Harvesting seaweed in Jonesport, Maine: (All images ©Hilary Nangle)
Sea & ski & slide for the roses
If you’re one of the many skiers and snowboarders who really don’t need a humongous resort, miles of trails, high-speed lifts, and the prices that go with them, then you might want to check out Camden Snow Bowl, in coastal Camden, a town better known among yachtsmen than skiers.
The Snow Bowl exists in a time warp, with a vintage A-frame base lodge and retro food and ticket prices. The reward for riding the pokey double or relatively speedy triple is a cruise down nautically named trails that ebb and flow down the 950-foot vertical, delivering glimpses of island-salted Penobscot Bay. In addition to skiing and riding, the town-owned Snow Bowl has terrain and tubing parks, a toboggan chute, and ice skating on Hosmer Pond.
Every year, its toboggan chute is home to the annual North American Tobogganing Championships (Maine’s slide for the roses). The championships, held the first weekend in February, is the winter wing-ding in Camden.
That blue moon? It's a Maine thing…
No, really! This Bangor News article tells the whole story, but here’s an excerpt:
In the 1946 article, the author “interpreted what he read in a publication known as the Maine Farmers’ Almanac … and declared that a second full Moon in a calendar month is a ‘Blue Moon,’” the Farmers’ Almanac Web site states.
Eastport’s New Year’s Eve twice the fun
Can’t get enough of that New Year’s Eve midnight joy? Experience it twice, in Eastport.
The first city in the U.S. to see the sun rise drops the ball, err make that sardine and maple leaf, twice, once each.
See, it’s like this: Eastport shares much history and culture with St. Andrews, NB, Canada, its neighbor across Passamaquddy Bay. St. Andrews is in the Atlantic time zone. So, at 11 pm Eastern time, which is midnight St. Andrews time, a giant maple leaf drops from the top floor of the downtown Tides Institute (okay, it’s only three stories, but it works). Then, one hour later, when it’s midnight eastern time, down comes the sardine, a symbol of the seaport’s heritage. New Year’s Eve in Eastport? Why not, it’s twice the fun.
Maine maple walnut pie
Since I’m in a baking frenzy, thought I’d share the recipe for Maine maple walnut pie. It’s delicious anytime, but it’s especially fun to make during maple season, perhaps with syrup acquired on Maine Maple Sunday Weekend.
Maine Maple Walnut Pie
INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
1/2 cup light cream
1/4 cup Maine maple syrup
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup walnuts, broken into pieces
1 tsp vanilla
9-inch unbaked piecrust
DIRECTIONS
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a saucepan, cream the granulated sugar, brown sugar and butter.
• Add the eggs and beat well.
• Add the cream, maple syrup and salt.
• Cook over low heat for five minutes, stirring constantly.
• Remove from the heat, and stir in the walnuts and vanilla.
• Pour into the pie crust, then bake for one hour.
Serve this topped with real whipped cream or ice cream (preferably Maine-made, such as Gifford’s).
Foliage Faves: Moosehead Lake
According to the Maine foliage report, the Moosehead region is currently moderate, which means if you travel now through the next week or so, you’re going to get glorious colors. Why Moosehead? Between the mountains, the forested wilderness, and Maine’s largest lake, the opportunities for leaf peeping are among the state’s best.
For starters, you can cruise Moosehead aboard The Kate, and this Sunday, Sept. 26, there’s even a special cruise to the head of the lake.
Or, get airborne with Currier’s Flying Service, for a birds-eye view of the color, and perhaps the opportunity to spy a moose from above.
Drive the woods road to Pittston Farm, for a true adventure. En route, watch for deer, turkey, moose, bear, and other critters. At the farm, visit the museum, perhaps rent a canoe for a paddle, hike into the woods, maybe even spend the night.
Take the shuttle from Rockwood to Kineo for a hike.
And when it’s time to call it a night:
Blair Hill Inn: The ultimate in luxury in the woods. A tastefully updated, 1891 Victorian mansion set high on a hill with panoramic views over the lake.
Lodge at Moosehead: Another luxury property, this one with a Maine woods motif.
Chalet Moosehead: The motel rooms are practically in the lake.
West Branch Camps: (top photo) Another favorite, but not a good choice for anyone who’s the least bit fussy. Classic old-time sporting camp right on West Branch Pond. Watch moose foraging in the pond while dining on good home cookin’. Bring warm clothes; only woodstoves provide heat.
10 signs of autumn in Maine
Every year, at some point near the end of September, you know autumn has arrived in Maine. Here are 10 signs that herald that event.
1. Frost is in the forecast.
3. Common Ground Fair kicks off
4. Wild turkeys seem to be everywhere
5. Most RVs on the road are headed south
6. It’s actually possible to get they-ah from he-ah on Route 1, even if that means passing through Wiscasset or Camden.
7. Fleece or wool become part of the daily wardrobe
8. All the seasonal shops have huge SALE signs in the windows
9. The tomato rush is on: Will they ripen before the frost? (see #1)
10. The quest for the perfect apple begins
Isle au Haut and Acadia National Park: Escape crowds on a day trip or overnight
In summer, the passenger ferry servicing Isle au Haut is packed with kids and dogs, hikers and freight. Not so in September. From Stonington at the tip of Deer Isle, this lovely island oasis is a scenic 45-minute ride aboard the Isle au Haut Boat Services mailboat, which weaves through islands and passes Robinson Light. (updated June 15, 2026)
The island is home to a remote section of Acadia National Park, so most folks come for the hiking. On most mornings, a park ranger meets the boat at the park dock in Duck Harbor, passes out trail maps, points out highlights en route, recommends trails, and answers questions. Also here are a handful of lean-to camping sites that must be reserved in advance.
Autumn is an ideal time of the year to hike. The temperatures are coolishly warm – or is that warmishly cool? – and a nice breeze keeps it that way. The trees are beginning to blush. And the trails are all but empty.
But, if you want to visit the Isle au Haut General Store, see the tiny post office, and shop at the island’s lone souvenir store, the Maine Shore Shop (you can purchase all of local celebrity swordfishing captain-turned author Linda Greenlaw’s books here), then get off at the passenger ferry’s first stop, Town Landing. From there, it’s about a 4-mile hike into the park.
Truth is, if you want a ride, it’s a safe hitch. Everyone slows down, waves, smiles, or nods. It would be easy to request a ride on down the road, even if that means hopping in a pick-up bed. Island cars aren’t fancy, but they do the job. On the other hand, walking provides other pleasures, like watching the dragonflies dance and deer nibble on fallen apples in forgotten orchards.
There’s not much on Isle au Haut, and that’s what’s so appealing about it. You can hear yourself think and, if you’re lucky and in the right frame o’ mind, achieve Zen.
Portland snooze
The Holiday Inn by the Bay is one of the ugliest buildings in Portland, but it also delivers perhaps the best bang for the buck of any intown hotel.
For starters, the Spring Street location is convenient to the Arts District and West End, and it’s very walkable to the Old Port and Waterfront, making it easy to park the car and forget about it.
Better yet, that parking is free (big points!).
Now add a free shuttle service.
And free Wi-fi.
And an indoor pool, along with fitness center and sauna.
And a free business center.
And a free coffee/tea/lemonade bar (and yes, there’s a full restaurant and lounge).
And a guest coin-op laundry.
Even a pillow menu.
Best perk: The views. From the top floors (Ask for one on the 11th floor, bayside), they extend over the city, harbor, island-salted Casco Bay, and SoPo’s Spring Point to the horizon of blue ocean.