Three years ago my mother in law called me up and told me that for her birthday she was renting a cottage for a Bailey Island, Maine vacation. She was inviting us up to spend the weekend with her, naturally we accepted...

...who doesn't want to spend the weekend relaxing on the ocean.

I started asking for details about where we were supposed to go and other details and she really didn't have any answers.

She told my she put a check in the mail for the amount of the whole week and the owner told her just show up and it will be unlocked. He said just clean up after you leave and don't leave any trash behind.

I instantly got suspicious thinking she just got ripped off. So we pack our bags quietly hoping there was a cottage at the end of our 3 1/2 hour drive.

Upon our arrival we found an amazing little island with just a few roads covered in trees surrounded by the ocean. It was like heaven, the woods and the ocean all in one. What more could you ask for in a vacation destination.

As for the cottage, it was there and unlocked and absolutely perfect. It was a little cottage with a wraparound porch surrounded by grass and then a drop off directly to the ocean.

You see, Bailey Island is kind of like stepping back in time.

On the island everyone talks to one another, trusts one another. You sit around on the docks and talk to the fishermen as they unload the days catch.

They have a little restaurant called the Giants Stairs restaurant where all the locals talk about what's going on around town.

You just get a sense of belonging here, not of being a tourist.

There are plenty of accommodations for vacationing though. You will find quite a few places to stay on the island from the quaint little Cook's Motel to the picturesque Sea Escape Cottages.

There are a few attractions to see, Lands End, the end of the island, and the Lands End gift shop. The Giant Stairs is a great little hike to a formation of stone steps leading into the ocean. They are not steps you can walk they are giant- hence the name the Giant's Steps.

You can also find some cruises leaving from Cooks Lobster House restaurant at the pier.

There is not much in the way of a swimming beaches, at high tide the locals swim at the boat launch. However, the main reason for a Bailey Island, Maine vacation is to sit and relax in the ocean air and watch the fishing boats come in and out every day.