This week, I am going to share about this unique historic site in Damariscotta!
I have a group of girlfriends that I met when I first started teaching almost 16 years ago! We have remained friends through many of life’s ups and downs (think marriage, divorce, infertility, miscarriages, babies..you name it, we have supported each other through it all!). We all now work in different school districts and get together twice a year for some epic adventuring! I got to visit the Whaleback Shell Midden State Historic Site on a trip we all took to the midcoast region last year!
The Whaleback Shell Midden State Historic Site is located in Damariscotta. Directions to the site can be located on the Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust website. You’ll have two parking options to access the site; parking is available at the Conservation Trust’s headquarters or closer to the Whaleback midden site. The Whaleback Site is owned by the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands and is operated cooperatively with the Conservation Trust.
The historic site contains a massive oyster shell heap, or midden, that was formed over a period of more than 1,000 years by Native Americans. Eventually, the shells were processed for chicken feed in the 1800s, and now only a fraction of the original mounds still remain. What is amazing is that even though a fraction of the original Glidden Midden (see picture above) remains, it is still one of the largest intact middens on the east coast!
The white you see on the ground are discarded oyster shells that form the Whaleback Midden Site
There are several trails throughout the historic site. The trail that leads down to the midden site has storyboards that will give you historical information along with stories about the Damariscotta River. You can also opt to take a small trail through an historic orchard. The 100+ year trees are impressive and still bear fruit!
A downloadable version of this map can be found here
The entire trail system on the historic site is roughly 1.5 miles long. They recently added a connector trail that is gently graded and finished with stone dust. This trail is perfect for strollers! The connector trail will get you access to both the midden site and the historical Darrows barn that was once part of the Round Top Farm.
Once down at the Midden Site, there are some benches and a picnic table along with a smaller network of trails that lead you around the Site. You will have great views of the river and some points along the trail you can get on the rocks close to the water of the river. It is amazing to see the riverbed still covered in oyster shells.
Oyster shells in the Damariscotta River. Photo credit: Girls Weekend Team Member
Blogger in the Wild (the white you see on the ground are the discarded oyster shells that form the Whaleback midden site)
Important Note regarding the Glidden Midden Site: There are TWO maps on the Conservation Trust’s website that label the location of the Glidden Midden as part of the Glidden Point Reserve and the other map refers to it as the Salt Bay Preserve. The map that lists it as part of the Salt Bay Preserve shows a trail (boots recommended) to access the Glidden midden site while the map with it listed as Glidden Point Preserve DOES NOT. If interested in heading to the Glidden midden site, please contact the Conservation Trust for more information on whether or not it’s accessible.
The Bathroom Low Down for Historic Site:
There are NO bathrooms on site. The Damariscotta Hannaford is within walking distance or a very quick ride and will probably be the closest place for a bathroom.
What’s in my car or backpack for this visit?
As we head into fall in Maine, safety is my NUMBER ONE concern. I never head into the woods without some hunter orange on. I always stock up on 2 or 3 of these hunter orange beanie for my daughter. I throw these into my car, our backpack, and camper. They are a bit oversized, and definitely not fashionable, but they do the trick.
My other ABSOLUTE is going to be my favorite-go to: the Oxo-Tot Travel Potty. Without a bathroom on site, this will automatically be in my backpack for this trip.
Key Takeaways:
Whaleback Shell Midden State Historic Site is a great addition to a visit to the Damariscotta or Pemaquid regions. If bringing my daughter, this would be a fabulous place to incorporate into a BYO lunch stop.
As an historic site, please avoid taking home a “souvenir”. While it was definitely a moment to be able to handle something that was hundreds of years old, if everyone took a piece of the remaining oyster shells, the midden would be no longer.
Come prepared for NO BATHROOMs. The Damariscotta Hannaford is a short trip from the entrance to historic site and probably your closest bet to finding usable bathrooms. If that’s too far, consider the Oxo-Tot travel potty.
As we approach fall, consider always having some hunter orange gear in your car or backpack. If your kiddo doesn’t like hats, consider a vest. Always go a size larger to fit puffy jackets and layers.
Thank you for reading this blog post on The Wandering Chickadee!
~Natalie
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This week, I am going to share our two favorite apple orchards that offer very different experiences for families. I think apple orchards, like Christmas tree farms, bring about a very nostalgic feeling for me. It’s always hard for me to change my habits and try a new place because I’m so afraid of the disappointment a new orchard or farm may bring; like what if they don’t have the wagon ride with hot cider or those amazing pumpkin donuts, right?! So I’ve come to a place in my life with this, where I have a few favorites in rotation and the two apple orchards I will share with you in this week, offer completely different experiences from one another.
Orchard Overviews
Brackett’s Orchards:
Located in Limington, Maine, Brackett’s Orchards offers that quintessential Maine experience. Think cider, donuts, tractor rides, and that Maine hospitality I hope never disappears. For example, you can call, or even text, the owner, Guy Paulin, with any questions you have! And…Brackett’s U-Pick location could be a photo shoot location for the Fall catalog of LL Bean or J. Crew, no joke.
Photo credit: Maine Pomological Society
Brackett’s Orchards has two locations. Their farmstand is located at 224 Sokokis Avenue in Limington and their U-Pick location is just a bit past the farmstand at 32 Staples Road in Limington.
Brackett’s Orchards Farm Stand
U-Pick Location/Photo Credit: Maine Pomological Society
The U-Pick location is at a 12 acre orchard on a hill-top. After picking apples, feel free to take a ride on the tractor & wagon or try your hand at the apple sling-shot. Most weekends, they offer donuts and hot mulled cider and for the 2024 apple picking season are trying to have a food truck vendor serve lunch here. Well-behaved dogs, on leashes, are welcomed here.
Along with your apples, you will also be able to purchase apple cider at the U-Pick location.
I highly recommend stopping at their farm stand on the way back to grab other yummy goodies like homemade blueberry jam and, of course, some pumpkins!
