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!

Sarah's in Wiscasset

Part of our little getaway last week included a stop for lunch at Sarah's in Wiscasset. For those who don't yet know, Sarah's is on the right hand side of the street as you approach the bridge. (Red's Eats, of course, is on the left side!)

We'd never eaten there before so it was a fun treat to 'discover' a new place. Sarah's is very 'down home'. There is nothing fancy about it at all. We had the corner window seat so we had a view of the river as well at Rt1. Perfect!

For those who are lobster purists, read no further...we had lobster salad. Neither of us was up for a whole lobster so we went with the lobster roll (WOW! what a great roll the lobster roll comes on. Holy cow, it was huge!) and the lobster pot.

The lobster pot is served in a hollowed out bulky roll (huge) with broiled cheese and tomato. I ordered a side of potato salad. (yum!) We filled out the lunch with a couple of sodas as we were driving back to Freeport. But, Sarah's has a nice wine and beer menu to choose from.

I know there are those who just want to wait in line at Red's. But, if you're standing in the blazing sun and you don't have to have the lobster roll at Red's, just cross the street and head inside to Sarah's. Her lobster is fresh and her prices are good. You won't be disappointed!

(Note: Sarah's is open year round, Red's is seasonal.)

Pemaquid Point Lighthouse

Pemaquid Point Lighthouse and environs:

Pemaquid Point Light

We took a quick break this past Monday and Tuesday and headed up the coast to Damariscotta.

(Need a place to stay up there? The Tipsy Butler is worth a look!)

Of course, when in Damariscotta, you have to take Rt 130 out to Pemaquid Point. This is the lighthouse on the Maine State quarter. I've wanted to head up this way for a long time. I've heard the crashing ocean waves on the rock outcroppings are pretty fantastic. We were there at low tide on a beautifully calm day, so the crashing was at a minimum. Great for us because we got to climb down on the rocks and get some great pix!

The lighthouse proper is closed at this time of year, but the park itself remains open. There are picnic tables and rock outcroppings a-plenty to sit on! We didn't see any whales (wrong time of year) but there were plenty of boats out and lobster pots were easy to spot from our vantage point atop the rocks.

Hardy souls can climb right down to the water's edge. (Caution: warnings abound that the waves can be pretty severe along the coast. Climb at your own risk.)

Given there is no one around, you are definitely on your own once you begin climbing. Cell phone service is nil.

We love the coastal regions of Maine that look like this. Sure, the beaches are great, but THIS is what typifies Maine. And on a clear, warm day in November, what better place to be!

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

www.whitecedarinn.com

Environmental Leadership Certificate awarded to White Cedar Inn!

We are very proud to have received the State of Maine Environmental Leadership Certificate in Green Lodging. We have worked very hard to bring green products and ideas into the everyday workings of the inn. We hope you have a minute to read through the press release. When you are here, be sure to take a look at our 'Green Hint of the Month' where we list one very easy 'green' thing you can do at home. Thanks to everyone who offered suggestions to us along the way, we look forward to more helpful tips next time we see you!

(Freeport, Maine)- White Cedar Inn was awarded an Environmental Leadership Certificate in Lodging from the State of Maine on November 2, 2007.
The Certificate is awarded to those businesses showing leadership in implementing pollution prevention practices in daily operations.
White Cedar Inn is the first Bed and Breakfast in Freeport to achieve this distinction.
The husband and wife owners of the inn, Rock Nadeau and Monica Kissane, have changed several aspects of the day to day operations of the business to use more ‘green’ and environmentally aware practices.
"We sort trash," say the owners. "It’s not the most glamorous part of the day, but we’ve been able to reduce our trash pickup to twice per month from once per week. We have also included an environmental impact statement in our guest room books to show guests what we are doing. These are simple, easy steps most anyone could use in their own home. Even if someone says they don’t believe in global warming, everyone is looking for ways to save money."
The process to obtain the Environmental Leadership Certification includes a self-assessment workbook which allows the business to highlight their areas of expertise and to focus future conservation efforts on projects with the most impact on reducing environmental impact and increasing the bottom line.
"It really gave us a place to focus our continuing efforts," says Ms Kissane. "We had a lot of help from Peter Cooke, Program Manager for the state, in helping us find sources for green cleaning products. We originally started looking at green products when our summer housekeeper started bringing natural cleaning products with her to work. She said they were better for her health and the health of our guests."
Mr Nadeau concurs that taking small steps has helped already. "We have reduced water consumption by almost 10% by taking quick, inexpensive steps to reduce water leaks. We use an HE (High Efficiency) washer for the linens. There are always small projects that can have a high impact on savings and that also reduce energy and water consumption without sacrificing creature comforts."
The owners are working now to switch from incandescent to CFL bulbs throughout the inn. With this project in the works and having already put timers on many electrical appliances they expect to see a reduction in their overall electric consumption and cost to the business.
White Cedar Inn is a seven room historic B&B just north of the downtown shopping district in Freeport, ME.

