ExploringMaine.com

One recent afternoon, unseasonably warm with a cloudless sky, I was riding on the Islesboro Ferry back to Lincolnville when a decal on a pickup caught my eye. The words read simply, "Wag more bark less."

What great advice, so I pointed out the words of wisdom to Jolie, my intrepid companion, and mentioned that wagging more was ever so easy after our perfect day, bicycling a 28-mile-loop around Islesboro, an island ideal for the sport.

I talk in superlatives, but this was – really – one of the better bicycling days of my life. Winding roads with short, steep hills for great exercise made life feel perfect, particularly when pedaling past ocean views.

Since May, my bicycling regimen has included going out most days when it doesn't rain, so Islesboro's hills presented no problem, some brutally steep but short. I would shift to a granny gear and just spin the pedals. Jolie's bicycle developed a derailleur malfunction that we couldn't fix on the road, preventing her from getting into a low gear, so she walked up some hills.

This long, narrow island in Penobscot Bay measures 14 miles long and as much as two miles wide in some places. It lies three miles from Lincolnville and two miles from the east shore.

Islesboro has just enough affluent development to add incredible charm but not enough people to create much vehicular traffic in the fall.

The island's 2000 census showed a population density of 42.3 people per square mile, about the same total as Maine – at 41.3 per square mile, as of 2008 – which included statistics from the sparsely settled north country. Islesboro's north end also has much less development than its south end.

The island has three major villages – Dark Harbor, North Islesboro and Pripet – but even on a bicycle, don't blink. We coasted through Dark Harbor and on toward Pendleton Point before realizing we had passed through that hamlet.

Dark Harbor reminded me of illustrations in schoolbooks from my childhood – small, well-manicured lawns, a stately tree canopy, shuttered homes and white picket fences crowding the road.

Such charm attracts affluent folks, and Islesboro has drawn rich summer-home owners since just after the Civil War. These days, actors John Travolta, Kelly Preston and Kirstie Alley and financier John P. Morgan own homes there, just to name a few.

At one spot not far from the ferry terminal, a tiny cluster of buildings on Main Road housed the post office, town office, health center, fire department and the Island Market, the latter selling all a bicyclist could want, including water, sports drinks and high-carbohydrate food for body fuel – like homemade cookies and pizza.

One feature on the island caught my eye – a browse line on cedars. In winter, these ungulates trim the conifers up as high as they can reach, at an even height. It's like a sign advertising Islesboro's dense whitetail population.

Nearly every veggie garden we passed had a fence around it, the only real cure to keeping these eating machines away from the produce – another symbol shouting, "We got lots and lots of deer out here."

One magnificent oak soon greets bicyclists heading up the road from the ferry, setting the standard of what to expect. Deciduous trees dominate Islesboro's forests, and some oaks and maples have grown to huge sizes.

Because deer trim the ground cover and trees grow so massive, Islesboro reminded me a lot of rural Europe. In short, at times, I felt as if I were bicycling in the Tour de France – of course, way behind the peloton.

Right now, fall's magnificent foliage makes it the absolute perfect time to bicycle Islesboro. I won't visit the island again this year, and I envy anyone who can go during autumn's spectacular display.

Islesboro's ferry terminal lies off Route 1 in Lincolnville in sight of this major highway. Visitors cannot miss it. The boat ride to the island takes 20 minutes and costs $10 per person and $8.50 per bike – $37 for two. Parking at the Lincolnville terminal is free.

Signs and ferry workers make it easy to understand the protocol so no one needs to stand around scratching their heads, wondering what to do.

Check out Islesboro Ferry Service at www.state.me.us/mdot/opt/ferry/Islesboroprint.htm or call 789-5611.

It's crucial to grab an Islesboro map at the terminal's ticket office. Also, Howard Stone's "25 Bicycle Tours in Maine" (Backcountry Guides) and Melissa Kim's "Foghorn Outdoors New England Biking" (Avalon Travel Publishing) are excellent info sources for an Islesboro trek.

Ken Allen of Belgrade Lakes is a writer, editor and photographer Contact him at:

KAllyn800@aol.com