E. B. Mallett's Granite Quarry

Freeport Conservation Trails are all around town. One of them encompasses E. B. Mallett's former granite quarry. There are sheer granite cliffs along the 'Quarry' section of the trail.

Granite quarry.

Bridge across ravine at the start/end of the trail.

Monolith in the woods.

Hiking notes: this trail is a loop of 1.5 miles. Very uneven ground throughout the whole trail. One steep section midway through and another steep section at the end (only if you get to the trail from the school). Short section off main trail to get to quarry. Trails are marked with white, blue and green blazes. Check out the school projects along the trail!

Wildlife: I've seen game birds, woodpeckers, robins, chickadees and nuthatches as well as squirrels (red and gray) and chipmunks. (But I make a lot of noise, so I probably scare most wildlife off!)

To get to the trail: From downtown Freeport take Bow St to Lower Mast Landing Rd. Turn right on Lower Mast Landing Rd, go approx .3 of a mile until you see a large woodchip pile on the right side of the road. This is the trail head. There is no parking area, pull off the road. (You may also get to the trail by walking from here to the end of the sidewalk on Bow St and crossing to the school path on the opposite side. Follow the winding path down to the parking lot, cross, go down the stairs and find the start of the trail just past the left side of the pond. This access is only available outside school hours.)

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

Key Lime Wiggles

 A fast, fun recipe for anytime!

Ingredients:

3- 6 oz containers of your favorite flavor yogurt (without fruit).

1- pkg of flavored gelatin (the same flavor as the yogurt or unflavored)

Fruit for topping

Line a mini muffin pan with foil liners. (The paper ones get really soggy.)

Mix yogurt and dry gelatin in a microwaveable glass measuring beaker. (I used a 4 cup beaker, it makes it easier to pour into the muffin tins.) Microwave on high for 2 minutes, remove and stir. All the gelatin should be dissolved. But you don't want to cook the yogurt.

Immediately pour into the muffin tins. Fill about 3/4 full. Put in fridge to gel. Can make the day before but be aware the the wiggles will shrink if left uncovered for a couple of days. Yields about 10-12 wiggles.

To serve: Remove muffin tins, plate, top with fruit. 

Great seasonal treat! I used key lime for St Patrick's Day. You can make them in strawberry or raspberry (see below) for Valentine's Day or a patriotic holiday.

Printable recipe here.

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

Day Trip: Freeport, Maine

A day isn't really long enough for all Freeport, Maine has to do, but here are some ideas to get you started!

Shopping at LL Bean

Shopping. Yup, Freeport is the outlet shopping capital of Maine. Lots of well-known brand name stores call Freeport home. Of course, we can't forget LL Bean! We encourage you to take some of the side streets in Freeport to find local artisans and smaller shops. For a list of shops in Freeport, check our Freeport Shopping page.

Wine, beer and vodka tastings and tour: Cold River Vodka has its manufacturing facility here in Freeport. Head over for a tour! Grittys Brew Pub has the silo on Lower Main Street with a small brewing facility and gift shop inside the restaurant. Wine tastings happen around town at different shops (Freeport Cheese and Wine and Bow Street Market) mostly on Friday or Saturday.

Hiking in Wolfe Neck Woods.

Hiking: Freeport has hiking trails all over the town and even one wooded trail right in downtown. Check out the osprey in the spring. the seasonal colors in the fall, and the many different trails maintained by the Freeport Conservation Trust all year long. Can't forget our Desert of Maine, either!

Long walks in Winslow Park.

Kayaking: Kayaking instructions and guided tours are offered by LL Bean and Lincoln Canoe & Kayak. Lincoln and Ring's Marine also offers rentals.

Bicycling: Freeport is at the confluence of 3 different bike trails. You can rent bikes at Ring's Marine, have service done at LL Bean and purchase bikes and gear at LL Bean and Freeport Ski & Bike.

Biking trails nearby.

Dining: You're bound to get hungry with all this activity! Almost all the restaurants are a short walk from White Cedar Inn. Park the car and stroll into town! Here's a list of Freeport restaurants.

Music, theater and the arts: Many restaurants feature live music on the weekends (and during the week in the summer) and LL Bean has the LL Bean Summer Concert series most Saturdays in the summer at 7 PM. Live theater has a home in Freeport at the Freeport Factory Stage and with the Freeport Community Players. Looking for movies? Head over to the Nordica Theater on Depot St. Art walks occur throughout the year on the third Friday of the month. In September the Fall in the Village Arts Fest takes place downtown.

Desert of Maine.

History: Follow the Freeport Historical Society's Heritage trail signs around town to get a taste for Freeport's maritime, shoe-making and farming history. Visit Memorial Park for a little Civil War history.

Memorial Park.

Winter sports: Snowshoeing and x-c skiing are great outdoor activities in the winter! Head over to the parks (Wolfe Neck Woods, Winslow or Bradbury Mountain) or hit the conservation trails for gorgeous views through pine woods and along coastal waterways.

Winter in Freeport- hiking, skiing, snowshoeing.

Tired yet? Then it's time to lay your head down in a comfy bed at White Cedar Inn! Check the White Cedar Inn calendar for rates and availability.

Capt Dan's Room.

There are so many other things to do right in Freeport, but here's hoping this little sample helps you decide that your 'home base' in Maine can definitely be Freeport! More 'Day Trip' stories are in the works. All an easy drive round trip from here.

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

Osprey in Freeport, Maine

The osprey have returned to Freeport this spring. Maybe without the fanfare of that well-publicized group, the swallows, but the osprey have their own quiet following. Here then, without further ado...Pandion haliatus...

As always, click the photos to enlarge.

Perfect landing

Fresh seafood dinner. Osprey dive at their prey and then quickly reverse to catch fish with their talons.

Caught these 2 alighting on the nest as I rounded the corner.

Taking off!

Scanning the horizon.

Guarding the nest.

For more information on the habits of osprey, check the Maine Rivers website.

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

Reversing Falls, Pembroke, Maine

Another fun, odd natural phenomenon in Maine...the reversing falls. The reversing waterfall activity is caused by the strong tides rushing in and out of the Cobscook, Dennys and South Bays. Although beautiful to look at, the area is off limits to swimmers due to the extreme tidal pull.

In season it is the perfect area for viewing seals, bald eagles and marine birds.

Reversing Falls

The last glacier. It was 86 degrees the day we were here. In March!

High tide.

Shells are everywhere around here, even in the woods!

 This map is provided for the overhead view of the falls. Click on 'view larger map' below to see how the falls look from the air.


View Larger Map

How to get here: Rt 1 north to Pembroke. Turn right between the Post Office and the gas station. At the stop sign go right. Immediately up the hill, turn left at the IOOC building. Stay on this road (correct, none of them have signs) for 3.2 miles until you see a hand-lettered 'FALLS --->' sign. Turn onto this road. (If you miss the turn and the road turns to dirt, you've gone too far) You will pass a cemetery on your right. At the end of this road turn left and follow road into park. Take the left fork for the best views.

Add this onto your trip to Eastport or Lubec!

(Why Maine does not label its road with signs- if you don't know where you are you don't belong here.)

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