And … for the fifth time. In my last post I shared with you my visits in 2024 and 2025 for the “open house” day, and encouraged you to go on September 20. I also referenced you back to the conferences I attended in 2012 and 2021. Earlier this year when I received an email from Star Island mentioning the conference AMERICA’S VACATIONLAND: SUMMERING IN NEW ENGLAND, I immediately signed up. The development of the summer vacation, dating from the Church Camp Meeting Ground movement from the mid-19th century, has always fascinated me. My personal library has about 60 feet of books on the summer experience in the US and Roadside Americana. So — of course I signed right up to attend.

I will be brief with my images from these five days, but if interested in seeing more I encourage you to review my earlier trips and those experiences and images. We left the Portsmouth, NH, dock at about 2:20 on Sunday 30 August, passing under the Memorial Bridge below.

The WAZE app works fine on the water as well, so below to give you a view of the area leaving Portsmouth, and then the harbor itself. On the right map you see the Isles of Shoals at the top left – STAR ISLAND in top center.

Leaving the harbor is Fort Constitution – this site was first fortified in 1631.

and, arriving – a welcoming sight unchanged for over 100 years. Feel free to click my images for larger size views.

closing in

“AND YOU DID COME BACK – YOU DID COME BACK” — the welcoming chant from Pelicans (Star Island staff) and others.

settling in I got to “work” with images of rocking chairs — will be updating my ROCKING CHAIR STUDIES page after this post is up.

After our first dinner we had an introduction to our program and speakers and other events.

I will not tell you what I learned this week — I am overwhelmed and have notes to interpret. Hopefully I can ask one or more of the presenters to provide me copies of their slides. But, here were the topics and speakers:

SUMMER CAMPS: THE WHITE MOUNTAIN ROOTS OF AN ICONIC AMERICAN EXPERIENCE with Paul Hutchinson. Paul co-curated the exhibit of the same name in summer 2017 at the Plymouth State University Museum of the White Mountains. When I learned of that I had to attend, and did. Somehow I never wrote about that trip, and I am not sure which laptop my images are in, and I have to find my copy of his exhibit book.

NEWPORT RHODE ISLAND AS WARD MCALLISTER FOUND IT with Emily Barrow

THE GRAND HOTELS OF PLUM ISLAND with Bethany Groff Doran — and, now I have to take some long overdue overnights in Newburyport, MA. having only been on Plum Island briefly once.

THE RISE AND FALL OF NEW ENGLAND’S ROADSIDE MOTELS with Leslie Landrigan; and,
BAR HARBOR BABYLON with Dan Landrigan — yes, I have many roadside motel history books, have Dan’s book and have gotten their emails for ages from their NEW ENGLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY – great website and emails with fascinating history articles – RAY RECOMMENDS – Sign up for their email updates.

THE GRAND HOTEL ERA ON THE ISLE OF SHOALS with Ann Beattie (I first heard Ann speak in 2012 – great presenter)

A PLACE FOR US: BLACK AND JEWISH VACATIONERS IN THE ERA OF DISCRIMINATION with Julia Roberts

it was then time for another STAR tradition – the Candlelit Chapel Service. Attendees, in silence, gather on the front porch of the hotel, take a lantern and proceed up the hill to the darkened chapel.

up the path to the chapel where the lanterns are hung inside.

and, back to the Oceanic Hotel — now what would you expect I “shoot and share?”

And, getting up on Monday morning, what would you expect me to first share?

The Dining Hall, which I have shared in earlier posts, is amazing and old resort reminiscent, but with COVID, the New England Heritage Conference began having meals together on the front porch, and have continued to do so. The picnic benches were added for COVID, well received and have remained.

there were artists working with watercolor at the conference (on my list of things to learn that I will probably not get to). I love this view of the chapel as it is being painted — I have an almost identical view of chapel with easel and painting in my 2012 post.

If you get out for the OPEN HOUSE, do head up to the Chapel, and past the Chapel to Vaughan Cottage Library and Museum. Always changing, I have always found the exhibits here fascinating and educational. Note that one method of communication (e.g. how many people on the boat to prepare meals for) was by Carrier Pigeon – wish I had taken an image of their cages and perches. (remember you may click my “galleries” for larger image views).

by now you should know I like COLOR – TEXTURE – SHADOWS and the like in my images.

