Real Maine: Reality Check; Part 1

When I talk to people about Maine, it's usually about all the things you can do here.  Shop, eat, hike, bike, relax, swim, boat, and we'll do our best to accommodate whatever else you can think of.  But like everywhere in the world, there are truths and fallacies.  I have compiled a listing of some common misconceptions about Maine and the realities that real Mainers know.  

True:  there are moose in Maine

False:  moose are everywhere

No, moose are not running rampant throughout the state.  We don’t all have them wandering into the backyard barbeque or holding up traffic downtown.  Yes, there are moose here.  In fact, in some places, like Moosehead Lake (hence the name) and in the Katahdin region and in the space between like the 100 mile wilderness, they say moose outnumber people.  I live in the city, albeit a small city, but in my daily travels here I don’t encounter moose.  When I was growing up in southern Maine, there was a family legend about a moose trotting up into the yard one morning, very early, and peeking in the windows.  There was also a story about a moose on the golf course in Bangor during a tournament, but I’m not very clear on that one.

If seeing a moose is on your bucket list and one of the goals of your visit to Maine is to cross that one off, you will want to be certain that you will see a moose.  I suggest that you contact one of the great outfits that offer moose safaris or moose photo tours.  Here's a couple to get you started: Moose Photo Tours or Maine Moose Safari.  Google "moose tours" or visit the websites for the Moosehead Lake Chamber of Commerce or the Katahdin Area Chamber of Commerce.  

True:  you can visit the beautiful beaches of York and Ogunquit and you can have a great lunch in Boothbay Harbor overlooking it all and you can go on a whale watch from Bar Harbor.

False:  you can do that in one day

I read the reviews and forums on TripAdvisor.com and on Frommer’s to name a couple and I’m astounded at what people think they can accomplish in one 24 hour period in Maine.  People seem to believe that they can just “hop” off the interstate and “pop” into Boothbay Harbor for a quick bite.  That “hop” can take hours in the summer, with traffic backed up for miles and the “pop” can mean some time waiting for a table or finding a parking space.  I’m not trying to discourage visitors – just trying to manage expectations.  Maine may be a place you can get away from it all in spirit but many parts of the state are just as busy as urban areas around the country.  Just be realistic about it and have a good, relaxed time.  You can leave your uptight suit at home.  Know we’ve got traffic and waiting for a table at a good restaurant just like you have at home.  Also know that most people here will wave you into that traffic and that the restaurant you’re going to eat at has seafood that was caught this morning.  The people are what makes the difference here. 

 

True:  you can eat lobster and blueberry pie every day of your Maine vacation

False:   don’t bother coming if you’re not into lobster or blueberry pie

Maine is carefully crafting a culture of culinary excellence.  Back in the late 90’s Bon Appetit magazine declared that Portland, Maine had more restaurants per capita than any other city in the US.  Since then, the food scene here has just exploded in a great way.  The farm to table movement is big here, as is the boat to table concept.  Every season offers something fresh and delicious.

The Maine Restaurant Association's website can give you listings of where you can eat in the part of Maine you are visiting.  They have a great new app that you can use while you're here to make decisions, make reservations, and make your trip mouthwateringly awesome. 

 

True – you can drive 75 miles per hour in Maine

False – that starts at the border

There’s a show that I’ve attended in my role as marketing person for our tourism region. It’s called the Big E or the Eastern States Exhibition. It is held each year in West Springfield MA and goes on for 17 days. Each of the New England states has their own building on the Avenue of States. My organization, The Maine Highlands, was, of course, in the Maine building. I’m telling you this because it ties in with my true/false above. Dozens of people came up to the map we had displayed and asked “Where is it you can drive 75 miles per hour?” said with a dreamy, I’ve-got-to-do-that voice. When I explain that the 75 MPH area begins just north of Old Town and I point to where that is – about 3 ½ hours after you cross the border on 95 from NH, they get either a depressed droop of the shoulders or a determined I’m-gonna-go-there-someday look. 

The speed limit was raised last September.  The interstate is pretty darn straight and other than trees and the occasional deer or moose (see above) and the other drivers, there's a pretty clear path.  Here's some info about it from the Bangor Daily News.  The increased speed zone begins in Old Town and ends at the Canadian border in Houlton. 

