My absolutely-favorite-place-in-Maine is Stonington. Famous for lobstering and granite quarrying, the town sits at the tip of Deer Isle. Out on the water you can see Acadia National Park to the north.

For me Stonington is “kayak heaven”. For twenty-five or so years, I’ve joined a group of Maine sea kayakers in June for a week of paddling. We rent the same houses right on the water.

My photos show Stonington from a paddler’s point of view.  The scatter of islands makes for lovely boating. Many are on the Maine Island Trail so we can enjoy the beaches at lunchtime or when we need to rest. Views from the top are lovely.

Sea kayaking Stonington can be dangerous. The water is very cold, waves and swells are common, and storms brew up fast. A couple of years ago several of us were caught in a gale. Shaken and grateful, we made it to shore safely. I nearly fainted when I learned that two kayakers off Acadia paddling at the same time did not.

Funny thing, but Mara of my Maine oceanographer Mara Tusconi mystery series got caught in an identical storm in Secrets Haunt The Lobsters’ Sea.