Perfect Maine days have been scarce so far this summer, so when one comes along you can bet that most people with a boat or access to one are on the water. We are no exception, so off we go to Isle au Haut.
Isle au Haut, or High Mountain in French, was named by Samuel Champlain. It is one of the few remaining islands off the coast of Maine that still has a year round population, small though it is. The only way to get there is by boat, either your own or the little ferry that runs from Stonington.
There’s not much in the village other than a general store, a post office, and a gift shop.
Up the road apiece from the dock is a lovely church dating back to the late 1800’s.
Inside, it is a lovely place in which to spend a few quiet moments.
When you get hungry on Isle au Haut, there’s a wonderful little food shack that serves up great lobster rolls and haddock sandwiches as well as delicious homemade pies.
Walking or recreational vehicles are the primary means of getting from one place to another on the island. Amusingly, Isle au Haut appears to be a place where old vehicles come to die as they are scattered all over the island. The last license plate on this abandoned truck is 1990!
The same is true for equipment. When it doesn’t go any more, it’s just left on the side of the road. What do you think eventually happens to all this abandoned metal?
Lobstering is a way of life for most of Isle au Haut’s residents, and there is evidence of it everywhere.
I love all the trappings of lobstering, and they are easy to spot on this working island.
Walking along there’s always the unexpected like this
or a deer running across the road
or a table full of treasures free for the taking.
You don’t think I passed these by, do you?
Isle au Haut is a great place for hiking the cliffs, but there wasn’t time for that today, but you can be sure we’ll be going back to hike the cliff trails and marvel at the sound of the waves rolling over the rocks. I hope you will be along.
i so appreciate your visit and the comments you leave behind
Lulu's Musings 
Removed from the rest of Acadia, Isle Au Haut is off the coast of Deer Isle, just five miles South of Stonington, ME. Catch the mail boat/passenger ferry from the Stonington town dock and from mid-June to early September you can get off right at Duck Harbor to start your hike. The rest of the year, the ferry runs only to the town landing, about a five-mile hike to the Duck Harbor Campground. Check out current ferry schedules and fares at http://www.isleauhaut.com/ .
Today, lobster fishing remains the main industry, while the portions of Acadia National Park (which cover about 60% of the island) attract a few tourists. Vacation houses , although far fewer than the nearby summer colonies of North Haven , Vinalhaven and Mount Desert Island , more than double Isle au Haut’s population during the summer. Linda Greenlaw wrote a book about it titled The Lobster Chronicles (2003). Gordon Bok wrote a song entitled ‘The hills of Isle au Haut’.
Where did you move exactly? Basically into a shack because permanent homes are so expensive and hard to come by. We had a garden hose hooked up to the kitchen sink for water; there was no septic. We lived there April to early December for two seasons, and in the winter, we’d rent a different house on the island. During our second winter, we rented one of the houses built by the island’s community development corporation to encourage families to move here. We’re now trying to purchase it.
You captured the DAY! and…… the preciousness of Isle au haut….
Thank YOU, Barbara Goodbody
Always love your posts—-you captured the ” Perfect Maine Day ” perfectly !!!!! Soo glad we enjoyed it together !!!!!
Oh Linda, thanks for the great photos. We were so sorry to miss the day !!!
xoxo,
anne and john
Gorgeous post! We too had the most perfect day in Maine on Saturday. In fact so perfect I only took maybe 30 photos too busy sitting long side the river in Byron searching for Gold 🙂
Are you really looking for gold? Hmmm, I may have to search for my pot of it. There are lots of perfect days in Maine, but the last few aren’t among them. It’s been blazing hot.
Not looking for it FINDING it in Maine, NH and VT waters 🙂
Crazy!!
and FREE for the TAKING lol
what a delightful little day trip on such a glorious day! The Isle de Haut is utterly charming, not sure if the abandoned vehicles add to the charm or not…but it is all entirely quirky. I loved the sign, THE lobster lady! Wonderful fun!
Jenna
so beautiful ~ love your pictures!
I love when you take me to Maine~ love the name…High Island living sounds delightful with that adorable post office and food shack 🙂
That church is a really beautiful building. It looks peaceful and cool sitting in the landscape. what a beautiful place the island is. I’d want the place to myself:)
I have that Lee Bailey book. I like his books. That is the smallest post office I have ever seen! This is an interesting post and you had an interesting day.
Such a lovely peaceful town to spend a day. The jumping deer was a cool capture. Beautiful post!
I may have to fight Sarah for that little white bottle LOL… gorgeous photos! (and what a stroke of luck to have the camera ready when the deer jumped out!!!) Brilliant !
Oh, what a gorgeous day! We spent a week in Belfast two summers ago. I’d love to have a summer home on the coast of Maine! Thanks for sharing these beautiful images. I feel as if I’ve had a bit of a respite from the TX heat. And …… that cute little white milk bottle would have jumped right into my hands. ‘-) ~ Sarah
Sure wish I’d known you were in this part of the country as I enjoy meeting fellow bloggers. Maybe it can happen in Texas.
First I’m forwarding your post to my husband with a note: “this is why we have to get a place there” then I’m going back on realtor.com to see what’s for sale in the Casco bay area. It won’t be a reality for us this year, but it sure makes for a wonderful daydream.
I’m so glad I found your blog!
If you dream long enough and hard enough, the dream just might come true.
a truly perfect day
What a wonderful place to visit! I’m wondering, since it’s an island, how these abandoned vehicles got here in the first place. Ferry?
XO,
Jane
I am so jealous
Sent from my iPhone
SO CAN’T WAIT TO GET THERE IN SEPTEMBER!!
I love your post today and the photos. Thanks, Weldon
Sent from Weldon Rigby iPad