Tag: freeport

Wolfe’s Neck Farm: Quite the Spring Chicken

January 24, 2015 / offthemaineroad

Play this song while reading this post:

After quite the adventure in Acadia National Park, let’s head back to Freeport for a quick replenishment of our L.L. Bean gear. Driving 10 minutes southeast of Freeport takes us to a surreal location by the sea. It’s kind of like going to a seaside resort in England for the weekend. Welcome to Wolfe’s Neck Farm. It’s actually out of the main Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park, but it is worth checking out. Both the park and the farm offer campsites and the farm boasts 3 cottages with views of the bay and ocean. The park features many walking trails, but my personal favorite is the Casco Bay Trail, which leads right down to the ocean. Spend some time walking on the rocks and collecting Maine’s mussels. Back at the farm, discover the steps Wolfe’s Neck takes to promote Maine’s agriculture. Some of the activities at the farm include hay wagon rides, bicycle rentals, canoe and kayak rentals, and much more. It’s a great weekend destination for families. The farm also features Belted Galloway cows, nicknamed “oreo cows” because of their white and black pattern is similar to that of an oreo cookie. Don’t take my word for it – visit Wolfe’s Neck Farm yourself and prepare to show a greater appreciation for the Earth and Maine’s locally-grown food!

(Also, for you runners out there, Maine Track Club‘s annual Farm to Farm Ultra Run starts at Wolfe’s Neck Farm. It’s a 25K, 50K or 50 Mile race supporting locally-grown food in Maine. It’s pretty aweseome.)

Are you as Cool as a Moose?

December 10, 2014 / offthemaineroad

During my first few summers in Maine, I was in search of a simple piece of Maine apparel: a t-shirt or a sweatshirt that said “MAINE” in big letters on the front. My problem was solved when visiting the small store Cool as A Moose, known to some Mainers as CAAM. Here’s a trivia question for all you Mainers or want-to-be Mainers: which 4 towns in Maine (and there are only 4) have CAAM locations? Read to the bottom to find out!

Cool as A Moose locations are in towns that are quite touristy, yet have that unique, Maine charm. All of these places will definitely be featured in future posts. Their products are the all-in-one package for the Mainer or Maineiac: everything that you could possibly put the word “Maine” on. T-shirts, sweatshirts, lobster hats, water bottles, stickers, moose antlers; you name it, they have it. Although not as comprehensive, their online store has some of these products available to order. But like most places on this blog, you have to see it in person to believe it!

To learn more about Cool as A Moose, visit http://www.coolasamoose.com

One of the Cool as a Moose Locations in Maine.

Answer to the 4 locations of Cool as A Moose: Unscramble the following words:

prefero; patroldn; rab rahorb; bricksnuw

The British Came: Bridgham & Cook in Freeport

December 8, 2014 / offthemaineroad

The British left Maine a few hundred years ago, but they left one reminder of their past presence on Main Street in Freeport: Bridgham & Cook, Ltd. This “posh” British emporium sells uniquely British gifts, home goods, British treats (figgy pudding, anyone?) and of course, genuinely British teas.

(From time to time, I’ll post short posts like this, briefly mentioning local businesses to add to our Freeport directory. Although I haven’t seen much of this shop compared to shops like Gelato Fiasco, I think it’s worth a visit!)

A Big Ben Sign from Bridgham & Cook in Freeport.

Click on the link below to find out more:

http://www.britishgoods.com/1/

The Bean Boot: A Maine Symbol

December 1, 2014 / offthemaineroad

One of the quintessential symbols of the Pine Tree State is the Maine Hunting Shoe, aka the L.L. Bean Boot. Let’s start with a brief history of L.L. Bean. The company was founded as a one-room operation by Leon Leonwood Bean, a hunter and fisherman living in Freeport. Bean had created a waterproof boot, which he originally sold to hunters. He called it the Maine Hunting Shoe, and it has evolved into the great piece of footwear we know today. The Bean Boot is definitely an all-purpose shoe-it’s suitable for any weather from extreme cold to rain to the perfect sunny. Now I’m not the best person to talk to when it comes to fashion, but I’d say that these boots have become quite a stylish element to any Mainer’s wardrobe. Although I regrettably do not own a pair, I have come quite close with this accessory, pictured below.

To celebrate its 100-year anniversary of the boot’s creation, L.L. Bean built 2 “bootmobiles“, which is a 13-foot tall Ford F-250 frame in the shape of a boot. It’s quite a formidable creation, and has been seen cruising New York’s highways. One of the bootmobiles has been parked outside the Freeport flagship store for a while, and has been painted in the livery of the Boston Red Sox (see picture below).

Be on the lookout for the bootmobiles-they’re constantly on the road!

The Bean Boot at Hadlock Field, home of the Portland Sea Dogs (more on that later).

Maine’s soup is souperb

December 1, 2014 / offthemaineroad

In a meal one usually starts with the soup, so I decided to start this series of posts with the soup as well. Kamasouptra. In a quest to make Maine the “soup capital of the world”, this small business has developed quite the varied collection of steamy, hot soups. Their locations are spread out between the Maine Mall in South Portland, The Old Port, and the Freeport Public Market. I’ve had the good fortune to visit all three locations, and experience my personal favorite: the Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup Soup. No, I didn’t make a typo; it’s actually called the soup soup, for who knows why. But the thing that stands out most to me about this soup establishment is the giant roll of whole wheat bread that comes with each cup of soup. It’s actually sometimes bigger than the cup!

So next time you’re in Portland or Freeport, give Kamasouptra a try in your quest of bowling for soup. I think it will come to you as a strike, and may be right up your alley!

(Yes, I know, too many soup puns.)