We continued our trek down the coast of Maine. The increasing crowds and traffic assured us that we were entering the more “touristy” areas of this state. We finally arrived at the town of Freeport, arguably the hub of tourist activities. How shall I describe it? Think of a large shopping mall. “How large?” you ask. Think of a mall as large as a small town, with no roof, that you can drive through – now you get a picture of downtown Freeport.
It all started with a small sporting goods store called L.L. Bean. It was the first store of that brand. It continues to operate to this day – open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Today there are over 170 other name brand stores and outlets in this small community. Talk about shopper frenzy – this is the place for it.
Our goal for the day was to head to Yarmouth for the annual Clam Festival that we had heard about. But what happened to me next is what can only be described as an epiphany. As we were driving through the main business district of Freeport, my mind started to turn toward a new direction. One of the things I like to do is to watch the Food Network and write down any interesting restaurants I see. That way, if I ever visit those cities, I can try them out for myself.
Along this trip, I hadn’t even thought about the Maine restaurants on my list and I was a little disappointed. Maybe I missed one that was along our way. Then it hit me. I suddenly remembered a place that I knew was along the shore, but I wasn’t sure where it was.
I turned to Cheryl and said, “I didn’t even think of finding out where Wicked Whoopies was so we could find it along the way. We probably missed it days ago.”
Wicked Whoopies is a bakery that specializes in the Maine delicacy of Whoopie Pies. A Whoopie Pie is two chocolate cake disks with a mound of marshmallow crème frosting between them. Think an oversized chocolate yo-yo with frosting instead of string. Maine is the birthplace of the Whoopie Pie. (My apologies to Pennsylvania who also claims this title. I will make a final decision when Route 1 takes me through that state.) The important thing to realize is that I am disappointed and dejected over the prospect of missing them.
All at once, as if a ray of sunlight shone down on me from heaven, I looked to my left as I was driving. My eye was caught by a colorful little building I was approaching. Then I read the sign – WICKED WHOOPIES!!! Oh the joy that spread through my being. I feel bad for the car behind me. I’m sure I swerved a little back and forth on the road as I searched for a parking space.
Soon I was entering the Mecca of sweet toothes. The sights and smells were intoxicating. They had over a dozen different flavors to choose from. How could any human being make a choice like that? The only solution – eat one there and bring a half-dozen home. The one I chose to eat in was a double chocolate whoopie. I was in sugar heaven.
But that wasn’t the end of it. I saw something I didn’t even know existed. I held a five pound whoopie pie in my hand. I tried to convince Cheryl that it was a necessity for our continued journey, but she didn’t agree. So I said goodbye to my little friend and we were soon back on the road.
Our first stop in Freeport was about as far from a mall as you can get. We decided to visit the Desert of Maine. You might not think that there is a desert in the State of Maine, but I can assure you that there is. This desert has it all – sand dunes, sun, and heat. It was definitely a tourist spot, but it held our interest for quite a while.
While we were waiting for the jeep ride through the desert, we visited their butterfly area. This was a large cage filled with all different kinds of butterflies. The colors were beautiful and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
Then it was time for our desert trek. The desert itself is an amazing place. You would never expect to see anything like this in a state known for its wooded areas. But there we were, right in the middle of a full fledged desert. We were told that it was actually created by a farmer who didn’t know that all this sand was just below the topsoil. He also didn’t know or practice good land conservation techniques. As the topsoil eroded, more and more sand appeared and slowly began to take over his farm. Today there are even some buildings buried under sand dunes. It turned out to be a very interesting look at the nature of the area.
One thing that did amaze me as I stood in the desert, was how hot it was. It was actually ten degrees hotter over the sand than it was anyplace else. Maybe it’s because the white sand reflects the heat up, so that you feel it from both directions.
So, whether you like shopping, eating, or touring, Freeport is a great place to see. We had a wonderful time there. It whet our appetites for more adventures still to come…
-
- The Desert of Maine
-
- A Gallery of Whoopies
-
- PLEASE!!!
Taking the Long Way 