True – you can visit up and down the coast’s quaint little harbors & coves

False – you can just meander along the coast, weaving in and out of the villages, snapping iconic photos along the way

Maine has 3500 miles of coastline. Do you realize how many “meanders” that is? A LOT! And if something looks like it’s only this far on the map, take into consideration the things I mentioned above, like traffic, and then factor in getting stuck behind a tractor or someone else looking for quaint harbors and plan to see a few in a day. If you actually get out of your car you might enjoy the experience more. Many times has the traveler laden with luggage poked a camera covered eye out of the passenger side window, snapped a photo for their “Maine” scrapbook, and drove off in a spew of dust and rock, anxious to get to the next place. There is a better connection waiting for you if you get out and walk around a bit. Check out the lobster boats and the general store. We’re a friendly lot. You might find something more interesting to take a photo of beyond the typical boats-in-the-harbor (although this is a very popular image, I must admit) scene. Smell the harbor . . . BE the harbor . . ok, I’m kidding there, but really, if you want a Maine experience, get out of the damn car!

True – Mainers have an accent

False – ALL Mainers have an accent

Some do, of course, have that Maine accent that is noted on the bumper stickers about not getting there from here. There are some people who personify the “Mainer” you see in commercials and movies. What you’ll find more than the stereotype is that most of us are like most of you. We like to have fun. We love our kids. We enjoy good food. We want to find some larger role to play in the world. Some of us have French accents from the large influence of French Canadian heritage. Some speak more than one language and those other languages can be Spanish or Sudanese. Or Arabic or Swedish. Just like the rest of the country, we're a mixed bunch of people, some born here and some "from away" who have made the choice to live here.  

The Maine accent is a real thing, but don't expect it from the first person you meet when you come to Maine. You're just as likely to meet someone whose path had led them there as you are to meet someone whose feet first hit the ground here.  For a few years, I worked in an office at the University of Maine in Orono where out of twelve of us, there were only four of us that were born Mainers.  That's only a third.  Everyone else had come here for other reasons.  One moved with her family from New Orleans when she was in middle school, the daughter of faculty.  Another moved here from Rhode Island when her husband's parents were ailing.  Someone else moved from Austin TX to Boston for his education then married a woman who became an economics professor.  My point is that you just never know where we are from originally and what brought us here to Maine.  But you can ask.  And we'll tell you.  And you might find that we have more in common than you originally thought.

Maine Tourism statistics show that 80% of the people who visit Maine the first time come back.  My guess is that they find so much to do, they end up making a list of what to do on their next trip.  Those choices are solidified by the great experiences they have with the people here.

So just come to Maine and see for yourself what we're all about. Visit anytime.

Some websites to help you out:

VisitMaine.com
The Maine Highlands
Visit Bangor Maine
The Maine Beaches
Maine Camping Guide


Send me your comments and your Maine "truisms".  I'll make it part of my Part 2 of this series about the real Maine.


   

Things to do in Maine this weekend

Ripped sand at Hills Beach in Biddeford, Maine

It’s summer in Maine – my favorite time in my favorite place to be – and there’s always a lot to do.  I’ve been looking at my calendar and it seems that there are not enough weekends to do everything I want to do. 

I have a family event this weekend but if I didn’t I’d be checking out some of these fun things! 

Some of this weekend’s events include:

1.                  The Annual Lupine Festival, held in Deer Isle – celebrates these vibrant, summertime flowers that bloom in June and make me smile.  More info here:  www.deerisle.com

2.                  Legacy of the Arts Festival, June 17^th in Bar Harbor – Live music, art exhibits, demonstrations and historic tours at a variety of sites around town in celebration of the area’s rich history of art, music, Native American culture and more.  More info here: www.legacyartsfestival.com

Native American handmade baskets

3.                  One of my favorites . . . The Downtown Bangor ARTWALK – it’s a gorgeous day in mid June, the days are long and you can stroll from studio to shop to museum and check out some great art, music, and awesome people.  Look for some of my work available for sale at a few of the shops!  Here’s where you can get more info - Art walk maps listing the participating venues and featured artists will be available at The University of Maine Museum of Art, Metropolitan Soul, and One Lupine Fiber Arts. Additional information can be found at www.downtownartscollaborative.org

4.                  In the Greenville area – join the fun at Moose Mainea, a month long celebration of the area's favorite resident - The Moose. The events include a town wide yard sale, craft fair, kids fun day and more. For info phone (207) 695-2702 or see our Facebook page.

