Tag: summer

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

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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.

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Hiking Maine | Following in the path of the Ultimate Maine Waterfalls Road Trip

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We received the Massachusetts Atlas and Gazetteer as a wedding gift. We were living in Framingham, Massachusetts at the time. It sat within easy reach tucked into the slot behind the passenger seat of our car. We used it to guide us everywhere as we explored the state. It got so much use the corners were curled back in a permanent roll, and the cover eventually fell off. It served us well but was unceremoniously discarded when shinier, newer toys took over as a way to guide us on our travels.

We could have really used another Atlas on our recent outing to recreate The Ultimate Maine Waterfalls Road Trip which we had read about on the OnlyInYourState website. [Starin, Michelle. “The Ultimate Maine Waterfalls Road Trip Is Right Here – And You’ll Want To Do It.” February 8, 2016: OnlyInYourState.]

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The joy of spending a summer evening at the drive-in.

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Everyone of a certain age has their “bouncing around the back” of a station wagon story. Usually one that entails fake wood siding, and sibling squabbles that rival those of Cain and Abel. I’m sure I have a few myself, but the reality is that my memory just isn’t that good. I keep only about five to ten years back in active usage, another ten are sometimes brought up for the occasional recollection, and the rest are more vague. What I have instead are moments in time, and composites of things that probably happened again and again but have been entwined into one memory.

That’s how it is with the drive-in for me. It was one of our regular family outings when I was young, and the only thing I still associate with station wagons.

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Hiking Maine | Fore River Sanctuary & Jewell Falls

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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.

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