Be sure to check their Facebook or website for hours of operations before heading out to their farm stand and orchards.
The Bathroom Low Down for Brackett’s Orchards
Brackett’s Orchards offers one all gender/single user bathroom at the cabin at their U-Pick hilltop location. While it is small, and fitting a stroller into it would be tight, it is better than a porta-potty situation. As a reminder, please do not use a travel potty or change diapers near the apple trees for sanitation and hygiene purposes.
Libby & Sons U-Pick Farm:
Located in Limerick, Maine, Libby & Sons U- Pick Farm offers a festival atmosphere with a side of fruit picking. For example, most weekends, they offer music, 1-2 food trucks, a balloon animal vendor, and lots of yummy food like donuts, smoothies, slushies, and kettle corn.
Picking some macintosh apples with Dad
Blueberries Galore
Libby & Sons offers lots of fruit for picking and if you head out there in September there is a good chance you could pick peaches, blueberries, and raspberries along with your apples! Be sure to check their website, Facebook page, or Instagram for their “What’s Picking Today” update.
In order to head into the picking fields, everyone must have purchased picking containers or be added on as a Guest Pass which can make picking at Libby & Sons a little more expensive than Brackett’s Orchards. Again, I would encourage you to check out their website for more information about their Pre-Purchased Container policy.
While I shared that it can be a little more expensive to pick apples at Libby & Sons, we really enjoyed our experiences (and I think my husband slightly prefers this location over Brackett’s). If you asked my daughter what her favorite thing to do here is, she would tell you it’s being driven around the orchard in the golf cart. This orchard does shuttle patrons to different parts of the orchards with golf cart-like shuttles and it’s just another fun aspect of the orchard experience here.
On their pavilion, they offer a shaded picnic area where patrons can listen to music, eat some freshly made donuts, or grab lunch from one of the food trucks on site.
No dogs are allowed. Service animals trained to help people with disabilities are always welcome.
Libby & Sons are located at 86 Sawyer Mountain Road. Google maps and Waze will try to have you use Norton Road. Avoid using that road along with Coffin Hill and Staples Road. They are NOT shortcuts. Your best bet is once your navigation gets to Route 11 in Limerick to just follow their U-Pick signs.
The Bathroom Low Down for Libby & Sons U-Pick Farm
Libby & Sons offers two all gender handicapped accessible/family bathrooms in their main building and a sex-separated, multi-room facility between their main building and golf cart shuttle. It’s one of those fancy trailer bathrooms you might see at a wedding or other outdoor venue. Again, as a reminder, please do not use a travel potty or change diapers near the apple trees for sanitation and hygiene purposes.
Looking to add on to your apple picking adventure?
If looking for an additional activity to add on to your apple picking adventures, I would highly recommend heading to this Rest Area in Limington. Locals call it the Limington Rapids Rest Area, Google will call it the Bonny Eagle Recreation Area, and I will call it a neat spot to explore and eat some lunch. Located at 11 Ossipee Trail W Limington, you will pass this spot if using Route 25 to head to either of the orchards mentioned above.
Photo Credit: Rodney Konkel
Photo Credit: Michael Isabelle
Photo Credit: Ravikumar Tamanampudi
We checked this place out during our 2022 apple picking adventure and it’s a great BYO Lunch spot and offers some exploration for kiddos 4 years and older. While this spot would have some very active rapids in the Spring, we felt quite safe exploring the calm waters around this unique piece of land. While they have outhouses and porta potties on site, all were locked when we went in September so I suggest using facilities prior to departing the orchards.
Consider bringing extra clothes and shoes as, with any great exploration near water, kiddos could end up a little wet.
What’s in my car or backpack for this visit?
Water
Changes of clothes and shoes
We just purchased this tablecloth and bench cover set for our camper. I’m loving the bench covers!! They are great to bring along and come in a bag to put everything in!
Key Takeaways:
Brackett’s Orchards is going to offer a quieter, more Maine quintessential experience with great views from their hilltop orchard. Well-behaved dogs on leashes allowed.
Libby & Sons U-Pick Farm is going to offer a festival-like atmosphere where you can pick additional fruits with your apples. Only trained service animals are allowed.
Consider checking out the Limington Rapids Rest Area for a great BYO Lunch spot. Bring this table cloth and bench cover set in case of less than stellar picnic tables!
Check out Maine Pomological Society for an interactive map of all the orchards in Maine and a county-by-country listing of them.
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Desert of Maine Overview:
*Updated August 2024*
If you have grown up in southern Maine you may remember the Desert of Maine being an outdated tourist destination for those traveling through Freeport on their way to LL Bean.
However, in 2018, a family acquired the property and spent around 2.5 years sprucing up the place and it’s AMAZING! The Desert of Maine has essentially had a much-needed makeover!
NEW 18 hole mini golf
New to the Desert of Maine is a Welcome Center, 18-hole mini golf, and a centrally located playground and huge commitment to maintaining the history of the desert and educating it’s visitors. You will find history walks and placards all over the property explaining the hows & whys of the Desert.
Climbing structure at the playground
Other new features within the dunes for children are a fossil dig site, the relocated gemstone village, a secret sandbox, and a storybook walk.
There are also some climbing and play structures near the gemstone village! A “train” that runs the perimeter of the desert making stops at convenient locations. Check out the map of the Desert of Maine to acquaint yourself with all the features.
Digging for bones at the new fossil exhibit
Further out on the property, a 1800s renovated farmhouse sits on the property and serves as a quaint museum for the sit, a historic spring has been uncovered, and a replica gas station with an old Model-T Ford that kids can climb on are available to explore.
Model-T Ford
The campground has also had a make-over and now offers 6 different varieties of glamping. Sorry, there is no longer any tent or RV camping here!
Source: Desert of Maine
What hasn’t changed is that the desert, with all its sand, is still there, along with that iconic camel statue and the gemstone dig (albeit, both have been wonderfully relocated to a different section of the desert and given a MUCH DESERVED make-over).
