MAINE - Maine Highlands

If you keen to try to rugged outdoor adventure but are not quite up to managing all the practicalities (shelter, food, where to do this), Katahdin Lake Wilderness Camps in Baxter State Park near Millinocket is a fine option (since 1885). The camp is on Katahdin Lake, three miles from magnificent Mount Katahdin; visitors must hike, ski, snowshoe in, or fly in on floatplane. Your hosts provide eight cabins, some with housekeeping facilities, and a lodge with dining room and living room. In summer, guests hike the trails, canoe or kayak on the lake, fish for trout, watch the wildlife, or just relax on the sandy beach in front of camp. During winter, exploration is by snowshoe or cross country skis. The Katahdin Lake Wilderness Camp offers an endless variety of things to do. Ready for adventure?

The Penobscot Theatre, located at 131 Main Street in downtown Bangor, started in 1973 and has been going strong ever since, particularly with its acquisition in 1997 of the historic Bangor Opera House on Main Street, an early example of Art Deco/Egyptian Revival architecture. The theater offers post-show discussions, student matinees, summer theater workshops, and, of course, great entertainment. In 2013, theater-goers can look forward to productions of "Sugar Bean Sisters," "Wit," and "Around the World." Phone: 207-947-6618.

With seven interactive exhibit areas on three floors, Maine Discovery Museum at 74 Main Street in downtown Bangor is the largest children's museum north of Boston. Seven permanent exhibits invite children to explore nature, geography, children's literature, music, art, science and anatomy. Among the exhibits are: Nature Trails, to explore Maine's ecosystem along a 20-foot waterway; TradeWinds, a new exhibit about Maine's global connections to Brazil, Japan, and Italy; Booktown, a village where every doorway leads into the pages of a Maine children's literary classic; Sounds Abound, exploring the world of music in a sound studio; Artscape; Mission: Discovery; and Body Journey. Open year-round; closed on Mondays. Phone: 207-262-7200.

Oh, the colorful lights; oh the devil-may-care good humor; oh the chance to hit it big. Hollywood Slots at 500 Main Street in Bangor has slot machines, including video poker and video blackjack. Everywhere you look there's endless excitement and the kind of thrills you just don't find anywhere else, like 1,000 Vegas-style slots, thrilling harness racing, and royal red carpet service. During a break from the spinning wheels, make a visit for the house restaurant, Chairman's. If the parking lot is full guests can jump on the complimentary shuttle service. Open year-round. Phone: 877-779-7771.

The Maine Art Museum Trail offers more than 53,000 works of art, from ancient to contemporary, in a dazzling array of collections at seven leading art museums. Museums on the trail include Bates College Museum of Art (Lewiston), Bowdoin College Museum of Art (Brunswick), Colby College Museum of Art (Waterville), Farnsworth Art Museum (Rockland), Ogunquit Museum of American Art (Ogunquit), Portland Museum of Art (Portland), and University of Maine Museum of Art (Bangor). The museums’ permanent collections include works of art by the many artists who have vacationed or worked in Maine. They also feature masterpieces by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Mary Cassatt, and Pablo Picasso, Greek and Roman sculpture, early American silver and furniture, and contemporary textiles, prints, ceramics, and sculpture. Some museums also offer free admission during selected hours.