Annual Kiwanis Aroostook River Races, Presque Isle, Maine - May 8, 2010

The annual Kiwanis Aroostook River Race will take place on May 8, 2010.  The race starts at Ashland at 8:00 am at the public boat landing and ends in Presque Isle, Maine.  The race is 30 miles long.  Entry fee is $30 per paddler.  Registration closes at 7:30 a.m. on race day.

Meduxnekeag Canoe River Race, Houlton, Maine, Saturday, May 1, 2010

The Meduxnekeag River Canoe Race will be held in Houlton, Maine on Saturday, May 1, 2010.  Read a online posting about this race at the zimbio site.

Maine Amusement Parks

There are many amusement parks to be found in Maine.  Click on the link below for a listing:

Maine Amusement Parks

Hiking Three Peaks in Acadia National Forest

A man describes his hike in Acadia National Forest with his dog (Kelley).  The day hike spans three different peaks.  His blog post provides a map of the route and many pictures.  If you are interested in hiking in Acadia then you will want to check out his blog post - "Acadia - Three Peaks", Hiking in Maine with Kelley, April 22, 2010.

Pineland Farms Trail Running Festival 2010

The Pineland Farms Trail Running Festival will take place on May 29-30, 2010 in Maine.  The event includes distances from 5 kilometers to 50 miles over two days during the Memorial Day weekend.  Click here to learn more about the Pineland recreational area in New Gloucester, Maine.

Camden, Maine: Lovely Seacoast Town to Visit

With Spring well on its way and good weather here as well folks are planning trips for the weekend.  Camden, Maine is a great destination.  Located along the mid-coast of Maine it has a beautiful harbor to look at, windjammers to ride on, and shops, restaurants and hotels to frequent.  This lovely town on Penobscot Bay also has a mountain nearby to climb where you can see the beautiful view of the town and harbor with its many working and pleasure boats.  For those who like camping the Camden Hills State Park is now open.  Click here for more information about Camden, Maine.

A Maine Birder Passes Away

Maine has a lot of "birders" - folks who watch for birds, record the sightings, and keep lists of the different species they have seen.  One of Maine's more famous birders recently passed away - just shy of his 100th birthday.  George Sharp, a Portland, Maine bird enthusiast died recently.  Read more about his life in "A class act whose passion took wing", Portland Press Herald, April 25, 2010.

Acadia National Park to Get Face Lift

"ACADIA NATIONAL PARK, Maine — The $2.6 million coming to the park in the form of road and culvert improvements is expected to be the final stage of a five-year project to improve Acadia’s motor vehicle road system.

Jim Vekasi, head of Acadia’s maintenance division, said Wednesday that 90 percent of the federal stimulus money would go toward repaving secondary roads and improving culverts in Acadia’s Park Loop Road system.

The Park Loop Road, which is the busiest in the park, and other main roads such as the Schoodic Loop Road already have been repaved and their culverts repaired, he said."

Read more in "Acadia agets $2.6 million to fix roads, culverts", Bangor Daily News, April 22, 2010.  Click here to learn more about Acadia National Park.

Wiscasset, Maine: A Coastal Town of History and Beauty

"The fickle season allows a traveler to poke about, indoors or out, in an unhurried way. In Wiscasset that means antiques and architecture, farms and food. Visit this justifiably prideful town of 4,000 — it calls itself the “prettiest village in Maine’’ — in springtime and you can acknowledge the past and anticipate the future while missing the congestion of high summer.

Two hundred years ago, one could step from deck to deck of the anchored schooners in this protected deep-water harbor, ice-free in all seasons. Nestled on the shores of the Sheepscot River, Wiscasset was the busiest shipping port east of Boston from the American Revolution until the War of 1812. Today, the village is an architectural treasure. A walk takes you past sea captains’ mansions; 19th-century barns; a sunken garden, now a town park; and the 1824 brick courthouse, still in operation."

Read the rest of the article in "A coastal trove of history, beauty, summer promise", The Boston Globe, April 18, 2010.

Bayside Trail in Portland, Maine: Hiking and Biking

A mile-long trail is being constructed to connect the Back Cove of Portland, Maine with other parts of the city.  The walking and biking trail should be ready in about one year.  The trail will include an urban greenway, benches, pocket parks, playgrounds, and gardens.  Read more in "Bayside Trail emerging as an urban oasis", The Portland Press, April 22, 2010.

