I’m still easing out of my Maine summer life, so I have a few more of those posts to share before I put our awesome trip to rest. Thanks for indulging me!

A few days before we left to head back to Dublin, Michael and I tagged along with my dad on a work trip to Swan’s Island, a six mile ferry ride off the coast of Bar Harbor. My father is a mystery novelist, and he often travels around the country and around Maine for readings and signings. Not that I’m biased or anything, but I always enjoy hearing my dad speak about his book research and writing process. If he’s ever in your neighborhood, he’s worth a listen!

So, we drove to the coast and hopped on the ferry on one of the most beautiful days of our whole trip – sunny, warm even on the usually chilly coast, and calm ocean water.

We were met by two lovely hosts who had organized my dad’s visit, and spent an hour or so in the island’s library listening to my dad speak about his books before getting a great, wandering tour of the island. It’s actually quite a large island, with around 300 year-round residents. I can’t quite imagine living their during the winter, but man this summer day was heavenly.

Do you know the Maine coast at all? It’s so different than almost anywhere else – craggy and rocky and peppered with almost 5,000 islands, some of them so tiny they’re barely visible at high tide, and some so large people live there through cold and snowy winters.

{Sidenote, when these sparkly shoes of mine bite the dust, I will be heartbroken. They are my favorites and somehow make it into way too many instagram photos!}

Swan’s Island has a quarry that the locals use as a swimming pool – it even has a roped off swimming section and a lifeguard! Can you imagine if your swimming pool had this view?! If I had brought my bathing suit, I would have been in there!

There’s something about Maine island life that is just intoxicating. As we drove around the little island, all I could think about was how to convince Michael to rent a cottage there for a week next summer. We would walk and swim and sunbathe and paint. We’d wave to every single person passing by like all the locals do. And we’d soak up that salty ocean smell that I wish I could bottle and bring back to Dublin.

And this guy would bring his Whaler and stay for the week.

After a long, sunny day, we found ourselves back on the mainland, not quite ready to let the day end.  So we stopped in Belfast at the guys’ favorite brewery/pub/patio, Three Tides (you can pick up growlers for cheap!) and watched the sun set over the sailboats.

Another perfect Maine summer day I’ll be reliving for the next eleven months! Thanks for letting us tag along, Dad!

After my visit to the Colby Art Museum earlier in the week, I deserted Michael for a few hours and hopped in the car with my fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Smith. It’s been years since I’ve seen her, but when she saw my post about barns in the midwest, Mrs. Smith offered to take me on a little Maine barn tour. I instantly took her up on it!

We headed east from China through a whole bunch of little tiny villages and towns, toward Belfast and the coast. Mrs. Smith has a camera she wanted to play with a little, and I was thrilled to be able to stop at every barn or cute house that caught my eye!

Honestly, the trip was such a gift. I loved looking at the Maine landscape and peering into lawns, catching all the falling-down houses and rusting cars, or beautiful gardens and perfectly manicured homes.

I loved taking a drive through my home state with the sole purpose of finding fun things to photograph. Like this “Real Maine Country Store”, which sadly probably hasn’t been open in at least ten years. But peering in the window revealed old dishes, a spinning wheel, and a stack of old gasoline cans.  My favorite stop was Liberty, Maine, where the ten houses and shops on the main street were packed with antiques and awesome old junk.

Including some Maine maple syrup in an antiques shop.

Liberty also has an ancient Mobil station that serves as an annex to the tool shop across the street.

Doesn’t that gas pump belong in a movie from the 50’s? It’s ancient and perfectly distressed!

I feel so grateful that writing here on From China Village has re-introduced me to so many people from real live China Village, and from my past. It has expanded my life in the most wonderful ways. Huge thanks so much to Mrs. Smith for taking me on an incredibly enjoyable photo tour. I’m hoping it will be come a new annual tradition!