The Gemstone Village has a little maze feature with different areas to hunt for gems
NEW for 2024: A scavenger hunt that will take you all over the park with opportunities to learn about the history of the Desert and the Tuttle family and a slide built into the dunes. Rumor has it that more play structures will be in place near the slide for 2025!
New for 2024! A slide on the dunes!
They are open 7 days a week from 10am-6pm. Dogs on leashes are allowed on the dunes and ADA designated service dogs are allowed on the golf course. Some hours/days may vary at the start (May) and end (October) of the season.
There is a snack shack here called the Oasis that offers hot dogs, drinks, and ice cream. If you are planning to stay for lunch, I would suggest bringing your own.
There are some many picnic tables and mostly all have umbrellas
If your child/ren love digging, hunting for gemstones, and rolling down the sand dunes like my daughter does, you can easily spend 2 hours visiting the Desert of Maine. By adding in mini-golf and eating lunch on site, this could easily be a 3 hour adventure for your family.
At the end, grab an ice cream at Mainely Custard just down the road on Route 1 in Freeport. They have custard (vanilla, chocolate, and rotating featured flavors) along with soft serve and vegan ice cream!
Tips for Exploring:
Consider visiting on a cloudy and cooler day. If that’s not possible, try to go at 4pm instead of a 11am because..It’s a desert so on a hot summer day…it’s HOT.
There is A LOT to explore at the Desert of Maine. Try to save the playground and mini golf for the end. These are two places that have the MOST shade and a great spot to end after spending a good portion of your adventure in the sun.
Bring lots of water. I love filling my 64oz Stanley jug with ice and water and leaving in my car for when re-fills are needed.
If you are going to bring a stroller, a jogging/3-wheeled is a MUST here and be prepared for some heavy pushing. Again, it’s a “desert”. Forgot yours at home? Don’t worry, they have strollers available to borrow including a beach wheelchair.
The Bathroom Low Down:
New for 2024: They have a single composting toilet near the gemstone village and the fossil digging area!
A NEW composting toilet near the gemstone village and fossil dig!
The other bathrooms are centrally located at the Welcome Center. They have two all gender accessible restrooms and they are NICE! I mean..very NICE!
There are changing tables, an additional table to put your bags on, wonderfully placed hooks for you to hold your stuff. Also, they are BEYOND CLEAN! So if something was to drop on the floor, my gag reflex wouldn’t kick in here. Another bonus, there is room for you to bring your stroller into.
There is also a port-a-potty located by the mini golf area
Bathroom Situation Rating: B+. Revised for 2024, the rating is now A+!
Accessibility:
Another highlight from the new owners is that they devote a whole page of their website to informing patrons what they can expect to find (or not find) for accessibility features on site.
They are transparent about making the Desert of Maine as accessible as possible for all people and welcome feedback and suggestions on how to ensure an inclusive experience. I love that this is a goal for them and they are welcoming to feedback and suggestions.
One thing they are miss in the video and on their website is information on the accessibility of the playground. And…I will say, the playground is not designed for those under the age of 5 and is not very accessible for anyone with mobility concerns; which is such a bummer but it is what it is.
Costs:
Adult: $19
Children (ages 4-18): $15
Children (ages 3 and under): FREE
*If you are a family of 4 and plan to visit the Desert of Maine 3 or more times during the year, a family season pass may be your best option here.
Budget Friendly Option:
You may qualify for some discounts the Desert of Maine offers:
10% off for seniors (65+)
10% off for active duty military
20% off for groups of 20 or more
50% off for SNAP/EBT/WIC/Mainecare program participants
If you are a resident of Freeport, head to the Freeport Community Library to reserve your tickets. Freeport residents can purchase admission tickets for $6/per person for up to 6 people!
The Splurge Option:
Some add ons to your adventure to the Desert of Maine could include purchasing mini golf tickets. There is a small discount available when you purchase a combo pass (Admission to the Desert and a round of golf) too.
We recently went to this golf course and it’s…really, really nice! The golf course is high quality and quite challenging!
Or, if you really want to splurge, you could choose the stay at one of their glamping sites. They have 6 (!!!) different options of glamping with more to sites to come in 2025! Reservations are required but what I love is that you can do a 1-night stay!! A 1-night stay in Maine during the summer is unheard of!
Source: Desert of Maine
Any camping reservation will get you a discount on general admission to the Desert of Maine and Mini Golf too!
Did you know that putting a little dusting powder on your dry skin is a great way to get the sand off? Several years ago my good friend Amy gave me this suggestion and it has been a lifesaver for me..and my car!
Key Takeaways:
The Desert of Maine is a 20 minute drive from Portland and is a great spot for families to check out. You can expect to spend 2-3 hours exploring all the features of this property.
The property is quite expansive. Plan to bring a jogging stroller or borrow one of theirs for littles who might need a ride.
Dogs on leashes are allowed on the dunes and ADA designated service dogs are allowed on the golf course. Please follow these rules!
Admissions costs are not exactly budget-friendly. However, they do offer a variety of discounts for people including Freeport residents.
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This post may include affiliate links. If you click on one of them, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you.
In today’s blog, we are putting our adventures aside…just for a week… and it’s all about the change of seasons and clothing shopping for those Fall and Winter essentials. I’m going to share with you some of my favorite local consignment shops, what I use to make sure I don’t overbuy or buy too much of an item, and, if I have to buy new, what brands I love.
Why is buying at local consignment shops so important to me?
It’s important to me because of the amount of waste we generate from clothing as consumers. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, every second, the equivalent of a trash truck load of clothes is burnt or buried in landfills. That’s an estimated 92 MILLION TONS of textile waste EVERY YEAR! They estimate that by 2030, textile waste will increase to 148 MILLION TONS PER YEAR!
These figures are just beyond alarming and are the reason why I make it a point to outfit my daughter with clothing purchased through consignment or thrift stores as much as possible.
