Staycations: A budget-friendly Mainecation

Hilary Nangle
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Staycations: A budget-friendly Mainecation
Coastal view from a Maine preserve
Views like this are free when you visit one of Maine’s many preserves. ©Hilary Nangle

Are you trying to control costs this summer, yet yearning for a vacation? Consider a staycation–the trendy term for vacationing at home and doing all the things you tell visiting friends and relatives to do.

Millions of folks travel to Maine every summer because there’s so much here, yet few of us play in our backyards. And if you’re visiting, these budget-friendly Mainecation ideas will help you control costs.

Below are a few ideas to keep Maine budget-friendly.

(Originally published in 2008, updated and republished June 12, 2026).

 

Let’s start with the freebies

Take a walk in Vaughn Woods, on the edge of downtown Hallowell, Maine. Hilary Nangle photo.
Take a walk in Vaughn Woods Preserve, on the edge of downtown Hallowell, Maine. ©Hilary Nangle.

• Preserves and sanctuaries are tucked in all corners of the state. Search for Maine Audubon and Nature Conservancy properties, local land trusts, and town parks. Go hiking, mountain biking, paddling, swimming, walking, and picnicking. Many also offer free educational programs, such as guided walks or talks. Another plus: Getting the kids outside is a cure for nature-deficit disorder.

• Bike a rail trail or join an organized ride. (Yes, that means go into the cellar, barn, or garage to find the bike, clean it up, pump up the tires, ideally get it checked at a local shop).

• Find out what’s in the community’s attic. Local historical society museums or small, quirky museums are often free or nearly so, and they’re usually staffed by volunteers who are passionate about the collections. Maine Museums has links to most.

• Many towns and L.L. Bean sponsor free weekly concert series. Check the Maine Arts Commission calendar for other free concerts and arts-related events

Enter here to visit the newly renovated Bowdoin College Museum of Art. Afterward, visit the Peary-Macmillan Museum in Hubbard Hall. Both are free.
Enter here to visit the handsome Bowdoin College Museum of Art. Afterward, visit the Peary-Macmillan Museum. Both are free.

• Maine college campuses are home to free museums and activities. At Bowdoin, visit the Museum of Art and Peary MacMillan Arctic Museum; at Colby, visit the Art Museum; at UMO, visit the Hudson Museum and Page Farm.

• The Portland Museum of Art is free on Friday nights (4pm-8pm).

• Poland Spring Preservation Park is free (donations appreciated): tour the museum in the original bottling plant, the Maine State Building and the All Souls Chapel

• Try rock hounding in the Oxford Hills or panning for gold in Coos Canyon.

• Visit a farm or farmers’ market.

• Explore a rail trail.

• Maine residents have free daytime use of Baxter State Park.

• Walk the Rockland breakwater or walk through history in Castine or an art walk

Willing to spend a few bucks?

Island hopping is easy from Rockland
From Rockland, board a ferry for Vinalhaven or North Haven island for a fun, easy, and budget-friendly day trip. @Hilary Nangle

• It’s fair and festival season in Maine. Check the state agricultural events calendars.

• Take advantage of Maine’s state parks. (fees $2 to $5 pp; $105 pass covers a carload; if you’re 65 or older, you’re free or pay $45 for a vehicle pass).

• Go to Acadia National Park ($35 per vehicle for a week-long pass). Avoid parking hassles and gas prices by parking at the new Welcome Center in Trenton and riding the Island Explorer shuttles.

• Take an L.L. Bean Walk-On Discovery course (from $35).

• Pack a picnic and hop a ferry to an offshore island: Both Peaks in Casco Bay and Vinalhaven in Penobscot Bay are easy to explore on foot, or bring a bike for an extra fee.

Ready for a cost-controlled splurge?

Sail aboard a Maine windjammer for an adventuous Maine vacation. ©Hilary Nangle
Sailing aboard a windjammer is classic Maine adventure, and one price covers the entire experience. ©Hilary Nangle

• Sail for three days or longer on a Maine windjammer.

• Spend a few days in a cabin at a traditional, lakefront Maine sporting camp; American Plan ones include hearty meals in the daily rate; in housekeeping cabins, you provide your own meals.

• Hike, bike, or even drive into one the AMC’s Maine Lodges.

Staying at a Maine sporting camp can be a way to keep Maine budget-friendly
West Branch Pond Camps is an American Plan Maine sporting camp under third-generation ownership. ©Hilary Nangle

 

Plan Ahead: Frenchboro Lobster Festival

Hilary Nangle
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If you crave something far simpler than Rockland’s big Lobster Festival wingding, with  music, parades, vendors, entertainment and crowds, plan ahead to attend the annual Frenchboro Lobster Festival.

Frenchoboro, located in Blue Hill Bay, is the real deal when it comes to authentic fishing communities. It supports a year-round population of about 70, including more than 20 of elementary-school age or younger.

