Mt. Katahdin Hiking Guide
The ultimate Mt. Katahdin Hiking Guide to successfully prepare you for your hike.
Tag: maine
Acadia National Park Guide
All-inclusive guide to for planning your trip to Acadia National Park. All of the best viewpoints, things to do and tips for getting around.
Millinocket, Maine
About Millinocket
Millinocket used to be a thriving mill town with an industrial feel. Now the town is mostly centered around tourism and is heavily dependent on visitors each year. Most visitors come up to visit Baxter State Park but don’t spend much time in the surrounding areas. There are so many adventurous things to do in Millinocket. We’ll share our favorites below.
Things To Do
Visit Ripogenous Dam
The Dam is 30 miles from downtown Millinocket, and roughly a 50-minute drive. The Dam was built for powering a paper mill in 1915. Today it creates rapids for whitewater rafting.
Take a Plane Ride
Katahdin Air Services
1888 Golden Road, Millinocket, ME 04462
Katahdin Air Services offers a few different scenic tours to pick from. The pricing is very fair for the services they offer, ranging from $135 per person for shorter flights. They also offer fly-in canoe trips and other adventure trips. Each trip does have weather limitations based on visibility. Check out their website for more details.
Drive the Golden Road
The Golden Road is a 96 mile road that follows the West Branch of the Penobscot River. It was originally built by the Great Northern Paper Company in the early 70’s to truck logs to the mill. It is still a privately owned and maintained road. Driving the Golden Road isn’t necessarily a recreational activity, most of the time you are headed somewhere. The road is bumpy, mostly unpaved and slightly dangerous. I put this in here because if you are used to only driving on pavement, have limited dirt road experience, or have an expensive car, this one might not be for you. We have seen people off the road many times.
Check out the New England Outdoor Center (NEOC)
The one-stop shop for playing outside. NEOC organizes whitewater rafting, moose watching, hiking, mountain biking, fishing, snowmobiling, ice fishing and cross-country skiing. Their campus is equally as beautiful if you want to stop in and see it.
Local Shopping
There are a few niche shops in Millinocket worth a stop in if you have the time.
Northwoods Trading Post
Millinocket Lake Road
I am partial to the trading post, I love it there. It is near the entrance to BSP and the perfect stop. They have snacks, breakfast sandwiches or lunch, gifts, basic needs, fishing and camping gear, you name it.
Katahdin General Store
160 Bates Street
The general store is nothing fancy but it does have your general necessities. I have seen it on a few other bloggers’ “must stop” lists, and it’s really just a local spot.
Moose Drop In
242 Penobscot Ave
A little t-shirt and local goods shop for your gift-shopping needs.
Moose Prints Gallery and Gifts
102 Penobscot Ave
An awesome gallery with local photos, a must stop on your trip and perfect for a rainy day.
Knife’s Edge Trading Post
10 Balsam Drive
The stop for the outdoorsman, with hunting, fishing and camping gear.
Restaurants
Sawmill Bar and Grill
9 Millinocket Rd, Millinocket, ME 04462
Open Thursday-Sunday
Sawmill has traditional american bar food, and is open year round. It is convenient on your way into or out of Baxter State Park.
Scootic In Restaurant
70 Penobscot Ave, Millinocket, ME 04462
Open Tuesday-Saturday
Scootic In Restaurant has a little bit more variety than some of the other restaurants in the area, but serves a similar traditional american bar menu. The restaurant is in town and convenient to those staying in town.
River Drivers Restaurant
30 Twin Pines Rd, Millinocket, ME 04462
Open Thursday-Monday
River Drivers is operated by the New England Outdoor Center, and is in the same building. The views are 10/10 from inside as well as out on the patio. They have an american style menu with some more complicated dishes if you’re looking for boujee. The atmosphere is great to just get drinks and be outside as well.
Fredericka’s
Frederickas Way, Millinocket, ME 04462
Open Wednesday-Sunday
Fredericka’s is casual dining inside the Big Moose Inn, a beautiful inn on the way to Baxter State Park. The vibe inside the inn is fun and with good ambiance.
AT Cafe
210 Penobscot Ave, Millinocket, ME 04462
Open Thursday-Monday
The AT Cafe is a fun breakfast spot in town to grab a bite. The ceiling tiles lining the restaurant are signed by AT hikers which gives you something cool to look at while you wait for your food. The donuts are amazing here, and they sell out fast so I would recommend going on the earlier side if you want one.
Knife Edge Brewery
Black Cat Road, Millinocket, ME 04462
A beautiful new brewery with woodfired pizza that just opened in 2022. Awesome atmosphere to hang out for a little while. The location is a little out of the way, but with plenty of parking.
Golden Road Yacht Club
102a Baxter Park Rd, Millinocket, ME 04462
Check online for current open dates and hours
The Golden Road Yacht Club is an extension of the Northwoods Trading Co, on route to BSP. They also recently opened and are in a great location to stop and get a drink.
