April 4, 2008
Portland Head Lighthouse / Fort Williams Park
One of the most readily accessible jewels of Maine lies in Cape Elizabeth, adjacent to Portland. The jewel is Portland Head - Maine’s oldest lighthouse, and perhaps it's most stunning. The lighthouse is open sunrise to sunset year round with no admission, because it sits in the splendid Fort Williams Park.
A visit to Fort Williams Park brings to life the joy of Maine. During the summertime you will be greeted by hoards of kites – simple ones being raised by youngsters on their introduction to this wonderful pastime, to veterans executing wicked maneuvers with their high performance kites, to gigantic works of art majestically soaring. There will also be people braving Maine’s chilly ocean temps at the rocky beach there (water temp only gets up to around 55 Fahrenheit), softball games being played, picnics being consumed and just plenty of good times. In winter, there will be cross country skiers tracing trails and sometimes folks will even skate on the pond in the park. Whatever time of year you stop by, Fort Williams makes you feel more alive!
Your first time there, however, you will inevitably be drawn to the grandeur of Portland Head. Jutting out from a rocky promontory at the southern end of the park, the lighthouse is a beautiful building surrounded by stunning scenery. Since you can approach from both sides there are photo ops galore, and there is even a museum and gift shop inside. Of course the museum is only open 10A-4P daily and closed during the usual holidays, with a slight entrance fee (ridiculously cheap – only $1 or $2 and kids are free!).
A must stop if you get to Portland. Your friends will ooh and aah over that picture you take of this remarkable lighthouse!
PS. Only five miles from Lenny!
A visit to Fort Williams Park brings to life the joy of Maine. During the summertime you will be greeted by hoards of kites – simple ones being raised by youngsters on their introduction to this wonderful pastime, to veterans executing wicked maneuvers with their high performance kites, to gigantic works of art majestically soaring. There will also be people braving Maine’s chilly ocean temps at the rocky beach there (water temp only gets up to around 55 Fahrenheit), softball games being played, picnics being consumed and just plenty of good times. In winter, there will be cross country skiers tracing trails and sometimes folks will even skate on the pond in the park. Whatever time of year you stop by, Fort Williams makes you feel more alive!
Your first time there, however, you will inevitably be drawn to the grandeur of Portland Head. Jutting out from a rocky promontory at the southern end of the park, the lighthouse is a beautiful building surrounded by stunning scenery. Since you can approach from both sides there are photo ops galore, and there is even a museum and gift shop inside. Of course the museum is only open 10A-4P daily and closed during the usual holidays, with a slight entrance fee (ridiculously cheap – only $1 or $2 and kids are free!).
A must stop if you get to Portland. Your friends will ooh and aah over that picture you take of this remarkable lighthouse!
PS. Only five miles from Lenny!
Portland Head Lighthouse
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