Wear your hiking shoes, pack water and light snacks, and come for the day via a special run of the Maine State Ferry from Bass Harbor (passengers only). Bass Harbor is on the quiet side of Mount Desert Island, near Southwest Harbor. The ferry departs Bass Harbor at 9 a.m. and departs Frenchboro, located in Blue Hill Bay, at 3:30 p.m. That leaves plenty of time to hike the island’s trails, visit its musuem, and of course, chow down at the lobster picnic, served between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., rain or shine.

Besides lobster, there will be chicken salad, hot dogs, cole slaw, homemade pies (oh yeah!), potato chips and soft drinks. Tickets are $20, ferry ride is $5 (2011 pricing, that may have increased); proceeds benefit the Outer Long Island Congregational Church. If you have your own boat, you can anchor or moor it in Lunt Harbor.

Don’t miss this opp to sample the freshest lobster you’ll ever taste served with a dose of authentic Maine. And if you can’t make it, the next best thing is lunch cruise to Frenchboro, aboard the R.L. Gott, with Kim Strauss of Island Cruises.

By the way, if you want to do a little background reading about Frenchboro before visiting, pick up a copy of Hauling by Hand: The Life & Times of a Maine Island, by eighth-generation islander Dean Lunt.

Back in the Saddle

Hilary Nangle
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So to speak (after five days without Internet access), and with a new office assistant. First, a report on this year’s Grand Lake Stream Folk Arts Festival. In a word: Fabulous. In more words: A nice group of talented artisans, including a few new faces (and the absence of some old ones: Here’s hoping Hawk, the furniture-maker and walking-stick carver feels better soon; he was truly missed). Also some new musicians this year, including the worth-the-price-of-admission UMM Ukelele Club–fun!

Mark Tiptree brought a new group of musician friends, and both he and Jim Gallant have new CDs that should be out soon. Watch for them. Mark’s also putting together a New Orleans Jazz Festival, with concerts in Portland, Yarmouth and Bowdoinham. He’s bringing in some big guns, so watch for it in August. I’ll post more when I get details.

We cut out early on Sunday for a marathon trip to Halifax, N.S., to pick up a puppy (actually two, one for us and another for a New Hampshire family). With torrential rains in NS and construction elsewhere, it took us 12 hours to arrive home. If you’re considering traveling across the border with a pet, you must have documentation showing that it’s up to date on shots. Other than that, it’s a breeze. Actually traveling, though, requires frequent stops.

The highlight: Dinner at Just Barb’s, in Stockton Springs. I ordered inside, and we settled with the pups at an outdoor picnic table. The waitress delivered our takeout order of fish and chips right to the table. Now, if you’ve never stopped at Just Barb’s, on Route 1, it’s worth it. The two of us didn’t finish a single order ($7.99) and that comes with free seconds. Wow. Nice fresh fish; good crispy fries. It’s a sad little building, but don’t let that deter you.

So my new assistant, Dooley, is now sleeping at my feet (and why not, he was up most of the night). His official title is Chief Paper Shredder. Look for him, along with his big bro Bernie to report on pet-friendly travel.

Grand times in Grand Lake Stream

Hilary Nangle
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Grand times in Grand Lake Stream

Most people go to Grand Lake Stream to fish. Some go relax. I go to shop. That’s not easy in a sleepy fishing town that boasts just one tiny general store.

Grand Lake Stream gives meaning to the punchline of the old Maine joke, “ya cahn’t get they-ah from he-ah.” Located two hours east of Bangor, Maine, and less than one hour from New Brunswick, Canada, it’s a remote lake-dotted region where logging and sports fishing are the economic mainstays.

Once a year, however, during the last full weekend in July, Grand Lake Stream’s population of 127 swells when more than 5,000 visitors arrive for the Grand Lake Stream Folk Arts Festival. They’re attracted by the family-friendly atmosphere and wallet-friendly prices.

The festival comprises about 50 vendors, a music tent, a snack tent and an education tent, as well as exhibits highlighting quilts and the region’s canoe-building heritage. It’s all spread out on the grassy ballfield in the center of town. Children have room to run, dogs space to roll. Crowding is not a problem in this neck of the woods.

This is one of my all-time favorite Maine events–it’s just a wicked good time. For one thing, the music is great and nonstop. A highlight is jazz/blues trumpet player Mark Tiptree, who grew up spending summers here but now plays in New York. Yeah, he’s good. So is Jim Gallant, whose guitar fingerwork alone is worth the price of admission, never mind his deep voice. The Black Sox Band and others keep feet tapping and kids dancing.

Potters, quilters, woodworkers, clothing makers, painters, sculptors, furniture makers, metal workers, basket makers, weavers, jewelers, glass artisans, leather crafters, doll makers, and on and on display, sell and often demonstrate their crafts. Food’s mighty fine, too–if Vinny is selling his smoked salmon kebobs, splurge. And if it gets too hot, you can always jump in a lake.

