What to do in Stonington?

Am seriously considering renting a cottage for a week in Stonginton. Would love to hear what others suggest for activities in the area....

What to do in Stonington?

Hi Michele,

Stonington is one of my most favorite places in Maine :). Are you familiar with it at all?If not, it%26#39;s very small and sits at the southern tip of Deer Isle, overlookig a beautiful harbor dotted with tons of islands. It has a few shops and galleries along the waterfront, with a maybe 4 or 5 restaurants and that%26#39;s about it.

The attraction of the area is it%26#39;s stunning beauty. I%26#39;m a photographer and Deer Isle along with Stongington is right up there with Monhegan Island for creative inspiration. Guess that%26#39;s why it seems that more and more artists are opening galleries and painting there (plus there%26#39;s Haystack which you%26#39;ll definitely want to visit).

Anyway, it%26#39;s a great place to walk around, hike, and/or explore by foot or car. Or to just chill, read a good book, drink in the beauty, and enjoy a starry night.

A good website to check out is www.deerisle.com/. It%26#39;ll provide you with almost everything you%26#39;d need or want to know to have a nice vacation.

cozyharbor

What to do in Stonington?

P.S. to Michele,

Forgot to mention the Stonington Opera House which offers movies, plays, concerts, etc. Again check the deerisle website for listings :).

cozyharbor

Michele,

One last addition! You can take the mailboat out to Isle Haute or rent a kayak. I think there are even other boat tours offered during the summer. Definitely get out on the water while there as that is definitely part of it%26#39;s beauty.

cozyharbor

I%26#39;m actually fairly familiar with Stonington, and the veg, chill out, etc. part is very attractive to me. I%26#39;m a bit worried, tho, that others in my party will want more ';activity'; so that%26#39;s why I posted, hoping that folks could suggest specific things for folks who feel the need to stay ';busy.';

Got specific places to visit, restaurants to eat at, galleries to cruise? I feel obligated to present a slate of potential activities for folks, including three teenagers.

MicheleS, I%26#39;ve been to Stonington twice, both as day trips. We had rented a house in Sunset which turned into a nightmare, but that%26#39;s another story!! We had planned to have a lobster bake on the beach but I can%26#39;t remember who it was with, maybe someone else has done this. I thought it would be a nice thing for family, but because of the above nightmare we had to cancel. We found the the town not to be very ';tourist friendly';, completely different from the 1st. visit I did. They had gone through alot, with town people leaving, empty stores, and I had even planned to get my groceries for the week there only to find it closed down. We had my 3 yr. old grandson with us and we needed to change him, there were no restrooms, so we went into one of the 2 restaruants there and they refused to let us do this unless we were going to eat. We were told there were ';port-o-lets down by the old grocery, which were totally gisgusting. We walked back to where we were parked and did the best we could. My daughter-in-law was very upset over this and went back to the restaruant and gave the owner a few choice words from an irate mother. So, I guess what I%26#39;m saying is I hope the ';facilities'; have improved!!

That%26#39;s too bad. Sorry to hear it.

Deer Isle is one of my very favorite places (in Maine or anywhere)! Here are some thoughts:

Hike at Barred Island Preserve (if you go at the right time of day you can cross a sand bar to a smaller island...but don%26#39;t be late on your return!)Spend an afternoon driving from gallery to gallery. Have lunch at Lily%26#39;s Cafe when you see the flag out front (they open when they want to!) Have dinner at The Cockatoo (Brazilian paella with a whole lobster!) Be aware of the tides (it affects many activities). Take a boat trip with Old Quarry Tours to see the puffins (you can arrange lobster dinner on the dock on your return if they still do it). Take the mail boat/ferry from Stonington to Isle Au Haut to walk or paddle (as the others mentioned above). Grill the local halibut and scallops. Go antiquing. Try the organic ice cream shop in Stonington if it is still there. Sit on your adirondack chair with a glass of wine and enjoy the unbelievable view.

PS: Although Stonington is charming, I would rent a cottage in a quieter part of the island on the waterfront and enjoy coming into civilization when you feel the urge. But it all depends on what you like to do. Good luck!

I just realized this topic was posted in 2006! Oh well, maybe someone else will find it useful.