In Search Of: A Summer Retreat

Back in the days when normal yuppies could afford it, my parents use to take us to Nantucket for a few weeks each summer. Thus, I learned the value of the laid-back summer vacation where the key goals were riding your bike, bobbing in the waves, whether to have chocolate or rainbow jimmies on your ice cream, and, once you hit teenagerdom, how to lighten your hair with lemon juice. Now that I'm old enough to have to pay for my own summer vacation, and I haven't turned out as a wildly successful hedge fund manager, or wife of one, Nantucket is increasingly out of reach. (I mean, entry level house price of $1 million - I think not). So, the quest is on to find a suitable replacement where, for the time being, we can go rent a cottage for a week or two and, some day in the future, buy a house and convince a few friends to do the same.

I'm definitely an ocean-over-mountains person and particularly partial to islands. The odds are good I will spend my remaining years on the East Coast, so that's the geographical boundary. And, due to the childhood referenced above, really we're talking New England. Although I'd entertain the possibility of crossing the Northern border. So, some options I've been pondering:

Cuttyhunk Island. So this is a small island off Cape Cod, part of the mostly-private (read: owned by the Forbes family) Elizabeth Islands. Reached by ferry from Rhode Island, but no flights, it is short on cars and definitely the quiet side of vacation islands (think one seasonal restaurant, one general store, etc.) Seems really appealing, although I can't seem to locate much of a rental or sale market, so it's hard to know what the price are like.

Block Island. Never been, but clearly larger and more accessible than Cuttyhunk. Certainly discovered, but doesn't seem to have suffered the private-jet-from-Teterboro problem that Nantucket has. Definitely pondering a weekend at this place to check it out.

Maine. I spent a wonderful teenage summer as a nanny in a place called Squirrel Island. No cars, one little general store, lots of paths over rocks and reachable on a little ferry from Boothbay Harbor. So quaint: square dancing on Saturday, an ice cream counter in summer, and the kids doing plays for the whole town. But I can't seem to find anyone renting a place there. I just know there are a bunch of islands in Maine like this, but can't seem to meet anyone with personal knowledge.

Canada. I know nothing about Canadian islands, but Prince Edward Island seems appealing. Would be a hike to get there, but maybe worth it for the peacefulness and price?

Glimpses of Japan Part I: Shiraishi Island

So, more years ago than I would like to think, I spent a spell in Japan. Those who knew me then can vouch that these were not the best months of my life, but there were travel experiences during those months that ranged from sublime to deeply bizarre. So I shall share some of these anecdotes.

Part One is a place called Shiraishi Island. It's a small island in the Seto Inland Sea, about halfway between Okayama and Hiroshima. To get to this little spot, you must take the train to Kasaoka (local line from Okayama), then wander your way down to the docks, misinterpreting the unintelligible signs along the way, until you happen onto the ferry. Then, hop on the little ferry and you're there in thirty minutes.

The island is a small, one imagines slowly-fading, fishing community. There are no cars, only boats. Its chief attraction, aside from solitude and views is that it is home to one of the Okayama International Villas. These places are gems. They are houses in Okayama province, established to facilitate international understanding or some such thing. They are all terrific, and cheap (about $30 a person a night). The Shiraishi house is a modern affair, with double rooms, a great deck, and communal kitchen and living areas.

So your plan is this: exit the ferry, wind through the traditional houses up the hill to the house. Shower, have a sit on the deck. Then wind back down the hill to the little groceries to assemble provisions for dinner. Wind your way back up the hill, read your book on the deck, pull together a nice stir fry, and watch the stars.

There's a little beach down below the villa if you're feeling like you need some sand, and a Buddhist monument and temple in the middle of the island if you need some culture. Plus, wandering around the little village is endlessly entertaining in that quirky Japanese way (little old ladies! beer vending machines!)

If you're feeling active, a hiking trail circles the island and offers spectacular views of boats headed out to sea. There are lovely benches at lookout spots, so head up with a picnic and a book and soak it all in. The serenity of this quiet spot is the perfect anecdote to the crowds and neon of big city Japan.