During my Portland whirlwind, I made a passing reference to Erebus to someone, and the result was a blank stare. Anyone else remember Portland’s original hippie-dippie head shop, source of patchouli oil, incense sticks, candles, those groovy and gauzy India bedspreads, beaded curtains, and, of course, pipes, clips and bongs? Whenever I walk by that building, I shake my head and grin. It’s so proper looking, so restored, refined, upscale. Hah.
Just a peep
Late fall foliage along the Airline (Route 9), October 2007.
Escape the leaf-peeping crowds
If I wanted to lose the tour buses, the vehicle parades, the lines and the masses, and I wanted to not only see the fall foliage show, but also the coast, I’d—sshhhh—return to the Blue Hill/Deer Isle Peninsula, and spend a weekend or longer.
Perhaps because there are no huge hotels or fancy-schmancy resorts here, the crowds and bus tours go elsewhere. Good. Now I’ve previously blogged about the Shore Oaks Inn on the grounds of the Oakland House Seaside Resort, and the Inn on the Harbor, in Stonington at the tip of Deer Isle. Besides these, favorites are the Pentagoet Inn, a butter-yellow Queen Anne in Castine, the land of white houses, and the Blue Hill Inn, an elegant oasis in downtown Blue Hill.
Thanks to the mapmaker-challenging coastline, you can watch the sun both rise and set over the ocean as you noodle the byways with a glimpse of water around nearly every bend. Spend an afternoon or longer exploring Castine’s rich history and viewing its architectural gems; mosey around Deer Isle, and if the weather’s fine, take the passenger ferry to Isle au Haut. Artists’ and artisans’ studios are plentiful, walking and hiking trails lace abundant preserves, and dining choices range from seafood shacks to elegant restaurants.
A grand time to visit is over Columbus Day weekend, when the annual Peninsula Potters Studio Tour and Sale occurs.
Cheap Sleeps in the Kennebunks
You don’t have to be religious to book a room at the Franciscan Guest House. An easy walk to Lower Village and Dock Square (avoid parking hassles), the guest house, located on the grounds of the riverfront Franciscan Monastery, provides simple accommodations, with a few frills.
The guest house is located in a renovated former Catholic high school and outbuildings. While some stay here for religious reasons, guests of any faith are welcome.
I paid $69 for a room with a single queen bed, and that rate includes a full buffet breakfast, with dozens of breads and pastries, two hot entrees, cereals, fresh fruit, meats and cheeses. The room: vintage 1970s decor, with blond fake paneling, brown carpeting, synthetic patterned bed spreads, not-so-great art, TV, pine desk and bureau, full bathroom. All spotless, with a tinge of antiseptic aroma. Also available are a rec room, an outdoor pool, free wifi, and two computers available to guests. But hey, who needs fancy with this location.
The monastery was founded by Lithuanisan Franciscans, who fled war-torn Europe in 1947 and purchased the Tudor Great House and estate, originally landscaped by the Frederick Law Olmstead firm. Monks still reside in the mansion, which isn’t open to the public except for a seasonal gift shop and a modern chapel, attached.
The monastery’s 66 mostly wooded, riverfront acres are open to the public (no pets), providing a wonderful escape from the nearby hubbub. Paved, wheelchair- and stroller-accessible trails lace the grounds, which are peppered with shrines and an outdoor chapel. Don’t miss the eye-catching, recently restored, modern sculpture, created by Vytautas Jonynas for the Vatican Pavilion during the 1964-1965 Worlds Fair. A guide to the shrines is available in the gift shop or the Guest House for 50 cents B&W or $1.50 color.
This is an inexpensive place to stay, a great value with a wonderful place to walk or meditate. Another plus for guests, it’s an easy and pleasant walk (past the oh-so-haute White Barn Inn) to Gooch’s Beach.
Seeking Common Ground: Maine’s best agricultural fair
It’s fay-uh season in Maine, and if you want a different take on the usual fair fare, head to the Common Ground Fair, Sept. 21-23, in Unity. Sponsored by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA), it’s a celebration of rural life without the gliz, glitter, hype, carnival rides, or junk food. The last time we went, we squeezed our pickup between a battered Volkswagen bus and a gleaming Volvo wagon with two childseats. That, in a nutshell sums up the fair’s demographics.