My Favorite Consignment Stores:
I have four local consignment shops that are my FAVORITE to look for clothing during the change of seasons. They all have active social media accounts that keep me up to date on when they are changing clothing/gear for the seasons, having sales, and accepting consignment along with some options to sign up for email alerts.
All stores are open on Saturdays but I love to try to go on Thursday or Friday since many of these stores go through their consignment/inventory earlier in the week and will put more new items out on Thursdays and Fridays in anticipation of the weekend shoppers.
In the end, it probably doesn’t matter when you go because there is always a GREAT selection at these stores but I like to think shopping on a Thursday or Friday gives me a slight edge in getting the items I need!
What consignment models do these stores use?
Sweet Repeats and the Woods and Water Gear Exchange use a traditional consignment model with slightly different profit-sharing models so if you are going to sell your items with them, be sure to learn to ask them what is the percentage difference if you get cash back versus store credit!
Starry Eyes does not use a traditional consignment model but rather will offer you cash or store credit on the spot for your items.
All of these places will offer a higher percentage for store credit regardless of the model they use!
Freeport Thrift Store is donation-based and check out the times below for when you can bring your donations to the store.
Also, outside the Freeport Thrift Store, which is run by the Freeport Community Services, all of the other shops are run and owned by WOMEN! Let’s give a huge shout out to women-owned small businesses!
Consignment Store Overviews:
is a children’s consignment store conveniently located off the highway in Freeport, Maine. Sizes range from newborn to size 14. When I’m looking to stock up on the essentials such as pants, shorts, shirts, dresses, etc., I am going to come here first! They carry everyday labels such as Cat and Jack from Target, Carter’s, Oshkosh, Primary, and more as well as premium labels like Tea Collection, Hanna Andersson, Crewcuts, Mini Boden, etc. They also stock outdoor gear labels such as Patagonia, North Face, LL Bean, Keen, Bogs, and Lands End.
They also carry shoes, hats, mittens, snow and rain gear as well as toys, books, and a good array of baby gear. They also have a good amount of new Melissa and Doug toys and activities in store.
If you want to sell your children’s clothes here, they use that traditional consignment model where they will sell your items for a set period of time. You do need to call them if you would like the clothes that do not sell back. I usually put a date two weeks before the end date of my consignment period on my phone so I can call them if I want any of the unsold clothing back. After your selling period ends, and you haven’t called, they will donate your consignment portion of the sales on any remaining items to local charities. Most years they are able to give over $10,000! They are huge fans of Camp Sunshine!
I had a high school friend who passed away during my senior year of college and she was also a huge supporter of Camp Sunshine so this makes me happy! When I see that Sweet Repeats is donating to Camp Sunshine, I often forgo picking up my unsold items, allowing, rather, what would have been my earnings portion to be donated to Camp Sunshine. It’s just a little something I do to keep her memory with me.
Hours at Sweet Repeats are: Monday through Sunday 10am-5pm.
is a consignment shop for outdoor clothing and gear for all ages located in downtown Brunswick, Maine. I am ALWAYS going to stop here to look for some really great quality base/underwear layer and mid/insulating layer clothing as well as jackets, snow pants, hats/mittens, and boots for my daughter. I have scored her some snow shoes as well as a tow-behind bicycle and great hiking backpack that looked like it was never even used here as well!
They also have a FANTASTIC selection for adults; clothing, shoes, gearing, camping and hiking supplies.
Depending on the season, you should be able to find kayaks, paddleboards, PFDs, wetsuits/drysuits, hiking footwear, tents, sleeping bags, camp kitchens, sunglasses, vehicle racks, snowshoes, ice skates, skis, sleds, and more here! They will also carry a lot of these items, when appropriate, in kids sizes!
If you would like to sell clothing and gear with the Woods and Water Gear Exchange, you will find a similar consignment model to Sweet Repeats. You do have to make an appointment if you want to sell more than 5 items so check out those details on their website!
Hours at the Woods and Water Gear Exchange are:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 10:30-5pm
Wednesday: 10:30-5pm
Thursday: 10:30-5pm
Friday: 10:30-5:30pm
Saturday: 10:30-5pm
Sunday: Closed
is a thrift store operated at the Freeport Community Services. Hands down, this is my favorite place to shop because it is so hit-or-miss but…when it’s a hit, it’s a HUGE HIT! In February, I scored 2 LL Bean jackets (one winter, one rain) and a Marmot lightweight jacket for my daughter all for $25! And these items were “regularly priced”! The children’s section is located downstairs and clothing is arranged by size. The baby section is AMAZING! They also have a small assortment of shoes, toys, and books.
They also have what I will call “maker space/arts and crafts” supplies located near the children’s section as well (think stationary, stickers, envelopes, stamps, etc.) and I usually find something to bring home for the art space in our house. Maine teachers: This section gives off Ruth’s Reusable Resources vibe!
The store also houses a women’s section (I do wish they had more “plus” size clothing though!), men’s section, housewares, along with towels and bedding. I went two weeks ago and snagged a great mini fan for our camper and some towels.
The Thrift Store is donation only and you can drop off your donations on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10-3pm and Saturdays from 10-1pm.
The Thrift Store probably has the most active social media among all the stores here, check them out on Instagram where you can find them selling wonderfully curated items.
The Thrift Store is open: Monday through Friday 12-5pm and Saturday 10-3pm. They are closed on Sundays.
Starry Eyes offers a unique selection of organic, handmade, new, vintage and pre-loved clothing, gifts, toys and books. They have a great selection of quality used clothing in sizes ranging from newborn to size 10, with a heavy emphasis on baby and toddler sizes. Now that my daughter is older, I will stop here when I’m looking for mid layers, hats (so many AMAZING winter hats!) and mittens. You can find some GREAT merino and boiled wool pieces (like Disana boiled wool trousers) or base layers from Engel along with outdoor labels like Patagonia, Marmot, LL Bean, The North Face, etc.
