Osprey returns to Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park

Most people go to Freeport to shop, the savvy make their way to Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park, an oceanfront jewel with hiking trails and picnic area. One of the biggest natural attractions is the osprey nest on adjacent Googin’s Island, viewable from the mainland. This week, Dick, an elder male osprey, returned to his summer home and began preparing it in anticipating of his partner’s arrival from their winter place in Brazil.

The ospreys return (there’s another pair nesting in a salt marsh in the park) coincides well with the park’s upcoming Wolfe’s Neck Birding Festival, Sunday, April 25, from 7 a.m.-3 p.m. in the park.

According to park info: Osprey are one of the largest birds of prey in North America and eat fish almost exclusively. Once an endangered species because of pesticides, they are found on all continents except Antarctica. Osprey build nests on high trees and man-made structures. They mate for life, though if a mate dies, the remaining bird will find a second mate. Osprey can live 15 to 25 years.

Dick is thought to be the older male of the two Wolfe’s Neck pairs,  according to according to Park Manager and naturalist Andy Hutchinson. The bird is mated to a younger female, and the mating is thought to have occurred nine years ago, after he lost his first mate.

Photo: courtesy of Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands

Two for the weekend: fish and shrimp

If you’re looking for something fun to do this weekend in Maine, consider these two events: L.L. Bean’s Spring Fishing Weekend, today through Sunday March 21, and Celebrate the Shrimp, all day Saturday, March 20, in Rockland.

• Spring Fishing Weekend

If you’re angling to catch some free fishing know-how, cast your line into this event at Bean’s Freeport flagship store. It kicks off with a free fly-tying clinic tonight, and continues Saturday and Sunday with demonstrations, lessons, seminars, contests, and book signings with the “legends of fishing.” Most events are free.

• Celebrate the Shrimp

Here’s a tasty Rockland Maine Street-sponsored event. It runs from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., and includes free admission to the Maine Lighthouse Museum to 1 p.m.; a shrimp walk; shrimp tales at the Rockland Library; a shrimp cook-off with chefs and foodies competing in separate categories ; shrimp picking and handling demonstration; free historic trolley tours of the city from 2-4 p.m., and a special Shrimp Art Walk between local galleries from 5-7 p.m. Of course, local restaurants will be featuring shrimp specials.

Harraseeket Inn offers Thomas Moser guest room

When renowned furniture maker Thomas Moser approached Chip Gray, innkeeper at Freeport’s Harraseeket Inn about having his designers decorate a room using his sleek, contemporary-yet-traditional furnishings, Gray figured it was a win-win situation. He took the team through the inn and let them choose the room. “They chose one we’d just finished redecorating; it looked great, and they ripped everything out.”

While the rest of the inn is decorated in an updated and bright New England country style, the Thomas Moser room is sleek, modern, and earthy. Truth is—and Gray agrees—not everyone loves it, but for those who are in the market for Moser pieces or who prefer a contemporary vibe, this room is ideal.

Every aspect of this suite-sized, corner room has been specially designed, from the entry, to the bathroom (with soaking tub and heated towel rack), to the over-sized room itself, with a fireplace and seating area on one end, bed and desk on the other.

Every piece of furniture—the queen-sized pencil-post bed and nightstands, Aria writing desk and chair, adult and child-sized Windsor-style chairs, dresser, armoire, Vita love seat and lounge chair, coffee table—and every accent piece is for sale. Guests can inquire at the Moser gallery across the street about the furniture

In the room, a leather-bound book details all the non-Moser pieces, which are equally intriguing:

• figurative oils by Tanya Fletcher

• custom wall painting of the entry, by Field, a Portland-based company founded by Friederike Hamann and Colin Sullivan-Stevens

• fine art photography by Gifford Ewing, of Denver and Sorrento, Maine

• pottery by Tim Cichocki, who fires his work in central Maine

• lamps crafted by Hubbardton Forge and by Visual Comfort & Co.

• pillows, mattress pad, down comforter and cover, and mohair throw from Cuddledown

• a rare wool throw and a rare wool blanket, both hand made by Swans Island Blankets

• rugs by Safavieh

Now add a sandstone fireplace with floating live-edge walnut mantel that fills one end of the room, barnlike sliding doors to the bathroom and closet, shades that filter sun, and drapes that insure privacy.

The whole blends textures and earthen shades, it’s calming yet edgy, sleek yet artsy, contemporary yet traditional. It may be in  New England, but there’s definitely a New York accent. Put me in the like it camp.

No puzzle to Conundrum Wine Bistro’s buzz

For years, I’ve heard whispers and rumors about Conundrum, a wine bistro in Freeport that has a cult-like local following.  It’s located at the Big Indian, that you-know-it-when-you-see-it Freeport landmark on Route 1, but it slips under the radar screen of most visitors. Locals, however, have embraced this place. I moseyed in for dinner tonight, and now I understand its popularity.