5.                  In Wells - Beach Bike Ride for Charity was founded in 2010 by a pair of Wells resident families and a couple of young sports/technology enthusiasts looking to give something back to the community.  The ride has been a huge success. In it's first year the ride attracted over fifty riders and raised over $8,000. The second year, the ridership doubled with over 100 riders and raised a whopping $11,000 for charity.  More info here:  www.beachbikeride.org

Bike at Casco Bay

 

I know I know, the screens need cleaning and the garden already needs to be weeded and you’ve got to figure out what to do with the patch in the front lawn that the grubs attacked.  There are a million reasons not to go to one of these events, or any of the others that are happening all over the state.  I am running the list through my head right now.   

Obligations and to do’s so often get in the way of the things we’ll truly remember.  Your kids won’t look back fondly at how great the bushes looked when they were young.  They’ll remember the time you all danced under the tent at the American Folk Festival (www.americanfolkfestival.com) or how often you rode bikes to Jimmie’s Ice Cream (North Main St. Brewer) for a cone that melted faster than you could eat it. 

So get up and get out there and have a fun weekend everyone!

Summer is here! A visit to Old Orchard Beach

I love Old Orchard Beach, Maine.  Always a signal of summer’s arrival, a few hours at Old Orchard just spins you right into summer mode.  The vinegary pier fries, the fried dough dusted (very liberally) with powdered sugar and cinnamon, the classic Lisa’s Pizza, it all brings me back. 

Growing up in southern Maine, Old Orchard Beach wasn’t as much a regular thing as you’d think, living only a few miles away.  For my family, with four kids, the cost of the rides and the food made this a twice a summer – maybe – kind of thing.  As I got older and could drive or had friends that could drive, it was where everyone went to “cruise” in the summer.  For many of us, as teens, it was where we had summer jobs and summer friends.  For me, it was the place I had my first record store job and because of that, the place I met my first husband.  

Like everything else, things change.  The town has had some rough times.  But if this past Memorial Day weekend was any indication, this summer won’t be remembered as such.  It will be a good year for Old Orchard Beach.

My daughter and I had a few hours to spare on Sunday of that weekend.  The weather was beautiful – warm, sunny – kind of a surprise at the end of May.  We decided to go “down the beach.”  I wanted to get some photographs from the top of the ferris wheel and my daughter just wanted to ride it.  One of the great things about the amusement park at Old Orchard Beach, called Palace Playland, is that you can buy just enough tickets to ride one ride, or in our case, three.  You don’t have to pay the big money for the whole day.  You don’t have to pay to get in.  You don’t have to pay if you don’t ride.  Easy.  Good for parents with kids.  If your kids are little and you’re not sure if they’re going to even want to ride, you get just enough tickets to find out.  If your kids are old enough and can ride by themselves, but still need some supervision, you can go and not pay for the privilege of that experience. 

So we rode the ferris wheel . . . 

from the top of the ferris wheel

looking west towards Saco

looking east toward Scarborough

Old Orchard Beach's main drag:  Old Orchard Ave.

And the “Superstar” – the scrambler ride you see at every fair.  And the little roller coaster, the Galaxi – not sure why, since we’ve ridden the big ones at Busch Gardens, Six Flags, and Cedar Point – but it’s been a while since we’ve had a roller coaster ride, so why not?  I’m not trying to compare Palace Playland to any of those parks.  It’s a totally different thing.  It just felt good to be flung and lifted and dipped and spun after a long winter. 

We walked around a bit then up the street.  Now I’ve seen the fried food options at some of the big fairs – fried twinkies, friend snickers bars, heck, I even saw fried butter and fried kool aid (don’t ask) last year.  Interesting as they might be, I’m usually watching what I eat and don’t want to part with six bucks for a fried twinkie when that could buy me two boxes of them (not that I would).  

