Spend the day on Appledore Island, one of the nine beautiful Isles of Shoals off the coasts of Maine and New Hampshire, and visit the Shoals Marine Lab. Travel out to Appledore on the University of New Hampshire research vessel, the R/V Gulf Challenger, with UNH Marine Docent tour guides. Investigate the intriguing intertidal creatures and zooplankton collected from the ocean at informal science stations on the boat.
On Appledore, explore the natural history of the island with the Docents. Look down to magnificent rock formations of eons past and up to a sky filled with birds that live on the island today. Learn about the plants that withstood the salty sea air to provide colonial settlers with remedies and today supply nutrition for the long voyages of migrating birds.
Discover the important role the Shoals played in the fishing economy of the 17th century. Find out about the amazing resort hotels on the Shoals in the 19th century and the people who flocked to the Isles for the healthy sea air. Visit the recreated garden of famous poet and essayist Celia Thaxter, who once lived on Appledore, and learn of her family's life on the Shoals.
Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy while looking from the Isles to the coast or gazing at the long line of the horizon where the sea meets the sky. Taking an Appledore Island Walking Tour with the Docents is a voyage you'll never forget.