Battery Steele


Battery Steele, Peaks Island


Dang Peaks Island hoodlums!


Rob and Ging going into a dark tunnel.


Emily going into a dark tunnel.


Rob in a narrow side hall.


Freaky!


Graffiti everywhere.


Didn’t know Phil was there til my flash went off.


Back side of the bunker area.


We climbed up a tiny wooded trail to the topside of the bunker where we found this air vent.


Dark now. Standing on the top of the bunker.

During World War II, a large military defense installation was built on Peaks Island. There are bunkers and batteries and observation towers and more, I’m sure. Phil told me that there were observation areas out in the water, looking for submarines and then guns on the island that would shoot. Or that was the plan. When they tested the guns windows all the way on the opposite side of the island shattered. He said it was not used after that. Some of the ruins are privately owned, and some are just there and you can go in. Maybe those are privately owned, but the owners don’t care? I’m not sure.

We went to the Battery Steele area. It is in this overgrown woods and almost all the way covered except for the entry ways. There are long tunnels with rooms and halls going off this way and that. You couldn’t see a thing in there. You couldn’t see your hand in front of your face, which was scary. Scarier was the fact that there were some small votives lit in the tunnel. The kind that don’t burn long, so someone had been in there just before us. Even scarier was when Ging and I were stumbling along in the dark and Billy and Dallas jumped out of somewhere and started yelling at us. Ging and I just started screaming. So spooky. Rob had two tiny flashlights, but most of us were just wandering around in the dark trying use our cell phones or cameras to see. It was creepy that we couldn’t see anything but when I’d light up a wall with my flash it would be covered with graffiti or we’d see one of our friends walking that we didn’t even know was there. Everything was all strobe-y, which added to the scary factor.

Walking Across the Island


Billy, Dallas, Jessie, Diane, Ging, Lou & Rob waiting for the group to gather so we can begin the walk.


Lots of people travel by golf cart around the island.


Jessie & Josh sitting in a tree-ee. Just kidding. They are married and have 2 kids.


Dallas, Ging, Billy, Rob. Phil and his wife and baby in the back.


Rachelle & Ging


Sail boat off Peaks Island.


Killian & Dallas

After Rob & Colleen’s barbecue lunch most people left. Colleen even left to go stay at her parent’s house the night before the wedding. For the most part, the people that were left were Rob and some of his friends. Rob decided to take us on a walk across the island to the “backshore”. It was a relaxing, scenic walk… maybe the fact that we took our beer “to go” helped with that. We started out on roads and then went to gravel and through the woods until we met our final destination: A World War II-era battery and bunker (more on that to come).

Barbecue at Rob and Colleen’s House


Rob & Colleen’s House, Peaks Island


Rob & Colleen’s Backyard, Peaks Island


Geary’s Summer Ale (Made in Portland, Maine)


Colleen’s mom and Rob’s mom.. maybe hinting on what they expect next?


Colleen & Two of her Sisters, Peaks Island


Cael, Peaks Island


Colleen’s Niece, Peaks Island


Dallas, Peaks Island


Ging & Killian. Ging proudly displaying the Ocean Spray since Rob’s family supplies cranberries to them.

After kayaking we all went back to Rob and Colleen’s house where they were having a barbecue. We ate and ate and drank beer made in Portland, Maine like Shipyard and Geary’s. Later on we played frisbee game.

Kayaking Around Peaks Island


Sarah, Liz, Killian


Liz, Killian, Sarah


Rob after he showboated and did a rollover maneuver


Peaks Island


Dallas


Our kayaking group resting on Long Island

On Friday morning Ging, Billy, Dallas and I got breakfast at a Peaks Cafe nearby our inn. Afterwards we met up with Rob and Colleen at the ferry dock. Killian and Liz and a bunch of other family and friends were coming over because Rob and Colleen arranged a kayaking trip with Maine Island Kayak for anyone who was in town for the wedding and wanted to participate. About 17 people signed up. We went around the entire island of Peaks Island and also jetted off course to rest on a sandy beach on Long Island. This was our approximate route:
View Larger Map

Google Maps says it’s about 7 miles, but I’m not sure if that’s accurate. It for sure took about 3.5 hours or so. Most of my strength is in my lower body, not my upper body so I was in rough shape for part of the time. Dallas had a cold and took a dose of DayQuil right before the trip. Not a good idea. The waves were making him so dizzy. After we took a break we traded kayaks with Billy and Ging. They were in a double kayak and Dallas and I were each in a single, so it was a bit easier going the rest of the way because we could work as a team. When we got back to our base the kayaking group had set out bread and cheese and grapes and things for us to snack on. By then it was 1:30 p.m. and the snacks were so much appreciated. It was a gorgeous trip and worth the sore arms later on, for sure.

The Peaks Island House


Sunrise at The Peaks Island House


Ferry View from the Deck of The Peaks Island House


Front of The Peaks Island House


The Peaks Island House


Back of The Peaks Island House


Deck Along the Back of The Peaks Island House


Our Room at The Peaks Island House


Sunset at The Peaks Island House

Like I said earlier, of the two inns on Peaks Island, The Peaks Island House rooms are smaller and more quaint, but you really cannot beat the views there. The rooms are cute inn rooms, not suites like at The Inn on Peaks. Dallas and I were staying in Room #1 of The Peaks Island House and Ging and Billy were in Room #3. It was cool to be so close to the water you could hear the surf when you woke up. And we could see the ferry’s coming in and out. When it got close we could leave our room and walk down just in time to get on.