I took a historic ferry to a quiet car-free island off the coast of Maine. It was the perfect day trip.

I took a day trip to Monhegan Island on a historic ferry.

Emy LaCroix

When I was invited to join my best friend at her grandparents' picture-perfect cottage on the coast of Maine, all I wanted to do was amble lazily around the little seaside towns, sunbathe in the garden, and forget that time exists.There was, however, one highly suggested activity that required prior planning: a day trip to Monhegan Island. This small, car-free island is only accessible by boat, so I took a $53 round-trip ride on the Monhegan Boat Line to get there.Here's how it went.

We took the 7 a.m. ride on a historic boat.

In the summer months, the first ride of the day is on a World War II-era ship.