Portland, Maine

We got up, ate breakfast at the hotel restaurant and took the hotel's courtesy van to the Casco Bay Lines terminal. The twenty minute ride to Peaks Island was magnificent. I saw the harbor for the first time in 17 years. This is the place that I took for granted as a kid, riding the boat every day to school. After arriving on Peaks Island, we headed down Island Ave. and explored the area around my childhood home on Centennial St., then headed to the East End. We went up to Pleasant Ave. and headed back, passing Brackett Church and the elementary school (my dad claims it was called Peaks Island Grammar School - "good ol' P.I.G.S." - when he attended it in the 1930s) on the way.

Lunch was at the Peaks Island House restaurant. Brandie had a sandwich and I had the corn chowder, which was excellent. We then headed the opposite way on Island Ave. and explored the back shore of the island. We eventually circled the entire island. Many, many pictures were taken on the way.

After buying a few souvenirs for the kids, we headed back to Portland and took in some of the shops in the Old Port district. We ate dinner at Sebago Brewing Company. Their burgers were very good, and the Amber Ale was great. We then called the courtesy van and returned to the hotel, thoroughly worn out and sunburned.