Northern Maine offers vacation activities, indoors and outdoors

Adventure awaits on the Kennebec and Dead rivers when you arrive at Crab Apple Whitewater’s base lodge. After breakfast, head to the rivers for world-class whitewater and breathtaking scenery. Some trips are guided, for families and beginners (lots of time for floating and swimming); others challenge rapids like the Class IV-V “Poplar Hill Falls.” Some come with riverside snacks; others with cookouts. Stay overnight at the lodge (in bunk-style rooms or suites with Jacuzzi tubs), play some night-time paintball in one of several custom courses, climb to Maine’s highest waterfall or just relax by the pool. For another kind of adventure, there’s the moose safari, from May through August, leaving at dusk in search of the gentle giants.

ELC Outdoors thinks big when it comes to their outdoor attractions, from thrilling white water rafting down the Rapid River in Maine to stepping across platforms at a high ropes course 12 to 40 feet off the ground, with Mount Washington in the distance. But if that sounds like a little too much heart-stopping adventure for you, the company also offers more leisurely (and sedate) rafting trips down New Hampshire’s Androscoggin River, canoe paddles across gorgeous Lake Umbagog (yes, you may see a moose or a bald eagle and, yes, you should bring a fishing pole) and evening wildlife cruises aboard a pontoon boat. You can also rent a fat bike to take to local trails – or stay overnight in a yurt!

Stop, shop, and save before visiting Canada. At Duty Free Americas at 4 Airport Road at I-95 in Houlton, Maine, you can buy gifts for yourself and friends wide selection of fragrances, watches, gifts, jewelry and travel-related merchandise from the highest quality brand names, as well as items that typically incur significant duties and taxes, such as liquor and tobacco.

Get out and put those legs to use! The 6.5-mile Kennebec River Rail Trail is one of Maine’s great outdoor attractions. The trail welcomes locals and visitors alike for walking, running, cycling, skateboarding, rollerblading, and dog walking. The trail parallels the existing rail bed along the Kennebec River, and stretches from Augusta Maine's Waterfront Park, through the towns of Hallowell and Farmingdale, to its conclusion in the city of Gardiner. Bring the entire family and explore the wonderful activities that Maine has to offer along the Kennebec River Rail Trail.

In August 2016, on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the national park system, President Obama created a new park, Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, in northern Maine, near Millinocket. The park is in the shadow of Mount Katahdin, and it occupies a wild landscape with spectacular views the mountain. Back-country adventurers can explore the rivers, woods, plant and animal life, and dark night skies. This is a monument with limited services; services will be added in coming years. The park has no welcome center at present. Find visitor information at the park’s website or by phone: 207-456-6001.

If you want to get outdoors and also want a nearby, warm, and cozy retreat, get in touch with Cochran Camps on Cochran Lake in New Limerick, Maine, 10 miles east of Houlton. A rental cabin on the lake sleeps six people. Cochran is a quiet, secluded, lake with easy access to bird watching, hiking, swimming, canoeing, golfing, skiing, mountain climbing, biking, snowmobiling, ATV riding, hunting, fishing and other great outdoor activities. For evenings, it is just a short drive to a movie theater or shopping in Houlton. Cabins operate year-round. Phone: 207-532-7336

Johnson Hall Performing Arts Center presents a wide range of artist programs -- live music series, children’s events, outdoor performances in the park and more -- in the historic Johnson Hall Performing Arts building (1864) at 280 Water Street in downtown Gardiner, Maine. The Hall – Maine’s oldest opera hall -- celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2016, a sign that it knows and serves its audience. 207-582-7144.

With seven interactive exhibit areas on three floors, Maine Discovery Museum at 74 Main Street in downtown Bangor, Maine, 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.

The Forks is best known as Maine’s mecca for whitewater rafting. Located where the Dead and Kennebec Rivers meet, it is the starting point for experiencing the heart stopping rolls and punches dealt by the state’s mightiest rivers. Numerous guiding companies are located in The Forks, and many have expanded their services to include guided ATV tours, mountain biking treks, rock climbing, and snowshoeing trips. The Forks is a year-round destination for hunters and anglers, but come winter, the snowmobilers arrive. With more than 100 miles of interconnected trails in the region, sledding becomes the preferred method of transportation once the snow begins to fall. The Forks Area Chamber of Commerce can help you find all the resources you need. 207-663-2121.