A visit to the Maine Wildlife Park on Game Farm Road in Gray is a great activity for kids and adults who are fascinated by wild animals. The park is home to native orphaned and injured wildlife, including moose, lynx, bear, eagles, turtles, and more. In addition to observing the animals, visitors may walk the tree trail to learn about tree species and see how a lumberyard works; feed the animals; walk the wetlands or the game trail; enjoy the gardens; and watch the care and feeding of brook trout at the Dry Mills Fish Hatchery. The visitor has plenty of interesting and educational exhibits, from displays of animal tracks to samples of fur. Phone: 207- 657-4977 ext. 1.

Bradbury Beckons with Fabulous Views

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Bradbury Mountain State Park, on Route 9 in Pownal about halfway between Portland and Lewiston/Auburn, features panoramic views from the top of Bradbury Mountain and nearly 1,000 acres of forested land to explore. The trails are a primary attraction, especially the short hike to the summit of Bradbury Mountain (easy enough for youngsters). From the summit, 485 feet above sea level, hikers and bikers have a great view of Casco Bay. Mountain bikers and horseback riders also use many of the park’s trails, as do cross-country skiers, snowshoers, and snowmobiles in the winter. Picnickers enjoy the tables, grills, and shelter with a nearby playground and ball field. Campers can make a day trip to nearby beaches at Reid and Popham Beach State Parks, or shopping trips to Freeport (just 10 minutes away). Phone: 207-688-4712.

Horseflesh, Live and Simulcast

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Scarborough Downs in Scarborough is home to New England's fastest half-mile track and is a top entertainment destination in southern Maine. Patrons can watch live harness races from April through December and watch televised simulcasts of races from premier thoroughbred and harness tracks across the United States and Canada 363 days a year. The 350-seat Downs Club Restaurant is the perfect place to watch the races while you enjoy a good dinner. Live racing takes place April through the end of December; simulcast racing takes place year-round. Phone: 207-883-4331

International Crypotozoology Museum

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Cyrptozoology? What is that, you might ask. The short answer is “the study of hidden animals,” and the longer answer can be found at the new International Museum of Crypotozoology , opened November 1, 2009, on Congress Street, in the Portland Arts District, just down the street from the Portland Museum of Art, the Children's Museum, and the State Theater, and right across from The Fun Box Monster Emporium. The centerpiece of the collection is the once-elusive, eight- foot-tall, 400-pound "Crookston Bigfoot," created by Wisconsin artist Curtis Christensen. Special drawings, bronzes, paintings, and sculpture creations by the world's leading cryptozoology artists are featured in the collection. The museum also includes exhibits on the discoveries of "living fossils," the successful cryptozoological stories. Zoologists, why are you still reading this?

That’s a Seriously Big Globe

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Astronomers: you need to make a visit to planet Eartha , a 3-dimensional scale model of Earth that rotates and revolves, representing Earth as it is seen from space. Housed in a three-story glass atrium at the headquarters The DeLorme Mapping Company in Yarmouth, Eartha is 41.5 feet in diameter. Every continent is beautifully detailed, with vivid colors illustrating all levels of vegetation. Ocean depths are also completely represented. Open daily, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed New Years, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas. Phone: 800-642-0970

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.

Traipsing Around the Island

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For a wonderful walk and stunning views of Casco Bay and Portland, take the causeway from Falmouth at the mouth of the Presumpscot River to Mackworth Island . The one-mile trail that encircles the island takes about an hour to complete and the views are gorgeous. Along the way, stop to watch boats and ferries motor though the Atlantic waters while seagulls, osprey, and shorebirds glide overhead. Open year-round. Phone: 207-624-6076