Fall: With fall soon to be here Maine’s apple orchards are gearing up for a big season. One of my favorite fall family activities is to go apple picking. Most orchards are ready for pickers early September. You can find local orchards on-line or advertised in your local papers. Take a Sunday afternoon and go pick fresh Macintosh, Cortlands or whatever variety you prefer. The orchards typically have wagons and bags for you to collect your apples. The kids will love climbing the ladders to reach these red beauties hanging from the trees. Rocky Ridge Orchards in Bowdoinham is a great place to go apple picking. They have plenty of trees, a horse and wagon ride that brings guest around the orchard, a huge rope swing in the barn with hay bales for the kids to climb on and a great selection of pumpkins for your fall decorating. If you decide you need a snack you can enjoy a home baked goody in there café. They also have the best cider donuts and homemade bread around. Because Rocky Ridge is also a small farm, they do offer fresh vegetables along with cider. Don’t have time to pick? They sell bags of pre-picked apples in the café. Apple picking is a great way to celebrate the change of season and enjoy Maine’s fall harvest. Go apple picking and then go home and make your favorite apple goodies, like pie or crisp, it can’t be beat!
Tag: Fall
Christmas Festivals: See Santa On A Lobster Boat
Fall & Winter: It’s hard to imagine that Christmas is not too far away but, as the heat of the summer sun begins to fade it becomes a reality. There are some great holiday festivals that happen during the late fall that you shouldn’t miss. Camden’s annual Christmas By the Sea celebration is a popular event in the mid-coast region. With the annual tree lighting, horse drawn carriage rides through town and Santa arriving by none other than a lobster boat visitors are sure to get into the holiday spirit. If you find yourself in Freeport doing some holiday shopping plan on attending the Sparkle festival. This is annually a great event sponsored by the local businesses. LL Bean’s Discovery Park is lit up like a magical wonderland with a ice sculptures and a talking Christmas tree. The Sparkle parade is fun for the kids with Santa arriving on a sparkling float. Further down the coast, in Ogunquit, you will find another Christmas By the Sea celebration. This is a fun celebration with caroling around a beach bonfire. There are plenty of activities for the kids to enjoy such as the holiday parade and the adults will love to sample the fare at the annual Chowderfest. After you spend some time in Ogunquit don’t forget that the Kittery Outlets are just a short drive south and a great place to get some holiday gift shopping done. So make plans now to attend one of the holiday celebrations that are going on all over the state during the holiday season. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go!
Seadog Brewery: Gather Your Friends For A Cold Brew
Summer, Fall, Winter & Spring: Local brew pubs have risen in popularity since the mid 90’s. Maine has some great local breweries producing award winning beer. The Sea Dog Brewery is no exception. With a great selection of beer and traditional pub fare, the Sea Dog Brewery is a great place to go with friends or even bring the kids. This time of year they release their Octoberfest which is a full bodied beer that is only available in the fall. Sea Dog has two great locations one in Topsham with a great deck overlooking the Androscoggin River in the historic and beautifully renovated mill. The second location is in Bangor overlooking the Penobscot River. Both locations offer a great place to get together with friends and spend a fun night out. If you go, I suggest you try the sampler it gives you a great way to try all of their beers which are served in a 2 oz shot glass and pick your favorite from the bunch. During the weekends both locations offer live music events and both have banquet facilities if you are planning to get together with a larger crowd or looking for a place to host a special event. Another thing to check out is their Sunday morning brunch, which is out of this world. We enjoyed one of the best brunches at their Topsham location with a huge assortment of breakfast foods including omelets made to order right at the buffet table. If you have out of town guest coming this is a great place to spend some time whether breakfast, lunch, dinner or just for drinks!
Flea Markets: Hunting For Treasures Has Never Been More Fun
Fall: Bargain hunters love flea markets and Maine has plenty of these roadside attractions to choose from all over the state. If you are wondering what the attraction is, just hop in your car and take a drive in any direction on Route 1 until you come across what probably looks like the biggest lawn sale you have ever seen. Route 1 is home to some of the finest flea markets in the state like the Montsweag Flea Market in Woolwich. This place has it all with over 100 different vendors selling antiques, books, dishes, tools, jewelry and a whole lot more! The best part of shopping flea markets is negotiating the best price for your new found treasures. When finish browsing at Montsweag, jump in your car and head a little further up Route 1 to Newcastle where you will find Foster’s Antiques. Foster’s has a great year round indoor and an outdoor flea market that runs through October every weekend. There you will find a good mix of old, used and some wonderful estate antiques. A fun thing to do is to spend the morning at these flea markets then drive back into Wiscasset and enjoy lunch at Sarah’s Café right on Main Street. While you are there, be sure try the fresh soup and homemade bread bar, it’s delicious. Save room for some of the best homemade pie in the area. After, take some time and stroll along Main Street and check out some of the antique shops and gift stores. If you skipped the pie at Sarah’s don’t be distressed, Red’s Eats is directly across the street from Sarah’s and offers Maine’s own Gifford ice cream that can be enjoyed on the pier overlooking the waterfront. Fall is a great time to hit some of Maine’s coastal Route 1 flea markets, less people means better deals for you!
Fall Fun: Head Out And Hit The Hills This Fall!
Fall: October is such a wonderful month to go outside and enjoy the change of season. During the fall, taking a nature hike to enjoy the rich colors of autumn can be an enjoyable thing to do. Why not take a drive to Camden and take a hike up Mt. Battie. This is beautiful spot in the mid-coast region has both the ocean and the mountains in close proximity making it a very special place to visit. Mt. Battie is part of Camden Hills State Park and is easy to find as it is just off Route 1 just outside of the town of Camden. The park has parking at the base of the mountain if you choose to hike up to the top. If you aren’t in the mood for a hike you can of course drive to the top as well. If you choose to hike it, there is a great trail system that runs up to the summit of the mountain. The trails are well groomed and are perfect if you are a beginner hiker as the incline is not too much making it an easy and nice hike for all ages. Once at the top you will be amazed at the panoramic views of Camden, Penobscot Bay, all the islands surrounding the area like Curtis Island and Isleboro and even Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park. Not only do you get the view of all these great spots but, during the month of October you also have the beauty of the red, yellow and orange leaves of all the trees that have been kissed by the cool weather of fall and began to change their colors accordingly. I love to pack a picnic lunch and hike my way to the top where the rocks flatten out and sit down and enjoy lunch and one of the best views of the mid-coast around. Take some time during the month of October to do this with your family, there is no better time of year here in Maine!