LL Bean Hunting and Fishing store opens in Freeport

Went to the gala opening of the new LLBean Hunting and Fishing store just behind the main store in Freeport. It's a beautiful new building that is reminscent of an old hunting lodge, complete with leather chairs, fireplace and library filled with books and information (and a big screen TV!)

In keeping with a long tradition of the Maine woodsman and sportsman to conserve resources, the new store was built with salvaged timbers from the demolition of the old shoe factory buildings where the outlet store used to be. The construction company in charge of the project was able to recycle 95% of the construction materials, an all-time record for Pizzigalli Construction.

For anyone awake at that hour, there is a free hunter's breakfast at the new store on Saturday morning (Nov 3) at 4:30 AM.

Something that intrigued me was the indoor archery range. There was quite the crowd in there so I'm going to head back at another time to check it out.

Upstairs is a bridge spanning the width of the mezzanine. To one side of the bridge I saw a well laid out fly tying table. This is sure to be a hit!

Even if hunting and fishing are not for you, it's worth a walk over to the new building just to see the 'riverbed' fish tank. Unlike the pond in the center of the main store, this new wall-mounted live display has a 'bubble' built in where kids (and flexible adults) can pop in to see the fish swimming all around their heads. And there were some beautiful fish in that tank! Even if you're not into fishing, these are beautiful fish just to look at. Oftentimes we don't think of river fish being colorful or beautiful as tropical fish, but they are extraordinary!

Part of the evening's festivities was a great selection of hor d'oeuvres and local brews. And a wonderful $25,000 donation by LL Bean to Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to complement and continue their programs for children, families and women to learn about hunting and fishing.

Now that this store is open, more development is set for Freeport...the construction trailers are in place to begin groundwork for the new 'Freeport Village Station' shopping area (the first 4 tenants announced last week...Izod, Geoffrey Beene, Calvin Klein and Van Heusen). This also means the LL Bean outlet will soon migrate back to this end of town and Buck's Naked BBQ will begin their migration to the old outlet, bringing with them plans for nightly entertainment!

Wow! The joint is jumpin'!

White Cedar Inn Blog gets recognition!

The White Cedar Inn Blog, 'A little of this and a little of that,' was selected by American Historic Inns/ILoveInns.com as their bed and breakfast blog of the week during the first week in November (2007).

To quote from the reviewer:

Why we like this blog: This blog offers enticing activities and large compelling photos that are the eye candy to keep me scanning through. Mentioning gourmet progressive dinners and showing close-up photos of the cuisine has my mouth water and showing the path to Bradbury Mountain with the bright green canopy over the leaf-strewn path made me hear the crunch of leaves and want my foot on the path.

Peer recognition is always a great thing!

We were also contacted by Fido Friendly magazine for showcasing in their January issue. More details as we get them. Hopefully I can link back to the article!

First tenants announced for Freeport's Village Station

Quoted from the press release:

Berenson Associates, Inc., developer of Freeport Village Station, Freeport’s newest retail development, is kicking off its leasing program with a group of four retailers who are the first tenants to sign leases with this lifestyle center style complex.
Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation has entered into leases for four of its premier outlet stores – Calvin Klein, IZOD, Van Heusen and Geoffrey Beene. They are the first retailers to sign with Freeport Village Station.
The 120,000 square foot multi-level complex, at the corner of Main and Mill Streets in the shopping mecca’s downtown, is expected to include between 30 and 40 retail factory outlet stores and restaurants, two elevators providing handicapped accessibility, a 550 car parking garage, and other public amenities.

...The new development will bring a state-of-the-art shopping experience while maintaining the Town’s character. Preparation at the 3.6 acre site is underway. The former L.L.Bean factory store has been demolished. Site work is expected to begin in November and construction will follow immediately thereafter.

...The project is expected to open in the spring of 2009. A portion of the parking garage is expected to be open in late 2008.

More exciting development in downtown Freeport! The parking garage is expected to be free and some of the new development project is expected to be one or more restaurants.