Discovering Maine's Rocky Coast With Kids: Fort Foster

Discovering Maines Rocky Coast
With Jennefer Ellen Parker
The temperatures have dropped but the fall sun remains bright in the afternoon sky.  One of my first encounters with the rocky coast of Maine was discovering the nooks and crannies of Fort Foster on Gerrish Island in Kittery Point.  My family began building a house on the island when I was in fifth grade and every weekend was spent there until it was finished.  It took us five years till completion which looking back now seems as though it would have been an eternity but during those weekends we took breaks and walked among the paths, water's edge, and forts at the state park just down the road.  Years later I am the last remaining sibling and individual living in Maine.  Although everyone has moved away and spread out from one another, a common point for all still remains the same, Fort Foster. 

The girls and I woke early for soccer and headed across the street to the fields to watch Libby take part in her first game.  After the game we called our friends, the Weavers, and invited them to spend a day exploring the rocky coast with us. A hurricane had veered off into the sea and created some pretty big waves to watch.  We grabbed some sweatshirts and our Jack Russell, Meg and picked up our friends.  The Volvo holds seven with the third seat and quickly filled with the sounds of giggles and barking.  As we turned onto Chauncey Creek off of route 103 I started giving my best rendition of a bus tour for anyone who was listening.  The sun glistened on the creek and cast a bright light upon the lobster boats and kayaks waiting to be brought out to Pepperell Cove.  We drove over the bridge on Pocahontas Road to  Gerrish Island and I shared how it was one of Aaron's favorite bridge jumping spots at high tide.  

The gate was open for the weekend. We paid our nominal fee and drove beneath the lush canopy of leaves still green and took our first left onto the gravel road to the point where most surfed, explored, and found solace among the bunkers, nature trails and rocky shores.  We opened the hatch and let the littles out from the third row of seats along with Meg and grabbed our kites.  The wind was strong and provided a perfect day to sail kites among the rocks and grassy fields.  The kids bolted down the path to the jagged shore, while Kyle and I worked steadily to lift the kites into the air.  Once they were flying high we walked them down to the join the littles and make sure they were safe and sound.  We could hear their laughter the entire time and as the warm afternoon sun wrapped itself around our shoulders, smiles grew wide on our faces, even when one of our kites became stuck in a very tall tree just above some people sitting on a bench.

We ended up snapping the string and heading down one of the paths that curved around the shoreline.  The kids ran ahead of us kicking a soccer ball and chasing butterflies.  Kyle and I shielded our eyes and looked out towards the horizon at the Isle of Shoals and the beautiful sails that decorated the view.  We kept Meg with us as the kids ran down to the beach and looked for shells and sea urchins.  When I was a young girl I would wade out at low tide on the same beach with my mom and find ourselves in the middle of a live sand dollar bed. The first time we came upon the bed we were amazed to see them lying in front of us by the hundreds.  We were surprised by their brown fury appearance and I remember us picking them up and examining them closely on the palm of our hands.

Time sped by and we needed to return home. The kids groaned as we shared that we all had to head back to the car.  We barely touched the surface at Fort Foster. We still hadn't made it to the pier or through the forts.  The sands had run out and our adventure drew to an end, but it left us many things to discover on our next trip.  We piled into the Volvo and drove back through the deciduous canopy with the windows wide open and the kids asking when we would come back to Fort Foster.  Meg barked at some dogs as we drove by and I looked over at Kyle and smiled.  The memories I had created as a child growing up on Gerrish Island were now being joined by new ones formed with new friends in a new time and place in my life.  My mind became dizzy as it quickly  filled with ideas for our next adventure along the rocky coast of Maine.  I'm looking forward to sharing them all with you.