Conundrum serves a blend of plus-sized tapas and comfort foods, familiar fare gussied and presented with care, along with an impressive selection of wines, both by the bottle and the glass.  The service is bang on: efficient, friendly, and without pretension; the setting is inviting: cozy, comfy, and casual. It’s equally suited for easy dining or grabbing drinks and quick eats. Snag a seat at the bar or a hightop, in the  dining area with regular tables as well as couches, or on the enclosed and heated outdoor terrace, with tables as well as couches by a fireplace; nice!

The wine menu, with about 60 choices by the glass and nearly 500 by the bottle, is bound into a cover; “Tell me what you like, and I’ll make some suggestions,” said my waiter as my eyes glazed over the possibilities.

The food menu is a far less complicated, just a single sheet of paper, with appetizers on one side, entrees on the other. Appetizers ($7-11)  include smoked salmon crostini, bruschetta, antipasto, chicken liver pate, chicken soup with cream cheese dumplings, salads, and cheeses. Entrees ($12-27) range from a bacon Swiss burger to a 12 oz. NY sirloin. The menu changes regularly, and a new one will debut shortly.

Although I dithered over the appetizers—the soup and a 1,000-day Gouda cheese were particularly intriguing—I assuaged being on the road alone with the homemade meatloaf topped with brown gravy ($14), reeled in by its accompaniments—bleu cheese mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus. The thick slab of meatloaf was dense, moist, flavorful, and seared on two sides; the potatoes were rich and smooth, with occasional small chunks of potato and a large dollop of bleu cheese on top, which melted in nicely; and the asparagus retained its snap. The whole easily could have fed two, which was dangerous because it was so good that I could have forced myself through it all. Thank goodness the waiter had warned me in advance and offered to pack any leftovers.

And here’s a tip from same waiter: Conundrum is holding a free wine tasting as it switches over its menus later this month; call (207-865-0303) and ask for the specifics, there’s no web site.

Call me a new member of the Conundrum cult.

Traveling solo?

I do so quite often. While I love dining out, dining solo is so lonely. Usually, I snag a seat in the lounge, where the barkeep takes good care of me and will deflect unwanted companions, and dine there. Comfy, but not the true experience of a restaurant. That’s why I love Freeport’s Harraseeket Inn’s Dine with the Innkeeper program.

Innkeeper Chip Gray instituted the program after realizing that one regular guest, whose husband had died, no longer came down to dinner, but chose room service, instead. She just didn’t want to dine solo. His solution: Sign up at the front desk, and join the innkeeper’s nightly table. Since the inn has two restaurants, the tavern and the Maine Dining Room, guests decide as a group where to dine.

The program isn’t limited to singles, couples have enjoyed it, too, Chip says. Doesn’t matter how many or how few request it, the program is offered. If it’s a large group, and the conversation strays into uncomfortable areas, the innkeeper reels in it. That said, Chip reports discussions have been fascinating and range widely, often covering even taboo topics–think politics–in a controlled setting. Nice.

And, if you travel solo anytime, check out my friend Ellen Perlman’s site, Boldly Go Solo. Lots of good info, there.

Roger Dodger invites you

to bring your furry buddy and join him at the pet-friendly Harraseeket Inn. Now plenty of inns are pet friendly these days, but what sets the Harraseeket Inn apart is its use of RD as its spokesdog. Roger is a shelter dog seeking a new home.

Roger Dodger  is quite loquacious in detailing his Freeport adventures and the inn’s pet perks. He sounds like the perfect pooch, and he even shares his bio at the end in case you might want to adopt him or one of his buds at the shelter.

Foodie alert: PSO Wine Challenge & Auction

How’s this for a delicious evening to benefit a good cause: Five of Maine’s top chefs each will prepare a course to complement Australian wines at this year’s Wine Challenge and Auction to benefit the Portland Symphony Orchestra. Even at $150 pp, the March 30 event at Freeport’s Harraseeket Inn is sure to be a sell out.

Participating chefs are: Jonathan Cartwright, executive chef at the White Barn Inn, Kennebunkport; Steve Corry, proprietor & executive chef, at Five Fifty-Five, Portland; Mitchell Kaldrovich, executive chef, at the Inn By the Sea, Cape Elizabeth; Gallit Sammon, chef de cuisine at the Harraseeket Inn; and Melody Wolfertz, proprietor & executive chef at In Good Company, in Rockland. They’ll be matching their foods to Peter Lehmann Wines from the Hess Fine Wine Estates.

