Every once in awhile, on a spectacular summer weeknight, our family will act like tourists and visit a relaxed, beachside destination for dinner. Shade, a restaurant located inside the Higgins Beach Inn in Scarborough, is such a place. The casual restaurant features a bar with cherry red chairs. There is table seating on the cozy sun porch or on the spacious screened porch. On the day we arrived, we were unusually early, so the hostess invited our family to choose a non-alcoholic drink at the bar and walk to the beach while we waited.
Archive for the ‘Adventure’ Category
Shade Eatery at Higgins Beach Inn
Posted in Food, Restaurants, Travel, tagged beach inns in maine, beach towns, beaches maine, cutepotato.com, family-friendly restaurants maine, gardens maine, higgins beach inn, higgins beach maine, jennifer hazard food writer, jennifer hazard maine writer, lobster roll, lobster roll maine, maine eats, maine food, maine restaurants, migis hotel group, scarborough maine, shade eatery, street corn, summer salads on July 10, 2018| Leave a Comment »
Kite Flying at Little Kineo
Posted in Adventure, Road Trips, Trails, tagged cutepotato.com, destination moosehead lake, Family-friendly hikes, jen hazard maine writer, Jen Hazard travel writer, kokadjo, Lily Bay State Park, little kineo, little kineo mountain, maine, maine hikes for families, Moosehead Lake on June 21, 2018| Leave a Comment »
While there are many places in Maine that we love, the Moosehead Lake region is near and dear to us. We discovered its quiet beauty in 2015, when our family was fortunate to score a last minute, waterfront campsite at Lily Bay State Park. Since then, we’ve returned every summer, either with friends or on our own, to explore more of the area.
One of our favorite local finds in the region is Little Kineo Mountain. Just two miles round trip, this is the perfect hike for all ages. While you have to be willing to drive at least an hour and traverse some dusty dirt roads to get to the trailhead, the experience is well worth the effort. There is no shortage of mountain and water views during the trip, and if you’re lucky, you might spot a moose or two on your way. Just be sure to bring a map or written directions along with you, as cell phone coverage is spotty.
Maine Gardens to Visit for Mother’s Day
Posted in Adventure, Celebrations, Events, Gardens, Parks, Travel, tagged boothbay maine, camden, Charlotte Rhoades Park and Butterfly Garden, coastal maine botanical gardens, cutepotato.com, daffodils in Maine, family-friendly Maine gardens, Hamilton House, Historic New England, jen hazard maine writer, Jen Hazard travel writer, kennebunkport, Laurel Hill Cemetery, maine, maine gardens, McLaughlin Garden & Homestead, Merryspring Nature Center, mother's day, mother's day events maine, New England gardens, new gloucester, saco, snug harbor farm, South Berwick, south paris maine, Southwest Harbor, the garden at Pineland Farms, Vaughn Woods State Park, Wardbrook Farm, West Kennebunk on May 10, 2018| Leave a Comment »
For Mother’s Day this year, MP’s wish is for good weather and a breakfast visit to a local garden with coffee, croissants and a book in hand. If you’re also a mom in search of Sunday morning serenity, here are a few favorite Maine gardens to enjoy plus a few fun events for the weekend:
Exploring Cathance River Preserve
Posted in Adventure, Trails, Uncategorized, tagged cathance river preserve, cutepotato.com, family adventures, family travel, jen hazard maine writer, Jen Hazard travel writer, maine, maine family hikes, maine family trips, New England trails, rapid rivers in maine, topsham, trail discoveries on April 23, 2018| Leave a Comment »
Finally! The sun is shining and spring things are happening. As our kids say, “Can we get a hoy ya?” With all of this spring-y goodness popping up, our crew decided to visit the 235-acre Cathance River Preserve in Topsham. The preserve is home to three main trails and four unique connector trails, making it easy to tailor a hike that works for your family.