But . . . we found fried oreos.  And they were only $1.00 each.  So we got three.  Powdered them up and then took them to the beach to eat.  They looked like squashed donut holes and when you bit into them, the cookie was warm and the creamy center, melted.  

fried, well, everything

deep fried oreo cookies with powdered sugar

creamy and melted on the inside . . this could be a new tradition

Old Orchard is a nice little community.  There are plenty of hotels, condos, shops and restaurants to support the large influx of tourists that come during the summer.  Visitors come from Quebec and New England and from all over Maine. 

Beyond the fried food, pizza, ice cream, and caramel corn . .beyond the lights and the rides and the games is . . The Beach. 

Go for the beach!

At low tide, the beach is flat and wide, great for running or playing games.  It’s clean and the sand is soft and powdery east of the pier.  Music is playing from the beachfront bars.  Seagulls and terns dip in and out of the tide.  Kids play in the sand.  Groups of teen girls lay on their towels.  Families and couples set up for the day with coolers and umbrellas. 

A short walk away is a carousel ride and a slushie drink.  What could be better?

For travel information about Old Orchard Beach and the Maine Beaches check out these websites:

The Maine Beaches 

Old Orchard Beach

Sidewalk Arts in the Rain

Fortune's Rocks Beach Biddeford, Maine - the day after

I’m new to the arts and crafts show circuit. That doesn’t mean I’m new to art or craft for that matter, just to the concept of setting up a temporary shop for a day, weekend, or even just a few hours to sell your work. In the past year, I’ve been assigned a space between a gourmet fudge maker and a Christmas wreath crafter, a handcrafted unique bird house designer and a whoopee pie baker, and a marshmallow gun carver and my friend Judy, who makes jewelry, and who is “not in this for the money. It’s just fun . . ” but outsold me by 300%.

I have learned a thing or two from these people, though, and from these events. By making mistakes and finding myself wishing I had brought X, I thought I was totally prepared for the show I did this past weekend in Southern Maine.

My table display

The one thing I needed the most and forgot to pack: my thick skin.

The one thing I wasn’t prepared for: disappointment.

The one thing I hoped wouldn’t happen and did: rain.

The one thing I had, but didn’t get much use out of: inventory.

No, I’m not especially spleeny (a good Maine word for frail, sensitive or easily hurt). And no, I’m not generally a person who looks at life with a glass-half-empty attitude.



But it rained. It poured. The brave ones came out to the show anyway and expected to see some serious art. My first sale of the day was my largest: $100 for one of my bigger, display pieces. The rest of my sales were smaller, but were certainly sales nonetheless. It’s just that there were so few of them. I guess I’m lamenting the fact that there were points in the day that I thought I’d cry from the frustration. Rain poured down the gully on the edge of the sidewalk. It dripped in from the metal poles supporting my just-bought-for-this-occasion beige canopy (without the side walls, because I couldn’t find matching ones, which turned out to be a valuable asset to those around me to keep their work dry when the rain came in sideways). Cars drove by and splashed the back of my table, the tablecloth, the gear I had stowed beneath the skirt.



And not that I can blame them, hardly anyone came. And of those who did, many said “ah, the Saco Sidewalk Art Festival . . it always rains . . “ and they’d shake their heads and give me a small grin, like I should have known or like I did know yet chose to come anyway.

my canopy covered show space

Reality is that you sign up for these events long before the extended forecast comes out. You pay the entry fee. You try to consider everything, every what if, or if not. You – or maybe it’s just me – research display ideas and find something that’ll work for your art. You think about how to pack the car for easy unloading and set up. You consider the phrasing of your signs. You dream about making a bunch of money and being able to call your husband and tell him how great it was and that you’re taking your parents out for dinner on your big earnings and how everyone ranted and raved about your work and you have orders for more work that’ll keep you busy until Christmas and you convince yourself this will be worth having given up your day job.

And then it rains.

And only the brave few come to the show.


And thankfully you make enough to just cover the entry fee and your gas.


And . . . you learn.



And you meet a few people and chat with them and bathe in the compliments.



You listen to their stories of this place or that one and how they shot this amazing sunset and oh here it is in my digital camera do you want to see it?



And your face hurts from smiling because despite all of that, you do like doing this.



And you’re happy about giving up your day job and spending the last four nights gluing mattes together and making signs.

