Hollywood meets seaside charm in the former cottage of famed director, John Ford

Dan and I met and married in Colorado 40 yrs. ago. Since that time, we've lived in many places throughout the United States--but none so beautiful as the coast of Maine! Here, we've been raising our two daughters and living and working on the mainland for the past 30 years.

We fell in love with this property for its' history, charm, character, and beautiful views. Mona grew up within the scenic splendor of Colorado, and Dan within the dynamism of the city of Chicago. We were looking for something that could combine something of the best of both worlds. We found it here on Peaks Island.

A few summers ago, we decided to rent a place on Peaks Island for a vacation. Once on Peaks, we fell in love with the island. Known as "the Coney Island of the East Coast" in the 1890s, the huge original arcade area is gone, but not the history. As vacationers, we visited the WWII battery areas and ruins. We went through the Island museums and strolled through cemetaries that date back to the early 1800s. We learned about the celebrities who visited courtesy of the original vibrant theatre scene and about the many real life dramas that have happened on Peaks over the course of its' long history.

We love walking, running, biking, and golf carting on the island not only because of the amazing views one can find everywhere, but because it is a fabulous place to enjoy a variety of architecture. We never tire of seeing the changing landscape around the quaint cottages, massive mansions, victorian homes, and farmhouses that populate Peaks.

Kids love Peaks Island because here they are free to roam broadly, take a leap off the landing by the ferry "Downfront" into the ocean and hunt for rocks and shells to their heart's delight.

We wanted to be on Peaks Island because it is the kind of place where you can find an area to be completely alone, with friends, or in a crowd at a moments notice. You have access to a forest with trails, ponds, and streams, as well as access to many beaches, an ocean, a village, and a diverse city all within one to twenty minutes.

The things that made The Ford House stand out for us were its' proximity to the ocean and the sunniest side of the island, and its' history. Having done our homework on six time Oscar-winning director, John Ford, one of the only photos where we found him actually smiling was gardening on our front lawn as he faced the ocean! When we watch some of his films like How Green Was My Valley, or The Quiet Man, or Mogombo, we fancy we see images much like those on film from the front porch or nearby sea wall. We wonder sometimes if we are seeing some of his early inspiration. We've populated the house with posters from some of his films featuring the biggest stars of the day. Among the many DVDs we've purchased for the house is a section devoted to his films which span from the early 1900 silents through the 1960s. If you are a TCM lover, you'll have fun here.

If you are not into cinema, no worries. The cottage, itself, is a sweet gem with spaces for reading, writing, snoozing, cooking, entertaining, playing, sunning, etc., etc... you get the idea. Its' fabulous location makes it a great fit for people who like to walk, bike, or run in the sunshine. It is just as close to the open access, Maine protected forest behind where the hiker or lover of solitude can have a field day. Many visitors rent golf carts to "back country" around the island. Because the cottage is not more than a 20 minute stroll "Downfront," it is possible to rent one fairly easily. The grocery store, post office, library, many restaurants, gas station, churches, and other amenities are in the same area. While one certainly has the feeling of being "away" in our neighborhood, one is never actually too far from civilization!