Category: Outdoor Activities

Hiking Maine | Libby River Farm Trail on a Beautiful Autumn Afternoon

4 Comments

A three-day weekend can only mean one thing – an extra day to go hiking! The weather was beautiful and the fall colors were starting to take hold, so the timing was perfect. We decided to head towards Scarborough and check out one of their trails. There are so many trail networks throughout the state. It’s really wonderful.

After an unsuccessful quest to locate a food truck we were hoping to try out, we decided to hike first and eat later. I had a specific trail in mind, the Libby River Farm trail which brings you to an overlook by the Scarborough marsh. As per usual, I had some difficulty finding the parking area even though this one is extremely well-marked. Fortunately, that was the only getting lost we would experience on this particular hike. The trails themselves are clearly marked and amazingly easy to follow.

Continue reading →

Hiking Maine | Wandering our own trail at Pineland Farms in New Gloucester

2 Comments

Pineland Farms in  New Gloucester is a lovely sprawling, compound with so many activities, events, and offerings that it’s sometimes hard to keep up, but that’s what makes it such a great destination. There’s always something fun to do. When my brother mentioned that he was playing a disc golf tournament there over the weekend, it triggered a desire to check out some of their hiking trails for ourselves. It’s an amazing destination for outdoor enthusiasts.

We’d been to the Pineland Farms Market before to pick up some of their delicious local offerings, and I diligently read their event newsletter when it arrives in my in-box, but we had never actually explored the hiking trails.

Continue reading →

Hiking Maine | An Especially Lovely Hike on the Presumpscot River Trail

3 Comments

Slow, lazy Sunday mornings that gradually lead into more active adventure later in the day are the routine in my house. So on a past Sunday morning, still in pajamas and streaming episodes of the Gilmore Girls, I was content knowing I’d get more active later in the day. But, when the living room suddenly darkened as thunder showers passed through, it made the hike we had planned for later that day more tentative, and the chances of me staying rooted to the recliner more likely.

Fortunately for my health, the storm, while intense, was brief and followed by brighter skies signaling the return of our outdoor plans. Once things cleared, we headed out to the Presumpscot River Trail, which is part of the Portland Trails network.

Continue reading →

Hiking Maine | Fore River Sanctuary & Jewell Falls

11 Comments

Who does’t like to see a good waterfall? We’d heard rumblings of a waterfall in Portland, and as the summer heat continued to blaze, we headed to the Fore River Sanctuary in search of falling water. We prepped a little better for this hike bringing actual sunscreen and water so we were ready to enter this little oasis surrounded by city.

The entrance to this trail is located at the end of Rowe Avenue and easy to find. After a short walk from the parking area, on a path that runs parallel to railroad tracks, we hit the main part of the trail and turned left towards the falls. It was an easy walk with a few small hills, although nothing too steep.  The roots of the trees that flank the path create a random, uneven obstacle course and do require that you gaze down at regular intervals so as to not trip. It’s nothing too difficult just something to keep in mind.

Continue reading →

Hiking Maine | Going Urban (Sort Of) on the Eastern Promenade

7 Comments

Having recently returned from two weeks soaking in amazing green countryside during our Irish Adventure, we decided to go urban for our first hike back in Maine, so we headed into Portland and the Eastern Promenade. While this trail is located in the city, there are still plenty of opportunities to interact with and enjoy nature on this path.

This is a well utilized trail and one I’ve hiked previously, but it had been a while so it was nice to see it again with new eyes. A lack of planning also known as not bringing our sunscreen, as well as other commitments later that day, meant we had to do a more abridged hike so we weren’t able to enjoy the full trail. We really need to pack a “go bag” with hiking supplies at the ready. We seem to end up unprepared a lot! Even though we didn’t do the entire trail, we did get enough of a taste to remember why it is so popular.

Continue reading →