And there’s a certain satisfaction when you back up and take a look at all you’ve created and think about the trail of an image to this point. How it goes from something you see through the viewfinder to your computer to the printer to the table with the glue and mat board to a finished product with your name on it that goes up on someone’s wall that they see every day and it makes them smile.

Ocean Park Beach Path Saco Maine

It takes a lot to put your work out there. Not only do you have to have confidence and pride in what you do or create, you have to have a marketing concept of some sort. You have to know no only what you sell, but how you sell. What kind of image do you intend to project? What psychological nerve do you want to touch in the people who walk by your booth? How are you going to get noticed, in a sea of white canopies and colorful signs? I don’t know the statistics on the amount of money spent by the typical consumer visiting an art or craft show. I understand that for someone to earmark some of their time and energy to going to one of these shows, they have to have an interest of some sort. Sometimes they drive long distances. Sometimes there’s an admission fee. Sometimes it takes the coordination of several friends or family members who enjoy this sort of event to decide to go together and make a day of it. I get it. These people have an investment into this before they even get to the gate. This earns them the right to some sort of expectation. Arts and craft show attendees want to see and buy things that are on a different level from the things on the shelf at Walmart. They want to meet the artists and talk to them about their art. They want a story to tell when someone asks them about the photograph of the sunflower they’ve hung in their living room.



My Dad asked me the next morning if I would do it again. I was sore from moving everything and standing on my wet feet all day. I was struggling to repack the car with items I didn’t sell. My patience was thinning. I had a long drive ahead of me and unpacking at the other end.




I said yes.

Tangled lobster buoy ropes on the beach

Maine Travel: Just another friday night in Old Orchard Beach

Friday night I was driving to my parent’s house in Biddeford, Maine. I had a two and a half hour drive and listened to public radio most of the way. Nearing Portland, I put in a cd and found myself cruising through the city tapping the steering wheel along to the Zac Brown band’s “Toes” – got my toes in the water, ass in the sand . . . not a worry in the world . . .” and it put me in the “Life’s too short” mindset for the rest of the trip. I decided that I would swoop in and pick up Nola and take her “down the beach” that night. It was a gorgeous early summer night, warm, with a light breeze. I knew about the Spirit of America Balloon Festival that was going on over the weekend.

“Down the beach” is the local lingo for going to Old Orchard Beach. When you live in the area, you pretty much stay away from OOB (another local description) during the summer. For us kids, it was a once a year thing. Go down the beach, walk around, go out on the pier for some “Pier Fries”, ride a few rides, play a game or two and be done with it. As a teen, going to OOB was a thing you tried to do Friday nights, as a group of girls to go chase down the boys. In college, it was a source of employment for me and a few other local kids. I sold music in a little walk up booth right on the street. I think I made $200 a week managing the place for its owner who lived in New Hampshire. I have good memories of working down there. I even met my first husband there. He and a bunch of college students from Canada had come to work for the summer.

Old Orchard Beach is a community of about 9,000 year round residents, according to their website. The part I’m talking about is the main drag as they say, Old Orchard Ave and East Grand and West Grand Avenues branching off in their respective directions parallel to the beachfront. The amusement park is right on the beachfront. Lights flashing, bells ringing, kiddie rides, bumper cars, roller coaster, and games galore. It is quite the place.



We went straight out on the beach to check out the balloons. A live band was playing in the square and booths were set up selling balloon memorabilia. At sunset, a “Moon Glow” was scheduled. We went out to join the crowd watching the balloon crews, waiting for inflation. After a while we walked through Palace Playland, winding around the kiddie rides and game hawkers. My daughter rode the roller coaster there. One of the nice things about Palace Playland is that you can buy tickets for rides individually. It’s not necessary to buy a whole day pass. It certainly is more economical to do so, but if you’re there for a couple of hours, it’s nice to be able to just do a ride or two, eat some cotton candy, and while away an evening.

We got some Pier Fries (vinegar and salt please!) and went back out on the beach. There was a light breeze and though it felt nice and warm, it was enough to keep the balloons from going up. They stayed grounded and we played in the sand near the Pier with a full moon over the water. Later we went up on the Pier for some kettle corn and an awesome fresh, gooey, caramel apple rolled in coconut. We walked up the street one side and down the other. I showed Nola whereabouts I met her father. The building is long gone, overgrown with brush and empty. Stores there are still selling some of the same things they did 25 years ago; T shirts and sweatshirts and just about anything else that you can decal with Old Orchard Beach. Bikinis. Beach mats. Sunglasses. All the same stuff in stores bright and lit up to attract customers.

