Mapping Whoopie in Maine

You did read that title carefully, right? After all, this is a family-friendly blog!

Until you've tried one, you may think the idea of a cream (or marshmallow cream, or whatever) frosting between two moist cookies (or cakes, if you prefer) to be something other than delicious. But give it a try anyway. When you think of some of the things we eat... Oh, let's not go there!

Suffice it to say, that, as Wicked Whoopies says on their web site, there are at least ten smiles in every Whoopie Pie. They're not only light and sweet (but not too sweet), but delightful! They often come in different flavors. The traditional whoopie pie has chocolate cookies and a marshmallow or vanilla center. Variations include vanilla cookies, maple cookies, pumpkin cookies, and others, as well as flavored frosting inside, such as maple, chocolate, vanilla, peanut butter or mint.

Not long ago we came across a forum where a conversation started with a simple request about where to find a good whoopie pie in Maine. From the responses you might think this was a discussion about football teams or other matters of national security! From Kittery to Bangor, from the coast to the mountains, someone had a favorite they wanted to defend.

We are aware of some of these places, and have tried whoopie pies at a few, but others were familiar to us for their other wonderful treats, or we didn't know of them at all, and were happy to have new places to try!

Ruth has even been trying her hand at making some whoopie pies (the maple cookie with maple frosting is especially good!). You may even see them out as a treat at Brewster House. Meanwhile, the map below will help you find some of the places to evaluate for yourself! Let us know if you have a favorite we should add to the map!


View Maine Whoopie Pies in a larger map

Maine's Diners - History and a Greasy Spoon

When we first began to visit Maine we learned that unlike many parts of the country, Maine's diners had not only survived, but many of them thrive, whether along the coast, in popular tourist destinations, or in more remote areas of the Pine Tree state.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sushiesque/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

As we began to explore the state, we also began to explore the diners - enjoying the friendly, family-oriented atmosphere, the good, old-fashioned, styles of cooking, the variety of food on the menu, and the classic diner meals. We found you could get anything from a hot dog or a grilled cheese sandwich, to a steak dinner, a classic Maine lobster dinner, or almost anything in between.

There there was dessert. Oh, my, was there dessert! Ice cream and a variety of pies, fresh from the oven! We quickly discovered that this was the best place to get blueberry pies!

Practically every part of Maine has a diner (or two, or three...). From the world famous Maine Diner in Wells (where tourists sometimes visit in hopes of seeing one of the famous neighbors from Kennebunkport, the Bush family), to Moody's Diner in Waldoboro (decorated with photgraphs of visitors who purchased a Moody's Diner T-shirt, then sent back a photo of themselves wearing it in remote parts of the world), to the smaller and less well-known diners in all corners of Maine, the food is good, the company pleasant, and the atmosphere delightful (and the pie is great, too!).

Below is a map from Brewster House Bed & Breakfast which you can use to get directions to the various diners. There are a lot more diners in addition to the ones listed on the map. We'll be adding more over time, but feel free to give us a shout if we've missed one of your favorites, and we'll gladly add it to the map.


View Maine's Diners - History and a Greasy Spoon in a larger map

Save a piece of blueberry pie for me!

Visiting a Winter Wonderland

Have you ever considered visiting Maine in the winter? Some would shudder at the thought of snow and cold, but it can be the most picturesque time to be here!

We commonly see pictures of the spectacular Maine coastline with its rocky outcroppings and crags in the springtime or summer, or even during fall foliage. Ditto with the lighthouses, standing guard over the shores. Take a crisp, clear, sunny day and add a light dusting of snow, and you have a truly breathtaking photo of the same lighthouse (or stretch of coastline)!

The ideal time to come, of course, is on a sunny day, when the weather is just below 32F (0C) and there is a fresh snowfall (before anyone has walked on it!). Sometimes that is difficult to anticipate, though. To avoid disappointment, consider other types of photos as well - a wonderful lighthouse appearing against the gray skies, with a blanket of snow around it. If you have a light snow falling, it can make for a very interesting photo (though if you must use a flash, be careful that you don't just see glare on the snowflakes).

Winter is also a great time to see moose. They normally are more easily found near dawn and dusk, and often in the rural areas near the northern and western parts of Maine (such as Rangeley Lake, Moosehead Lake, or Aroostook County - to name a few), but can appear almost anywhere - especially if snow has made it difficult for them to find food in their customary locations. Just be careful, as they do wander into the roads, so you can round a bend in the road, or crest a hill, and find yourself face-to-face with one of the giant creatures! If you don't startle them, you can usually get a picture, but don't try to get too close, as they do startle easily at strange sounds - and they are big!

And, of course there are the traditional winter activities of snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and shopping! Check out the specials on our specials page!