In addition to plentiful organic produce and food vendors (100-percent organic, at least 50 percent of ingredients sourced in Maine), the number and variety of offerings are overwhelming. Tents shelter crafts, folk arts and Native American arts, exhibits by social and political-action organizations, environmental activists and whole-life practitioners. There are spinners and stone-cutters, exhibits about sustainable energy and environmental concerns, a children’s area and youth enterprise zone.
Now add the talks, demonstrations and contests—for example, sheepdog demonstrations and donkey and mule shows; Choosing the Best Goats for You and Growing Food Legumes in Maine; the Horseshoe Pitch Off and the Harry S. Truman Manure Pitch Off. The latter two events are conveniently held near the composting and recycling area.
Anyhoo, you get the idea, this fair is way cool, way green, and way fun.
A few notes: If you run on caffeine, drink up before entering the hallowed grounds. Don’t even consider bringing a pet. If driving, park nose in. Ride your bike to the fair, and you get valet parking and $2 off admission. Go hungry.
Let's talk leaves
As in foliage. According to the folks who study this stuff, thanks to our wet summer, Maine is expecting a grand foliage season, with vibrant color.
“With a few localized exceptions, the forest statewide is in good health, thanks to the abundant and relatively well-distributed rain we’ve had since spring,” said Bill Ostrofsky, a forest pathologist with the Department of Conservation, Maine Forest Service. “The great majority of hardwood trees have carried a full complement of healthy foliage, and appear to be on typical schedule for changing. Overall, I expect leaf coloration to be magnificent once again for this season.”
Best way to track that color is here. Now conventional wisdom says foliage usually peaks around Columbus Day, but that’s very early this year.I’m guessing the traditional foliage destinations—Rangely, Bethel, Greenville, and along the coast—will peak at least a week or two after that. Which means you may be able to snag a room at a decent rate.
A few more hints re foliage-related travel:
First, it’s still peak season in many places, which means peak rates. You’ll find less-pricey possibilities in the fringe towns and at the smaller properties without the marketing budgets or fancy web sites.
Second, because it’s peak season (at least through Columbus Day Weekend, and likely on weekends after that), make advance reservations for lodging and, if dining out is important to you, at restaurants, too.
Foliage Faves: Blair Hill Inn
Vermont gets all the press—but it also gets gazillions of leaf peepers. Here’s a place where you can enjoy the colors without the crowds. (The first in my leaf-peeper foliage faves postings)
No it’s not easy to get to, but that’s what makes it so worth the effort. Greenville edges Moosehead Lake, that giant blue Rorschach blot in the wilds of northern Maine. It’s the frontier town before tar gives way to dirt, civilization to wilderness. Shops sell all manor of moosey merchandise, fishing and hunting are big biz. Set high on a hillside, just outside of town is a genteel country inn, the splurge-worthy Blair Hill Inn, an oasis of comfort, with excellent service and fabulous breakfasts.
And the views? Stupendous, especially during peak foliage, when the color-dappled mountains surrounding the 40-mile-long lake are reflected in its waters. This is God’s Country, and if you don’t believe me, mosey up to Kokadjo (population, not many) where a giant sign proclaims just that.
The region is laced with hiking trails and with opportunities for boating and paddling and moose spotting. Treat yourself to a cruise on the Katahdin, a retrofitted, early 20th-century boat that was previously used in in the lumbering industry. Or take a foliage flight with Currier’s Flying Service, a great way to view the cliffs of Kineo. Or book a moose safari or other adventure with Northwoods Outfitters.
Now, if the Blair Hill Inn is out of range budget wise, not to worry, Greenville has plenty of wallet-friendly spots, too. Chalet Moosehead is a motel that’s right on the lakefront. And in nearby Rockwood, Maynard’s in Maine is an old-time classic—very rustic (in the Maine sense of the word, not the New York sense) lodge and cabins, with a restaurant (see photo) It’s not for everybody, but I love this place, and it’s pet friendly.
Victory Chimes two views
One from the air, early on a bright sunny day; and one from the sea, taken later that afternoon, as the fog rolled in. In any case, September through early October is a grand time for a windjammer vacation.
