Popham Beach...it's not just for summer!

We've made it a tradition since we moved here to go to the beach on Christmas Day and New Year's Day (and as many other winter days that we can get away!). We're not the only Mainiacs who do this! Quite often, parking is down the road and around the corner, there are so many people on the beach.


Today, Christmas Eve, it was a bit quieter. We were almost the only walkers on the sands. We arrived as the tide was going out so not late enough that we could walk out to the Fox Islands. That is always a highlight of the day!


There is something very calming about walking near the ocean. The pounding surf has a way of driving out the little voices that are always niggling at me to 'coulda, shoulda, woulda'. The wind was so strong today I could lean right into it and be held up!

Because of all the rain last night and the full moon tonight, the tide line was very high up on the beach. There was quite a bit more erosion, too, than we are used to seeing.


Popham Beach is our favorite beach to go to with Bre. Dogs are welcome from Nov 1 - Mar 31. Leashes are required. Another great beach to walk on is Ogunquit Beach, but that's a tad far to drive. Popham is 30 miles from here, about a 45 minute drive. There are no amenities to speak of, so if you want food and drinks, we suggest stopping here in town before you head out.

A walk on the beach is good for the soul.

New Year's Eve in Freeport, Things to do for the whole family

December 31, 2012-

It's that time of year again, where did 2011 go?

If you're looking for a fun, laid-back way to spend New Year's Eve, Freeport is your place! Check out LL Bean's end of year celebration with family activities galore.

Fireworks are at 6 PM along with a hot cocoa toast.All day activities for kids and families from 11 AM to 6 PM.

Rick Charette is playing his brand of family friendly music and leads a kids countdown.

If dining out is your pleasure, there are several great New Year's Eve venues in town, including Azure Cafe, Broad Arrow Tavern, Buck's BBQ for a swinging good time, Petrillos and more.

And don't forget a New Year's Day walk on the beach! It's our favorite way to celebrate the New Year!

All of the fun is an easy walk from the inn. Celebrate in style with an overnight getaway. Make a reservation now!

Wherever your plans take you we hope you have a wonderful celebration!

White Cedar Inn Bed and Breakfast 178 Main St Freeport, Maine 04032

Wolfe Neck Woods or, there's more to Freeport than shopping!

Finally got the chance to take advantage of the snowfall! 23 inches of it, more or less.

Sorry to say, the snow that fell on Sunday last was blanketed by about an inch of sleet. Doesn't make for good x-c skiing or snowshoeing, although it makes for wicked fast sledding!

The 6 or so inches of snow that fell Wednesday night-Thursday morning covered that up rather nicely, giving a really deep base, even in the woods. After we finished picking up this morning, we threw the snowshoes in the back of the car, yelled for the dog and off we went! And believe me, we don't have to yell twice for the dog when she sees the snowshoes.

We decided to go to Wolfe Neck Woods State Park, just about 4 miles from here. I love walking through the snow and then suddenly coming out onto the shore. It's just such a treat!

We took about an hour today to trek through the north and westerly trails. Tomorrow we'll be back out to try the easterly trails.

Although not true at this time of year because only the access road and parking lot are plowed out, Wolfe Neck Woods Park is wheelchair accessible during the spring, summer and fall. The Casco Bay trail (the pic above is taken from just off the trail) is a fairly even and level trail. There are markers warning where the trail becomes too steep for wheelchairs.

If you have never snowshoed, take my word for it, if I can do it, so can you! If you can walk, you can snowshoe. The trails we hit today were easy. No really long or steep hills.

Bre just loves leading the way. Being a smart dog, if we decide to go off and break our own trails, she lets the humans go first and follows along in our tracks.

Right here, though, she's just waiting for us to catch up to her. The park does require leashes and pet cleanup so be sure you have a leash and some scooper bags before you head out. When we arrived today we were the only car in the parking area so we kept the leash at the ready but let her roam around a bit.

There are picnic tables set up along the way on many of the trails, especially the ones along the Casco Bay and Harraseeket River. Pack along a picnic lunch with some cheeses and crackers, apples and nuts and a nice bottle of wine. And if you're the romantic type, it would be a beautiful setting for a marriage proposal!

Other trails we have in mind for this winter are Pinelands, Bradbury Mountain and Winslow Park, all between 10-20 minutes from here. It's the perfect way to spend the afternoon in the winter. We try to get out around noon so we're back before the sun disappears!

We went back to Wolfe Neck on Saturday. Took the Harraseeket Trail, the Old Woods Trail and part of the Casco Bay Trail. The trails in this set of loops are a bit steeper and more in the woods, so a lot of trees to go around if you are on skis. We stuck to the snowshoes, blazed a few trails and got lost a couple of times when we found ourselves dead-ended at private roads. We marked up our trail map pretty well so we won't do that again!