#AtoZChallenge | E is for the Eastern Prom and Staying Active

The Eastern Prom in Portland is usually full of activity and the host to many community events but on a cold winter day I ventured down to this waterfront location and captured a few quieter winter moments. The park was empty and isolated but the views were still spectacular.

While the park was deserted, the snowman standing guard among the playground equipment and the many pairs of footprints frozen into the snow underneath the swing set showed that even in the winter the park still gets plenty of little visitors. According to an article in the Portland Press Herald, the Eastern Promenade is also a great spot for sledding that doesn’t seem to draw the crowds of some other locations, but offers a great hill with amazing views.1

It’s all about staying active when the temperatures drop. There is even a Portland based nonprofit focused on keeping kids active during winter. WinterKids offers a passport for middle school aged children that provides discounts throughout the area on winter activities. They also host family days at local ski areas and other winter events. They’re teaching children to be active at a young age and embrace our Maine winters.

Looking for other fun things to do in this area? There is a great hiking trail maintained by Portland Trails that I’ve blogged about before in my post Hiking Maine | Going Urban (Sort Of) on the Eastern Promenade and in the summer you can buy the most amazing donuts at the Urban Sugar Donuts Food Truck which I blogged about in my post Five Local Doughnut Shops to Try before Krispy Kreme Arrives but sadly they are not there in the winter.

The Friends of the Eastern Promenade is a non-profit that takes care of the park. The mission statement on their website states, “Friends of the Eastern Promenade is a nonprofit community organization committed to preserving the park’s significant historic public landscape, protecting its environmental integrity, and enhancing recreational use.”2

They host a summer concert series as well as other events including an annual April Stools Day & Community Cleanup which has been going on since 1995 and is scheduled for April 28th this year. What a great event name! It’s so wonderful to see the commitment of community organizations like this in keeping our public spaces clean, safe and engaging.

Do you have a favorite park or or public space in your city?

Eastern Prom (3)Eastern Prom (2)Eastern Prom (1)

I’m participating in a Blogging A-Z Challenge for April 2018. I will be posting new content every day this month except most Sundays. Each post is associated with a letter of the alphabet, starting with A and ending with Z. My theme for the challenge is Winters in Maine. To read more of my A to Z posts, click HERE.

1Writer, D. F. (2017, February 13). Eastern Promenade has history as an ideal Portland sledding spot. Retrieved March 19, 2018, from https://www.pressherald.com/2016/12/25/eastern-promenade-an-ideal-sledding-spot-but-not-the-most-popular/

2 Home. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2018, from https://easternpromenade.org/

things to know
Place Friends of the Eastern Promenade
Address P.O. Box 16025
Portland, ME 04112
Winter Scene Empty Plaground
Website Friends of the Eastern Promenade
Favorite ♥ Ocean Views

WIM Signature

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24 thoughts on “#AtoZChallenge | E is for the Eastern Prom and Staying Active”

  2. leannelc says:
    Reply

    I can’t imagine a Summer concert season when I look at that snow shrouded promenade but I’m sure it would be beautiful in Summer and people would be out in droves. I also love the idea of kids being encouraged to get out and do stuff in Winter instead of huddling inside with their screens.

    Leanne | http://www.crestingthehill.com.au
    E for Enjoy Life Today

    Liked by 1 person

  3. lindamaycurry says:
    Reply

    We have our Botanic Gardens in Wollongong which has a children’s play area , open air cinema, duck ponds and Japanese bridge and is divided into zones for various types of plants. On the the hill behind it is Gleniffer Brae where my daughter was married ten years ago. Unfortunately they don’t do weddings any more. It never snows here but it does get cold in the winter and we are famous for having inadequate heating. I am impressed at how you get out and about in the winter. I would just curl up in a ball indoors and not venture out until it warmed up.

    Liked by 1 person

  11. dyannedillon says:
    Reply

    What a great idea to offer discounts for kids to get them outside in the winter! We really don’t have much of a winter, in spite of me complaining about snow and ice (that’s probably WHY I complain – we’re just not that used to it, and unless it’s enough to garner me a snow day, I don’t want it). We might have 60 degree weather for a few days, followed by days with highs in the teens and twenties. Most of the time, it’s in the 40s during the day during the worst of the winter.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. slfinnell says:
    Reply

    We live across the highway from the Missouri State Fairgrounds and it offers a garden that is made possible by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Tons of couples get married there each year (weather permitting). The fairgrounds are pretty big and host events pretty much year-round. Still can’t compare to your lovely ocean views 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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