2bnMaine

So what if Florida has the Super Bowl! We have  our own national sports spectacle – - The National Toboggan Championships, held at the Camden Snow Bowl, February 5-7, 2010!

A mix between Carnival or Mardi Gras, and the Winter Olympics, this event is an example of what happens in Maine when the temperatures get lower and the days get shorter. Winter alters our brain cells and fun breaks out.

If you haven’t been before, here’s your chance. The best part is that anyone can enter!

Here is a link to previous crazy years.

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Santa’s finally on his way to Maine. It’s only a matter of a few hours now, and after such a long trip, he’s going to need some nourishment. Be sure to leave him a snack.

Track his progress at the NORAD website.

Merry Christmas!

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Lincolnville Beach lit up the night with their Christmas spirit. (It’s so great 2bnMaine this time of year.)

Wishing you all the joys of this magical season!

To see a larger version click here.

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Stylish ghouls will find just the right Halloween gear in this hauntingly cool shop.

Rock, Paper, Scissors, in Wiscasset is the sister shop of Smitten, and shares the same stylish gene pool.

If the thought of encountering a store where you want everything you see makes you uneasy, then you’ll be horrified at what you find here.

Terrified at the sophistication.

Frightened by all the shelves packed with beautiful papers and stationary. (Very much like shops you see all over Europe, but rarely in the US.)

And spooked by all the cool kid gear.

It’s positively chilling how many great treats you’ll find here. But don’t be scared.

Rock, Paper, Scissors, 68 Main Street, Wiscasset, ME 04578, 207-882-9930

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Winning, or just competing in, the Build-a-Boat Race, requires a boatload of talent — creative thinking, engineering, design, naval architecture, carpentry, courage, strength, endurance, teamwork, sense of humor, copywriting, among them.

Each team builds their boat on Saturday with materials donated by EBS and Sikaflex. And races it on Sunday in front of a wild crowd. And if you don’t sink or swim, you’re in the running for a trophy.

Ram 1500 V8 Magnum, above, powered by Brendan Carey and Ryan Splaine, of Lincolnville, won first place. Boy, were they fast!

Three Guys and a Saw, above, powered by Jeff Emery and Cameron Morgan, from the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Abbie Burgess, placed second.

In-and-Out-Rigger, powered by Glen, Glen and Max Ruesswick, won the Best Design Award.

Nikkos, above, powered by Gordon and Aiden Darwin won the People’s Choice Award.

Banana Dore, powered by Dave and Nicholas Johnson from Camden.

Here are pics from last year.

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Well, first of all, this is a lobster crate:

And as it turns out, the crates themselves aren’t racing. They’re packed with seaweed and strung across the harbor. The goal is to scamper across as many as you can before falling into the soup — not easy for most.

Except, that is, for Cedar Andrus, the master lobster crate racer, who lives in Camden.

Last year he scored 2500 (!!!) crates. But he’s off his stride a bit this year, as he ‘only’ scored 1,061. Wow!

But watch out next year, as Bailey Darling was close behind at 1,046.

The competition is open to all ages, but only two brave adults participated, and only scampered across 11 crates.

This was only one of several really fun events last weekend at the Windjammer Weekend in Camden. Will post more soon.

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The Camden Windjammer Weekend, and especially the Build-a-Boat Contest and Race, was lots of fun last year, where kids got to build a boat and then race it in Camden Harbor.

Happily, it’s on again this year with all kinds of clever events — contests for kids, a puppet show, a boat parade, an outdoor concert, drawing classes, a Lobster Crate Race, the Build-a-Boat contest and race, and even a Schooner Crew Talent Show.

Besides just plain having fun, you’ll learn lots about the history, arts, crafts, skills, food and wild stories that accompany the beautiful Windjammers you see all over the coast of Maine.

Here are some links: — to photos taken last year — to this year’s schedule of events.

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What could be better than to be kid in Maine? The whole state is virtually a playground for kids, big and small. But just in case you’re looking for the real thing, try this spectacular spot. It’s on Sea Street in Rockport. (See the Google map below.)

This tiny, hidden park in Rockport is the perfect spot for romping, strolling, splashing, climbing, picnicing, swimming, wading, reading, or just enjoying the gorgeous Rockport Harbor. You’ll find a small sandy beach and granite steps into the water, a fun playground, picnic tables, grassy hills to roll down and a couple of fire pits.

View Larger Map

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What a fun way to spend a beautiful day in Maine! Check out just how much fun with this link to the image deck which will be updated with new pics as they are uploaded. You can download these in a larger format free for the asking.

All the shipbuilding materials were provided by EBS in Camden. Pretty neat. Each team was judged on design, race results, and crowd pleasing.

The results, which are hopefully correct, are:

First Overall — ‘All Hands on Deck’ (pictured with trophies above)

Second Overall — ‘Hardnite Out’

Best Design — ‘Cushing Cruiser’

Crowd Pleaser — ‘Ask the Chief’ which was entered by the crew of the ‘Whidby Island’

Lots more pics here.

All the Windjammers and the Whidby Island were open to the public. Olad was kept very busy. Here’s a link to the Windjammer’s Weekend website, so you can check on next year’s event.

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Photos of the Fourth of July Parade in Thomaston, Maine. (More images to come.) More images here.

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