Starry Eyes does a great job of curating on Facebook items that are available for sale. You are able to comment on if you want the item and it will be set aside for you to come in and purchase it.
All new clothing and toys items are eco-friendly and responsibly sourced, which I love. We often stop in Starry Eyes during the holiday season to grab some great gifts!
To shop through consignment and thrift stores requires a little bit of planning, some patience, and a checklist; always a checklist.
I love a checklist for so many reasons! It allows me to know what I need, helps me to avoid over buying items, and most of all, it helps me stick to my budget. I have included The Wandering Chickadee version of my checklist here. It’s a one-page checklist where you will first determine what you NEED and then go through and inventory what you HAVE and then you will have figured out how many of each item you need to BUY.
I intentionally did not put the “recommended” number you need for each item because all of our families are so different.
I also intentionally kept this checklist to one page because that makes for easier storage in your bag or car so that when you are out and about and have a moment to swing by one of your preferred stores, you can have this for easy reference!
Lastly, the checklist has a “wish list” section on it. I like to put items we might be looking for for that season that are helpful or dreamy but not essential. Last year, we were looking for a headlamp and a sled. Both of these items were not essential to enjoying the outdoors but if I found one of them at the consignment or thrift stores I was browsing, JACKPOT!
Every season, there comes a time when I can’t seem to find some items on my checklist that I need for my daughter and I have to look at purchasing it new. When I have to do this, here are some of my preferred brands to shop from:
Patagonia: Great for base and mid layers, fleece vests and jackets, and down jackets. They also have a Worn Gear Shop (used Patagonia clothing for less).
Reima: Great for rain gear, snow suits, balaclavas, hats and mittens. Hands down my favorite for rain gear!
Polarn O Pyret: Great for base and mid layers, socks, and hats. They also have a 2nd Love Shop (used Polarn O Pyret clothing for less) run by Thred Up
LL Bean: We like their snow pants and outdoor hiking sneakers.
H&M: Great for cotton pants, shirts, socks, undies. You can find some great merino wool pieces as well!
Disana and Engel are both Germany companies that have received numerous awards for how their products are sourced and made. You can get wool products from them locally at Starry Eyes in Portland, Maine or Little Spruce Organics online.
Check out my Instagram stories and story highlights for specific products that I love!
Clothing generates literally TONS of WASTE! Consider shopping at the consignment and thrift stores mentioned in this blog or one close to where you live!
When you have to buy new, consider buying high quality, made with sustainable materials and/or are sustainable produced from some of the brands listed above.
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This post may include affiliate links. If you click on one of them, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you.
This post may include affiliate links. If you click on one of them, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you.
Oceanarium and Education Center Overview:
If you grew up in the Greater Bangor and Ellsworth area, like I did, you probably took an elementary school field trip to the Mount Desert Island Oceanarium back in the day! It was recently purchased in 2021 after sitting vacant for 5 years and is now running as the non-profit Oceanarium and Education Center. The mission of the Oceanarium is to provide exhibits and programs for all ages on ecology, biology, research, citizen science, dark skies, fisheries and aquaculture. It also will provide STEM education in partnership with Maine schools.
The Oceanarium and Education Center is located 2 ½ hours from Portland in Bar Harbor, Maine and just a mile over the bridge to Mount Desert Island. The Oceanarium and Education Center is home to, currently, four exhibits (now 5 at the time this blog went LIVE) including a touch tank, a saltwater animal aquarium in nine tanks (and growing), rare lobsters, and an authentic indoor lobster boat.
We recently got the opportunity to visit the Oceanarium as part of our summer vacation on Mount Desert Island and my daughter’s favorite activity when we visited was by far the touch tank. She could have easily spent an hour looking at the creatures in the tank. They have a wonderful array of sea life in the tank ranging from crabs and snails to sea cucumbers, scallops and more!
Tip: The touch tank is about 12 inches deep and in order to touch some of the animals in the tank young ones have to stick their arms in pretty deep. Make sure to dress in t-shirt or tank top and/or bring a change of clothes in case they get wet!
Leashed dogs are allowed on the Marsh trail and only service dogs are allowed inside any of the buildings.
The young woman working at the touch tank was very knowledgeable and would bring to the surface various sea life for children and adults to interact with.
Another favorite activity of my daughter’s was playing on the indoor lobster boat. She was able to pretend to fish, band the claws of lobsters, and drive the boat. If you have spent any time at the Children’s Museum and Theater of Maine in Portland, this boat gives off serious vibes of the lobster boat when the Children’s Museum was next to the Portland Museum of Art on Free Street.
In the same exhibit room as the lobster boat, there is also a small indoor sandbox and coloring station that offer some additional fun.
There are nine aquarium tanks to view as well including some rare colored lobsters. Species may vary but we saw lumpfish, hermit crabs, green crabs, and sea stars when we were there.
We also had an opportunity to explore a very small museum which held a 3 year old humpback whale skeleton. Again, staff were really knowledgeable and child friendly when talking with my daughter about the whale skeleton. She asked what happened to the whale and the staff was able to share the story about how the young female whale ended up being caught in fishing nets. It led to some discussions afterwards about why that happened and what we could do to help that not happen in the future.
The museum also held some displays of things found on the ocean floor. Think The Little Mermaid meets Maine Coastline and it was really fun to look at all the “treasures”. We may or may not have sung some Disney songs while we looked them over. 🙂
Unfortunately, we did not have an opportunity to explore the Marsh trail because it was saturated with water from the never-ending rain of the Summer 2023 season. The Oceanarium staff shared with me that strollers and wheelchairs have, and can, traverse the trail. They also shared with me they plan to make the trail a boardwalk for easier accessibility! With that said, the park is VERY walkable and those with smaller legs and feet should be able to explore all the exhibits here at the Oceanarium.
In August 2023, they also opened a Jellyfish Exhibit that we didn’t get a chance to see when we were up there in early July.
The Oceanarium also has a small outdoor playground feature that includes a small picnic table for snacking and place for parents to sit.
