Seniors Make A Stop In Westbrook

 Senior travelers can find Westbrook as a suburb of Portland with a population of 18,00. Originally known as Saccarappa after Saccarappa Falls on the Presumpscot River, its name was eventually changed to Westbrook after Colonel Thomas Westbrook, an early settler and mill operator. In 1891, Westbrook was incorporated as a city.

 Senior visitors especially enjoy Westbrook’s River Walk, an attractive bike and pedestrian path that follows the bank of the Presumpscot River into Westbrook’s Riverbank Park and historic downtown. 

TripAdvisor has over a dozen attractions not to be missed on your visit to Westbrook. Cinimagic and Smiling Hill Farm rate high on their listing.

 Seniors Learn About “Wessie”

The Presumpscot River flows through the center of the city, with two prominent falls, the aforementioned Saccarappa Falls and Congin Falls. The smaller Stroudwater River flows through the southwestern part of the city. The city also contains part of Highland Lake.

You may have read about this in the paper or saw it on TV: a roughly 10-foot-long snake skin was found along a river in Westbrook earlier this month as well as a slew of sightings that has locals both perplexed and on edge.

After a DNA scan, the skin came from an huge anaconda. Police have been searching for the reported 10-foot snake since June. The snake has been dubbed “Wessie.”

Westbrook is home to about a dozen notable neighborhoods such as Birdland, Cumberland Mills, Frenchtown and The Hamlet. Seniors can also check out the Acorn Productions Acting Academy and the Westbrook Historical Society. The revitalization of Westbrook’s downtown has given rise to a new and upcoming art scene.

Seniors Can Enjoy Concerts, Markets and Great Maine Food

IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., a multi-national corporation, is headquartered in Westbrook. Westbrook is home to Sappi Ltd.’s Westbrook Paper Mill, formerly the S. D. Warren Paper Mill, once the city’s largest employer, employing over 3,000 people.

Senior visitors can enjoy Summer Concerts In The Park, Halloween on Main Street, the Westbrook Winter West Festival and the ever popular 1,000 seat Performing Arts Centre that hosts major musical and theatrical events.

The Maine Market is a new weekly event where folks are invited to shop for classic items from gifted Maine Artists, enjoy some local Maine food, listen to music and view a variety of entertainment.

And then there’s the Tough Mudder, the Westbrook Together Days and The Brook 5K where participants walk or run a 5k distance that starts at Riverbank Park and runs along the Presumpscot River.

Well, that about does it for our travel blog for today.  Certainly lots of great activities and opportunities in Westbrook all year long. When you are in Maine, include this exciting city and join in on the local fun. -jeb