Kayaking in Maine

Looking to do some kayaking in Maine?  The below listed website will provide info on Maine kayaking associations and organizations, info resources on kayaking in Maine, firms offering kayak tours in Maine, and blogs about kayaking in Maine.  Click on:

http://www.travel-maine.info/kayaking.htm

What Kind of Bike Should I Buy? A Maine Outdoorsman Will Help You Decide.

Spring is here and so is the good weather.  The more robust ones among us are figuring out how to lose those winter pounds and get some healthy outdoor exercise.  One activity is biking.  Are you unsure of the type of bike to buy?  Check out this article found online:  "Ask an outdoorsman: Want the right fit? Try on your bike", Maine Sunday Telegram, April 18, 2010. Click here to learn more about biking in Maine.

Osprey Return to Maine

Birds are doing their spring migration to Maine and if you are a birder then this is an exciting time for you.  One of the species returning is the Osprey.  Read a birder's description of this bird described as "a master of hunting over water".  See "Osprey's Return to Maine", Birding in Maine, April 17, 2010.  Click here to learn more about birding in Maine.

Whitewater Rafting in Maine

There are many areas of Maine that offer whitewater rafting.  Click here for a list of firms that offer whitewater rafting tours in Maine.

Important Happenings in Brunswick, Maine During the Past Decade

The Bowdoin Orient, a newspaper published by Bowdoin College located in Brunswick, Maine, has published an article entitled "Decade in review: Brunswick and Maine issues" (April 16, 2010).  The article lists many of the important stories of the past decade that pertains to Brunswick (such as the closing of the air base, nearing of Amtrak service, and various voting issues).  Naturally, being a college student newspaper the article deals with issues important to the college students.  Still, the article provides a sense of some of the important happenings over the past ten years in this coastal community.

Maine's Seacoast: Great Place for the Weekend

The coast of Maine is beautiful to look at and worth spending a weekend visiting.  If you are looking for something to do this weekend with the family then consider the coast of Maine.  For a listing of places to go click on "Maine Coast Destinations".

Birding in Maine

This is the time of year that various species of migratory birds come to visit the state of Maine for the warm weather season.  Dedicated birders are camped out at various locations in an attempt to add to their list of bird sightings.  Birding is an activity (see "birdwatching" at Wikipedia) that has low impact on the environment and that does not cost much to the participant.  Click here for more information about birding in Maine.

Place to Eat and Drink in Brunswick, Maine

Looking for a friendly town pub to eat and drink near Brunswick, Maine? Then try Lilee's Public House.  A pub in downtown Brunswick where you can feel comfortable.  Read a recent online article that reviews the pub - "Lilee's carries pub tradition in fine style", The Portland Press Herald, March 25, 2010.

Biking in Maine: Time to Get Outdoors

With the arrival of spring folks are looking for ways to shape up, get exercise, and lose a few pounds.  Riding a bike is a great way to do that.  Maine is considered to be a "bike friendly state".  If you are new to biking then there is help out there for you.  Consider joining one of the many biking clubs found in Maine.  For a listing of Maine bike clubs click on "Biking in Maine".

Bringing Back the New England Cottontail Rabbit

Maine's landscape has been changing from that of farmland to suburban developments and reforested areas. This has dramatically cut down on fields where the New England Cottontail Rabbit can be found.  It is estimated that only 300 of the rabbits now exist in Maine.  However there are some people who are trying to bring back the Cottontail population here in Maine.  Read more in "Southern Mainers restoring cottontail rabbit habitat", The Portland Press Herald, April 3, 2010.

One Week Travel Vacation Along the Maine Coast

Are you starting to plan your one week vacation to the Maine coast?  Read an online article by one author who did a one week family trip to Acadia and other Maine seacoast spots.  He incorporated a number of activities to keep the children interested to include hiking, biking, mountain climbing and more.  Read "Do-it-yourself adventure tour", Boston.com, April 11, 2010.

Spring Birds in Maine

Spring is here in Maine and with it comes a variety of birds not seen during those long winter months.  Birding is a big activity here in Maine.  Read more about spring birds in Maine at the "Birding in Maine" blog.

