A day at the beach and balloons over Broadway

"After a visit to the beach, it’s hard to believe that we live in a material world." 

— Pam Shaw

PHIPPSBURG, Maine — The sky was overcast, the water temperature was a balmy 64 degrees and a cool sea breeze made me consider wearing a sweatshirt, but any day at the beach with my family is always a pleasure.

Any time I have an opportunity to immerse my myself in the healing waters of the Atlantic, I do my best to persuade my family to make the 50-mile trek to the coast. Hanging out on the warm sand at a beach without my family makes me feel like a marooned sailor on an uncharted island.

I would feel like Gilligan without the Skipper and the rest of the five castaways.

I also understand my days are numbered when my son will gladly join me for some fun and sun with his dad in the surf. He is 18, has his eye on a number of colleges and is serious about his future.

So are we!

Popham Beach, our usual destination for us when we want to escape summer's heat, is what I call an explorer's beach. Besides tumultuous surf and a dangerous riptide and undertow, it offers miles of pure white sand and panoramic views of islands that make a beachgoer reach for a camera. 

It's a walker's paradise, too.

Two ancient, stone forts and a Civil-War era, Dahlgren cannon pointed toward the sea reminds history buffs of New England's past. Fort Popham and Baldwin have commanding views of the Maine coast and were used during several wars. At times, the forts served as observation posts where soldiers kept an eye out for German U-boats or spies trying to slip ashore under the cover of darkness.

But on this day we decided to scale Big Rock Island, which offers beachgoers spectacular vistas of the coast. You can access the island at low tide and you must leave when high tide comes rolling back in or you will find yourself stranded for several hours.

Anthony and I made our way slowly up the rocky slope. My balance isn't what it used to be so I stepped carefully. Anthony was light on his feet and had no problem finding the simplest route to the top.

This was our last hurrah for this season. School is next week, which always gets me down after enjoying a wonderful summer with my family. 

We took a handful of snapshots of the coast after reaching the top. We spent about 45 minutes on the wind-blown summit before I ambled down the mountain like a dawdling turtle. Anthony showed me the way and demonstrated great patience with his father.

We broke a sweat as we headed back to our stake of land on the sandy shoreline. We covered nearly four miles of coastline and headed toward the water for a dip that made me yelp when I submerged myself in the icy ocean.

But some of the best moments of the trip to Popham was the long ride. We never stopped talking as we listened to the Golden Oldies.

Archie "Moonlight" Graham was right when he said, "I thought there would be other days, but this was the only day."

And it was a great day for a father and son who are forever drawn to the sea.

Balloons over Broadway

LEWISTON, Maine — We rarely miss the Great Falls Balloon Festival, which has shrunk in size thanks to a shrinking economy caused by our narrow-minded leaders and corrupt financial institutions.

But we still get a rise out of the majestic balloons that coast across the sky during the three-day event.

The festival also signals the end of the summer and ominous signs of another school year, which will be Anthony's last. This is hard from me to take, but I also want him to go forth in life and do well for himself.

What I discovered about my son is that he is a talented photographer and sees images through the lens that I often overlook or ignore.

I find his shots stunning, and my praise for his ability behind a lens is not just from a proud father shooting his mouth off about his family.

See for yourself:

Tidal wave of changes

Popham Beach's landscape has taken a beating thanks to the Morse River, punishing winter storms and global warming.

The beach's nemsis: Erosion

"Just as the wave cannot exist for itself, but is ever a part of the heaving surface of the ocean, so must I never live my life for itself, but always in the experience which is going on around me."                                                                                             -  Albert Schweitzer

PHIPPSBURG, Maine - There has been several tense moments when I was bushwhacked by Popham Beach's shifting landscape, rough surf and dangerous undertow and riptide.

Right now, this spectacular shoreline has taken a beating thanks to punishing winter storms and the meandering Morse River, putting beachgoers at risk during high tide. If you don't respect Popham's overpowering surf, then you might find yourself in harm's way.

According to a friendly officer on beach patrol, a woman was recently swept out to sea in July, and a helicopter was summoned from Cape Cod to rescue her. But she was lucky: The tide swept her back to shore.

We usually visit Popham twice during the summer to take on this beach's battering waves and visit its two historic forts, Popham and Baldwin. There is also a small island that is accessible when the tide recedes. It is a challenging and precarious climb to the top, but the view of the entire beach is simply awesome. But one slip on the backside of this island means a 30-foot plunge into turbulent waters and certain peril. Waves are constantly slapping the island, and I believe it would be impossible to survive the surf.

The wild waves are enticing to two surfer dudes like my son and me. We prefer low tide and a mile walk to the water that is usually shrouded in a morning fog. We trudge through the soft and sinking sand and eventually disappear into the mist. The water is usually cold, not like the tepid waters at Old Orchard Beach.

