We enjoyed a hot but beautiful day in Boothbay Maine at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. Prior to this trip we had been a couple of times, once for a day time visit and another for their well known event, Gardens Aglow, in December. They have expanded and improved and we had a wonderful day!
We parked, slathered on sunscreen, and loaded up the stroller with lunch and water bottles. We met my parents in the parking lot, put on our hats and headed to the entrance. This was a new spot for us and what a welcome! Clean bathrooms, water fountains, maps and admission. The employee who welcomed us told us about a new educational program they are offering. There are backpacks located at the café for kiddos to enjoy the gardens and learn even more. We had already printed the photo scavenger hut and the big boys were excited to tackle that list with my camera.
We walked out of the entrance and headed down a big beautiful bridge to the first stop, the butterfly house. There were volunteers there sharing information and pointing out the caterpillars on the ground to prevent any stepping as well as the super tiny eggs on leaves. We spotted lots of moths and butterflies!
We exited the butterfly house and continued walking. There were some areas that were new and still under construction. I couldn’t help but imagine what these spaces are going to look like when they are planted and full of flowers! The path led us to a spot for the kids to crawl through a caterpillar tunnel that the boys enjoyed. We continued on and found ourselves at the Cafe, which is the former entrance and welcome center. We found the backpacks that included a pair of binoculars, clipboard with papers, magnifying glass and pens.
The boys were already hot so we figured we’d just eat since it was close to lunchtime anyway. I packed lunch but there is a restaurant and café that looked really great. I kept it simple by tossing a pack of small tortillas, package of sliced turkey and sliced cheese. I found some fruit squeezes with all fruit ingredients at Caswells for super cheap. Pretzels and sliced apples topped off the meal. We refilled water bottles, went to the bathroom and were off again. A super sweet employee tucked our lunch bag aside so we didn’t have to haul it through the gardens.
We stepped back out into the temps and ventured into the Garden of Five Senses. The walls of flowers and greenery were beautiful! Walking past the Slater Forest Pond we saw the Arbor Garden and moved quickly towards it. The boys always notice the rose mosaic in the pathway. Just after the arbor there was a little path that looked “secret” so a couple of boys went ahead and called us in. I walked down the path and laughed when I found three of my four guys snuggled in at this little nook with chairs and quiet. It was so cute!
The Children’s Garden was next and where we stayed the majority of our time. The bear cave and tree house offered a bit of shade. Mr3 proudly conquered his fear of the rope bridge that held him up last time we visited. ‘The cottage with play kitchen took a hold of Mr4 while the pond and nets excited the other three. We peeked out to see some of the puppet show and the chicken feeding. The reading nook and toys offered are so great and very fun. Probably the best part for my two little boys was the big sand box right next to the water pumps. Mr3 and Mr4 could have stayed there pumping water into buckets and pouring it in the sand all day long. Mr2 found his way over to the sprinkler and cooled off. Ironically the sprinkler was there to water the grass but several kids enjoyed cooling off. The highlights of Maine children’s books are so sweet. Blueberries for Sal and Burt Dow Deep Water Man are two of our favorite Maine storybooks. We stayed in the Children’s area for a couple of hours. The big boys were catching frogs and tadpoles when I had to tear them away. I hated to leave but Mr4 needed a nap desperately and we all needed a break from the sun. The boys and I made our way back through the gardens, crossed the bridge to the Visitor Center, found the restrooms and then on to the van. Water and snacks managed to keep Mr4 awake all the way home so he got a snooze in his bed which made the day even better!
Have you visited Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens? What was your favorite spot?