Saturday night there’s usually a contra dance in the school basement. And the Sunday morning music jam keeps the circle unbroken among area–and visiting–musicians: Anyone can join in, heck bring a set of spoons!

Lodging at this late date is probably hard to snag right in Grand Lake Stream village, but Calais and Eastport are easy commutes to the festival. Gates open 10 a.m. and close at 5 p.m., both Saturday and Sunday.

Steuben Gems: woodworkers, walks, and wildlife

Hilary Nangle
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Steuben Gems: woodworkers, walks, and wildlife

First, let’s get the pronunciation right, it’s stewBEN. Next, let’s nail down its location: It straddles Route 1, wedged between Gouldsboro (Schoodic Peninsula) to the south and Milbridge to the north. Now, here’s why it’s worth noodling off Route 1 to explore Steuben.

Woodworkers in Steuben

Take Rogers Point Road to find the first of two woodworkers worth a visit. Arthur Smith is a master of chainsaw carving. This gifted folk artist looks at a tree and, instead of seeing firewood, sees an animal, perhaps an eagle, great blue heron, or wolf. His wife, Marie, paints his works in realistic colors, and she also weaves baskets reflecting her Native American heritage.

Return to Route 1 and head down Pigeon Hill Rd. to find Ray Carbone, who is to fine woodworking as Arthur is to folk craft. He also crafts stone and bronze sculptures and birdbaths. Beautiful work.

Steuben’s wildlife and walks

Follow signs to the Petit Manan section of the Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge. This area is renowned for birdwatching and is also a beautiful place to enjoy a walk.

For a better workout, opt to hike Pigeon Hill, a Downeast Coastal Conservancy preserve with a looped trail network.

One potato, two potato: Seek out Maine’s Fox Family Potato Chips

Hilary Nangle
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One potato, two potato: Seek out Maine’s Fox Family Potato Chips

Honest, I’ve never been one who covets potato chips. Sure, if they’re served with a sandwich, I’ll usually chow a few, but I never order them, never purchase a bag at the corner market.

You can almost feel good about eating Fox Family Potato Chips, they're delicious and without any nasty additives.That was until a few days ago, when I spotted a bag of Fox Family Potato Chips in a country market in Sedgewick, Maine. The silver bag promised “Potato chips that taste the way Mother Nature intended.” Yes, the word potato stood out in red. Underneath, it said: “Prepared by hand to ensure the very best quality.” And then there were the ingredients: potatoes, corn oil, canola oil, salt. That’s it.

If that weren’t clear enough, it also listed what it didn’t contain: no transfat, no cholesterol, no preservatives, no artificial flavors, no artificial colors. They’re made in Maine using Maine potatoes from the Fox Family farm, in Mapleton (that’s just west of Presque Isle, in Aroostook County).

I was intrigued enough to drop 99 cents on a two-ounce bag. I tasted one, and then another, and before I knew it, the bag was history. Oh man are these good. You can actually taste the potato. They’re not oversalted, not greasy. They’re crunchy, flavorful, delicious. And I want more. Now.

Look for the silver bag with red lettering . Besides plain, they come in salt & pepper and BBQ flavor (not the usual BBQ, but with a cayenne-fueled firey kick).

And here’s a parting thought: Nibble on them while sipping Cold River Vodka, also made in Maine from Maine-grown potatoes.

207 Maine: Local Choices

Hilary Nangle
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If you watch 207 on WCSH tonight, you’ll see me chatting about new editions of two of my Moon series guidebooks Coastal Maine and Maine, both published by Avalon Travel Publishing. Rob asked me for suggestions for summer getaway recommendations , and I wanted to elaborate.

1. Travel somewhere in Maine where you’ve never previously been. For many folks, that’s likely to be Aroostook County. It’s beautiful, spacious and the budget-friendly rates for food and lodging will make up for the gas costs. Way Down East is another good choice: Jonesport, Lubec and Eastport are Maine the way it used to be. Better yet, go in August for the Machias Wild Blueberry Festival—that alone is worth a trip.

2. Stay home and play tourist in your backyard. Now this is a real budget-friendly choice. Draw a circle of, oh, say 20 to 50 miles around your hometown and play day trips to all the places you’ve always said you’ll go, but have yet to visit: local historical society or specialized , perhaps quirky, museums, Audubon or Nature Conservancy preserves, land trusts, state parks; and treat yourself to a few special activities, perhaps a guided tour, a boat trip, or an afternoon at an amusement park with the kids.

3. Reverse the seasons. If you haven’t been to Bethel, Rangeley or Carrabassett Valley/Kingfield in summer, do so for the hiking, mountain biking, fishing, camping, boating and general good times.

