Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Favorite Beach: Popham

Maine has reached full-swing summer mode with tourists, seasonal businesses open, and hot weather. Its the weather Mainers dream of all winter long.
Epic castling at Popham is a highlight
of summer in Maine.

Summer tends to be a time of frenetic activity for most Mainers who are trying to cram every ounce of fun (or seasonal work) into the ten or so short weeks of perfect or nearly perfect weather.

These last two weeks we've experience some hot, hot days (for Maine) with temperatures in the eighties and nineties, a Maine heatwave!

How do we survive this massive jump from temps in the forties and fifties to eighties and nineties? We complain! 
And then we go to the lake, put in the air-conditioning units, eat lots of ice cream, and dream of snow.

My absolute favorite way to stay cool is to swim. I have a number of favorite private and public spots where I can do this, and many Mainers have their own family camps or local neighborhood swimming holes. There are plenty of free or low-cost beaches, (take your pick of ocean or lake). And for all the rest, well, drive around and notice all the blue pools that pop on lawns when the temps rise above 80!

Enjoying cool, refreshing Maine
 lakes are a favorite way
to stay cool in the summer

My favorite beaches are Pemaquid and Popham. (I blogged previously about Pemaquid and a favorite lakeside swimming hole we call the Mills.)

Popham is a special and large beach with good rolling waves, large tides, and sand bars. It is 14 miles from Route 1 down the Phippsburg penisula. Go to Bath and head East on Route 209. Its a long but pretty ride! Leave early because depending on where you live its a bit of a ride and on hot days the parking lot fills up quick, in which case you may feel your trip has been wasted. One time that happened we were able to find paid parking at Percy's Store, but sadly that was demolished this year!

Back to the beach. It is one of Maine's treasured (and most popular, according to the Maine State Parks website) sand beaches. So much of Maine's coast is rocky, not the miles of long sands such as are found in New Jersey, Florida, or on the West Coast. Popham is a good place to surf, picnic, search for shells, explore a rocky island during low tide or make epic sand castles. It is a day-long adventure from which you should leave feeling fully sun-baked, relaxed, and starving (because the seagulls have stolen your lunch!)

Popham's glittering ocean (at ends of two rivers)
 and soft sand attract many locals and tourists every summer.

One of my favorite things about Popham is planning my day around low tide, so we can walk over the sand bar to Fox Island. Its hard to describe, but here is a view from up on some of the rocks of Fox Island looking back toward the beach area. Sometimes we spot seals feeding. We wade in the lower depressions of water left behind in the tide's wake waking to and from the beach. It really feels like the ends of the earth, and its magical.



There's much more to say about Popham,
but its an experience to have for yourself. 


Six Tips for Visiting Popham

1. Plan to arrive early, probably by 10 a.m., to be sure you can get parking.
2. There is a fee: $6 for Maine residents/$8 for nonresidents, or use your state park pass.
3.There are no concessions at Popham, so pack a cooler accordingly. (We like to stop at Amato's in Bath for the best Italian sandwiches in Maine. There are one or two places to stop for something along the way, although we never have!)
4. Don't leave, wave, or hold your food where seagulls can grab it. They WILL steal it and enjoy your Real Italian from Amato's.
5. There are changing rooms, outdoor showers, and bathrooms.
6. A beach cart, sled, or pull wagon are helpful for hauling all that beach stuff. Trust me, its a bit of walk to sit near the water or anywhere close (or far away) from other beach-goers!

More on Popham:

Maine's State Parks site.

A great article in the Sun Journal about road-tripping to Popham, with links and some history too.

Happy Summer!





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