The evening begins with a silent auction, during which wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served. A live auction and dessert follows the main event. Items on the block in both auctions include getaways—including a tour of Australian wine country, event tickets, dining, gifts, accommodations, services, jewelry, and other gifts donated by Maine artists and businesses.

Putting the FREE in Freeport

Free food. Free parking. Free activities. Free concert. All in Freeport, Maine. Really. No strings attached.

This weekend, June 21-22, L.L. Bean hosts a double header, and both events are free. The 27th annual Paddle Sports Festival takes place at the store’s Lower Flying Point Paddling Center. Park at the downtown store, then hop a free shuttle to the site.

Between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., events include test-paddling kayaks and canoes, taking part in a GPS Techno Treasure Hunt (age limits), and kids craft sessions. Chow down at the–yes, free–oceanside cookout until 3 p.m. Who says there’s no such thing as a free lunch?. Listen to live bluegrass music from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Also available for a $29 fee (reservations recommended) are 90-minute kayak tours for ages 10 and older.

In the evening, the action switches to Bean’s Discovery Park, downtown, for a free concert by the swing band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Bring a blanket or chairs, and prepare to snag a prime spot early.

News and Snooze: Open, shut and in flux

In short: The Danforth and the Chebeague Island Inn are back; Atlantic Seal B&B is closed; West End Inn, Bear Mountain Inn and Newcastle Inn change hands.

The Danforth, located in a lovely John Calvin Stevens-designed mansion on Danforth Street, near the Victoria Mansion, has reopened. A guest there reported it’s again an elegant and gracious inn. Rooms are spacious and have luxury touches, such as robes and fireplaces. Breakfast is a Continental buffet. The gardens are lovely. Only quibble I have is that in the opening online promo, it advertises itself as being in the Old Port. Wrong. It’s on the city’s West End, an easy walk to the Old Port, but definitely not in the Old Port.

Another welcome back to the Chebeague Island Inn, accessible from Portland (1.5 hours) or Cousins Island, Yarmouth (15 minutes), via ferry. Renovated basement to attic in 2004, this old-time summer hotel closed last summer, but is now being leased with an option to buy. Also reopening is the dining room, as well as a lounge serving tapas and a “flambé ice cream” parlor.

And a sad farewell to Tom Ring’s Atlantic Seal B&B, which he operated in his family home on the water in South Freeport. I spoke with Tom earlier today, and he said the sheer volume of hotel rooms available in Freeport now did him in. Of course, it didn’t help that he’s a technophobe who didn’t own a computer, have a web site or use an answer phone. Tom’s still operating his excursion boat, with trips to Eagle Island and Seguin Island, and he promises to have someone manning his phone in another week or two. Before then, call in the early evening.

Back in Portland, the West End Inn Bed & Breakfast has changed hands, as have the Bear Mountain Inn, in Waterford, and The Newcastle Inn, in Newcastle. More on these after I’ve done some snooping.

Picnic in Freeport

Sure, you can have lunch or dinner in Freeport and fight for a seat amidst the shopping hordes–best bets are Mediterranean Grill, on School Street; Broad Arrow Tavern, in the Harraseekett Inn (about two blocks north of Bean’s mothership) and Azure, a stone’s throw north of Bean’s (I had a fabulous chicken wrap there, fresh, moist, delicious; seating is outdoors and inside on two levels). Or you can pray for a parking space at Harraseeket Lunch and Lobster, in South Freeport. OR, you can escape the crowds with a picnic.

Stop at Old World Gourmet (Route 1 by the Big Indian; you’ll know it when you see it) for fresh made sandwiches and salads or try Royal River Foods (Route 1, about a mile south of the exit 20 intersection), a natural foods store for premade sandwiches and salads (in the cooler to the far left as you enter the store). Now head for a park.

Freeport is wealthy with parklands. Closest to these two sandwich spots is Winslow Memorial Park, a town park with a sliver of beachfront–best at low tide; big grassy lawns, picnic tables under the trees and by the waterfront, a few trails and a playground. Plenty of space to let little ones run. Great place to watch the boat traffic in Casco Bay. Turn east at the Big Indian and follow signs.

Another waterfront choice is Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park, off Lower Flying Point Road. Nice picnic grounds, both on a field and on the water. Even better, if you’re traveling with someone who has mobility issues, there’s a wheelchair accessible path along the waterfront to a spot overlooking an osprey’s nest; for the best view, bring binoculars. There also are hiking trails lacing the woods and shorefront.

Probably the least-busy option, but also free and with the fewest picnic tables and closest to downtown Freeport, is Maine Audubon’s Mast Landing Sanctuary, with trails snaking through the woods and an orchard.

After an hour or so at any of these, you’ll be recharged for shopping… or guaranteed a nice siesta with cool breezes and perhaps lapping water as background music.