World's Best Walks

Time for some ME time! It has been 13 years since I last visited Maine.  That’s a drop in the bucket considering  many of the towns we visited were founded in the 1700’s and some before that. Mainers deserve high praise for preserving its rich history and instituting protections for its natural beauty. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that it is against the law for retailers to use plastic bags. Paper or plastic? Paper wins in Maine.

First stop-Kennebunkport

Kennebunkport is a charming town, especially in September, when school is in session. It has a slower pace then, I’m told. It was really low key on the Thursday when we arrived and started strolling the streets with a well-appointed crowd. (Them, not me.)
We had no dinner reservation so we took our chances and went to The Boathouse. Instead of waiting an hour for a table, we snagged a spot at the bar and watched the tide go out. The Boathouse overlooks the Kennebunk River. It was mesmerizing to watch small wave pools trickle towards you, then away, and then settle, still as glass.
We ordered mussels and they did not disappoint. They were like all mussels should be-big. They were seasoned in lemongrass, tomato, tamarind, ginger, and garlic with a baguette for dunking. Pair that with your favorite beverage, then a lobster roll, then a northeastern style strawberry shortcake and you are as set as the sun at 8 o’clock.
P.S. – it turns out I prematurely celebrated a lack of crowds in Kennebunkport. They arrived on Friday for the start of the weekend. It wasn’t too bad, things were just more populated when I returned from two great morning walks to find more people in the restaurants and quaint shops.

Rachel Carson Wildlife Refug

I love an easy 1-mile trail that is beautiful and almost impossible to get lost or injured on.
That would be this loop at the Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge, which offers stunning views of estuaries and salt water marshes. I was taken with the soft whisps of sea grasses. It is located a short drive from Kennebunkport on Highway 9. The trail is very well maintained with handrails, walkways and lookout points. The views are stunning.

Parsons Beach

Just a stone’s throw away from the Rachel Carson Refuge is Parsons Beach. It is actually privately owned but there is a section that is open to the public. The day we went there were no more than four people on this quiet sand beach offering up gentle waves. Parking is limited. But if you are Jonesin’  for the sound of waves lapping at your feet, here ya go.

On to Brunswick!
Brunswick, Maine is a college town, home to Bowdoin College, a small liberal arts school.  I found it unusually quiet for a Saturday until I realized that this selective small liberal arts college only enrolls about 2,000 students. 

The town has a delightful pedestrian-friendly downtown with many shops. We wandered (well, by car) to a curious trail called the Labyrinth in the Woods at Crystal Spring Farm, not to be confused with the assisted living center next door. Even though the sign said “there are no dead ends” in the labyrinth, we seemed to get lost.  That always happens. That might freak out some people, but not me.

Adjacent to the labrynth is a flat 2.7 mile loop trail, flat and easy.  It is actually a “story walk.” Along the trail are pages of a children’s story about the life cycle of the Praying Mantis. I had no idea these insects were so predatory. But then, is there such a thing as just a little killer instinct? Apparently, praying mantis ambush and consume other insects, spiders, and even small vertebrates like frogs and hummingbirds.
That’s when the lovely children’s story took somewhat of a dark turn as the protagonist praying mantis  bragged about eating its brother and sister.
Chew on that for a while.

Engineering Feats for the Feet- Bailey Island Bridge, Harpswell, Maine

It’s not a long walk but it’s a cool one. The 1.150 ft. Bailey Island Bridge  over Will’s Gut, which separates the island from Orr’s island. It was built in 1928 and supports vehicular and foot traffic. It is the only “open split Maine granite cribwork” and considered an engineering feat.

It is fun to cross and enjoy the views of  bay on either side, full of seaweed and sailboats. The roadway portion is narrow by today’s standards but it’s reassuring that this relic is still in good shape today. A real bridge to an earlier time.

Can-do Camden

Camden, Maine, is an idyllic little town that overlooks Penobscot Bay.  It was settled by the English in 1791 and its downtown is filled with shops and restaurants. Check out Natalies, which earned a Michelin rating.
Best of all, it has a public green space overlooking the harbor with a view that is stunning yet serene. It’s the perfect spot to unwind and enjoy the many scheduled concerts offered there.

Harkness Preserve Trail Rockland

A sign  at Harkness Preserve Trail claims there are over 100 different types of birds in the preserve. I believe it. I didn’t see a hundred birds but I did find them plentiful, many flying underneath the cool canopy of trees.

This 1 mile trail begins in a quiet neighborhood and winds its way through a nature preserve to a nice view of Rockport Harbor.It is pretty clearly marked, with two small foot bridges. Blue marks painted on trees point you in the right direction. There are a lot of tree roots on the path so be careful if you are prone to tripping.

That’s no spelling error. Before the pandemic, I spent a Sunday in the Seattle area and came away impressed by the city’s attractions, scenery and pedestrian-friendly attitude.

It began with a ferry trip to the Outlook Inn and New Leaf Cafe on Orcas Island. It was early spring and wet but the sun did come out for a day or two and it was spectacular. More on that in another post.

The iconic Space Needle is a spectacular attraction offering incredible views of the city and Puget Sound. It’s not your mama’s Space Needle either. It recently underwent a $100 million facelift to keep the almost 60-year-old needle in the sky as youthful and attractive as ever.

But what really blew me away was just steps away at the Chihuly Garden and Glass House followed by a delicious lunch at Taylor Shellfish.  Check out the photos.

My timing was perfect.  I arrived in our nation’s capital on March 25, 2017 and sure enough, the highly celebrated cherry blossoms were in bloom!  Google says it is 1.6 miles from my hotel at Dupont Circle to the blooms on the Washington Mall.  But it’s a vast space and at the end of the day my tracker logged 17,863 steps!

It was well worth the walk.  The 2018 National Cherry Blossom Festival will be held March 20 through April 15. The Cherry Blossom Parade is scheduled for Saturday, April 14, 2018.

Canada’s Prince Edward Island is located in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and produces 19,000 tons of mussels annually. If you live in the U.S. chances are you’ve enjoyed some PEI shellfish at your favorite restaurant.  However, I found the real strength of this island to be the options it provides for walks that are both beautiful and historic.

 

 

 

 

 

Charlottetown dates back to 1720 and is considered the birthplace of Canada. Downtown is situated along the harbor which provides for picturesque walks along the harbor and neighboring shops. The village is pedestrian-friendly with well-maintained sidewalks shaded by trees and a friendly citizenry always eager to offer directions or advice on shops and dining. Guess what’s on the menu?

If lobster is more to your liking, there’s tons of that too. In fact, the fishing village of North Rustico, about half an hour from Charlottetown is one of the many spots where they haul em in. Lobster boats and traps are everywhere.  If you are lucky, you might catch a tale from the Bearded Skipper who happened to be dockside when I was there. His picture alone is worth a thousand words! The tide changes every six hours so if you park your car near the water, keep an eye on the time.

If you are looking for a beach experience, head over to Greenwich Park which features a beautiful  beach and trails. Take your shoes off – I am told the water here is a comfortable 72 degrees, some of the warmest water on the seaboard, because it is so close to the gulfstream.

Apparently, the best time to visit PEI is from June until the end of September, before the cold sets in. My experience was a pleasant 65 degrees under beautiful blue skies, but I did experience rain the day before, farther south in chilly Peggy’s Cove near Halifax, Nova Scotia. Let’s just say Mother Nature was in full force, spewing rain, wind and fog in a furious way.

Still a nice respite from the hot temps in the U.S., I say!