Day Trip to Peaks Island

On a bright, sunny day in July my husband and I decided we wanted to spend the day by the ocean. But, there was a twist. We wanted to go somewhere that would also allow us to do something active. AND—we wanted to bring our dog Boone with us. We googled for hours. Then—it hit us. Peaks Island was the perfect match.

History

Peaks Island is one of the biggest islands in Casco Bay. It’s actually part of the city of Portland and it has tried to liberate itself several times in the past with no such luck. Peaks has a school, library, museums, a grocery store, restaurants, an Inn, and so much more! Early islanders were thought to be farmers and fisherman(or fisherwoman). The amount of people living on Peak’s Island significantly increases from 800 to 2,000 during the summertime. It’s also home to the Fifth Maine Regiment Museum/Community Center as well as the very quirky Umbrella Cover Museum.

Breakfast

We decided to park our car in a parking garage in the old port, due to the fact that we were going to be gone all day and most parking has a two-hour limit in Portland. I believe it cost us about $40 for the day.

We ate breakfast before hopping on the ferry, as we were both getting a bit hangry and we knew we would be able to find a breakfast place in Portland that was dog-friendly. Wanting a light and quick breakfast, we decided to try Hi-Fi Donuts, which is located right in City Center in downtown Portland. I was pretty excited to stop in, because i’ve seen so many pictures of their donuts and never had the chance to stop in. Probably because we’re always in Portland for dinner and they close at 4:00p.m.

Hi-Fi Donuts is *the* cutest little breakfast/lunch spot that has both indoor and outdoor seating. The inside is adorably retro and polished. All of their staff were super happy and outgoing. I also really vibed with their song selections. Their menu offers all kinds of coffee, donuts, breakfast (and lunch) sandwiches. We each ordered a sandwich and a donut and enjoyed them outside on the patio with our dog, Boone. The sandwiches were good and the donuts were a bit more dense than what we’re used to, but still yummy.

The Ferry

After breakfast, we made our way to the Casco Bay Lines docks to purchase our 12:15p.m. ferry tickets so we could stroll around Portland a bit before boarding. Boone was a big fan of this, mostly because it meant he could sniff all the city smells and city dogs. We returned to the docks around 12:00p.m. and loaded the ferry promptly at 12:15p.m. You can say whatever you want about the ferry, but it ALWAYS runs on time, which I love.

Exploring the Island

After docking, we decided to skip the bikes and walk the 4.0 mile loop around the island. I’m glad we did—because it really helped us slow down and enjoy the sights and sounds that we wouldn’t otherwise have noticed. Boone was especially appreciative of this, because it meant he could sniff all of the gigantic hydrangea bushes along the road.

We walked the island clockwise, starting up Island Avenue, which brought us right past the Peaks Cafe, Mike’s Carts (a golf cart rental), Hannigan’s Island Market, The Cockeyed Gull, Brad’s Bike Rental, and the public library.

Then, we briefly turned right onto Church Avenue and took the first left, which brought us right back onto Island Avenue. We admired the beautiful homes and gardens along this road. They were immaculate. We also joked about all of the broken down cars in people’s yards that were beginning to look like garden accents.

After that, we took a right onto Trefethen Avenue, followed by another right onto Seashore Avenue, which brought us to Elm Tree Cove and Spar Cove. These rocky coves were gorgeous. They provided fantastic views of Casco Bay, Long Island, as well as other surrounding islands. Boone enjoyed watching the Seagulls fight over their food.

Battery Steele

We continued our walk around the island, stopping at Whaleback Ledge and the infamous Battery Steele. During World War II, Battery Steele was installed to protect the harbor. Now, it’s more of a nature preserve/art exhibit. From the outside, it looks like a building straight out of Jurassic Park or a zombie apocalypse movie. (Enticing, I know!) If you’re brave, you need to explore the incredibly dark and wet concrete tunnels and rooms that await inside. The spray painted artwork that covers the walls and ceilings are worth the goosebumps and heebie-geebies, trust me.

After exploring Battery Steele, we walked down Alderbrook Road, which brought us back to Seashore Drive. We were hoping to explore the southern shores of the island, but mother nature wasn’t about to let that happen. Instead, we were gifted with a nice little summer rain storm, which changed our walk to a light jog as we made our way into town.

Milly’s Skillet

Looking back, the rain was really a gift because we weren’t actually aware of how hungry we were until we sat down on the deck at Island Lobster Company to enjoy a drink. We sat and watched the clouds turn from a dark gray to a light blue and eventually fade away to a blue sky.

For lunch/dinner (linner? Dunch?) we decided to try Milly’s Skillet, which is a cute little food truck with outdoor seating located right beside Mike’s Carts. Everything on their menu sounded ah-mazing, but we decided on the cajun chicken sandwich, chicken tenders, fried brussels sprouts, and fries.

I only have two words: holy shit. That food was indescribably good. Everything tasted absolutely perfect. We will definitely be coming back to Peaks just to eat dinner there again. Milly really knows her way around a skillet. Damn, girl.

Our day on Peaks Island was so low-key and beautiful. For an island, it is super accessible and welcoming to visitors, which is not always the case. So if you’re on the hunt for a fun day trip filled with exploration and good eats near the ocean, Peaks Island might be the perfect fit! Bonus: you can bring your dog!