The cottage has a Victorian feel to it, charming and surprisingly spacious, comfortably appointed with a minimalist, Shaker-like aesthetic. We spent a lot of time on the wide, screened porch, enjoying what has to be one of the very best views of Maine coast, with lobster boats bobbing in the waves while they pull their traps, ferries passing like clockwork on their way to and from the out-islands of the Casco Bay archipelago, and everything from kayaks to speedboats to old wooden yawls and sloops and ketches plying the waters of Diamond Pass. We enjoyed the sound of the waves at night as the tide rolled over the rocks just below, and ate breakfast on the porch, watching seabirds come and go - - ducks, cormorants, and gulls - - and a migrating warbler alighting on the bushes that fringe the property. Bring your binoculars, and you can also spot harbor seals and an occasional dolphin. Eric, the owner, gave us helpful hints before our arrival, and was responsive to our messages, and his brother Scott, who has a cottage next door, was welcoming and solicitous during our stay, checking in from time to time to make sure we had what we needed, and putting the kayaks out for us. We had a great time exploring the island, too - - crisscrossing the back roads and hiking trails and walking the ~5-mile loop road that mostly hugs the shore. We enjoyed exploring the WWII-era coastal batteries that once protected Casco Bay and Portland harbor, which was strategically important (we were told) as a repair and refueling station for the North Atlantic fleet. There's a trail from the loop road that threads through a salt marsh on a makeshift boardwalk; the rushes tower overhead for a few minutes until you reach the clearing that's visible from the road, where the massive concrete pillboxes rise up from the marshland; they're interconnected with tunnels, covered in vines and splashed with colorful graffiti. It's a weird and wonderful spot, another time warp on an island that's charmingly full of them. All in all, a lovely place with great hosts, and we hope to be back before too long.
