1. Tidewater Motel
City: Vinalhaven, ME
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (207) 863-4618
Address: 12 Main St., Carvers Harbor
Description: You can certainly watch the tide if you stay at this thirtysomething Vinalhaven motel. Built in 1970 by the parents of current owner Phil Crossman, the place is just feet above the ocean. The rooms are nicer than a typical motel, and have decks that extend right out over the water, and if you leave your windows open, you can let the ocean’s swells sway you to sleep. You’ll be awakened by the activity that keeps the working harbor alive, and you’ll be able to see most of the goings-on right from your room. Some rooms have kitchens, all have cable TV and a private bath. The Tidewater is open year-round, and the owners also offer a beautiful cottage right on Carver’s Pond for a more private stay.
2. Lane’S Island Preserve
City: Vinalhaven, ME
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (207) 729-5181
Description: Forty-five acres of wide-open windswept moors, surrounded by rocks and beach, are what you’ll find at this astonishingly beautiful isle off Vinalhaven. Because it was used for sheep pasture for ages, it’s got an almost British Isles quality to it, grand and sweeping and romantic. All sorts of birdies favor the spot—including ospreys, great blue herons, spotted and least sandpipers, merlins, kestrels, and marsh hawks. Rough trails crisscross the entire island, and you can peek at the small cemetery, where generations of Lanes have been buried. Whether you just want a walk—it’s 15 minutes or so from the ferry landing on Vinalhaven—to bird-watch, or to spend some time on the edge of the sea, it’s a small paradise.