TRIPS TO SOUTHERN MAINE BEACHES

The southern Maine coast is filled with great beaches, even though the water in the bays and Atlantic Ocean is always cold. Many are covered with soft sand, while some others we have found were much more rocky. 

After nice dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, we took a short drive to find Pine Point Beach for the first time. We had been to dinner several times near the beach but finally decided to drive all the way out to the beach. It rained while we were eating dinner, which produced this beautiful rainbow out over the water.

We enjoyed an after dinner stroll along the beach on the cool sand. We almost had the beach to ourselves. The water wasn't warm either; maybe 60 degrees.  So we were satisfied to let others walk in the water while we stayed on dry sand.

On a recent day off, we were exposed to another beach area nearby.  We visited some Gainesville friends who have a summer home in Biddeford, Maine, a small coastal town about 10 miles south of Portland. Mike and Lorraine Hoctor grew up in the area and moved to the warmer climate of Florida after their senior year of college in the frigid weather conditions of northern Maine. However, they returned many summers with their family to enjoy the glorious Maine weather and decided to purchase a summer home in their old hometown.

Lorraine and Mike took us for a walk on the local beach, named Biddeford Pool. It was near low tide so there was lots of exposed sand. It was around 4 pm in the afternoon; notice how few people are on the beach. At this time of year, there are plenty of tourists in the area, just not here at the beach.

Resting before our walk on the beach. Left to right--Lorraine, Mike, and Paul.

We then went for a walk along around the point where the Saco River spills into Casco Bay. This is the view of some of the more pricy homes towards the north from where we were sitting. Several of these beach homes are for sale. Supposedly, the taxes are very high. Would we want to live in a beach front mansion like one of these? Maybe, if we could afford the domestic staff to keep the large house clean. And that is not happening anytime soon!

This is the fabulous view northward from the point across the Saco River to Biddeford Light, one of our many picture postcard settings here in Maine.

We concluded our visit with a cookout on the deck of Lorraine and Mike's house. During our visit, they shared stories about what it was like to live in Maine year-round when they were growing up. 

Wonderful views, good times with friends, and what could be any better.