The Places Between 8
Wolfe’s Neck Farm
Wolfe’s Neck State Park is a series of trails next to the ocean in Freeport. I did visit the state park for a short picnic, but then I took a turn down the road to Wolfe’s Neck Center. The center describes itself as a “farm-based education, research, and visitor center.” The 600+ acres of farmland lends itself to all sorts of activities, including camping, kayaking, and hiking, but I was more interested in the farming itself. Specifically, the cows. There was a small group of calves, grazing in the grass of the wedding field. I was absolutely enamored by how glossy their coats were and the mottled patterning of the black and white cows.
While in Freeport, I made another stop at the Winslow Park and Campground. My stay was short, but I spent it walking down the long, dirt road between the beach and the woods. While kids played on the jungle gym and boaters pulled themselves ashore, I stopped to examine the wildflowers and carefully descended the paved stairs to the beach. I imagine more people would traipse along the sand in warmer weather, but it was just me that day, and despite the harsh wind, I enjoyed the warm sea air it washed over me.
The fog fell heavy over Parsons Way in Kennebunkport, but I still enjoyed the winding drive along the coast. I stopped at the scenic overlooks and offered to take pictures for the visiting tourists before taking a look at a large statue of an anchor. The anchor is an art installation dedicated to the late President George H. W. Bush, whose family has an estate in Kennebunkport. Bush spent many childhood summers in Kennebunkport before spending many more there with his own children, including President George Bush Jr. The plaque reads that he was “an anchor to the soul, both sure and steadfast.”
The Wildwood Trail in Saco was a quiet and magical walk. The trail connects to the land owned by the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Reserve, which has now been added to my list of places to explore more thoroughly. The clean scent of pine hung in the air as the trees themselves arched over the pathway like an elongated canopy. Old stumps just off the trail were overrun with thick, verdant moss, making the coziest home for little woodland creatures and perhaps some mystical fairies. I took a break at a wooden bench to look out over the water of the salt marsh.
Two Lights State Park was named after the twin lighthouses at the end of Two Lights Road. A bit disappointingly, the park itself doesn’t have any lighthouses. It does, however, contain the remnants of an old battery used to defend Casco harbor in World War II. As anyone familiar with the time period might realize, the area didn’t get much action. Though there’s plenty to do in the park today with long walking trails and an abundance of picnic tables and benches. I walked for quite a while, sat and watched the ocean, then walked some more. Little desire paths lead to the rocks that are submerged during low tide. I trekked as far as I dared to capture a few more pictures and witness the ducks brave the tide.