Where to Stay
Big Moose Inn
5 Fredericka’s Way
Big Moose Inn is one of the closest stays to Baxter State Park outside of camping. The inn has 15 rooms and they also have 16 cabins to choose from. The inn is quite charming and has their own dining room and bar.
New England Outdoor Center (NEOC)
Twin Pines Road
NEOC has its own campus with cabins and lodges to choose from. These cabins are more on the bougie side of rustic if you know what I mean. They’re also convenient if you plan on doing activities with NEOC.
5 Lakes Lodge
46 Marina Drive
5 Lakes Lodge sits right on a peninsula on South Twin Lake. All of the rooms are log cabin themed and on the high-end side of the scale.
Camp:
Abol Bridge Campground
3969 Golden Road
Right on the West Branch of the Penobscot River, Abol Bridge has the most fantastic views of Mt. Katahdin. They have a few rustic cabins for rent as well as their dry campsites. They have sites directly on the river for the best 24/7 views. Check ahead with the campground if you plan on bringing a big RV and keep in mind you’ll have to drive on the Golden Road.
Wilderness Edge Campground
71 Millinocket Lake Road
This is your standard campground with water and electric hookups, a pool, bathrooms, and your standard amenities. A quiet place to stay and within a good distance of Baxter.
Big Moose Inn Campground
5 Fredericka’s Way
Directly next to the Big Moose Inn is their campground. It is a small campground geared better towards tents and smaller campers. We brought our 30-foot toy hauler and that was pushing the limit on the sharp turns. They have two beautiful sites very close to the lake.
Baxter State Park Guide
Baxter State Park is a gem for Maine. It is not the typical “state park” as most state parks are run and funded entirely by the state, but Baxter State Park has a different history. Baxter State Park was created by Percival Baxter, when he …
Best Hikes in Baxter State Park
I feel like putting these hikes into a “10 Best”, numerically ordered list is not the way to properly describe these hikes. There are a variety of different types of hikes in the park, to ponds, to waterfalls, to mountains and more. So generally speaking, …
Best Portland Maine Breweries
In this list we go over the top 10 local breweries to visit near Portland, Maine. Most of the stops on the list are directly located in Portland, but a few are located in other southern Maine towns. These breweries mostly focus on fresh brews in different varieties though most have IPAs.
1) Allagash
50 Industrial Way, Portland
Allagash makes the top of the list because they have a beer for everyone, as well as a top notch location to visit. They mainly serve Belgian-Style beers at their tasting room. The tasting room has indoor and outdoor seating, and is located right in front of the brewery. They allow leashed dogs outside, so bring your BFF. They do not have a restaurant portion to the brewery, but they do host a food truck outside.
2) Bissell Brothers Brewing Company
38 Resurgam Place, Portland
Bissell Brothers makes “2” on the list, but don’t let that fool you. They have indoor and outdoor seating, and an amazing indoor space. They have a fabulous small menu from their in house kitchen. A note: Bissell Brothers location is located at Thompson’s Point, a separate event space. Pay your parking before you leave your car unattended, the parking ticket company gets their kicks on freshly parked cars.The ticket company is not affiliated with Bissell Brothers.
3) Lone Pine Brewing Company
219 Anderson Street
Lone Pine Brewing Company has a smaller tasting room where you can hangout and not feel like you’re in a giant restaurant. You’ll get the local experience while drinking beer that is rated with the top contenders.
4) Banded Brewing Company
82 Hanover St Suite 6, Portland
Banded Brewing has a fun atmosphere by itself, and sits in a plaza with two other businesses that you could pair in with your trip. Wilson County BBQ and The Yard are right next door and have excellent food. Banded Brewing does not have their own menu or offer food. They have plenty of brews and board games to choose from.
5) Austin Street Brewery
115 Fox Street, Portland
Austin Street is a bigger location and in an easy spot to get to. Their space has indoor and outdoor seating, and allows your pup outside. I would recommend coming here if you have bigger groups. They have a permanent indoor sushi cart for those in need of food. If you’re looking to try more breweries Austin Street is connected to Rising Tide
6) Mast Landing Brewing Company
920 Main Street, Westbrook and 200 Lower Main Street, Freeport
Westbrook is the original Mast Landing location, and Freeport just opened earlier this year. The Freeport location is spacious and industrial with a modern spin. They don’t have their own kitchen but they partner with Nighthawk’s Kitchen.
7) Liquid Riot Bottling Company
250 Commercial Street, Portland
Liquid Riot is what you would expect from Commercial Street. The space keeps up with the bar scene while still being a restaurant by day. They have their own menu and kitchen all day. A great stop if you’re in the area.