Speaking of sitting, there are plenty of picnic tables under a tent and in the sunshine that are great places for eating a snack or lunch. I recommend two options if you plan to have lunch at the Oceanarium.
The first option is that the Oceanarium offers some really great snacks and pre-made lunch options. In their coolers, at the time of our visit, they offered some Chow Maine (locally made in Trenton, Maine) dishes of egg rolls and various noodle salads as well as other locally made sandwiches. Snack offerings included fruit, cheese sticks, and various chip and cracker options along with granola bars. Drinks are available too as well as a coffee station!
The 2nd option is to check out Mother’s Kitchen in Town Hill for some FANTASTIC sandwiches and snacks. They are only a short 5 minute drive away. My favorite sandwiches are the Charlie Noble, Summer Kitchen, Cold Kitchen, and Uncle Henry. Uncle Henry probably takes 1st place in my book! Also be sure to grab one of their delicious baked goods! Can’t go wrong with any variety of their scones! They have easy online ordering so you can pick up on your way to or from the Oceanarium.
Credit: Trip Advisor
Some areas of growth were noticeable when we visited this summer. And I say areas of growth so very lightly because the Oceanarium and Education Center is a newly formed non-profit organization and is bringing back to life, quite literally, a facility that has sat vacant for 5 years. As someone who sits on a Board of Directors for a non-profit, I understand the growing pains of a young non-profit organization.
The first area of growth is the lack of signage/messaging on site indicating work-in-progress/rehabbing activities. If you do a quick Google search for the Oceanarium and Education Center you will be quick to find some less than 5 star reviews of this establishment where some patrons are upset about not understanding the rehabbing of exhibits and the cost-to-exhibit ratios. While there has been some really good local news coverage of the Oceanarium and Education Center where staff and the Board of Directors are quick to share their rehabbing efforts (some of which are SO AWESOME!), the Oceanarium itself does not have signage indicating such efforts.
The second area of growth is the accessibility of the Oceanarium. As you will see in the picture below, some of the aquarium tanks are quite high and required my husband to pick up our (very tall) daughter to see some of the tanks. The touch tank exhibit also features a large step up to view the tank making it almost impossible for someone with limited mobility or in a stroller or wheelchair to see any of the features of the tank itself. These patrons would need to rely on Oceanarium staff to bring sea life creatures to them.
Again, I think these areas of growth are the result of a young non-profit organization that just probably needs time and funding to fulfill some of the great ideas and goals they have for this place! I am definitely excited to check back here next year to see what they were able to accomplish!
Ok…enough said about that. 🙂
The Oceanarium has some different hours, and they are NOT open year round, so be sure to check out their website for more information. Generally their hours are:
May 17 to June 21, Open Wednesday to Sunday, 10:00-5:00pm
June 21 to September 10, Open every day, 9:00-4:30pm
September 13th to October 29th, Open Wednesday to Sunday, 10:00am to 5:00pm
Admission Costs:
Adult (12-64 years old): $18
Adult (65+ years old): $15
Children (ages 3-11): $12
Children (ages 3 and under): FREE
Members: FREE
Veteran/Military Personnel: $15
Groups of 10 or more: $9/per person
If planning to visit the park more than 2 times in a year, the season pass may be your best option here. The Oceanarium offers a season pass for $125 for up to 5 people. You also get the following with a season pass:
10% discount in the museum store
10% off additional passes when guest join you
10% off returning member discount on next year’s membership (this is a really neat option you don’t see too much with season passes!)
Sample Itineraries
With the Oceanarium being 4 exhibits (now 5 at the time this blog went LIVE) and the Marsh trail at the time of our visit, I don’t have any recommendations on which way to explore the site. With everything so close together, you should be able to tackle all the exhibits and the trail with no issues!
We spent about an hour at the Oceanarium and did NOT check out the Marsh trail or eat lunch here. If you were to add the trail and a lunch stop to your itinerary here, you could easily spend 90 minutes to 2 hours here.
Budget Friendly Option:
For the exhibits and trail that are open for the Summer 2023, I do think the admission costs are a bit high and, outside of the discounts for military members and their families (yah for that!!), they do not offer any other discounts; even a search of nearby libraries does not show that they offer passes to the Oceanarium…YET.
I will keep you updated if they offer any additional discounts for next year!
The Splurge Option:
I have to say that the gift shop here is a GREAT splurge option here! It is by far the best children’s selection of toys, gifts, and crafts available on the island! I am so bummed that I didn’t have any solo time to explore the gift shop. It is WONDERFULLY curated and I could have snagged some really nice gifts for some kiddos and folks in our lives. Be sure to check out all the goodies here!
Source: Oceanarium and Education Center
Source: Oceanarium and Education Center
The Bathroom Low Down:
At the Oceanarium, there is one bathroom location and it is in the Entrance/Gift Shop. This is a sex separated bathroom situation. Each set of bathrooms have two stalls; one handicapped accessible and both have a Koala-Care-like infant changing station outside the bathroom stalls but still within the bathroom itself. There is ample space to put down diaper bags and what not and you could easily bring your stroller in, if you were using one here. I’m not sure about the rest of you but I really enjoy when the changing station is OUTSIDE of the bathroom stall. The combination of potentially less germs and not having to rush in case someone needs the handicapped accessible stall, lowers my anxiety tremendously.
Also, these bathrooms are also CLEAN! I could smell the Clorox when I walked in. And for a bathroom with a lot of traffic, that makes my soul a little happier.
These bags are hands-down the best for any sort of adventuring! I have them in our everyday adventuring bag, hiking bag, beach bag, and luggage! They are easy to clean, see through, and come in a variety of sizes. I will be taking two of these bags on our adventure to the Oceanarium. One will have my daughter’s extra clothes in case she gets wet at the touch tank exhibit and the other will have our bug spray (because the last thing anyone needs is leaky bug spray bottle, am I right?!)
