For our first inline skating adventure of the season, my family decided to check out the new Bayside Trail in Portland. It connects to the Eastern Prom trail and since we've skated that trail, we figured the Bayside Trail would give us a bit more mileage to explore while appealing to our desire to skate along the waterfront.
Because we have never been on the Bayside Trail, we brought along backpacks that not only fit our sneakers but also our skates on the chance that the trail was better suited to walking rather than skating. We are not all that adventurous with hilly terrain on our skates so I wanted to make sure we had a back-up plan.
The Bayside Trail begins just behind Trader Joe's on Marginal Way. There is a large patio area with benches that we found helpful to sit down on and put on our skates. We hadn't thought about the bricks in the patio being an issue until we tried to skate on them for the first time.
My 13-year-old thought it was quite comical to talk in her warbled voice while skating across the patio bricks. Although she did declare that her ears were itchy from the vibration before she reached the trail's blacktop.
There are several street crossings on the Bayside Trail and the studded rumble strips at those crossings caused a little uneasy rolling. Because of the slight downhill slope of the sidewalk ramps, I made sure we stopped well before the sidewalk ended to ensure there wasn't any traffic on the street.
This worked just fine for us until we were faced with crossing Franklin Arterial. If you're unfamiliar with Portland, it's a very busy, two-lane (in each direction) roadway leading to the I-295 on-ramp.
Thinking about safety first, we decided to remove our inline skates to make that road crossing in sneakers. I felt it was absolutely the right decision for us since we aren't regular inline skaters and our ability to stop is more by chance than on purpose.
That was the only road crossing I had any concern about on this trail. Next time we visit, we may start this trail just after Franklin Arterial to avoid a footwear swap.
We continued down the trail, skating parallel with part of I-295 before going under a bridge and intersecting with the Eastern Prom Trail. At that intersection we turned right and continued up a small incline to the waste management plant.
We have biked along the Eastern Prom previously so a stop to look at the graffiti wall and bubbling brown water of the waste plant has always been a required stop for my kids. I agree with them, they are interesting sites.
There is a large hill just after the East End Beach and I wasn't confident we could handle the downhill speed on our skates. So we took off our wheels again, donned sneakers, and walked down the hill. We watched the Narrow Gauge Railroad train pass by while we put our skates back on.
The rest of the trail was smooth skating until we reached the sidewalk of Commercial Street at the ferry terminal.
It might sound like taking on and off skates was a lot of work but it wasn't all that much of a hassle. We played it safe on the trail, and in the end, we had a stress-free experience. Plus, we had a destination in mind that was going to require walking shoes anyway – Becky's Diner on Commercial Street for a slice of pie a la mode. That was more than enough incentive to cover the mileage we did on this trail system.
We covered five miles total; about three-and-a-half were on inline skates, according to my GPS unit. The rest of the distance was walking down Commercial Street to the diner and then cutting through the Old Port back to our car.
For families interested in giving inline skating a whirl, I'd highly recommend bringing along a backpack with sneakers. Inline skating is great fun on a smooth, level surface. But sometimes there is a small part of the trail that offers a terrain challenge and having the option to remove skates is a good one, especially when you and/or the kids are new to the sport. Even the smallest hill can be intimidating to a young, inexperienced inline skater and having options ensures a good time for everyone. Offering a special treat at the end of the skate is always a good plan, too.
Inline Skating on Back Bay & Eastern Prom
INLINE SKATING-FRIENDLY TRAILS
There are several trails that offer paved, level terrain to skate on. Some might require a footwear swap for major street crossings and/or a hill.
Eastern Prom Trail in Portland
Street Crossings: No, but a large hill just after the East End Beach might prompt a novice skater to walk down without wheels
Distance: 2.1 miles one way
Other: You can add an additional mile by starting on the Bayside Trail off Marginal Way.
Trail Map: www.trails.org
Androscoggin River Bike Path in Brunswick, Topsham
Street Crossings: No
Distance: 2.63 miles one way
More info: www.brunswickme.org
Greenbelt Walkway in South Portland
Street Crossings: Yes, a couple of major ones.
Distance: 5.7 miles one way
Other: Bug Light Park offers a nice option for novice skaters with a looping trail around the park without continuing down the Greenbelt trail.
More info: www.trails.org
Deering Oaks Park in Portland
Street Crossings: No
Distance: looping trails through the park
More info: www.portlandmaine.gov
Originally published in Raising Maine Magazine, June 2011
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