Monhegan Island // Babymoon

The month before our baby girl was to arrive, Jon and I decided to take a quick trip to Maine for a little R&R. We had heard about Monhegan Island and thought it would be the perfect place for us to unwind before we were officially a family of four (Benny makes four). It was the perfect choice! We had such an amazing time on Monhegan. We explored, relaxed and took in the amazing views every morning from our perfect ocean view room at the Island Inn.

One of the highlights of the trip was heading over to Manana – a tiny little island just across the water from Monhegan. Jon picked up the walkie-talkie (in the box above the sign that said “Call Rusty on the radio in the box) and called for our ride. Within a few seconds Rusty had arrived on the shore in a  little dinghy and we started the 2 minute ride over to the little island. We hiked up the very steep walkway to the top and explored for a bit before running into the infamous goats of Manana. Cute little goats eating the grass under the bridge we walked on. We were snapping pics and talking to them, but before we knew it, a couple of the goats had jumped up on the bridge to…say hello? At first it was cute and funny and then we noticed the “Boss Billy Goat” was leading the pack toward us. They started out slow and then quickly gained some speed. We decided it was time to run as we weren’t sure if the goats were friendly or fierce. Being 8 1/2 months pregnant, I was going as fast as I could! I turned back to snap a photo and realized they weren’t giving up – they were chasing us off the island. Rusty must have spotted us from Monhegan because we saw his little boat heading back over to us. As we ran down the steep steps to the bottom of the island, Rusty met us with a few feet left. I told him the goats were chasing us and he replied “Yes, I see that. They can be aggressive.” I’m almost happier that I didn’t know that before we arrived on Manana. We made it to the dinghy unscathed and as we headed back to safety, the goats stared at us from the bottom of the island looking as if they were saying “…AND DON’T COME BACK!” It was pretty hilarious! As we stepped out onto dry land, we noticed a few people chuckling. They told us that seeing us run from the goats down the hill was one of the funniest things they had ever seen. One couple even took photos of the scene. I wish I had exchanged information so I could see some of those shots. It was most definitely an experience to remember.

If you decide to visit Monhegan, be sure to eat dinner at least once at the Island Inn’s restaurant. The food was amazing! We were never disappointed. Another great spot to check out is the Monhegan Brewery on the way to Lobster Cove. Don’t mind the bees that hover around your ginger beer. They won’t bother you if you don’t bother them. If you’re looking for a delicious and quick lunch, stop over at The Novelty located behind the Monhegan House. Their pizza is on point! Taking a full (or half if you’re pregnant) day to hike around the island is another must. We hiked across the island to Whitehead where the views were just spectacular! We cannot wait to go back to this magical place. We’ll wait until Willow is a little older and can enjoy the hikes and make some memories, but we will no doubt be back! Here are some of my favorite photos from the trip.