1. Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing
Unlike downhill ski resorts, which are limited to the mountains, dozens of cross-country skiing trails can be found throughout the state. Carter’s X-C Ski Center in Bethel operates a network of groomed trails totaling 55 kilometers that is open to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Visitors can rent their ski and snowshoe equipment on-site, as well as alternative equipment including fat-tire bikes. They also offer pull sled and chariot rentals, so that parents can pull the little ones along behind, and dogs are allowed on the trails as well.
Harris Farm in Dayton offers 35 kilometers of classic and skate-skiing trails, as well as a sledding hill. Pineland Farms in New Gloucester offers 30 kilometers of trails for both types of skiing as well as an equipment rental shop, and Smiling Hill Farm in Westbrook has over 25 kilometers of trails.
Several of Maine’s cross-country ski areas offer reciprocal discounts at other ski areas for season pass holders, including Carter’s, Pineland Farms, Rangeley Lakes Trails Center, and Mahoosuc Pathways at Bethel Village.
2. Visit Portland’s Museums
The city of Portland has a surprising number of museums and enough variety to ensure there is something for everyone, from art to science.
Art lovers will want to spend a day at the Portland Museum of Art, which has a collection of over 18,000 pieces of artwork, including paintings, sculpture, and other media. The museum also has a collection of over 600 paintings, watercolors, and etchings by celebrated Maine artist Winslow Homer.
Also operated by the art museum, the nearby Winslow Homer House can be toured, and it contains even more works of art, including those by Georgia O’Keefe and several classic European artists like Monet, Renoir, and Degas. History lovers will also want to stop by the Wadsworth Longfellow House, built in 1786 by the famous writer’s grandfather, which was the author’s childhood home.
Tourists with younger children will want to plan a day at Portland’s Children’s Museum and Theater of Maine, where learning through play and creativity is encouraged. This large museum is full of hands-on exhibits, including a kid-sized town where they can run the shops and try out professions, Discovery Woods where they learn about wildlife and nature, and even a huge mural that all visitors are encouraged to contribute to.
The museum also has science-based exploration including a space shuttle cockpit, an exhibit about light and lenses, a mini-planetarium, and a touch tank with ocean life. Kids can also watch performances in the theater, or play dress-up and make their own productions. Families will also enjoy the small but informative Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co and Museum, which is home to historic coaches and exhibits about the two-foot gauge railway.