More COLOR – TEXTURE – and a SEAGULL

back to the hotel, and waiting for me.

never just one — but this is a week you do not have to “fight for a chair” — when my bookshop was in Connecticut in the late 90s, Cathy and I found that we could close and vacation just before Labor Day as most folks were transitioning back to school, and/or out for one last vacation fling.

another “classic reason” you stay on STAR ISLAND — a scene you never tire of.

But, on Monday night I had signed up for the SUNSET CRUISE around the islands — a first for me.

the sky was holding a show for us — and on one island the birds were taking it all in as well.

around the back side of STAR ISLAND

and coming back to the front – sorry about the blur, but you get the idea.

And, now Wednesday 2 September – guess I did not take any images on the first.

Besides texture and color in composing my images, I have always enjoyed “LOOKING OUT WINDOWS.” The windows providing the frame and focus, and often wavy glass adding an interesting touch as with the 100 plus year old glass here.

Here is looking out a Chapel window at the Tucke Monument. An obelisk gravestone monument, 46.5 foot-tall, erected in 1914 to honor Reverend John Tucke.

Below where we had our lectures – NEWTON WEST, built of stone about 1955 replacing wood structures in this area.

The STAR ISLAND Corporation offers several tours to give you an inside look as to how life functions on an island. Wednesday afternoon another couple and I took the tour: BEHIND THE SCENES & THE UNDERWORLD WITH ISLAND STAFF. Leading and educating us was John Bynum, Island Manager — can’t get any better than that for insight. Below the cistern and water storage below the Atlantic Hotel section of the Oceanic, and then laundry, staff lounge and eating area (under the couch is what remains of a bowling alley). Then we looped outside on the staff deck upstairs entering the vast kitchen and scullery. Remember you may click my “galleries” for larger views.

coming up to the back of the Chapel from the kitchen. Later I was curious about the steeple since there is no access from the inside. No padlock on the door — opening it up a ladder to climb and a rope to pull the bell – for fire use only. At least now I know, and can share.

back to the hotel — rocking chairs, of course, looking out to the Summer House gazebo, lacking only a sunset.

And then it was Thursday, 3 September. During the week we also had three craft sessions themed with summer vacation souvenirs, including: Seaside Souvenirs (decoupage on seashells); Wish You Were Here – a postcard making workshop; and below, I Pine for Yew and Balsam — remember the wonderful smelling sachets?

a view of the hotel from the Rutledge Marine Laboratory

and some information panels on the side of the Rutledge Marine Laboratory

Stone work, and stone walls fascinate me. Yes I have many books on stone walls in my library, and enjoy old stone works. This wall beside the museum dividing the buildings from island walks and nature has always intrigued me with its turnstile and stone steps (near the turnstile) at right angles in the wall serving as steps.

BUT — LOOK CAREFULLY – can you see? The wall ends just beyond the steps and turnstile — so a cow could meander around avoiding the turnstile, and those of us balance challenged need not do a balancing act over the wall. PLEASE PROVIDE ME THE BACKSTORY if you know it.

A view of the Chapel never gets old.

Nor a sunset on STAR ISLAND.

and, sadly on Friday came another departure after five relaxing nights — many in our group had long histories on STAR, but Margaret’s parents were the winter custodians for many, many years. She arranged for us to see the only winterized home on the island where they stayed. Off we went below to the slopping roof. To the rear is an old stone cistern which forms a lower wall to the rear, and with solar panels warms up helping maintain heat in the building. The main room below is very comfortable.

But, it was about time to depart – the Thomas Leighton arriving as seen from the porch above.

Goodbye STAR ISLAND

Goodbye APPLEDORE

and saying goodbye to us, our Captain spotted and circled around this fellow (or lady). I believe our Captain said the name of the owner of this fin – but all I heard was M… — so searching the only thing I found was – Mako Shark (found further offshore in Gulf of Maine waters).

and, back to Portsmouth to await Memorial Bridge for its every half hour opening.

RAY BECOMMENDS:
1 – Visit STAR ISLAND’S website
2 – Find a program you would like to experience, or select overnight stays
3 – At a minimum, book the 20 September 2026 “Open House” tour day
4 – And, “You Will Come Back.”

luv, RAY

Below our group, image provided by our registrar. Believe you can spot me, although I look older in this image – but not as bad as my chronological age could make me look as one of the first “Baby Boomers” — well close to being THE FIRST but behind about 71 days and many thousands of newborns.