The Desert of Maine ~ Freeport, Maine

The Desert of Maine, located in Freeport is an often overlooked, and little known attraction. A well kept secret that holds lots charm, and interest. The Desert of Maine is just that, a desert amongst forest and woodlands. You would not expect to find a natural desert here, but as you arrive on the grounds it becomes very clear that a desert does exsist in Maine. It is an interesting story of how the desert came to be, and can be found online at the website (desertofmaine.com). I have cut and pasted a portion of the history to give you an idea;

' In 1797 the Tuttle family moved to the 300 acre farm that once covered the Desert of Maine where they successfully raised crops of potatoes and hay for several years. Failure to rotate crops thereafter, combined with massive land - clearing and overgrazing resulted in severe soil eroison that exposed this hidden Desert. As the spreading sand grew uncontrollable, the Tuttles surrendered, leaving the Desert to it's destiny.'

You can find more about the desert online. I have visited the desert of Maine several times, bringing friends from out of town. I have found the tour very cute, interesting and distinctly diffrent from other 'tourist' attractions. All the guests I have brought also found the desert to be a real treat among every day sight seeing and tourist traps. The desert is by no means packed, or hard to get to. Infact, all the times I have gone I did not have to wait more then 15 minutes for a tour. There is also a great gift shop with unique Maine gifts, desert themed items and run-of-the mill things too. The Desert of Maine is one of my favorite spots in Maine, and whenever I go back to the area I like to stop by. The unique history told by the tour guides, the jeep pulled safari ride, and the sheer thrill of seeing the mix of desert among forest really makes me want to keep coming back.

No trip to Freeport Maine is complete without the desert of Maine, and the famous L.L.Bean. If you have not heard of LL Bean then you either have been living under a rock or are simply oblivious. L.L. Bean is a very long standing outdoors adventure type of store. Offering high quality clothing, gear and apparal for all kinds of out door living. Weither you are headed to the beach, climbing mount Everest or camping you cant miss L.L. Bean. There are three levels within the store, which has been around over a hundred years, and they also offer a 'factory store' just around the corner. L.L. Bean is as great place to shop around, check out the Maine style and get in touch with your inner Mainer. Freeport is also home to a lot of grear outlet shops, eateries and other great places to see. The streets are very clean, and the town itself is very upscale. People of any budget can find something to shop for, a place to eat and things to keep you busy. I reccomend Freeport if you are into shopping, but I also reccomend it to those who want to see something distinctly Maine. Anyone who is from Maine will tell you that Freeport is a place that attracts tourists, but is also a place where many locals visit.