GRISWOLDDAD
Parenting, Entertainment, and Travel Tips
Things to Do in Maine
*For Maine's top yearly events, click here.
Bar Harbor
This is the closest town to Acadia National Park. The park is known for the rocky shorelines, hiking trails to the granite peaks, old carriage roads that people now use for biking, plus there's fishing, winter skiing, boating, and an all around beautiful, relaxing destination. Also, it contains much of Mount Desert Island and has 49000+ acres of rockbound coast. Mount Desert Island is the 2nd biggest island on the eastern seaboard. Besides the rocky coastlines, the park is filled with dense forests and over 47000 acres of lakes!
Other points of interest are Cadillac Mountain (the tallest mountain on the east coast) and Otter Bay (shown below). So, be prepared to hike and explore! (They also offer bus tours if hiking isn't your thing.) For a less crowded section of the park, be sure to see the only part of the park on mainland Maine, the Schoodic Penninsula.
Freeport
Deserts are barren, sandy wastelands. They're known for being hot and dry. A desert conjures up images of camels, mirages, and ... Maine?
The Desert of Maine, in Freeport, Maine was formed when a glacier moved through Maine 11000 years ago, leaving behind the glacial silt that makes the desert. It was covered up over the centuries. Then, though, the Tuttle family moved to the 300 acre farm that once covered the Desert of Maine in 1797. The farmers failed to rotate their crops over the years and, combined with massive land-clearing and overgrazing, the top soils were destroyed. Severe soil erosion resulted, exposing the hidden desert underneath.
The Tuttles exposed the silt underneath the farmland. What started as a small patch grew over the years to cover the entire farm. It continues growing a little each year even today. In 1919, the Tuttle family sold the ruined farm for $300 to Henry Goldrup. Goldrup then turned the land into a tourist attractions because who would think there'd be an actual desert in the cooler climate, pine-covered state of Maine? This is something people would surely come to see.
And, of course, the tourists came!
Today, you can tour the desert, either by walking or by jeep, to learn its history. The site also has a farm museum, tent camping, gem mining for kids, and a souvenir shop where you can create your own colored sand bottles. The historic Tuttle Farm's barn is also tourable. However, maybe look for tips on how not to farm while there!
* While in Freeport, you can also visit the site of the flagship LL Bean store which doubles as a massive LL Bean outlet.
Portland
Portland is a cute little town in which you can walk much of the "Old Port" downtown area, known for it's cobblestone streets and 19th century buildings. It has good restaurants, many of which are known for their seafood, bars, fun shopping at plenty of boutiques, and is all around the quaint Maine town you'd expect from THE BEGINNING of any Stephen King novel.
One of the old style houses is open for touring, the Victoria Mansion. The Victoria Mansion describes itself as America's premier museum of pre-Civil War opulence. The Danforth Inn has my vote for cool place to stay while in Portland. High up on the hills, it has a good view of the town, and for nearly two centuries travelers have enjoyed the comfort and peace of The Danforth. "Elegantly styled yet comfortable, this small, luxury inn exudes old-school charm."
The famous Portland Headlight is just outside of town in the Fort Williams Park, technically in Cape Elizabeth, and is directly beside Goddard Mansion. From the lighthouse area, you get a good view of Casco Bay, which ranks high among Maine's beautiful rocky shoreline viewpoints. The "headlight" is a massive lighthouse with great ocean views and a lighthouse museum in the old lighthouse keeper's quarters.
Goddard Mansion, onetime home of Col. John Goddard, was built in 1857, and today you can see the ruins of the once great mansion.
