Tag: hiking

Lunch at Scratch Baking Company before hiking Willard Beach to Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse

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It is a testament to the fact that we have so many amazing food places here in Maine that I had not yet made it to the Scratch Baking Company even though they have been around since 2004.  Of course, I had heard of them and knew that they got amazing reviews, but it was only this past month that I finally made my first visit.

My daughter was graciously standing in for my husband during a weekend hike as he was home sick with a cold and not up for it. The thing is my daughter does not like to hike. Not even a little bit. So, in order to convince her to join me I had to resort to the oldest of parenting strategies – bribery. I promised her a good meal if she came with me.

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Spring teaser at Popham Beach State Park and a visit to the Fort.

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There are always those random days in the heart of winter that tease us with warmer temperatures and remind us that spring is not as far away as it sometimes seems after three consecutive snow storms. They’re always a special, happy occasion. When the temperatures jumped up to 55 degrees on a recent Sunday, we headed to Popham Beach State Park. For Maine in February, this was practically sunbathing weather.

We were struggling to find trails in the area that would be appropriate for winter hiking, so in the end decided to head to the beach and walk along the water which turned out to be the perfect decision. We arrived just after low tide which was ideal for exploring this popular destination. While there is a beautiful, sandy beach area there is also the rocky and interesting Fox Island just off the shore which can be accessed by foot only during low tide.

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Three Winter Hikes. Embrace the cold.

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In our never-ending effort to stay active, we’ve made hiking a year round activity. We’ll technically we didn’t “make” it year round. It has always been year round for those who love the outdoors, but until last year I was not among them.  Fortunately, I’ve learned to embrace the cold and actually discovered that I like winter hiking once you get past the initial “wow, it’s freezing” feeling. Once you get moving, the cold disappears.

The challenge with winter hiking, and other winter activities, is that you’re dependent on the type of winter mother nature brings. Lots of snow, great – break out those snowshoes. Not a lot of snow – hiking shoes it is. Icy conditions – throw on some crampons

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Looking for free stuff? Here’s a list of free monthly activities to do in Maine for 2017.

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Last September, my family and I did the Living Well Spending Zero challenge from Ruth Soukup. As part of the challenge, we spent minimal money for the entire month. No groceries, no entertainment, no take-out. We allowed ourselves a small amount of cash at the start of the month for minor necessities, and activities that had already been planned, but that was it. We ate through the food in our refrigerator and pantry, learned to ration our seltzer, and went to some free events like the Fork Food Lab grand opening.

Overall, we did a great job, or at least until the last day of the month when our cat came down with a UTI, and we had to do an emergency visit to the vet complete with x-rays, anesthesia, and multiple antibiotics, all of which negated most of our savings from our zero spend month. Still it was a fun, creative experiment and one we would definitely try again. More importantly, our cat, other than one minor setback, is doing great now.

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My first year of blogging and my first Top 10 List | Maine Memories from 2016

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Looking back on 2016, my first year of blogging, I am excited with the direction of my blog, and motivated to expand and grow  my content to focus on even more of the amazing adventures available in Maine. But, before I jump into 2017, here are ten of my favorite activities from this past year, and links to the blog posts I wrote about them.

(1) Artascope Studios | Saltwater Etching for Copper Class. I love learning new crafts, and while I don’t always have as much time as I would like in this area, I did spend a productive Sunday, this past spring, learning about copper etching. Artascope has studio space in Yarmouth where they run a variety of classes including day long workshops, and more extended six-week sessions. I’ve taken many classes at Artascope and they have all been amazing.

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