Discovering Maine's Rocky Coast With Kids: Drakes Island

Discovering Maine's Rocky Coast With Kids: Drakes Island
By Maine Author
Jennifer Ellen Parker
This week's adventure took us to one of my most favorite places on Earth.  It is a hidden gem among the rocky coast of Maine, which few people seem to know about.  I discovered it years ago when wandering up the coast of Maine trying to gather my thoughts after a long hard day.  After we finished dinner, a homemade lasagna, we packed a few towels, a kite, sweatshirts, and Anna's iPod for taking pictures.  My mom was here for a visit and she had only been to Drakes Island once in the Winter.  I was excited to share the amazing views at sunset with her.  We had asked our family friends, the Weaver Family, if they would like to join us as well.  It was hard for me to believe that there was another family from Maine who never knew the quintessential vacation spot existed.  We made our way around the narrow, curvy lanes that circled the island to the back where we parked our car and unloaded the trunk.  Meg pulled at her harness and lead us to the wooden boardwalk that runs along the tall dunes and marsh grass, making the trek over the soft, deep beach sand manageable.  We placed our beach bag at the base of the empty lifeguard stand and the kids immediately took off running for the surf.

I was excited to unravel the tail of the kite and send it into the crystal clear blue sky.  The sun was beginning to set and it casted a warm, rich glow down around the kids and all that found itself on the beach.  It took a few tries for the wind to lift the kite high above the sand.  Once it found its way, it quickly tugged at the string and demanded to be set free.  We took turns holding it as it floated high above our heads and decorated the sky with bright primary colors.  I stood watching my Mom fly it with my hand shielding my eyes from the sun and I felt as though I was seeing her in a very different light, as a young child discovering something for the very first time.  The kids ran in circles, chasing one another and climbing the lifeguard chair.  They ducked beneath the ocean waves and splashed one another as they giggled and cemented the moment in their childhood memories.  Meg pulled hard as a Corgi passed by, wanting to make new friends but seeming more like a mountain lion.  My mom took her by the leash and led her to the jetty across the beach, combing the sand for shells and pieces to add to my mounting collection of beach memories in our little home.

I turned to my friend and smiled.  Even though I have been to Drakes Island at least a hundred times throughout the years, each visit always finds a special place in my heart. There is something so magical about the dunes, jetty, and soft sand that when I'm there I can't imagine wanting to be anywhere else in the world.  I was happy to bring my Mom and friends to a such a beautiful part of Maine's Rocky Coast.  I hope you find some time in these fleeing weeks of Summer to explore what is well worth the time it takes to get there. Just remember it is a hidden gem and please treat it as if it were your very own.

Jennefer Ellen Jarker's Book is available from Amazon.