Come February in Maine, people start praying for sun and signs of spring. Those fortunate enough actually get to escape the wintry north for a week or more to head to the warmer climates of the South or West (and then post pictures on Facebook). But then there’s those poor bastards who get left behind, who grumble about the 5 feet of snow on our doorsteps, shovel our cars out for what seems like the thousandth time, all the while muttering “I’m so over this!”
And while I too wish for warmer weather, I chose instead to spend my winter vacation further north, headfirst into the storm, to the small island of Deer Isle. About 3 hours north of Portland and an hour south of Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park, Deer Isle is connected to the mainland by a big scary bridge and the town all but shuts down in the winter. Perfect for spending a long weekend, and here are my reasons why:
1. 80’s DJ Night at Marlintini’s. Deer Isle has only one real bar (actually located in Stonington) which is only open during the summer season, so during the winter islanders are forced to drive 2 towns away to the nearest bar. The joy in this is that by going to bar in another town, no one knows who you are most of the time. And if you’re like me and hardly ever frequent bars anymore, you lose all inhibition before you even have a drink, therefore you can dance like you just don’t care and showcase some of your best mom dance moves. Also, $2 PBRs.
2. Staying with parents. Say what you will, but I love going to stay with my folks. It’s free, there’s unlimited food, I don’t have to do my own laundry and they love to watch my kid, leaving me to feel like the teenager I once was when I lived with them. For 30 to 60 minutes anyway, until child wants her mommy again.
3. Peace and quiet. For an island, Deer Isle is pretty large acreage-wise, so there are a lot of woods and countless trails to explore, either with snowmobiles, skis or snowshoes (I prefer the latter.) When the only noise I hear are birds singing and my own labored breathing, I’m liking it. 
4. Snowmobiling. As mentioned above, lots of trails to ride on. However, since it was only my second time ever maneuvering one of these things, I stuck to laps around the field behind said parents house. 30 mph is really exhilarating! (And so is getting stuck. Whoops.)
5. Breakfast at the Diner. Though it didn’t happen this time around, the Diner is the place to have breakfast, especially on a Sunday morning. The food itself isn’t outstanding, but its the only restaurant open year-round and you’re guaranteed to see someone you know, making it a nice social gathering spot. And on a weekday in the middle of winter, there’s no wait for tables so you and your company are free to sit and have coffee for 2 hours. Plus your kid can run around and everyone will think its cute.
6. The ocean views. Enough said. 
7. Very, very quiet downtown. Deer Isle-Stonington is a tourist destination, so in the summer main street Stonington turns into a one-way street, only with traffic in either direction and parking on two sides of the street and people (tourists) cluelessly walking in the middle of road. It’s quite the mess to navigate. So in the off-season, it’s nice to drive leisurely through town without feeling like you need to flip someone off or the fear you might run someone over.
8. Bumpy roads= good gas mileage. Okay, I’m not sure if frost heaves every 50 feet will help increase gas mileage, but it does make you slow way down (if not, you may end up leaving half your undercarriage laying in the road.) And its fun to say “Wheee!” with every bump to entertain your toddler in the backseat.
9. $3 gym sessions. No kidding, $3 a day to work out (or better yet, $35 a month for a membership.) On the days when its -10 with the wind chill and you just cant bear to suit up for a brisk run outside, there’s nothing better than breaking a sweat on a treadmill while watching cheesy Hallmark channel movies starring Cameron Diaz.
10. It’s pretty. Even with all the snow and ice and frozen everything, with the bitter cold and colder ocean breezes, Deer Isle is pretty. In fact, all of Maine is pretty and the perfect place for a vacation, summer or winter.
I’ve spent a lot of time wishing I were anywhere but Maine (as I’m sure some people feel about their home state as well), but in my olden age of the late 20s, I’m starting to come around. And I think you should too! Because Maine is The Way Life Should Be (just look at our Welcome signs.)
Wonder Drive 