Sap Buckets

Did you know that this is a busiest time of year for Maine’s Maple Trees?  Even in the worst of winter, Maine has something sweet to offer, as the maple sugaring season gets underway.  It all starts in late February when the sap starts flowing through the trees.  The trees are tapped, and in a good year, one large forty year old Maple Tree may produce as much as 60 gallons of sap from one tap.    
 

Sugar Shack

But it takes 40 quarts of the sap to get one quart of the golden maple syrup that you find beside your pancakes, ice cream or in maple candies.  Join Maine’s maple producers each spring as they celebrate Maine Maple Sunday on Sunday March 25- the day when sugar makers around the State open the doors of their sugarhouses for the public to join them in their rites of spring – Making Maple Syrup.

Sap Evaporator

At  many of these farms near the Atlantic Birches Inn  in Old Orchard Beach Maine you can go into the sugaring shack, watch the sap evaporate, and learn about how it goes from what looks like nothing more than water, to one of the sweetest things made in Maine. Sometimes the syrup is pale gold and delicate, sometimes dark and rich. It all depends on the soil and terrain, the wind and the weather, just like fine wine. But don’t worry, if you can’t make it for Maple Sugar Sunday at one of these farms, you can always visit them the rest of the month of March and early April.  

For a full list of participating farms visit  Maine Maple Producers  or see our map below of nearby Maine  Maplc Sugaring Shacks below come see us and we can give you a list with directions to some of the local nearby farms .  Your Innkeepers Ray and Heidi Deleo
View Atlantic Birches Inn – Old Orchard Beach – Local Maple Sugaring Shacks in a larger map

Lobster Dippers

New York has the Polar Bear Plunge, Maryland the Penguin Plunge, California the Polar Plunge, North Carolina the Dolphin Plunge, South Carolina the Pelican Plunge and Old Orchard Beach Maine has the Lobster Dip Sponsored by the Portland Rugby Club. 207-879-0489.

No Double Dippers

Watch or join in as over 500 participants who have raised a minimum of $100.00 in pledges, to be turned in on Dip day as they dip into the chilly forty degree water of the Atlantic Ocean in front of the BReuswick Hotel in Old Orchard Beach ME., at Noon sharp on Sunday January 1st New year day, to raise money and awareness for Special Olympics Maine.

Dipper Cheerleaders

For those who are not lobster dippers, there is an area on the beach for those referred to as “Chicken Dippers” who wish to take part in raising funds for the great cause but are too chicken to take a dip in the cool ocean waters.

Lobster Dipper

Wear something on your feet into the water! Costumes are optional. Bring a robe/blanket/beach towel to wrap yourself in after you come out of the water, showers/changing rooms are available nearby. Post Dip Party with free food, cash bar, live music & football inside the Brunswick at the Oceanside Grille, Registration starts at 10 AM – come early as you may have to park a distance away from the event.

Happy New Year

The Atlantic Birches Inn a Southern Maine Bed and Breakfast would like to show you the Better Way To Stay while celebrating the bringing in of the New Year in Old Orchard Beach Maine. Enjoy fine dining at Yellow Fin’s Restaurant and don’t forget to bring your favorite bottle of wine, there is no corkage fee at Yellow Fin’s.  Jumpin Jakes  will also be featuring a New Years Eve Dinner Package  

Beach Bonfire

The second Fireworks show will be at Midnight. The second show will give people a chance to visit restaurants and nightspots while they wait to bring in 2012 in Old Orchard Beach.   

New Years Day Lobster Dip

On Sunday, the 23^nd annual Special Olympics Lobster Dip sponsored by Portland’s Rugby Club will bring the daredevils, about 500 of them out to the beach. OOB365 volunteers will be there with hot cocoa and cider served on the beach to add some much needed warmth. OOB365 volunteers will be selling First Night Buttons for this event for $10 each to help cover the costs of the Fireworks and Advertising.

Main House 2011

Central and Southern Maine are the best locations to see colorful foliage through the weekend, according to the final 2011 fall foliage report from the Maine Department of Conservation.

Maine Forest Service and state park rangers are reporting past peak leaf color in each of the state’s seven tracking zones, but pockets of remarkable color can still be seen in the Kennebec Valley region along Route 201 and in Cumberland and York counties in southern Maine. Leaf drop in these regions is currently 50 to 70 percent, rangers say.

Autumn Colors

I went out for one of my rare October drives this Tuesday on Route 9 and Shore Road to see Nubble Light House in Cape Neddick  and I was surprised to still see an abundance of bright colors and  leaves still on the trees.  I am usually  here attending to guests here at the Atlantic Birches Inn a Southern Maine Bed and Breakfast, for most of the October leaf-peeping season. I wase amazed at the brilliance of leaf color even at higher elevations.  Along the beach here in Old Orchard Beach many of the trees are at  their color potential. We have Ash, Maple, Birch and Oak trees on our property that are in their full Fall display of bright fall colors. The road that we are located all the trees  are  orangingy, red and yellow Crayola Crayon shades that over-shadows all other leaf colors.

Wooden Covered Bridge

Numerous guests have taken area drives on scenic inland To Route 5 toward the White Mountains and coastal roads this past weekend and brought back spectacular photos of waterfalls, swimming-holes, covered wooden bridges,  landscapes, hiking trails, and all the photos bore a palette of bright colors.

Never mind the experts. We have gotten the word straight from the source, our guests:  The leaves are still on the trees and that the show will go on for another week or two. Don’t miss them.

Bed and Breakfast Maine namely the Atlantic Birches Inn an Old Orchard Beach ME. Bed and Breakfast  is happy to inform you that  Harvest on the Harbor is here again on October 20 – 22 at the Ocean Gateway Terminal in Portalnd.

