Arrival at Monhegan Island

Monhegan is a small, rocky Island ten miles from the nearest mainland and scarcely a square mile in area. It is accessible only by boat and there are no cars or paved roads on the Island. Since long before the explorer John Smith visited it in 1614, it was known to Native Americans as a prime fishing area, and today its economy is still ruled by those who make their living from the sea, fishing and lobstering. The year-round population has seldom exceeded 65 in recent times.

For more than 100 years, Monhegan has been a summer haven for artists and other visitors who appreciate its isolation, the beauty of its wilderness areas, its quiet relaxed atmosphere, and its unhurried pace.

We are just coming into Monhegan Harbor and the captain is welcoming us and giving us the rules!

When we arrived at the dock it was raining...not a hard rain but just a cold, spring rain.  We had raincoats on but it was still pretty miserable.  Our bags had been loaded in the hold last so we figured when they off-loaded the cargo off of the hatch we could grab our bags and run!  Didn't happen!  They unloaded everything off the hatch, off the deck, out of the passengers area...we waited...and waited...shivered...shook...and waited...until they finally opened the hatch and started hauling stuff out!  Then we...waited...and waited (get the picture?) and believe it or not, our bags were among the last ones taken out of the hold!  It was a lesson for the learnin'!  Next time our bags stay with us!

 

 There were no taxis on island so we had to walk to our apartment.  I guess we could have hitched a ride in the back of a pickup but that would have meant more waiting.  So we trudged up the hill, hung a left, then a right and arrived at Tribler Cottage...

Our view from the top of the hill, just up from the dock

Tribler Cottage is center top below the lighthouse

Very quaint and rustic!  Right out of a Norman Duncan novel!