For the next couple of hours, Anthony and I are swept away by powerful waves. We notice hundreds of small fish darting around our legs, but we quickly figure out what is driving the tiny creatures toward the shallow water. Large stripers, which are feeding on the smaller creatures, make their presence known when they dive out the water. It is spectacular sight to see these big fish launching themselves in the air.

There are two instances where I found myself in a dangerous predicament at Popham. Anthony was just six when I stopped paying attention to the rising tide. We had a boogie board with us. I rushed back to shore, but the water was already waste high for my 6-foot-3 frame and over Anthony's head. 

We were in trouble. 

I told Anthony to climb on top of the board and I dragged both of us to safety despite a riptide and undertow that almost caused me to go dead in the water. When he was a toddler, I carried him off the island when the tied started coming in, making it an arduous trek back to the beach.

That is the danger with Popham Beach. The tides can sneak in and trap you from behind as the water fills the deep gullies chiseled out by storms and the Morse River.

Those treacherous moments with my son occurred a decade ago when the landscape was easy to navigate as a swimmer. Today, Popham's shoreline has changed dramatically thanks to the Morse River, which has cut closer to the shoreline over the years, wiping out defensive dunes and threatening the new bathhouse installed next to the beach. Coastal storms and global warming also chewed up Popham, but the Morse River has rerouted itself away from the spectacular beach, preventing further erosion, which is great news for beach lovers.

But whatever treacherous changes have taken place at Popham, Anthony and I will always return to visit and traverse the beach's hacked-up landscape to take a crack at Popham's uncompromising waves.

Stepping into Maine's past

The way to the top

The long road to the top

The observatory tower. It is a massive structure.

A view of a section of the fort. Note the command post at the top.

Fort Baldwin shows its wear and tear.

A window to the past

This where one of the big guns stood.

A fireplace to take the chill out of a cold sea breeze.

PHIPPSBURG, Maine — There are two huge granite and cement relics that can't be ignored when you visit Popham Beach.

One behemoth, Fort Popham, sits menacingly on the coast. The other garrison, stealthy Fort Baldwin, is just across the street from Fort Popham and is hidden on a hilltop overlooking the beach. 

For people who have a passion for history, these massive remnants were built to protect Maine's coast and won't cost you a dime as you spend a good hour touring these coastal fortifications. There is no charge for taking a peak inside the austere rooms or stand where an artillery battery was located.

Unfortunately, these structures have shown a lot of wear and tear and will probably need restoration to prevent these fortifications from crumbling into the ground.

After getting tossed about in Popham's wild surf, Anthony, my wife, Terri, and I break camp and drive down the end of the beach to visit both forts. It has become a habit for us. For three students of history, making the 500-foot climb to visit Fort Baldwin or trudging up the second tier of Fort Popham is a treat and a good workout, too.

Fort Popham's massive 30-foot walls peppered with gun ports can be seen from the beach, but when you enter the fort, you are caught in a time warp dating back to Civil War. You will marvel at the huge blocks of granite used to construct the fort that has been around since 1862. My son and I would pack up our toy pistols and pretend we were repelling the Confederate army or worse — bloodthirsty pirates who were bent on sacking the town of Phippsburg. We aimed our toy weapons through the gun ports and ordered our imaginary artillery on the first floor of the structure to shell rebel ships sitting in the water just outside the fort.

According to www.travel.maine.info, Fort Popham housed 36 cannon, each weighing 25 tons and firing projectiles weighing up to 480 pounds.There are 20 musket ports on the second tier of the fort. This fort was garrisoned during the Spanish American War and World War I, too. But the construction of Fort Baldwin to house long-range artillery made Fort Popham obsolete.

From 1905 to 1912, workers poured tons of concrete to build Fort Baldwin on 38 acres of land high above the beach. The fort took its name from Colonial army engineer Jeduthan Baldwin. The fort consisted of three batteries, including Cogan with two three-inch guns, Hawley with two six-inch pedestal guns and Hardman with one six inch pedestal gun, according to www.visitmaine.com. Both forts were garrisoned by 200 soldiers from the 13th and 29th Coastal Artillery during World War I, and all three batteries were removed in 1924.

But Fort Baldwin was garrisoned again in World War II and was used as an observatory. The 8th Coast Artillery occupied the fort from 1941 to 1943 to watch for German boats.

Baldwin also has unique landmark — a 30- to 40-foot observatory tower that leaves you winded when you finally get to the top, but what a view of Fort Popham and the beach's surrounding landscape.

When you have seen enough of the forts, there is an old cannon on the beach next to Percy's General Store. I am not sure what make it is, but I am betting it is either a Rodman or a Dahlgren. Whatever the make or its age, this is still one menacing cannon, which sits facing the open waters of the Atlantic.

There are 25 forts in Maine and each fortification is unique in its design. These garrisons allow Anthony and I an opportunity to step back in time and learn about their roles in American history.