With the Oceanarium being close to the Marsh, bugs are just part of the ecosystem here and it’s always good to have some on hand. Now, we are an equal opportunity bug spray family. 🙂 You name it, we use it all! As a couple of my friends know, I don’t mess around with ticks! However, Babyganics bug spray (Amazon) is the most common bug spray we use with our daughter and I think it works really, really well for those everyday/common bug situations.
Key Takeaways:
The Oceanarium and Education Center is a 2 ½ hour drive from Portland and just a mile over the bridge to Mount Desert Island. It is a newly formed non-profit organization that is rehabbing the site after being vacant for around 5 years. You could spend about an hour here exploring the different exhibits, walking the marsh trail, and letting the kiddos play on the playground feature. The hours differ depending on the time of year so be sure to check hours of operations before you go. You will NOT need a stroller at the Oceanarium as everything is so close together. Leashed dogs are allowed on the Marsh trail and only service dogs are allowed inside the buildings (as always, please follow these rules!).
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~Natalie
This post may include affiliate links. If you click on one of them, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you.
This post may include affiliate links. If you click on one of them, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you.
Pineland Farms is our FAVORITE place to visit and a no-brainer why it got the award for being the first featured location on The Wandering Chickadee blog.
Pineland Farms Overview:
Pineland Farms is located in New Gloucester, Maine and is about a 25 minute drive from Portland and is LOADED with activities for the whole family.
A favorite activity for our family to do is to sign up for a Farm Visit. The Farm is open at 9am (great for those early risers!) and the last ticket is sold for 2pm. All visitors are expected to depart by 4pm. There is signage for Farm Visits on the Pineland Campus but could be a bit larger to help first timers find where to go. You want to follow signs that say “Farm Visit” or “Birthday Parties”. Both will get you to the right spot. If you get lost, the wonderful staff at The Market can provide easy to follow directions. You will want to check-in at the Smoke House for your tickets. In the picture above, it is the red house with the white silo.
There are a ton of animals to explore! There are milking cows, heifers, and calves that each have their own barns for children to explore along with chickens, peacocks, goats, alpacas, sheep, ponies, potbellied pigs, rabbits, and more.
In the barnyard area there is a big outdoor house where kiddos can set their imaginations wild along with a slide, bridge, tunnel and lots of outdoor space to roam free! There is also an edible garden here too! The accessibility of the play features are a bit limited, however. Someone with mobility concerns may have some struggles with climbing up to the slide and getting up on the porch of the play house.
Additionally, the Equestrian Center is open Thursday-Saturday from 9am-2pm and you can visit the Morgan Horses with your Farm Visit Pass. The Equestrian Center is located about 1.25 miles from the Farm Visit Check In spot and off a busy, curvy road with very little shoulder so if you plan to visit the Equestrian Center I would suggest taking your car.
You can also extend your trip by exploring the Story Book trail (stories change every 2 weeks so check out their website for the current book), the Corn Maze (during the fall), and checking out the sledding and skating rinks (during the winter months) on campus. These are all free to you!
The storybook walk is directly across from The Market.
Head on down this trail for the 1 mile long Story Book trail.
Strollers of any kind will work when visiting the animals at the Barns. All roads are paved and there is concrete flooring in all the barns. If you decide to visit the Equestrian Center, I would recommend a jogging/3-wheeled stroller as the paths around the fields are dirt. However, my Uppababy Vista did just fine when I used it there. If deciding to go on the Storybook walk or the Corn Maze, a jogging/3-wheeled stroller is a MUST as these trails are on grass and soft dirt.
While the picnic tables at the Smokehouse and at The Market offer some great shady spots, on a sunny day, you can expect to get plenty of vitamin D. Don’t forget to bring along the sun protection!
Another wonderful feature on the Farm is that NO DOGS ARE ALLOWED. Our daughter has had two incidents with dogs that have been relatively scary and she is quite timid around them. To have a place that does not allowed dogs at all, is a huge stress reliever!
Picnic Tables by the Smokehouse and Silo
Picnic tables by the Heifer Barn
Picnic tables in between The Market and start of the Story Book Walk
You can also find a water bottle refill station just inside the first set of doors at The Market!
Costs for Farm Pass:
Adults: $6
Children 3 years and older: $6
Children 2 years and younger: FREE
If you visit and end up liking Pineland Farms as much as we do, a Family Season Pass may be worth it to your family. The Season Pass is $100 and includes free farm visits (you still have to pre-register), 50% of family programs with advanced registration, and our personal favorite…10% off purchases at The Market (beer and wine excluded)
Sample Itineraries
Spring/Summer:
Visit the animals at Pineland Farms by pre registering for your Farm Visit
If your child/ren love animals and playing outside, you can easily spend 2 hours visiting the Farm. By adding in any of the other options that are free and eating lunch on the campus, this could easily be a 3-4 hour adventure for your family.
Budget Friendly Option:
The many reasons we LOVE Pineland is because it is a very budget friendly place to take kids and where they can spend hours having fun. The budget friendly option here is to just purchase the Farm Visit passes. They give you access to 5 barns of animals, a play yard, the equestrian center, and the corn maze (during the Fall season). Other FREE options on the Pineland Campus include the sledding hill, skating rinks, story walk, and a whole network of trails that we will visit in a different post.
There are also a TON of picnic tables located by the barnyard, the silo, and near The Market (and coincidentally, those spots are where the bathrooms are too!) so you can easily pack a lunch and find a great location to eat with your family or squad.
The Splurge Option:
The one add-on to your trip to Pineland Farms would be to check out the Candlepin Bowling on campus. It is a relatively new option and costs $20/hour per lane for up to 4 people. They do not have shoe or sock rentals so plan to bring your own socks (and bowling shoes if you have them).
Credit: Pineland Farms
The Bathroom Low Down:
There are three convenient inside bathroom locations during your visit to Pineland Farms:
At the Smoke House & Silo. This is an all gender/single user bathroom that is big enough for you and your stroller to fit in. This is the closet bathroom when you are visiting any of the cow barns, the corn maze, and pumpkin patch. In the bathroom you will find a large counter for any infant changing needs you may have.
