Old Orchard Beach
Today, as I was writing some checks to authors for our laboratory continuing education program, I ran across an address for Old Orchard Beach, Maine. I was somewhat struck by this - it has a sort of “Yahoo Serious Film Festival” ring to it (”I know all those words, but that sign just doesn’t make sense”).
Anyway, I researched the town a bit. It takes its name from an apple orchard located on high land above a sandy beach, and this was a landmark to sailors. In 1820 a “Publick House” was built, and in 1837, a summer boarding house began the town’s march toward becoming a haven for summer tourism. In 1898, the town opened a 1,770-foot-long pier, but a combination of fires and storms in the early 1900’s ruined many early beachfront buildings, destroyed the “White City” that was built on the pier, and trimmed the pier to a (still respectable) 700 feet. A new pier and the amusement park that’s located there opened in 1980 (current pier length: 500+ feet). [http://www.oldorchardbeachmaine.com/History.htm]
Old Orchard Beach touts itself as the last remaining beachfront amusement park in New England. Sounds like fun!
Old Orchard Beach is basically the Hampton Beach, NH or Coney Island of Maine. Though I grew up and live in southern Maine, I’ve never really enjoyed going there, since there’s plenty of lovely beaches here with natural beauty. Old Orchard Beach, though, is the only beach in Maine with amusement park rides, tons of tourists (mostly from Quebec), boardwalks or at least boardwalkish areas with kitschy shops, and a general carnival and exposed beergut atmosphere.
I went there last summer, and was served a pizza which was fried so hot that it melted the styrofoam plate it was on. I probably got mild teflon poisoning from eating the thing.
Joel Glidden
4 Nov 09 at 10:13 am