To me, its fun once in a while to be in the midst of that carnival madness. It was a beautiful night spent with my daughter at a place we rarely visit, mainly because of its proximity. Places in your backyard are seldom appreciated as much as those far away. Sometimes it’s good to make that little connection with the past and create some memories to share in the future.

If you’re in southern Maine at any time, it’s worth a trip to Old Orchard Beach. The beach itself is sandy, wide and a great place to park for a day. It’s a bonus to have all of that fun stuff a few steps away.



Here’s their website: http://www.oobmaine.com/

Maine Travel: Marginal Way and Mount Agamenticus

I have so many places to tell you about. I was looking back through my photography over the past few years and you might guess that I have photographed each place we’ve visited and I can only say that we’ve been around. For today, I want to share a day we spent last September in Ogunquit and York. Let’s dub this another in my Spend the Day series.

We packed a fine lunch of sandwiches, cut up veggies and cookies for this one, thinking that somewhere along the way; we would find a nice spot to rest and refuel.

Marginal Way is a 1 ¼ mile paved walkway that begins in the parking lot at Perkins Cove and ends at the beautiful Ogunquit Beach. The walkway meanders along the rocky shore, affording stunning views of the cove, its shops and restaurants and sailboats on the water. The beautiful day that we were there, the deep blue ocean sparkled with the sunlight. Along the walk, there are points where you can step off and take in the view from an outcrop or beach. At the start of the walk that day, some creative souls had built rock towers that as we passed, were nearing their ends as the crashing waves crept closer and closer to their bases. We walked to the end and turned around to return to where we had begun. The kids were hungry and tired. It was Labor Day weekend, a very busy time on the walk, and their desire to run was hindered by baby strollers and lots of folks enjoying the day.

Upon returning to Perkins Cove, we grabbed our portable cooler, packed with our lunches, and walked through the village to a spot at the end where we sat near a small boat launch area, on the rocks by the river outlet, and enjoyed our lunch and the view.


Though it had been many years since I had been to Marginal Way in Ogunquit, it was pretty easy to find. From Route 1 in Ogunquit, follow Shore Road. As it nears the water, Shore Road bears to the right on its way to Cape Neddick and points south. Look for the signs for Perkins Cove, staying nearly straight as the road bends. Most likely you’ll see traffic heading that way. It leads you down a narrow street which will open into a large parking area. It is well worth the few bucks to pay to park there, rather than back out on Shore Road, opting to walk into the Cove area, although there are many nice little shops along Shore Road and a good sidewalk for pedestrian use. More info on what’s in Ogunquit can be found here: http://www.ogunquit.org/

With the kids wanting to run, we thought: The Big A. That’s the local name for Mount Agamenticus in York. http://www.agamenticus.org/recreation.html Back out onto Route 1, just south of Ogunquit, bear right onto Clay Hill Road (also called Agamenticus Road and Mountain Road). Follow these directions to Mount Agamenticus Park http://www.agamenticus.org/directions.html.

From the tower you can see the Presidential Range, with Mount Washington, in New Hampshire as its star. From the lodge deck, you can see the shoreline, with the Cape Neddick lighthouse and York beaches, all the way up the coast past Kennebunkport. It was beautiful. We walked the Witch Hazel trail that day, but had previously done the horse trail. There are more extensive trails, for hiking and biking, but that would have to wait for another day. The kids especially loved the large open area where they rolled down the hill’s green grass. We saw lady slippers in the woods and enjoyed checking out the old ski tow equipment that still stands on the mountain, a glimpse of its former life. There are picnic tables and waste disposal. We have picnicked there on another visit. Maps are available at the entry and along the paths as well.



The area has so much to offer, depending on what you like to do. You could spend the whole day, or a few days, exploring Ogunquit’s stores, restaurants and beaches. There are many funky little B&B’s as well resorts and larger hotels. The beaches – well, they’re beautiful in this part of the state – just what you expect for a beach holiday – and I’ll save that for another entry.

Hope you enjoy your active day in Maine!!