NANTUCKET, Mass. — John Kerry reached his island retreat at 2 a.m. Sunday, after taking a red-eye flight from Seattle on his campaign jet, for a week of ceding the political spotlight to President Bush.

Bush did the same for Kerry during the Democratic convention in Boston, staying largely out of sight at his Texas ranch. This week, while the president campaigns through battleground states and accepts the Republican Party nomination Thursday in New York City, Kerry has a quieter agenda. He'll kite-surf the Nantucket Sound breezes, ride his $6,000, U.S.-made racing bicycle and dine with wife Teresa Heinz Kerry at restaurants in this old whaling port.

Kerry's sole campaign outing will be a trip to Nashville to address the American Legion national convention Wednesday. Bush will be there Tuesday.

For the Democratic presidential nominee, the island days are the last chance to recharge before the 60-day sprint to Election Day starts Friday.

The Kerrys don't plan to make news as they relax at their nine-bedroom, gray- shingled house. It's one of their five homes — the others are in Boston, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., and Ketchum, Idaho. The Cape Cod-style house and its private beach are on Hulbert Avenue near the Brant Point lighthouse. The house is bordered by tall hedges. It's hard for the 20,000 tourists crowding the island to see it except from the water.

Kerry spent three days here in June and five days in July. Aides to Kerry describe the stay as a "working vacation" because he'll get daily staff briefings on policy and will work on future speeches.

During the Democratic convention, Kerry told his Navy crewmates from the Vietnam War that he'd enjoy taking them "out on the water" while the GOP staged its show. But such a visit wasn't organized.

Kerry's last campaign appearance before the GOP convention was a rally Saturday that drew 12,000 people in Tacoma, Wash. Radio humorist Garrison Keillor warmed up the crowd, saying, "Over on the other shining sea, our poor friends in New York City are besieged by an invading army."

Former Army general Wesley Clark, an unsuccessful candidate in the primaries, said Bush is "an incompetent commander in chief." Steve Schmidt, a Bush campaign spokesman, called the remark "another flailing, baseless attack" from the Kerry campaign.