‘Teddy’s Travels’: An intern’s guide to exploring Maine through his lens
I’m this summer’s breaking news intern for the Portland Press Herald, and having never been to Maine before, I wanted to explore as much as I could before the summer was over.
As an avid photographer and someone who loves to explore the outdoors, I wanted to make sure I made the most of my time and truly got the New England experience.
Here’s what I discovered — and photographed — throughout my journeys around Maine and New England.
A seagull also thought the top of the Beehive Trail was an amazing place to rest — although I’m sure it had an easier time getting up there than I did. (Teddy Almond/Staff Writer)
ACADIA NATIONAL PARK
My first stop in Maine was Acadia. In my head, I imagined the postcard-rocky beaches and towering trees that make the national park a destination for millions of people each year — and the landscape certainly delivered.
One thing I’m always looking for is a challenge, and after looking online at the many hiking trails at the park, I decided that the Beehive Trail was the best opportunity.
Scaling some of the rocks requires a great deal of coordination – definitely not something I would do if I didn’t have good balance. (Photo courtesy of Teddy Almond)
While the website said it was a difficult hike, looking up the side of the mountain I was about to climb and seeing people carefully hugging the rock face made me realize this might be a bit more than “difficult.”
As I ascended, I remember telling myself to remember one thing: “Don’t look down.”
Getting to the top meant spending about half an hour winding around boulders and scaling rock by climbing a rudimentary metal rebar ladder that was bolted into the rock face.
Once I summited the nearly 500 feet of elevation, I looked out and saw the most breathtaking views.
Seeing the ocean and rocky beaches this close from atop a mountain was unlike anything else I’d experienced.
Coming from New Jersey, the closest thing we have to this would be the Palisades — but instead of pristine beaches, you’re looking at the New York cityscape.
After getting down from the mountain, I made sure to continue to drive the loop around the park and stop by any pretty beaches I found.
The shoreline near Park Loop Road, the scenic route that wraps around Acadia National Park. (Teddy Almond/Staff Writer)
One tip for anyone wanting to summit the Beehive would be to make sure you climb up the rocky side first — you don’t want to climb down the rocky side, which looked a lot more dangerous and harder.
PEAKS ISLAND
A sailboat navigating around Portland Harbor, as seen from the Peaks Island ferry. (Teddy Almond/Staff Writer)
The small, namely residential island right outside Portland harbor is only accessible by ferry and was a destination I had read about in countless travel blogs prior to visiting Maine.
As a ship aficionado, I was fond of the idea of a boat ride across the harbor and, given that Friday afternoon’s nice weather, decided to make the journey.
Quick Tip: Don’t pay the $25 parking at the ferry terminal if you can avoid it. There’s a parking lot (albeit a small one) about a 5-minute walk away that offers $15 parking for the day.
Opting to walk instead of drive — you can bring your car on the ferry for a fee — I arrived at the terminal and was told by the ticket seller that upon arriving at Peaks, I would be able to visit one of the island’s “many restaurants.”
While I would consider “many” a stretch, there were three seafood joints along the island’s main road, where much of the town’s action seemed to take place.
The view from the ferry as we approached Peaks Island. The journey only took about 15 minutes. (Teddy Almond/Staff Writer)
Without a car, it’s pretty hard to explore the whole island. There are golf carts and bikes available, the former of which is only available if you’re willing to shell out $100 for two hours of motorized fun.
Quick Tip: Make sure to stand near the front of the boat, where the cars exit. It offers the best, unobstructed views of the bay. You’ll also be the first to get off the boat.
I personally found the island to be a little underwhelming, with the most enjoyable part probably the boat ride that offered stunning views of the many islands scattered around Casco Bay.
Travelers getting off the ferry on Peaks Island. (Teddy Almond/Staff Writer)
KAYAKING
Not wanting to lose it in the water, I decided to leave my camera behind on dry land. (Photo courtesy of Teddy Almond)
When I drive around Maine, I see more of something than I’ve seen anywhere else: the sheer number of cars with kayaks on their roof.
With a lot of Maine life being outdoors oriented, I wanted to try my hand at exploring the state by paddle — albeit one section of a river at a time.
Some of the places in the Portland area seemed kind of expensive for rentals, but with a Sunday afternoon to kill, I was determined to find away to hit the water.
I ended up going down to the Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center, which is situated on the Dunstan River, just a little south of Portland.
For $35, I got 1.5 hours on the water and was able to make my way up the bendy river. It was hot that day, and I would definitely advise those going to bring extra sunscreen.
FLYING & BOSTON
While it’s not Maine, I did want to get a broader New England experience and decided to take a quick trip down to Boston.
I decided to meet up with some friends from college and also spend the day with my boyfriend, Sam, who’s a pilot.
Sam is able to rent the plane by the hour from his flight school near Concord, Massachusetts. (Teddy Almond/Staff Writer)
I’ve been wanting to fly somewhere in a little plane for a while now, and he finally agreed to take me on a flight one Friday afternoon. We left from right outside Boston and went on a quick hour hop to Martha’s Vineyard, stopped on the ground, taxied and took right back off again.
Due to flight restrictions from the then-ongoing World Cup, we were offered astonishing views of the city we would not have normally seen, because airspace around Logan Airport is typically more restricted for smaller aircraft.
