Telemark Inn Wilderness Lodge
Telemark Inn, 10 miles from Bethel, Maine, bills itself as a wilderness lodge, and indeed it is. Bordering the White Mountain National Forest, Telemark Inn is home to a kennel of Alaskan racing huskies – very friendly and highly socialized dogs. The racing huskies come out to play in the winter when the Inn offers dog sled rides and sled dog trips, along with skijoring (like waterskiing but substitute a dog or horse for a boat) and snowshoeing excursions.
Travel Information
From Boston and South: Take Rt 95 North to the Maine Turnpike I-495 North past Portland ME and get off at Exit 63 in Gray ME, get onto Rt 26 North all the way to Bethel Maine. Get onto Rt 2 West (toward NH) and go about 4 miles to West Bethel Country Store (on left) take left there onto Flat Road go 2.8 miles take right onto Meadow Brook Bridge Road, go half mile (.5) and take next right onto Kings Highway go 3 miles to end of road where the Wilderness Lodge is located. (last two miles are gravel roadway)
For more information visit www.newenglanddogsledding.com
Acadian Seaplanes
If your ideal vacation is peace, quiet, and solitude, then Acadian Seaplanes can help you out. Their specialty is convenient seaplane travel to all points in Maine. Seaplanes, in case you don’t know, are airplanes equipped with floaters that can take off and land on water, which make them perfect for exploring Maine’s lake region.
Acadian Seaplanes offers two main types of experiences; air tours, which take passengers on site-seeing trips to see moose, explore mountains, or just get a birds-eye view of the Maine scenery; and seaplane service, which can take you to virtually any location in Maine for your outdoor pleasure. And know that this isn’t some fly-by-night operation, they are a certified air carrier, regulated by the FAA, and your safety is their priority. Owner-operator Keith Deschambeualt has thousands of flight hours logged in both the Alaskan bush and on Maine’s coast and inland lakes and holds a degree in aeronautical science. Give them a call to start your Maine adventure.
Travel Tips
The Mountain Explorer tour is an excellent way to quickly experience the Maine backcountry. The tour takes you through the Kennebec and Dead River valleys, before making a remote water landing and shore excursion. Refreshments are provided on the hour and fifteen minute trip.
Travel Information
Acadian Seaplanes serves Augusta, Portland, Bar Harbor, the Rangeley Lakes region and more. For more information about your trip, visit www.acadianseaplanes.com.
The Stanley Museum
Located in Kingfield, Maine, the Stanley Museum is a history museum dedicated to the inventors of the “Stanley Steamer,” Francis Edgar Stanley and his twin brother F.O. The brothers were born in Kingfield, in the mid-19th century. The museum has exhibits of the steam cars, a 20 horsepower Stanley engine, and a boiler and burner exhibit that displays the inner workings of the power plant. The story is full of excitement and tragedy, from Fred Marriot breaking the land speed record in a Steamer in 1906 by going 127 miles per hour, to F.E.’s death in an automobile accident.
The Stanley brothers weren’t just engineers, they were also craftsmen. A display of violins made by F.E., F.O. and their nephew Carlton are also on display. Finally, the museum expands the scope to the entire family by including their sister Chanosetta, an important photographer of American rural life, in a display. The Stanley Museum owns the largest collection of her prints and negatives in the world, and has much of her exquisite work on display.
Travel Tips
If you enjoy the Stanley Museum in Kingfield, and ever find yourself in Colorado, visit their sister museum in Estes Park.
Travel Information
From Augusta, head west on ME-17 for 14 miles, before turning onto ME-41 north.Follow ME-41 for 17 miles before continuing on to ME-27 north. Continue on for the next 20 miles, arriving in Kingfield.
For more information, visit www.stanleymuseum.org.