8) Nonesuch River Brewing Company
201 Gorham Road, Scarborough
Nonesuch River Brewing is an upscale brewery to visit, it feels more like a restaurant on the inside. They have an excellent full menu to choose from alongside their brews.
9) Batson River Brewing and Distilling
12 Western Ave, Kennebunk and 82 Hanover Street, Portland
Batson River is a unique spot to visit no matter which location you choose to visit. They both offer an upscale unique visit.
10) Maine Beer Company
525 US-1, Freeport
Maine Beer Company is a favorite for all, and is definitely in many others’ top 10 lists. They have a very cool location next to their brewery. They also have their own menu for some top notch snacks. They placed at 10 on this only because they’re not in Portland and they make most top 10 lists, but is still a must visit.
10 Best Maine Hikes
Maine has some of the best hiking trails around, However, finding which ones you want to do is incredibly difficult! We use Alltrails to find our perfect fit for the day but it can be hard to weed through all of the “destination” hikes. We …
Maine Holiday Destination Guide
Our Top Three Recommended Destinations or Events:
- Freeport L.L.Bean Northern Lights Festivities
- Boothbay Harbor Gardens Aglow
- Kennebunk Christmas Prelude
Portland:
Every year Portland shines up for the holiday season. The city is covered in lights and festive colors. Each year they host shop window decorating contests, foodie events, concerts and more. Generally the Monument Square Christmas tree lighting is a night of festivities that brings everyone together, however, this year with COVID-19 restrictions the lighting will be viewed online.
The Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad puts on a Polar Express run that puts a spin on their normal route to bring on holiday cheer. The trip comes with a souvenir mug and some hot chocolate, and some really cool memories.
Christmas Boat Parade of Lights takes place the second Saturday of December, this year at 4:45 PM. Snag a seat at a waterfront restaurant or near the ferry terminal to get the best view of all of the boats.
South of Portland:
York: The lighting of Nubble Lighthouse is a really unique event to check out. It’s not every year you get to see Christmas lights and a historic lighthouse. While you’re in the area check out the York festival of lights.
Ogunquit: “Christmas by the Sea” they decorate Perkin’s Cove to create a nautical, coastal Christmas vibe that is a must see. Get some small town shopping in while you’re there.
Kennebunk and Kennebunkport: Kennebunk Christmas Prelude, this year’s schedule runs December 2nd-12th. The holiday prelude boasts a full 10 days of events. Their main events include the Cape Porpoise Trap Tree lighting, 40 trees trail, hat parade, caroling, pooch parade and some awesome shopping and food.
If you’re in town for a little while longer check out Fire and Ice and the Nonantum Resort. The event features a chilly ice bar and bonfires and your ticket includes some cool foods.
North of Portland:
Freeport: Freeport is one of our favorite towns to visit during the holiday season. The town and L.L. Bean collaborate to create a beautiful holiday experience for everyone. We highly recommend visiting during December to take in the scene.
Freeport Sparkle Showcase
The Sparkle Showcase is the town’s take on the holiday season that includes a parade of lights, tree lighting, holiday decorating contest and more. Check out the town’s website for more information and exact yearly dates.
L.L. Bean Northern Lights Events
The highlight of our season is here! L.L. Bean hosts similar events each year, with enough change to make a new surprise but keep the tradition going. In previous years L.L.Bean has hosted a centerpiece tree, reindeer barn, life size snow globe, a model train village and a beautiful tree walk on site. This year (2021) they will be hosting the centerpiece tree, ice skating, hot cocoa bar and speciality reindeer barn on certain dates.
L.L. Bean also hosts special events throughout the holiday season. This year they’ll be hosting events such as Boat Tote Stenciling, Curling demonstrations and paracord crafts.
Boothbay Botanical Gardens Aglow
Pre-COVID19 the botanical gardens did a spectacular walking tour through lighted paths where you could wander your way around for as long as you’d like. This year and last year they have adapted to a drive-through option, though no less magical! The 2021 cost is $40 a car, and tickets must be purchased in advance.
If you’re in the Boothbay area for an entire day check out the Boothbay Railway Village for the North Pole Express that runs Saturdays and Sundays in December.
Bethel: Bethel is a small ski town that you’d think of in a typical Christmas movie. The town itself can be the attraction, though they do celebrate with the normal spread of Christmas events throughout December.
Bath: Bath celebrates with an old fashioned Christmas feel in the historic city.
Camden and Rockland: Both coastal towns have local shops perfect for Christmas shopping. Rockland has its famous trap tree that gives the good Maine feel to Christmas.
There may be too many options to make it to them all, but no choice is a bad one! Each town has its own charm and holiday spirit. No matter which events you choose for your Maine holiday you’re destined to have a good time.
Portland Lighthouse Guide
Your guide to the Portland area lighthouses! We go over some tips for Portland Headlight, Bug Light, Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse and Two Lights.