The Boston skyline seen from the left wing of the single-engine Piper aircraft. (Teddy Almond/Staff Writer)
I was not accustomed to flying in a tiny plane, and any turbulence in the air can most certainly be felt in the tiny cabin. After one particularly rocky episode, I felt a little ill and was glad to soon be on the ground.
Martha’s Vineyard seen on our approach to the runway. (Teddy Almond/Staff Writer)
Later on the trip, I met up with some friends from college, and we went to visit the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum — the site of the famous art heist in 1990.
The museum, which has a collection that spans multiple continents, is a must-visit for those in the Boston area.
The main center garden of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. (Teddy Almond/Staff Writer)
While rather niche, one of my favorite parts (aside from the artwork) was actually the cute pastel-green elevator. While not for the claustrophobic, it does have a wooden bench if for some reason you were to get tired waiting the 30 seconds of travel time to the next floor.
With the period-set rooms just steps away from the medieval tapestries, you really feel like the museum is transporting you through time.
AVOIDING THE HEAT
Fourth of July weekend in Maine was a hot one. I originally thought I had a novel idea of going to Old Orchard Beach that Friday to beat the heat, but when I got there, I realized that every other person in Maine also shared the same thought.
With the Palace Playland theme park seemingly closed, I made my way down to the beach. I trudged through the painfully hot sand, searching for a place to set down my towel on the absolutely packed beach. After setting up shop and basking in the sun for about an hour, I realized the noisy and busy environment to be far from relaxing.
East End Beach, located on the tip of the Portland peninsula, was a great place I went to for a quick dip during the week after one of my runs. (Teddy Almond/Staff Writer)
I decided to head over to somewhere I knew would have fewer people: Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park.
Quick Tip: If you’re looking for peace and quiet, definitely head to Wolfe’s Neck Woods, just be prepared to pay a small fee for visitors.
The park features a long stretch of rocky beach nestled along the coast of Casco Bay, about a 45-minute drive from Portland.
I walked along the path until I found a deserted part of the beach, where I put my towel down and laid on a big boulder.
This was far more relaxing — not a person in sight. When it got too hot, I decided to take a dip in the water, and I was shocked.
Instead of the icy cold I’d grown accustomed to in Maine, it was warm, even pleasant. My watch had a thermometer and clocked the water temperature at 80 degrees Fahrenheit. My theory is that the shallow water combined with the rising side submerging the hot rocks that had been basking in the sun all day made the water feel more like a bath.
MOUNT WASHINGTON
I’d been wanting to visit the tallest mountain on this side of the Mississippi for a while now, and I figured that the time when I was living just over two hours away would be the perfect opportunity.
The view from the parking lot at the summit of Mount Washington. When we first got there, fog prevented us from seeing anything, but as it cleared, it gave way to this stunning sight. (Teddy Almond/Staff Writer)
The higher elevation certainly offered cool relief from the Fourth of July’s sweltering heat wave. Some might say I cheated by driving up the mountain on its famed auto road rather than hiking it, but I found that given my limited time, I was able to maximize what I wanted to see.
Quick Tip: Be sure to bring layers! It was 80 degrees at the bottom of the mountain, but at the top, it was closer to 50. My sweater was not enough, and I wish I had worn pants or a windbreaker. Also, don’t bring a hat — it will just blow away.
My nearly decade-old Honda was not thrilled with the steep 30-minute climb, but she nonetheless persevered. The smell of fresh air and burning breaks from cars passing by on their way down the mountain filled the air.
The road up Mount Washington takes you right into the clouds. (Teddy Almond/Staff Writer)
As we transcended through the “alpine zone,” the point at which we passed the tree line, the parking lot at the base of the mountain got smaller and smaller and the clouds that had been above us quickly turned into fog.
Quick Tip: Don’t ride your breaks the whole way down. Make sure to use a low gear and take stops along the way to cool your breaks (and take in the scenery).
My light sweater and shorts did not prepare me for the 50-degree temperatures and what felt like gale force winds at the summit.
EIGHT WEEKS DONE
I’m very glad I got to spend the past two months here in Maine, which has some of the most stunning geography of any state I’ve been to. I do have a few honorable mentions of places I visited during my weekends.
- Mackworth Island: A great place to go on walks or runs, just a 10-minute drive from Portland. They don’t allow bikes on the trails though, something I only realized after biking there from downtown.
- Bradbury Mountain State Park, Pownal: Amazing mountain biking and running trails that had fairly few people the two times I went. Just be sure to bring bug spray, because some of the trails pass near puddles of standing water.
- Giant’s Stairs Trail, Harpswell: It was an incredibly scenic drive getting there. You could also explore/climb the rocks and get epic views right next to the ocean. Just be careful because some of the rocks are slippery.
- Mile Beach, Georgetown: Located in Reid State Park, Mile Beach — much like its name suggests — provides a long strip of sand perfect for beach running and kite-flying. It also has a rocky side with plenty of picnic benches to enjoy any food you might have brought.
View 4 photos
Copy the Story Link
Tagged: acadia national park, peaks island, scarborough marsh
Teddy Almond is a rising junior at the University of Rochester from Madison, New Jersey, who last year served as news editor of The Campus Times. This summer, he is assisting with the Press Herald's breaking. More by Teddy Almond
