The Penobscot Theatre , located in the heart of downtown Bangor, started in 1973 and has been going strong ever since, particularly with its acquisition in 1997 of the Bangor Opera House on Main Street, an early example of Art Deco/Egyptian Revival architecture, built in 1920. The theater offers post-show discussions, student matinees and summer theater workshops. The 2009-2010 season is packed with interesting offerings, including “Forever Plaid,” "A Christmans Carol," "Spunk," "Hedwig and the Angry Itch," and "The Underpants." Phone: 207-947-6618.

Body Oils and Other Pleasures
From Maine Ingredients

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The retail storefront for the Maine Mountain Country Store is, not surprisingly, a log cabin located in downtown Greenville. The Company Store features handmade scented and beeswax candles, all-natural bath and body soaps, lotions, balms, facial products, and pet shampoo. All products are made in small batches with high-quality ingredients, including chamomile flowers grown in gardens on the property, organic vegetable oils, and beeswax from a local beekeeper. The shop is accented with a wonderful array of products to decorate the home, from lamps to drawer pulls. Open year-round. Retail store open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Phone: 207-695-3926.

Desserts and Antiques Under One Roof

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Two huge floors filled with fine antiques and unusual collectibles and a knowledgeable sales staff are waiting at the Antique Marketplace & Café in Bangor. From the experienced collector to the weekend shopper, there's something for everyone and the merchandise changes daily. Two floors and more than 100 booths and showcases filled with Victorian, antique, & primitive furniture; sports, presidential, and military memorabilia; porcelain, pottery, and glassware; Oriental rugs; rare coins; dolls and toys; tools; postcards; tin ads, and much more. When you have shopped until you are almost ready to drop, relax at the Marketplace Café for coffee, fine tea, homemade soup, biscuits, and desserts. Phone: 207-941-2111

For an Up-Close View of the Forest

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Baxter State Park was designed primarily to be a hiking park with very limited vehicle use. The park has 200 miles of trails and it is home to the Katahdin massif and the Traveler Range. Favorite waterfalls include Katahdin Stream Falls, Big and Little Niagara Falls and the remote Green Falls. Two of the most significant streams are Nesowadnehunk Stream and Wassataquoik Stream. Many ponds provide excellent fishing in most cases and the chance to canoe with the scenic north woods as a backdrop. Phone: 207-723-5140

Heaven for Snowmobiles

With its 13,500-mile network of groomed and marked snowmobile trails, Maine has to be the next thing to heaven for snowmobile enthusiasts. The state also hosts a bunch of snowmobile-related festivals and special events. They include the Rangeley Snodeo on January 21-23, 2010, with competitions, rides, children's activities, a snowmobile parade, and fireworks. The Norway Lake Snowfest is January 30-31, 2010, with sled racing, an antique snowmobile show, and a chowderfest. The International Snowmobilers Festival takes place in Madawaska and Edmundston, New Brunswick, February 5-7, 2010, with events on both sides of the border and riding on hundreds of miles of top-rated trails. Dexter Winter Festival happens February 12-14, 2010, with radar runs on the ice of Lake Wassookeag, a public ride and supper, and a Winterfest dance hosted by the Wassookeag Snowmobile Club. More information at the the Maine Office of Tourism.

Let’s Take an Old-Fashioned Walk

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Brownville’s Pleasant River Walk is a nature walk of nearly three miles connecting the Village and the Junction. The nature trail is carefully groomed, quite easy to walk and is a three to four foot wide trail. There are a number of bridges to carry you over the brooks along the way and many benches located at carefully chosen scenic spots overlooking the river. Phone: 207-965-2311

Reel Excitement

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Oh, the colorful lights; oh the devil-may-care good humor; oh the chance to hit it big. Hollywood Slots on Main Street in Bangor, has 475 slot machines, including video poker and video blackjack. 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. Phone: 877-779-7771

Trail to 53,000 Works of Art

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.