It reads: Popham Rock 1607. A play on Plymouth Rock 1620, some 200 miles south? Not entirely. A colony called Popham actually did precede the renowned Massachusetts settlement. "Popham was the ...

That's one reason Popham Beach is such a gem: The beach is vast and open. The sand is soft on your feet, instead of the pebbled — or "cobblestone" — beaches that require sturdy footwear.