Tag: a to z blogging challenge

#AtoZChallenge | O is for Ocean Views along Marginal Way in Ogunquit

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We hike a lot and, as I blogged about earlier in the challenge, coastal hikes are my favorite. But, depending on the trail, they can also be challenging and restrictive if you have mobility issues. If you’re looking for a place to go for beautiful ocean views, without putting on your hiking shoes, then Marginal Way in Ogunquit is you’re place.

Ogunquit literally means “Beautiful Place by The Sea” in the language of the Algonquin Indians. It’s truth in advertising at it’s best.

Marginal Way is an easy walk along a paved trail that runs parallel to the shoreline. There are a few inclines, but nothing overly strenuous.  It allows you to get up close to the rocky shore without actually scrambling on the rocks. There are a few access points from the trail leading down to the water if you are a little more adventurous.

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#AtoZChallenge | N is for the Noyes Trail in Norway and Skiing Past Tense

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I use to ski. If there were a way to make that statement not just past tense, but past-past tense it would be more accurate. It has been at least thirty-five years since I skied last but I have fond memories of being on the slopes even if my first attempt did result in frostbite. Fortunately, my toes thawed.

My childhood best friend’s family skied every weekend and I was lucky enough to tag along on many trips to the ski resort. There was also an active ski club in my high school. Every Friday night, we headed to the mountain. Skiing is big in Maine.

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#AtoZChallenge | M is for Mist and a Magical Transformation

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Winter mist is probably my favorite winter scene. It arrives unexpectedly and makes everything it touches eerie and surreal.

“Mist is tiny droplets of water hanging in the air. These droplets form when warmer water in the air is rapidly cooled, causing it to change from invisible gas to tiny visible water droplets.”1

When the conditions are right, it creates a magical landscape. It also has this amazing way of draining color from the scene. All my photos in this post are color but the mist seems to wash most of the color away leaving behind unsaturated wondrous images.

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#AtoZChallenge | L is for Lighthouse and a Lonely Snowman

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Portland Breakwater Lighthouse is more commonly known as Bug Light due to its diminutive size.  Plus, bug light just sounds so much cooler. It is also the place to go if you want to fly a kite as the wind is wicked by the water. I’ve blogged about it before in my post Kite Festival at Bug Light Park, South Portland.

I also returned to the park again when trying to launch a homemade Castiel kite during our Gishwhes Scavenger Hunt this past August. You probably need to be a fan of the TV show Supernatural to understand that previous sentence. Sadly, it’s not even my first reference to Supernatural during this blogging challenge. I’m a bit obsessed. But, you don’t need to be a fan of the show to get the gist.

Bug Light Park is the best place to go fly a kite.

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#AtoZChallenge | K is for Kettle Cove in Cape Elizabeth

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While a popular summer destination, I found the quieter winter scene at Kettle Cove in Cape Elizabeth especially beautiful during a recent visit. The sun gleaming off the water, a persistent patch of snow by the edge of the sand and an abandoned lobster trap make it a true Maine winter scene.

This was my first visit to the beach area at Kettle Cove, but my daughter and I did enjoy a delicious lunch at the Kettle Cove Creamery & Cafe a few summers ago which I blogged about here:  Serendipity and Strawberries lead us to a stop at the Kettle Cove Creamery & Cafe.  Unfortunately, it’s closed during the winter so we didn’t get to enjoy a second visit on this trip.

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