At the Education Barn. This is also are two all gender/single user bathrooms that are big enough for you and your stroller to fit in. This is the closest bathroom to the barnyard animals and outdoor play space. These bathrooms have a Koala-Care-like infant changing station in them.
At The Market: There are sex-separated/multi-user bathrooms. This is the closest location to the start of the Storybook Walk and to the Dunn School Playground. This bathroom has a Koala-Care-like infant changing station in the handicap accessible stall.
Sometimes, Pineland does provide porta-potty options at the sledding, skating, and corn maze sections of their campuses.
While I do my best to try to have my daughter use the bathroom before we head out on our adventures, it never fails that she has to use the bathroom and it always happens where we are just far enough away from the bathrooms that it’s a pain. That is why I LOVE my Oxo-Tot travel potty (Amazon) with Oxo Tot Travel Potty Refill Bags (Amazon). We have used this several times while playing at the Dunn School playground on our adventures at Pineland. It has been a life saver! What I love is that it is lightweight and compact enough to fit in my hiking backpack and the disposable bags have an absorbent liner that makes for easier toting until you can find a trash receptacle.
Key Takeaways:
Pineland Farms is a 25 minute drive from Portland and is a great option for families; there are plenty of free options, the farm passes are affordable, and there are some excellent splurge options by grabbing lunch in The Market or taking the family bowling.
No dogs allowed.
Packing Essentials:
Water
Snacks
Stroller (go with a jogging/3-wheeled if doing more than the animal barns)
My name is Natalie Flynn and I’m a Maine-based Momma who loves to adventure around the state of Maine with my 5 year old daughter. When I’m not adventuring with her and my husband, I work as a special education teacher at a small southern Maine high school.
Why am I starting this blog?
As I began my parenting journey in the summer of 2018, I found myself getting more comfortable with venturing out with my infant daughter solo. However, as someone who struggled with some postpartum anxiety and pelvic floor issues, not knowing what the stroller situation, bathroom situation, etc., would lead to some very nervous energy. It was nerve-wracking on my new mom brain to not be able to find out what some of these situations looked liked.
So…I would overpack and hope for the best.
I am writing this blog with the goal that I can provide you with all the “insider information” I wished I had when I visited these places for the first time. Heck, some of the places featured in this blog, I went to a dozen times before I had my own child, and still needed to over pack because I never looked at these places through the lens of being a parent, and new parent at that!
Secondly, as I approach 40 years old, I have set a goal of doing more things outside my comfort zone and sharing my thoughts, in a public blog, with you is… a…. HUGE step outside my comfort zone and I’m so excited for you all to read The Wandering Chickadee!
What can you expect in each blog of The Wandering Chickadee?
I will be featuring Maine locations and activities on this blog that are ideal for families with young children. Every location or activity featured on this blog will have admissions costs, operating hours, and a general summary of the featured location or activity along with affiliate links for some of my favorite baby, toddler, and kid gear.
In addition, I will be including a budget and splurge option for each featured activity.
Budget Option: This option will include the best times, days, weeks or months of the year to visit to get the biggest discount. I will mention all discounts I can find with links to those reference pages. And of course, if there is a free option (like getting a pass from your local library), you will be sure to find it in this section!
Splurge Option: This option will include add-ons to your adventure to make it that once-in-a-visit or once-in-a-lifetime really special. These add-ons might be at the same location featured in the blog or if not, convenient to drive to/from the featured spot!
What are the tenets this blog will remain true to?
Photographs will never be filtered. There is nothing I hate more than recognizing a location, place, activity, you name it, that has been heavily filtered and feeling like I have been sold an Instagram story versus an accurate representation of what I can expect to see.
The bathroom situation will always be discussed. I will highlight where bathrooms are located, what the bathroom situation looks like, if there are changing tables in bathrooms, etc. You name the bathroom question, we are going to discuss it here. There is nothing worse than adventuring (sometimes solo with your infant) only to discover you need to use the bathroom and the only option is a porta-potty. Am I right?!
Each post will include something that is ALWAYS in my car, hiking pack, beach bag, etc. that I found so helpful to have. With that said, any affiliate links listed will only ever be for products that I have personally used or are currently using…linking items I haven’t tried is just…bad, like very bad.
What do I hope you take away from each blog?
If you have NEVER been to these places, I hope my information is helpful in planning your next family adventure. Whether you are looking to do it on a very tight budget or can afford some of the splurge options, I hope you find something here that helps you explore our great state of Maine!
And, if you have been to these places before, I hopeyou take away something you didn’t know about; even if it’s just a bathroom location you never knew about. Am I right?!
So if you like these blogs, please feel free to share with any new parent if you think this will help them!
And..if you have read down this far, I want to thank YOU! Thank you for taking the time to read The Wandering Chickadee and supporting this new chapter in my life! I am forever grateful!
Add your email below and never miss a blog from The Wandering Chickadee. New blogs drop every other Monday!
is a children’s consignment store conveniently located off the highway in Freeport, Maine. Sizes range from newborn to size 14. When I’m looking to stock up on the essentials such as pants, shorts, shirts, dresses, etc., I am going to come here first! They carry everyday labels such as Cat and Jack from Target, Carter’s, Oshkosh, Primary, and more as well as premium labels like Tea Collection, Hanna Andersson, Crewcuts, Mini Boden, etc. They also stock outdoor gear labels such as Patagonia, North Face, LL Bean, Keen, Bogs, and Lands End.
is a consignment shop for outdoor clothing and gear for all ages located in downtown Brunswick, Maine. I am ALWAYS going to stop here to look for some really great quality base/underwear layer and mid/insulating layer clothing as well as jackets, snow pants, hats/mittens, and boots for my daughter. I have scored her some snow shoes as well as a tow-behind bicycle and great hiking backpack that looked like it was never even used here as well!
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