4. Treat yourself to a say at a traditional Maine sporting camp, such as Libby‘s or Bradford Camps or one of the AMC’s properties, Little  Lyford or Medalwisla. Once you’re there, it’s cost controlled, as meals and lodging are included in the rate. Most camps are strings of cabins edging a lake or stream, with meals taken in a central lodge. It’s rustic, but not too much so–most have hot showers and flush toilets and woodstoves for warmth on chilly nights. It’s a classic Maine experience that everyone should enjoy at least once (unless you don’t do rustic, than nooooo).

Shadowing Thoreau

Hilary Nangle
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Shadowing Thoreau

If you have any plans to visit Baxter State Park or Greenville, to climb Katahdin or to paddle the myriad lakes, rivers and streams lacing Maine’s northern woods wilderness together, do yourself a favor and read The Wildest Country: Exploring Thoreau’s Maine, by J. Parker Huber. The second edition, published by the Appalachian Mountain Club is now available.

Huber first published the book in 1981, and although he acknowledges in the introduction that he hasn’t returned to the region since July 1995, he says: “I still dwell there spiritually: paddling Moosehead Lake, climbing Kineo and Katahdin, watching moose, listening to loons.”

Huber shares that magic, integrating Thoreau’s journeys with his own, recommending itineraries and sharing insights about the area’s flora and fauna, history and heritage. It’s all beautifully illustrated with maps and photos by Bridget Besaw.

I’ve only skimmed the book but already I’m hungry to return to the woods and follow these footsteps and canoe routes (okay, after the black flies calm down). I’m eager to read in detail and expand my knowledge of, as the sign welcoming folks to Kokadjo so aptly puts it: “God’s Country.”

Wild about wildlife

Hilary Nangle
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Wild about wildlife

I never visit Jackson Hole, Wyoming, without visiting The National Museum of Wildlife Art. It’s built inconspicuously into a butte overlooking the National Elk Refuge and is surrounded by the craggy peaks and wilderness of Yellowstone and Teton National Parks and the Bridger-Teton National Forest. Within the museum is a collection that’s no less inspired than, and often inspired by, its setting.

“In the world of wildlife art, we’re the premier place, and we really strive to remain in that place,” says curator Adam Harris. “We have an incredibly synergy with the environment we’re in; we have beautiful wildlife and nature outside, and artistic representations of the same inside. All those things add up to create something special and unexpected.”

Works by more than 200 artists are represented in the museum’s stunning collection, which includes paintings, sculptures, works on paper, and archival materials dating from 2000 B.C. to the present. Artists represented range from John J. Audubon to Eugene Delacroix, Albrecht Durer to Pablo Picasso. “The range of art is what you would expect to see in a larger metro area, not here,” Harris says. And how!

Especially this summer. When visiting last week, I was fortunate to view a special exhibit” “Picasso’s Park: Modernism meets Natural History.” It includes 31 etchings by the master created for the 1941 edition of Buffon’s Natural History, which original was published in 1741.

Beyond that, highlights among the 12 galleries include the nation’s largest public collection of works by impressionist Carl Rungius and the studio collection of illustrator-turned-painter John Clymer, who turned to portraying western history and wildlife after illustrating covers for the Saturday Evening Post.

Perhaps most memorable is the American Bison Collection, with more than 100 images portraying the symbol of western wildlife. These include “Chief,” a powerful, seductive, and spiritual painting by Robert Bateman, whom Harris considers “one of the best known and most accomplished living wildlife artists today.” It alone is worth the $10 adult admission; accompanying kids 18 and younger are free.

This time I visited in spring, when wildlfowers bloom in the elk refuge grasslands. Other times I’ve visited in winter, when up to 9,000 elk congregate here for a controversial winter feeding program. In winter, a sleigh ride into the elk refuge is a must do–it brings you right to the herd.

Wild about Spring Creek, Wyoming

Hilary Nangle
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Just a few quick thoughts–I’ll post more later. I’m currently at Spring Creek Ranch, in Jackson, Wyo., a small resort of rooms, condominiums and executive homes sharing a 1,000-acre wilderness preserve topping a butte, with fabulous Teton Mountain views. Yesterday later afternoon, I went on a wildlife safari in Grand Teton National Park. This is a MUST if you ever stay here: bison, elk, pronghorn, mule deer, fox–we even saw one catch and devour prey, plentiful birds and small mammals, too. And, of course, spectacular scenery. More details later, include the dish on a few great restaurants, including The Granary at Spring Creek–melt-in-my-mouth elk tenderloin paired with sunset over the Tetons, and Couloir, at the gondolar summit station on Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Now I’m off to test the spa, then visit the Wildlife Museum and into town, perhaps catch a flick at the Jackson Hole Film Festival, which is currently in session. So much to do, so little time; hence few posts.

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