The origin story of this 100-year-old roadside attraction is 27,000 years in the making.
Desert of Maineoffers quirky adventure with an source story 27,000 years in the making . These 20 acres of mysterious coastal desert in the centre of Maine have been a darling tourist attraction for 100 year , but throughout account , this clump of land in Freeport has been inhabit by wooly mammoths , the Wabanaki people , and , in the 1800s , a category who work the land as a farm . Farmer Tuttle , who owned the holding then , note unpaired Baroness Dudevant patch in his arena but chalked it up to pasture sheep , not realise he was the proprietor of a geographic unusual person . finally , the sand took over , and he and his family abandoned the property , house , and barn . Today ’s visitors can explore its original farmhouse , boost its mysterious landscape , play mini golf , and dabble in its strange history .
Scientists have since traced the mysterious sand back to the glaciers of long ago . Baroness Dudevant was create by shift sparkler sheet in an area without tree block the wind . After the glacier melted , moss grew and , eventually , small plants and tree . This emergence — over the course of action of millennia — redefined the landscape painting . Later , when the Tuttles farmed the delicate land , it caused more wearing and desert - like weather . Word spread out during ban , and as auto and road trips became popular , Desert of Maine became one of the res publica ’s early wayside attractions — one you could still visit today .
visitor to the strange desert can twit an 1800s - flair gearing trolley or take selfies near the 1920s Ford Model T — a car that tourists drive up Maine ’s scenic Route 1 to visit this OG wayside attraction . Although the Tuttle family home burned down , guests can tour an exact reproduction , now a living story museum . return is underway on a rude spring water gazebo buried under a whopping 25 infantry of moxie during WWII . The site also features a hiking trail through the desert - forest , mini - golf , a gift shop , and an one-time school collation barroom , serving up grilled spicy cad , kettle clavus , and nostalgic penny candy .
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Drive time
2 hours 15 minutes from Boston
Things to do in Freeport, Maine
Freeport is democratic for its wall plug shopping andL.L. Bean flagship storage . Luckily , you could also link up with your inner explorer . commence with theL.L.Bean Outdoor Discovery Programs , including archery , river sportfishing , water sport — or even an introduction to compass orienteering . Those looking for a forest bathing session can meander trails , include the restrained 4.5 sea mile atWolfe ’s Neck Woods State Park , along the jagged shore of Casco Bay and the Harraseeket River .
hunger undefendable - body of water adventure?Seacoast Tours of Freeportoffers traditional gravy boat duty tour , lobstering , private charters , and educational pleasure trip to oyster farms . These excursions also highlight the impingement of climate change and how the increasing severeness of storms impacts coastal ecology . Back on terra firma , block off byTripping Gnome Farmto shop class for freshly plucked produce and foetid standoff - dyestuff tees . Freeport theater is awash in coastal pizazz , like BYOB performances byFreeport Playersand eclectic euphony and improv atMeetinghouse Arts . Local artwork also spills into the streets , and the local makers ' fit includes shops likeDriftsea creation , Lil Choppy Barrel Swag Co. , andNautical Farms , betray sea glass creations , bourbon bbl goods , and regenerative seafood products , severally . After a day of exploring , squat down atCadenza , Freeport ’s knack for unabashedly passionate music fans — or lead to nearbySaco Drive - in .
summertime visitors adoreL.L Bean ’s Summer in The Parkseries — free daily concert , terpsichore lessons , moving picture nights , yoga , and more . Freeport festival celebrate seaside life at its finest from one season to the next . huitre aficionados hold their calendars in late June for the ultimate seafood soiree — The Maine Oyster Festival . Guests slurp oysters , get together local oyster farmers , and compete for oyster - shuck glory in the Big Shuck . Of course , when the ocean air turns bracing in autumn , theAnnual Freeport Fall Festivalcelebrates with live music , cosy soups , and inspired gem from over 200 New England makers and artists .
Best restaurants and bars in Freeport
nutrient competes capitulum - to - head with the area ’s activities , from regional favorite atHaraseeket Inn ’s Broad Arrow Tavernto house - made alimentary paste atTuscan Bistro . Start the day with a shave steak omelette atFreeport Caféor gratify in the otherworldly good of sticky buns fromIsabella ’s Café & Bakery . Keep in mindHarraseeket Lunch & Lobster , where you may get Allium cepa tintinnabulation or their genius culinary cousin-german : onionmiddles . And the popular spotDerosier’smakes one heck of a submarine , which tracks as they ’ve been at it since 1904 .
Wash it all down with relishing atPortersfield Cider , Mast Landing Brewery , andMaine Beer Company , which make exalt brewage with public figure like Lunch and Love . Or grab a cocktail at 225 - twelvemonth - oldJameson Tavern , where your plus one just might be a trace .
Where to stay near the Desert of Maine
devolve on thatDesert of Maineinspiration by book one of their cabins , glamping tents , or campground spots . Some of the A - soma cabin overtop a stream . Plus , if handiness is a consideration , the Haven cabin ’s design and layout are on - tip . Maine has plenty of retro - chic hotels , but the charming bungalow atMaine Idyll Motor Courtare pet - friendly , and you might snag one for less than $ 100 a night . know the number of tourists fade through Freeport , there are pot of big hotels likeHampton InnandHilton Garden Inn .
Courtesy of Desert of Maine
