The The Rangeley Lakes National Scenic Byway follows Routes 17 and 4, around Rangeley Lake. The route follows the ridgeline of the Appalachian Mountains before dropping into rolling hills and valleys. The Height of Land on Route 17 is the centerpiece of this scenic drive, offering breathtaking views of Mooselookmeguntic and Upper Richardson Lakes. Prepare to see moose.

Bethel Welcomes Walkers and Bikers

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Bethel is an ideal place for walkers of all ages and abilities, from a leisurely stroll through the National Historic District to a more rigorous walk through the village up Paradise Road. For starters, the Bethel Recreational Path is a one-mile multi-use paved trail that begins at Davis Park and extends across the Androscoggin River on a multi-use bridge and out to the North Road. The path features an authentic scaled replica of the famous Artists’ Covered Bridge over the Sunday River. The Androscoggin River Recreational Walking Trail is a 1.5-mile trail from the Riverside Rest Area on Route 2, three miles east of Bethel, to the River View Resort. This trail provides the visitor an opportunity to see the river up close and enjoy the serenity of a wooded setting.

Floating on the Boardwalk

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Holt Pond Preserve in Bridgton is a scenic and fun walk through woods and over a quaking bog boardwalk. Starting at the parking area off Grist Mill Road, the path takes you through a mixed forest and into a red maple swamp. Next comes the Holt Pond Overlook and Boardwalk. The boardwalk crosses a quaking mat of sphagnum moss. The boardwalk quakes because the sphagnum moss is floating, colonizing the open water in front of you. Phone: 207-647-8580

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.

History and Culture of Mills on Display Here

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From the 1850s to the 1950s the textile mills, shoe mills and brickyards of Lewiston and neighboring Auburn (L-A) made up the state's largest manufacturing center. Museum L-A documents the industries and the people who made them thrive. Within the 1850s Bates Mill, the museum displays vintage machinery, tools, shoes and quilts along with an oral history tour of mill workers from both cities. Open year-round, Monday through Saturday,10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Phone: 207-333-3881.

Let's Go Rock Pickin'

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Mount Apatite Park in Auburn is a free collecting site where children can search through rock piles scattered through the woods; Lord Hill Quarry within the White Mountain National Forest in Stoneham, another popular collecting site where visitors might find topaz, quartz and aquamarine crystals. Mount Apatite Park is owned and administered by the City of Auburn. It is open to the public, and no special permission to visit is required. Further information, including a detailed map of the park and its trail system, is available from the Auburn Parks & Recreation Department Phone: 207-784-0191.

Meet “The Crag”

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At an elevation of 510 feet, Thorncrag Nature Sanctuary in Lewiston (“The Crag”), a 312-acre wildlife preserve, is forested oasis above the city surrounded on three sides by urban development. Thorncrag encompasses several habitats: upland wetlands, mixed forest, restored farm meadows, vernal pools, and old growth forest. Visitors are encouraged to walk the trails, using a 32-page brochure for guidance. Passive recreation like birdwatching, walking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, sledding, skating, and nature photography are encouraged.

Step on his Toe; He Won’t Mind

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The Rumford Information Center on Route 2 has an 18-foot-tall statue of folk lumberjack Paul Bunyan that seems to serve as a magnet for visitors who can’t resist taking whimsical pictures of their traveling companions. Also nearby is the beautiful Rumford Falls (also known as Pennacook Falls), a 180-foot-tall cascade of water into the Androscoggin River. So save some film after having your fun with the biggest lumberjack of all. Phone: 207-364-0925‎.

The Artists Can’t All Be Wrong

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Sunday River Bridge, popularly known as the Artist's Covered Bridge , in Newry, achieved that name because of its reputation as being the most photographed and painted of the venerable covered bridges in Maine. If the artists, all agree, what are you waiting for? Those of us who don’t measure up to the skills of a Matisse can at least grab a camera and a traveling companion and do some poses on this very New England-y piece of essential architecture. The bridge is located about four miles northwest of North Bethel near Routes 2 and 26.

Trail to 53,000 Works of Art

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.