Maine Civil War Monument in Bath, Maine

The city of Bath, Maine offers the visitor a lot of attractions.  There is the Bath Iron Works -  a huge shipyard that builds ships for the U.S. Navy, a maritime museum, picturesque downtown, shops, restaurants, and pleasant views.  Like many New England towns it also has its Civil War Momument.  This monument can be found in the Oak Grove Cemetery in bath.  It was erected in 1896.  Click here to view some photographs of the monument.

Climbing in Camden, Maine

For those who like to climb you can combine rock climbing with visiting a wonderful coastal Maine town.  Camden, Maine offers both.  Click here to read a blog post about climbs in Camden, Maine and click here to learn where to eat, shop, and stay while visiting Camden.

Brunswick, Maine and Joshua Chamberlain

History buffs on the civil war know that Joshua Chamberlain was one of the more famous generals of the North.  At the start of the civil war Chamberlain was a 28-year-old math professor at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine.  A statue can be found that honors his service.  Click here to learn more about this civil war monument of Chamberlain and click here to learn more about Brunswick, Maine.

Birding in the Weskeag Marsh (Rockland, Maine)

A local birder writes about his days spent birding in the Weskeag Marsh near Rockland, Maine.  Read "Stalking the Weskeag Marsh with Don Reimer", The Free Press, March 25, 2010.  Click here to read more about birding in Maine.

Maine's Maple Syrup Season Ends Early with the Weather

Maine's maple syrup season ended early due to the weather.  For many it was too cold during the day and too warm at night.  The maple sryup business is hit or miss sometimes and this season it was a matter of timing - when to tap the trees.  Read more in "Weather Forces Early End to Maine's Maple Syrup Season", Maine Public Broadcasting Network, March 23, 2010.

A Little of Maine Becoming History: Sardine Cannery to Close

The last sardine cannery in the United States is shutting down on April 18, 2010.  The cannery, in Prospect Harbor, Maine, will be the last of its kind to operate in the U.S.  Sardine canneries in the U.S. have "fallen victim to global competition, corporate consolidations, and a general lack of appetite".  There used to be at least 50 canneries in Maine but they have gone away over time.  Read more in "In Maine, Last Sardine Cannery in the U.S. Is Clattering Out", The New York Times, April 3, 2010.

Sporting Camps in Central Maine Woods (AMC)

"A 30,000-acre reserve unites some of New England’s greatest wilderness lodges.


By Stephen Jermanok

Best known for its network of huts in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, the Appalachian Mountain Club is now working on a Central Maine system of sporting camps that promises to make Henry David Thoreau’s rugged haven more accessible than ever. In November the AMC purchased 29,500 acres from the Plum Creek Timber Company for $11.5 million, a move that safeguards two century-old sporting camps. (The new acquisition adds to the 37,000 acres of land containing two other camps the AMC purchased in 2003.) Since each camp is spaced seven to 10 miles from the next, vastly greater expanses of terrain in the legendary 100 Mile Wilderness area are now open for lodge-to-lodge backpacking and canoeing (or cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and dogsledding in the winter)."

Read the rest of the article in "Opening Up the Maine Woods", Mens's Journal, March 31, 2010.

Cabin Fiver by the Freeport Players (Maine entertainment)

The Freeport Players will present "Cabin Fiver" from April 9-25, 2010 (Fri/Sat/Sun).  This will be held at the Freeport Performing Arts Center on Holbrook Street, in Freeport, Maine.  Click on http://www.fcponline.org/ for more info.

Wings, Waves, & Woods Weekend on Deer Isle, Maine (May 21-23, 2010)

The fourth annual Wings, Waves and Woods, a weekend festival of birding and art, will be held May 21-23 on Deer Isle, Maine. Events include birding walks, presentations by Maine Birding Trail founder Bob Duchesne, boat and kayak excursions to view eagles, sea birds and puffins, artists' exhibits and studio tours, and an old-fashioned chowder supper. The weekend is sponsored by the Deer Isle-Stonington Chamber of Commerce, Downeast Audubon and Island Heritage Trust. For more information, call 348-2455 or go to: http://www.islandheritagetrust.org/ or http://www.deerislemaine.com/.