Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1281965
105 FOR A NARROW, 11-MILE BARRIER ISLAND, PLUM Island packs a punch. ere's the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, a 4,700-acre expanse of wild land that protects migratory birds— most notably the piping plover—and consists of an incredible array of habitats, including, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, a sandy beach and dune, a cranberry bog, a maritime forest and shrub land, a freshwater marsh, and a salt marsh. ere's also a boutique beachside hotel, Blue Inn on the Beach; the beautiful Plum Island Lighthouse, built in 1788; the historic Plum Island Airport; fantastic restaurants; and even a boutique, Plum Island Soap Com- pany, which creates handmade small-batch soaps and skincare products right on the island—not to mention sandy beaches and tucked-away spots like the idyllic Sandy Point State Reservation. All of these attractions make Plum Island a favorite spot for tourists, birders, and local day trippers, but Plum Island is also a neigh- borhood unto itself, a place where people live year-round, not just for the summer. One of those people is Kim-Soo DeLibero, a teacher and co-owner of the beloved Plum Island restaurant (and perennial BONS win- ner) Bob Lobster, who lives on Plum Island between the basin and the ocean with her husband and Bob Lobster chef, Brad DeLi- bero, and their two small children. It's where they met and got married, as well. "In addition to being a beautiful place—it has some of the best sunrises over the ocean Plum Island classic lobster roll and Joyce's Fish Chowder, but has added its own, new spin. "Chef Brad definitely made the menu his own with our specialty lobster rolls, lobster poutine, homemade chowders like the lobster corn chowder, and his super delicious spe- cials that you probably wouldn't expect to find at a little New England seafood shack," DeLibero says. Change is the norm elsewhere on Plum Is- land: Blue e Inn on the Beach was once the site of the former Walton's Ocean Front Inn; the island was once home to Camp Sea Haven, a summer camp for children with polio and other disabilities; and you're as likely to see yoga and drum circles on the beach as anglers and paddleboarders. "I love the quietude, and also that it's ever changing," says Sarah Oleson, owner, instruc- tor, and international retreats leader for Sarah Oleson Yoga, LLC. "Moment to moment, I think the island is changing." Although Oleson leads yoga retreats all over the world, Plum Island holds a special place in her heart. She worked for 15 years at Plum Island Grille and met and married her husband on Plum Island. Now she leads full- moon yoga and drum circles, as well as weekly yoga classes, on Plum Island Beach. "ere lies a lot of peace there for many dif- ferent reasons," she says. "I feel that as soon as you drive onto the island, it's this moment of, "Ah, everything is going to be ok…I'm home." Plum Island is an 11-mile barrier island. Left, Brad and Kim-Soo DeLibero with their two children. PHOTOGRAPHS BY RACHAEL KLOSS SUNRISE, SUNSET and sunsets over the basin that I've ever seen—the people who live here are awesome!" she says. "I didn't grow up here and never lived in such a friendly community. Whenever we go out for walks around the island, everyone smiles and says hello. It's a small community so you get to know the locals pretty quickly. Plum Island has such an easy, laid-back vibe because of the people who live here. at makes it a really special place to be." It's also a place that's refreshingly comfort- able with change, and perhaps that's fitting for a barrier island that itself is constantly shift- ing with the tides. at's true for Bob Lobster, too, which retains beloved menu items like the N O R T H S H O R E N E I G H B O R H O O D S