Island family vacation

I%26#39;m looking for advice from people who have spent vacations of a week or two on a Maine island. We are a family of mom, dad, and 9-year-old boy-girl twins looking for a relaxing week or (hopefully) two week vacation next summer. We want peace and quiet but enough activity to keep the children occupied, and hopefully even some things they can go off and do SAFELY themselves, like ride bikes into town, explore tidal pools, playgrounds ... We are NOT interested in fast food, miniature golf or boardwalks, but neither are we hearty sports nuts either. We would like easy nature walks/hikes, short bike rides, rock hopping/tidal pool exploring, walking into town for ice cream, maybe a campfire on the beach, playing with other kids, maybe a movie. I%26#39;ve taken day trips to Monhegan and Vinalhaven, and spent three-day trips to Matinicus and Swans but all that was pre-kids. I always thought Vinalhaven would be a good place for a longer vacation, the quarries look great for swimming, which we love to do, and the harbor has some restaurants, etc. I%26#39;m interested in any firsthand info on longer stays with kids on Vinalhaven, North Haven, Isleboro, or Isle au Haut. Thanks and looking forward to reading replies!

Island family vacation

I know you asked about islands downeast, but you also might want to consider the islands in Casco Bay, a ferry ride from Portland. I%26#39;m partial to Long Island, for its beauty and the numbers of people there (fewer than Peaks Island, for example.) It%26#39;s a 45-minute ferry ride to Portland, where you%26#39;d be able to get an ';intown'; experience occasionally if you felt the urge. Its one drawback, perhaps, is that there%26#39;s no longer a family restaurant there. But, there are two very well equipped grocers, a fabulous library, playgrounds, a recreation department that sponsors pottery, basket weaving, exercise and the like for all ages, as well as beautiful, unspoiled and uncrowded beaches. There are cars on the island, but you see more and more golf carts and, of course, bicycles. I have a favorite story about an experience my nephew, who was around 6 at the time, had: he decided to take his dog for a walk from mine to another aunt%26#39;s house a mile or so away, and made a wrong turn. Poor little guy ended up at the very other end of the island, 3 miles away, where he met up with someone who figured out he wasn%26#39;t where he meant to be. He promptly brought him back west until my nephew recognized where he was. That dog was some tuckered when they walked in, and we never did find out who brought them home! But that%26#39;s the way it is on the islands - you send the kids out and they%26#39;ll come home when they%26#39;re hungry :-)

A couple sites for rentals:

Laurie Wildes with Port Island Realty:

http://www.portisland.com/long.html

Vacation Rental by Owner:

vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/鈥ong-island

Island family vacation

Thanks for your reply and I will definitely look into Long Island. Being near Portland is a good idea in case of a rainy stretch -- a couple years ago we had to bail on our camping trip to Hermit Island because of killer mosquitos and spent a day and night in Portland. Would love to go back to the Children%26#39;s Museum and poke around the waterfront a little more. I also like the idea of the rec dept. activities on Long Island -- they let the tourists participate? Is there anywhere to swim besides the ocean? Thanks!

You%26#39;re not considered a ';tourist';, you%26#39;re ';summer folk'; :-) There are only 200 year-round residents, it%26#39;s the summer folk who help keep these programs alive! From the town%26#39;s website, last summer%26#39;s Rec offerings:

http://townoflongisland.us/summer-programs/

No swimming pools out there.