Sometimes it takes a different perspective to appreciate your surroundings. We get into our daily routines, driving the same route to work each day, seeing the same sights and never really seeing anything new at all.

Then one day we sit down and plan an exotic vacation – to see something new. Extensive plans are hatched, tickets are bought, dollars are spent, places foreign are visited. We come back refreshed, armed with exciting new stories to share around the water cooler at work. The daily drudge resumes.

Wouldn’t it be nice to get a little dose of vacation afterglow closer to home and more frequently? Why not vary your daily routine? Take a different route to work. Explore a new neighborhood. See your community from a different vantage point.

One way to vary your perspective is to get on the water. Many communities border a body of water or a river. Why not get out on the water and see things differently? You’d be surprised how something as simple as paddling your canoe or kayak can melt away the day’s tensions and free your mind.

You don’t need to plan an expedition. A half hour or so on the water is often just what the doctor ordered (although in my case, I’m sure he told me to spend many hours at it…).

In this state we’re blessed with an abundance of water, both moving and still, salt and fresh. Chances are you’re not far from a place or two to float your boat.

If you live in the Bangor area and want the opportunity to see Bangor and Brewer from water level, there’s a new business to help you out. Dirigo Sea Kayak Tours, owned and operated by Jo Eaton and Jim Watson, is offering guided kayak tours of the waterfront Wednesday-Saturday at 9 a.m., 1 p.m., and 5:30p.m. The morning and afternoon trips are $35 and the evening trip is $25. Single as well as tandem kayaks are available.

If you’re into group activity, ask about the war canoe tours offered for groups ranging in size from eight to 29 people.

I’ve paddled the Penobscot River from Eddington Bend to Bangor to Bucksport, and I can tell you first hand that it’s a great way to see communities along the river in a different light. On one trip from Eddington I saw five or six deer near Mt. Hope Cemetery. Other times I’ve watched eagles soar over Bangor and Brewer and ospreys flying over the Penobscot, looking for a meal. Last Wednesday as Eaton and I talked, a pair of eagles soared on wind currents above Brewer.

An Atkinson native, Eaton, 53, has guided for Maine Sport and worked closely with Jeff Hunt and Penobscot Riverkeepers from its beginning in 1992. Summer residents around Sebec Lake probably are familiar with Eaton and her sisters and friends who could be found most days in a flotilla of craft somewhere on the lake.

If you’re looking for a local outing and a different view of Bangor and Brewer, a kayak trip would fit the bill. You’ll leave from the small dock at the confluence of Kenduskeag Stream and the Penobscot and paddle up into Kenduskeag Stream for a gentle introduction and lesson, then back out into the Penobscot and upstream toward Eastern Maine Medical Center. Depending on your ability level, maybe you’ll make it as far as the Waterworks building at the site of the former Bangor Dam. Then you’ll return to the dock.

You can find Eaton at the former harbormaster’s building next to the Sea Dog Brewing Co. Wednesdays to Saturdays, or call 944-3426 to get more information.

If your gang is more into rowing than paddling, why not check out the Bantry Bay gig Humanite in Belfast Harbor. This 38-foot rowing boat is great fun. It has 10 rowing stations, so bring nine of your friends and sign on for a tour of Belfast Harbor. I tried it last year with a group of friends, and it’s challenging with its 18-foot oars. When you go out, you’ll be with a helmsman who will give the commands and keep the boat on course.

Here’s a description of the boat I found on the Web: “Named for Bantry Bay in County Cork, Ireland, the boat is really of French origin. It was used as the French Navy’s admiral’s barge in 1796. Rigged with three sails and 10 rowing stations, ‘Humanite’ is a replica of the original gig designed two centuries ago. The boat is extremely fast off the wind and in ideal conditions has exceeded 12 knots of speed. Each nation that participates in the bi-annual Atlantic Challenge contest has at least one of these gigs. ‘Humanite’ is 38 [feet] 2 [inches] long with a beam of 6 [feet], 9 [inches], was built and launched in 1998 by the Apprenticeshop [in Rockland].”

If you’re interested in going for a ride (and doing a little work in the process), sign up in the harbormaster’s office in Belfast or just show up at the dinghy docks on the following days: Tuesdays at 6 p.m., Wednesdays at 6 a.m., Thursdays at 6 a.m., Fridays at 6 a.m. and Saturdays 8 a.m. If you have a group of 6-10 people who are interested in rowing, contact Joanne at 338-9686 to schedule a skipper. Community gig rowing is a free service of Come Boating!

And this just in from my friends at the Maine Island Trail Association: Kippy Rudy has joined MITA as development director. She has been a professional fundraiser in Portland for more than a decade. Prior to joining MITA, she was the director of development and marketing for Portland Stage Company, where she was responsible for generating most of the theaters’ $1.2 million operating budget and expanding individual giving by 85 percent in three years. Before working at Portland Stage Company, she served as the director of corporate and foundation relations for the Portland Museum of Art and the campaign coordinator for the Maine Historical Society.

It’s my guess MITA members as well as nonmembers will be hearing from Kippy in the near future.

Jeff Strout can be reached at 990-8202 or by e-mail at jstrout@bangordailynews.net.