Even though it was likely we'd be caught in a downpour on a hot and hazy day, we set off to explore the trails at the Arboretum anyway. At the trailhead my 10-year-old discovered a "Quest" treasure map with riddles to solve based on various places on the trail. Of course we could not pass up something to keep the kids interested on the trail and the prospect of finding a treasure.
One of the first things my 8-year-old spotted was the beautiful blooming field of lupines, her favorite wildflower. After taking a few photos - in place of her picking them all - we passed by some pear trees with tiny fruit just starting to bud. My husband, Fino, knew they were pear trees but I appreciated the small plaque on the tree to identify them.
Then my 8-year-old spotted some trees.
"Look at those trees mom. They look like a snowman and a bunny!"
A few long branches stood taller than the rest on one tree and I agreed that they did resemble a pair of bunny ears. And the odd rounded shape of the other tree, with indentations in just the right places, did look like a couple of snowballs stacked on top of each other. That kid always surprised me with her a keen eye for details.
That might have been excitement enough, but as soon as we entered the hosta garden, the kids were really enthralled. Not necessarily with the blooms - only a few were actually flowering - but with the names of the plants. At first I thought the plaques identifying them were fictional. It seemed unlikely to me that names like "Elvis Lives" or "Abba Dabba Do" could be real. But to my surprise - and some online research later confirmed this - those were the actual variety names. The kids found the hosta garden so much fun that we walked up and down that part of the trail several times - and returned again before we went home.
After working out a couple of treasure map riddles and getting into the rhyming of the hosta garden and old well clues, the kids and Fino said they were hungry. Since we weren't far from the trailhead, we headed back to grab our cooler and sit at one of the picnic tables there.
Instead of taking the same trail back however, my husband decided to lead us through the fields of lupine and other wildflowers. That wasn't such a great idea. The soggy spring and recent thunderstorms had left the grassy trail very muddy. So much so that at one point, the girls almost lost a shoe in the smelly mud. Of course, no one was spared from getting splattered; after admonishing the kids for getting dirty, they pointed out that I had, too.
Back at the car, the kids gathered their clean boots, socks and pants (which I was glad I had anticipated the need for) and found the public bathroom inside the visitor's center to change.
"Hey mom, this bathroom is nice - and it's so big!" commented my 10-year-old.
There was a time when my kids were younger that we knew the color of liquid soap in every bathroom in the Greater Portland area. I don't quite understand the fascination my kids have with public bathrooms. I used to try to avoid them, but now I listen to the girls review each one as if we were in a store showroom.
We explored more of the trails after lunch and found the clues to almost all of the map riddles in about an hour or so. We guessed at the remaining riddle and found the prize box. My 10-year-old took the honors of stamping our treasure map and signing the log.
The Arboretum has a lot of interesting plants, flowers and trees to keep kids of all ages interested on these trails. And what Fino and I really liked was the ability to get back to the car fairly quickly (it was key for us with a threatening storm the day we visited). There are five miles of trails but our trek back to the trailhead could be cut to less than a 1/2 mile from almost any given point by following the easy to read trail map.
As for the kids' review of our day at the Arboretum? They're already making plans to visit again later this summer when more hosta varieties are in bloom.
NEED TO KNOW
Trail name: Pine Tree State Arboretum Nearest town: AugustaRegion: Kennebec
Length: 5 miles of trails
Difficulty: Beginner
Other: Trails are open every day from sunrise to sunset. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. Directions, trail map and more are available on the Arboretum's Web site.
Originally published in the Maine Sunday Telegram July, 2006
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