PORTSMOUTH — Neighborhoods implode under the heels of his size nine and a halfs. Fences, roads, cars, all no bigger than toothpicks and pebbles, are no match.Bigger than life, Louis Escobar towers over the Aquidneck Island landscape, his stride streets wide, as he heads south toward Newport. He stomps on West Main Road, turns near the Navy base, and sets his sights on ritzy Brick Market Place and Ocean Drive beyond. Aquidneck Island, trembling under his feet, yields.
"It's a lot of fun," he says, laughing.
It's Thursday afternoon, July 19, and Mr. Escobar, the owner of Escobar's Highland Farm, is standing by his Middle Road cornfield, which every fall hosts his corn "maize," a labyrinth that so far has attracted thousands of curious visitors in the five years it's been open. While past mazes have been more traditional — they've included a cow, Rhode Island Red rooster and even a pig — this year's maze, an accurate, scale model of Aquidneck Island, is a change in theme, and was done for a very specific reason.
"We want to spotlight the work of the Aquidneck Land Trust," which has helped preserve thousands of acres of open space from Portsmouth to Newport, he says.
"It's all about protecting a way of life that's vanishing."
Mr. Escobar should know. Two weeks ago, the lifelong farmer signed a deal with the trust giving it an 18-month, $3 million option to purchase the development rights to 75 acres of his land. Should the deal go through, the land will be saved forever from developers.
"What they do is really important and we should recognize that," added Mr. Escobar, who was offered more for the land by developers but turned them down.
With just a day left before the maze was set to open — the first day was Friday, August 20 — Mr. Escobar was there to make sure things were going smoothly, and spent time talking to Lori Clarke, who will manage the maze for the family through the late summer and into the fall.
As always, he said, the maze is a bit tricky to navigate. But coming from him, he admitted, that's not saying much.
"I'm always a little lost before I start anyway."
Designed by maze designer Brett Herbst, it features an accurate representation of Aquidneck Island, complete with bridges to the mainland. Just offshore, a sailboat tacks on a sea of corn, and a lighthouse beacon flashes out a message: "Escobar."
"That wasn't my idea," he said, laughing.
Visitors who come to the maze in the coming weeks will be greeted not just with a challenge, but information on the land trust and its efforts to preserve Aquidneck Island. There's even a surprise thrown somewhere into the maze.
"It's a good maze, and a good thing to spotlight," he said.
Note: The maze will be open through Saturday, Nov. 6. Until Labor Day, hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to dusk, and Sundays 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. After Labor Day, hours are Fridays 3 p.m. to dusk, Saturdays 10 a.m. to dusk and Sundays 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Field trips are available by reservation. Cost is $6 for ages 12 and up, $4 for ages 5 to 11, and free for children four and under. Discounts are available; call 683-1444, 864-1064 or visit www.escobarshighlandfarm.com.
By Ted Hayes
thayes@eastbaynewspapers.com