This weekend, I had the opportunity to spend a night on Peaks Island, which is just a short boat ride from Downtown Portland.  (The pictures above were taken this weekend: From left to right - the ferry from Portland to Peaks, One of many sailboats cruising on the bay, All the gear for a day on the island, and a lobsterman reeling in traps on Sunday.)

When you get to the island, you feel like you've been sent back in time at least 40 years. The mostly-unpaved streets are dotted with cottages and the main mode of transportation is by circa-1950s bicycle.  When driving is a necessity, it is usually in a rusted-out pickup truck with lots of friends in the bed (most often on the way to catch a ferry).

Vacationers can pick up a second home for anywhere from $200,000 (or slightly less) to $2 million (or slightly more).  But no matter where you stay, everyone enjoys the same laid-back island lifestyle.

A typical island day involves a stroll down to the water, laying out for a bit, collecting some rocks to paint, and catching up on some fiction.  A fresh seafood dinner (and maybe an ice cream) caps it off, and bedtime comes early.  And it cools off quite a bit after dark, so bring a cozy sweatshirt!

We spent Saturday afternoon biking around the back side of the island and climbing on the rocks, before walking down to an outdoor restaurant to watch the sun set over the bay.  On Sunday morning we walked down to the pier, where we grabbed coffee and pastries and ate breakfast on a floating dock while waiting for the ferry.

Maine summers are short, but when their days are spent relishing the beauty in our backyard, they're completely worth the wait.