We have now crossed another hurdle in our lives – we participated in a parks and recreation event, replete with bus transportation, and clearly intended for a “mature” crowd; our lives are spiraling before our eyes.  We are now the ones on the bus, not the ones watching the bus.

We had a fantastic time!  The Hampton (NH) Parks and Recreation department hosted a tour out to the Isles of Shoals, a set of nine small islands about 6 miles off the coast of Portsmouth.  Roughly half the islands are in Maine, and the other half are in New Hampshire.

Heidi, our charming and delightful navigator and tour director (Leslie Knope and Ron Swanson were off duty that day) bussed us up to Kittery, ME to Pepperrell Cove where we boarded the Shining Star (queue Earth, Wind and Fire), a chartered boat typically used for lobstering but in our case handling precious cargo.  Fabulous job, I might add.  The trip out and back offered great views of various places in and around Portsmouth Harbor.

One of the best parts of the tour was we had the participation, knowledge and skills of Brian and Lauren (sp?) from the Seacoast Science Center’s Marine Mammal Rescue Team to guide us during this tour, adding a huge amount of value.  Thank you!  We did some tide pooling to learn of some of the tidal life that exists just below water’s edge, got a tour around the island, and were introduced to harbor and grey seals and some of the bird life off one of the other islands.  Really cool.

If we go back roughly 400 years, Star Island, where we docked, served as a base for a large fishing port, catching mostly cod.  There is a somewhat protected harbor that could serve 4-5 fishing ships, and you can still observe an old icehouse that was used to store fish.  But these islands are not very hospitable to most life; it is a harsh environment, although delightful on the day we spent.  There are a few private homes, as well as the Oceanic Hotel, and the Rutledge Marine Lab.  Most of the power comes from an array of solar panels, and water comes from a desalination plant; there is a big effort to recycle all that can be recycled, and an interest to be as self-sustaining as possible.  Keep in mind that Star Island is a big rock with some soil.

I would caution that there are no trees on the island and so, short of stepping into the hotel, there is no respite from whatever weather you have, whether that be hot, cold, sun, rain or wind – just so you go and pack accordingly.  Bring sunscreen, appropriate layered clothing, water and a snack, although there is place in the hotel you can get an ice cream or (non-alcoholic) drink.

The Isles of Shoals is a very cool day trip out of Portsmouth, Kittery or Rye, and well worth the trip – even if you don’t have experienced guides.