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The Western Maine Foothills
October 2009
by Kristen Andresen Lainsbury | Photography by =
Natalie Conn |=20
Illustration by Karen Gelardi
Hallowell might be billed as the state=E2=80=99s smallest city, but = its downtown=20 feels big enough for a weekend excursion. Or as a perfect start for a = harvest=20 road trip.
October weekends were made for road tripping through the =
state=E2=80=99s small=20
towns, through its rolling farmland, and through foliage-studded hills. =
The=20
light is golden. The traffic has ebbed. The harvest is at its peak. Warm =
days=20
give way to cool nights=E2=80=94perfect for curling up by the fire or =
sitting by a lake=20
under a blanket and a canopy of stars.
Our weekend adventure =
starts and=20
ends on the banks of the Kennebec River=E2=80=94a central location to =
the cities of=20
Gardiner and Hallowell. The brick and Victorian downtowns seem even more =
welcoming as the days get shorter and the leaves begin to turn. From =
there, it=E2=80=99s=20
a great, meandering trip.
friday
After a =
long week,=20
a stay at the eco-friendly Maple Hill Farm Inn in Hallowell is a =
well-earned=20
treat. Soak in a double whirlpool (solar-heated, of course), light the =
gas=20
fireplace, or lounge on a private deck. Relax=E2=80=94you=E2=80=99re =
going to need to rest up=20
for tomorrow.
saturday
Rise and shine=E2=80=94plan to check out =
and be on the=20
road by 8 a.m., driving toward Gardiner, where you can indulge in =
blueberry=20
pancakes or corned beef hash at the A-1 Diner, a local (and, thanks to =
The Food=20
Network, national) favorite. Gardiner has an explorable downtown, but =
you=E2=80=99ll=20
want to keep moving=E2=80=94this is going to be a full day.
Take =
Route 9 toward=20
Lewiston, passing lakes, farms, and old-time ice cream stands. Follow =
signs to=20
Route 4 North, through Auburn and toward Turner, where you=E2=80=99ll =
find the=20
biodynamic Nezinscot Farm. Hang out with the animals, peruse the =
farm=E2=80=99s own=20
meats and cheeses, shop for yarn and woolens, or just grab a cup of =
coffee and=20
relax in a rocking chair. Stock up on snacks for the road=E2=80=94the =
farm caf=C3=A9 makes=20
great sandwiches and baked goods.
Make your way back to Route 4 and =
drive to=20
Wilton, a lovely town flanked by Wilson Lake and Wilson Stream. Local =
innkeeper=20
Susan Atwood says, =E2=80=9CIt=E2=80=99s the best-kept secret in western =
Maine.=E2=80=9D She=E2=80=99s not=20
kidding. If you feel like a low-key afternoon, you can stop here and =
hang out in=20
one of the town=E2=80=99s well-maintained parks, stroll by the stream, =
or play nine=20
holes at the Wilson Lake Country Club, a public golf course with a view =
of the=20
lake and the mountains beyond. Mt. Blue State Park is also nearby.
If you=E2=80=99re up for an adventure, take Route 156 toward Weld and =
head off to=20
Tumbledown Mountain for an unforgettable hike. A few words of advice: if =
you=20
have a truck or SUV, bring it, because the 3.7-mile dirt road to the =
Brook Trail=20
parking area is quite bumpy. Remember those snacks you bought at =
Nezinscot?=20
You=E2=80=99ll want to pack them, along with water, a jacket, and a =
swimsuit. Even=20
though the trail is only 1.5 miles long, plan to spend between an hour =
and a=20
half to two hours on the way up. It=E2=80=99s a rugged and, at times, a =
steep climb. And=20
you may be tempted to turn around. Don=E2=80=99t. At the summit, Crater =
Lake awaits.=20
It=E2=80=99s like something out of The Lord of the Rings=E2=80=94a =
magical reward for all that=20
hard work.
Take a dip, eat your snacks, take pictures of the =
blazing=20
foliage, and head back down the mountain. Unless you hike really fast =
and drive=20
like a maniac, you=E2=80=99re burning daylight. Besides, if you make =
this trip before=20
Columbus Day, you won=E2=80=99t want to miss the sunset from the porch =
of the=20
Kawanhee
Inn, an Adirondack-style lodge and restaurant on Webb Lake =
that is=20
the epitome of rustic elegance. You can sip a glass of wine, order =
cedar-planked=20
salmon or steak frites, and sleep off the hike in one of the =
inn=E2=80=99s guest rooms=20
or cottages. If you miss the inn, try one of several dining and lodging =
options=20
in the area.
In Wilton, Tom Marcellino and his wife, Rocelle, draw =
from four=20
generations of family recipes to create homemade sauces, desserts, and=20
limoncello at Calzolaio Pasta Co.=E2=80=94Calzolaio means =
=E2=80=9Cshoemaker=E2=80=9D in Italian, and=20
the restaurant lives in the boiler room of a former Bass Shoe factory. =
The=20
Marcellinos are incredibly accommodating=E2=80=94when I visited with my =
sister, who has=20
a life-threatening nut allergy, Tom sanitized the entire kitchen before =
cooking=20
her meal.
Around the corner is the Wilson Lake Inn, a clean, inviting, =
beautifully=20
landscaped motel with killer views. If you prefer chains, =
there=E2=80=99s a Comfort Inn=20
on the outskirts of town, or, in Farmington, you can stay at several =
classic=20
motor inns and dine at Granary Brew Pub or Homestead Bakery and=20
Restaurant.sunday
After yesterday=E2=80=99s hike, =
you=E2=80=99ll be tempted to eat a=20
huge breakfast. Resist. Instead, grab a cup of coffee, get in the car, =
and start=20
heading back on Route 4. This is prime apple-picking country, and there =
are=20
plenty of pick-your-own options and farm stands along the way, including =
Harndon=E2=80=99s Family Farm in Wilton, Boothby=E2=80=99s Orchard in =
Livermore, and Greenwood=20
Orchard in Turner. In Lewiston, take Route 202 toward Monmouth, where =
you can=20
stop at Elm Crest Farm, and Manchester, home to Lakeside =
Orchards.
You=E2=80=99ve=20
waited all year for the harvest, but you=E2=80=99ve waited all morning =
for breakfast, so=20
be sure you reach Hallowell before 2 p.m.=E2=80=94after that, you =
won=E2=80=99t be able to=20
experience the deliciousness that is brunch at Slates. Fire ravaged the =
popular=20
eatery in 2007, but it rose from the ashes even better than it was =
before. Order=20
the smoked shrimp Benedict or a goat cheese omelet and linger with a=20
mimosa.
Walk it all off on the Kennebec River Rail Trail, a =
6.5-mile path=20
that stretches from Augusta to Gardiner, do a little window shopping in =
the=20
antiques stores along Water Street or stop by Kennebec River Artisans, a =
co-op=20
that features the work of some of Maine=E2=80=99s most talented =
crafters. Paper Kicks is=20
great for gifts, and the Potluck Shop offers funky antiques and =
refashioned=20
vintage furniture. Very cool.
For dinner, Cafe de Bangkok serves =
fresh,=20
light, spicy Thai food. It also has a view of the river. But you might =
be too=20
stuffed, or you might just want to go home after all that walking. If =
that=E2=80=99s the=20
case, stop at Hallowell Seafood and Produce before you go. =
You=E2=80=99ve never seen=20
such pretty crabmeat, and the veggies and cheeses will make your mouth =
water.=20
Here, you=E2=80=99ll find everything you need for a harvest =
meal=E2=80=94a fitting end to a=20
perfect fall weekend in Maine.