We started our hike at the .90 mile Highland Trail. Our adventure began with a pristine view of a vernal pool. There’s a small dock here, where the kids enjoyed posing for pictures and generally being silly.
Spring Day Trips Throughout Maine
Posted in Activities, Uncategorized, tagged abbe museum bar harbor, Bernard Langlais, biddeford pool, boardwalk trails in maine, Cascade Falls Saco, cutepotato.com, East Point Sanctuary, family adventures in maine, family travel, family travel in maine, fort edgecomb, maine, maine writer Jen Hazard, monkey c monkey do, New England, New England family travels, Norway, orono bog boardwalk, outdoor adventures in maine, portland science center, ropes courses in Maine, Sharks exhibit, shepard's Farm preserve, spring activities for families in Maine, spring road trail auburn, things to do with kids in maine, Thomaston Town Trail, travel writer Jen Hazard, Vena's Fizz House, waterfalls near portland maine, wiscasset on April 13, 2018| Leave a Comment »
Mid-April has arrived and dare we say, it’s beginning to feel like spring is really here. Most of the snow has melted in our yard, chickadees are singing in the early morning hours, and we even spotted crocuses blooming in a friend’s garden. These signs of the season may not seem like much if you live in warmer climates, but for Maine families like us, there is so much hope attached to these small gifts from nature. To celebrate, we’re sharing some of our favorite spaces to visit in April and May.
East Point Sanctuary, Biddeford Pool
On a warm spring day, we love to visit this Maine Audubon sanctuary by the sea. Street parking is limited, but if you get to the sanctuary early, kids can spend hours playing in the open fields, flying kites or scaling rocks.
CP#1 enjoys a quiet moment at East Point Sanctuary in Biddeford Pool.
Love My Goat: Where to Snuggle with Baby Goats in Maine
Posted in Events, Farms, tagged appleton creamery, baby goats in maine, copper tail farm, Cumberland, cutepotato.com, family adventures, fuzzy udder creamery, goat snuggles, goat visits, hiking with goats, jen hazard maine writer, Jen Hazard travel writer, kids hugging event, lambs, maine, maine events, maine family events, maine spring events, midcoast cheese trail, New England trips for families, Stone Fox Creamery, sunflower farm creamery, waldoboro, whitefield, yoga with goats, YumBus on April 5, 2018| Leave a Comment »
If you haven’t noticed, goats are kind of a thing these days. You can be the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time). You can go to yoga class with goats, hike with goats or perhaps the most popular option, snuggle with baby goats (kids). Our own children find it hard to resist the bright eyes, gangly legs and soft fur of these adorable babies. They’d likely take a goat kid home for themselves, if we would allow for another pet. Fortunately for us, there are several visiting farms that offer spring goat snuggling sessions. Following are a few favorites:
Asticou Azalea Garden
Posted in Gardens, Road Trips, tagged asticou azalea garden, asticou inn, charles k. savage, cutepotato.com, Gardens, Japanese style gardens, jen hazard maine writer, Jen Hazard travel writer, late spring in maine, maine gardens, maine in May, mount desert, New England, New England gardens, quiet spaces, wheel-chair accessible on March 23, 2018| Leave a Comment »
March 20 marked the first day of spring, and with this new season, comes good thoughts of May days, trees in bloom and gardens brimming with sweet new soil. And while we may have to wait a little longer for this collective greening in Maine, it’s nice to know these days are only weeks away.
In particular, MP finds herself thinking about a solo visit to Mount Desert last spring, where one of her must-sees included Asticou Azalea Garden. The Japanese-style garden was designed in 1957 by Charles K. Savage, a passionate conservationist and the former manager of the historic Asticou Inn. The garden, located just off Route 198 South in Northeast Harbor, is an oasis for a mom in search of spring blooms. And oh, did this stunning space deliver! MP discovered quiet pathways, stone steps leading to Asticou pond, and all manner of spring unfurling before her eyes.
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