It offers a unique experience that showcase’s many of Maine’s celebrated chefs and many renowned fine dining establishments, while featuring high-caliber and authentic gourmet products from local Maine farmers, fishermen and food artisans, as well as wineries, brewers and spirit makers. Some of the special events will be Grand Tasting on the Harbor.

 Lobster Chef of the Year Competition, The Ultimate Seafood Splash and Top of the Crop from Maine’s Best Farms to Table Chefs.  We invite you to share in the harvest bounty and hope you join us for 3 fun filled days of gourmet  foods right here in Portland Maine on the peaceful  coast of Maine

Just took a ride this morning and as amazed at the amount of trees changing color just over night.  It finally looks like fall but still unusually warm for this tiome of the year.  Some leaves are strting to fall but not manny yet.   We’re  here most of the Fall Foliage Season attending to guests  at the Atlantic Birches Inn a Southern Maine Bed and Breakfast, for most of the October leaf-peeping season. We were amazed at the brilliance of leaf color even at higher elevations. Along the beach here in Old Orchard Beach many of the trees have just begun to hit their color potential. We have Ash, Maple, Birch, Apen and Oak trees on our property that will soon be in their full Fall display of bright fall colors. The road that we are located on all the trees will be  taking on those orangingy, red and yellow Crayola Crayon shades that over-shadows all other leaf colors.

Numerous guests have taken area drives on scenic Route 5 and 112 inland and route 1 coastal road this past weekend and brought back some spectacular photos of waterfalls, swimming-holes, covered wooden bridges, landscapes, hiking trails, and all the photos bore a palette of bright colors.  Never mind what the experts say.

We have gotten the word straight from the source, our guests: The leaves tell us that the show will go on for another couple of weeks. Don’t miss them.

Victorian Main House

Bed and Breakfast Maine namely Atlantic Birches Inn invites you to Old Orchard Beach Maine during the fall foliage season where there are miles and miles of scenic roads ,parks and coast line that we can send you on to see trees displaying their Autumn colors. Some of our favorite spots to see the autumn fall colors in Southern Maine and Mid Coast Maine are Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park, Bradbury Mountain State Park, Mount Agamenticus Park, and Ferry Beach State Park , because of their close proximity to us at the Atlantic Birches Inn a Southern Maine Bed and Breakfast.

Pumpkin Valley Corn Maze

Along the way one can stop at one of the many pick you own apple orchards, and picnic under the apple trees. Sometimes these orchards are situated atop of or along side the hills and provide spectacular autunm view of the surrouding mountains and valleys. One can also stop along the many farm stands or pick your own pumpkin patches for autumn\halloween gourds, pumpkins, or maize corn. If you really want to try something fun and dirferent you can try to navigate some of the eloborate corn mazes that farmers have created in their corn fields.

Portland Head Light

During your touring stop and see some of the nearby Must See Maine Lighthouses, Maine Wooden Covered Bridges,

Hemlock Bridge Fryeburg Maine

Maine Waterfalls and Swimming Holes or nearby Walking and Bicycling Trails. If you get hungry or thirsty along your travels you might want to stop at one of Maine’s Ten Best Lobster Shacks, or take a tour one of Maine’s Wineries or Micro Breweries and sample some of Maine’s best wines and beers.

Bed and Breakfast Maine namely the Atlantic Birches Inn a Southern Maine Bed and Breakfast would like to share with you some of our favorite u-pick apple orchards in York and Cumberland Counties.

At the apple orchard, you can enjoy a day filled with activities and goodies for the whole family. Many apple orchards are family-owned with a strong sense of tradition, which makes them a great place to spend a fun filled day with your family and friends. Some activities offered at various orchards include weekend festivals, hayrides, playgrounds and petting zoos. Some also offer, fresh baked apple donuts, jams, pies, apple crisps, honey, maple syrup, vegetables, pumpkins, wagon rides and gift shops, U picking apples in Maine is a fun family day event for all ages.

If you visit an orchard that presses its own cider, you may have the opportunity to witness an apple-pressing demonstration.

During a visit to an apple orchard on a warm day, you may want to enjoy a light picnic lunch. Depending on the orchard, they may offer snacks on-site, or you may need to pack your own. Most orchards will have a picnic area or a nice area under the apple trees with majestic views, where you can relax while you eat. After your picnic treat yourselves to a slice of fresh baked apple pie with a scoop of ice cream to help keep everyone cool.

Bed and Breakfast Maine namely the Atlantic Birches Inn a Old Orchard Beach ME. Bed and Breakfast  is happy to inform you of the  Boston Portsmouth Air Show.  The United States Navy Blue Angels along with the Brazilian Smoke Squadron will bring their high adrenaline, action packed flying performance to the Boston Portsmouth Air Show at Portsmouth’s International Airport at Pease on  August 13 & 14 for the 2nd time in 21 years.  

There will also be precision aerobatic flying by John Klatt in his Staudacher S-300D, Michael Goulian in his Castrol Aviator Extra 330SC, and Sean D. Tucker in his custom built 400 horsepower Challenger II Biplane.

 The air Show will host ground displays of many different aircraft including today’s military jets, Vintage Warbirds, Bi Planes, and Civilian Aircraft.  Many of the display will allow hands on and walkthroughs.  

  The U.S. Army Golden Knights Precision Parachute Team will be parachuting in on this years show.

Impressive demonstrations of the mighty roar of the USAF F-15 will be put on, along with the display of power and maneuverability of the F-16 that combines to make this Jet one of the world’s most lethal aircraft, also the Navy’s top fighter and attack aircraft the F/A-18 Super Hornet will captivate the audience with it powerful, precise demonstration of it’s speed and skill.  An also must see demonstration is the KC-135R Stratotanker, the fuel lifeline of the United States Air Force in action in an exciting fly-by.