Going to Maine

S

Sonny Williams

Active member
Ok guys, I am coming to Maine in July. I will be in Rangley for about a week, then I want to head towards the coast. What is there to do, see, and good places to eat. Thanks in advance. Sonny
 
Red's Eats right before the bridge going in Wiscassett. World famous lobster rolls. Cook's Lobster House on Bailey Island
 
two years ago i went to maine for a class trip to the darling marine center and went right by Red's Eats.

i don't know about july but in october the bioluminescence was awesome to see in the water at night.

bring a kayak or canoe and checkout the back waters, there is alot of exploring to do. try to get into some smallie or trout fishing

kittery trading post is one of the best big guns shops you can stop at, if there are any guns left there.
ll bean is cool too but is a little yuppie
 
Sonny:

Rangeley is great. I can't help you a whole lot on restaurants, but (for a northerner) the barbecue place right in town is pretty good, the Red Onion has good pizza, and BMC Diner is where the locals go for breakfast. There is also a bar right in town with pretty good pub food--can't remember the name.

For a small taste of the traditional Maine sporting camp experience, make a reservation at Bald Mountain Camps for dinner. For a great big slice of it, see if you can rent a boat at Grant's Camps on Kennebago Lake. It's a big lake full of brook trout and landlocked salmon, and in the evening, the fishing will still be pretty good in July. Fly fishing only. You can rent a traditional wooden Rangeley boat for around $50, then fish the afternoon and evening, with dinner in the lodge in between.

They only do this when they aren't full with overnight guests, so pick a weekday. It is beautiful up there just for the boat ride, the boats are a slice a of history, and if you get a good evening hatch the fishing can be pretty spectacular.

You can also rent canoes and get a shuttle to paddle the Kennebago River from the tackle shop in Oquossuc.

Boating on Mooselookmeguntic Lake is fabulous, but it's a huge lake so make sure you have enough boat. Several folks in town rent boats.

For fishing, July is getting late, but in a cool summer or early in the month there may still be good fishing on Kennebago River, Rangeley River, or at Upper Dam Pool. The fishing holds up all summer over on the Magalloway River, but that's about a 40 minute drive west. Like Kennebago Lake, evening fishing may be good on Quimby Pond, where you'd need to rent a canoe.

For hiking, check out Bald Mountain, Piazza Rock up on the Appalachian Trail, or any of a ton of trails around the water on properties owned or managed by the Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust.

If you want to rough it for a night, there are multiple remote campsites on the shore and islands of Mooselookmeguntic and Richardson Lakes that can be accessed only by boat or canoe. RLHT can tell you how to reserve them.

Drive Route 4 or Route 16 early in the morning or late in the evening to play frogger with the moose.

Drive south on Route 17 to the Height of Land for a great view of the lakes and mountains.
 
Thanks guys great information so far. I have a friend that has lived in Rangley for 25 yrs., so I am finally going for a visit. I'm sure he has some plans, I want a backup plan with options.
Sonny
 
If the water levels are up and cool, fish the Rapid River (SW of Rangeley off of Lower Richardson Lake.) if you can. Great area. My wife and I honeymooned there at Lakewood Camps at the top of he Rapid River.
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Bill's suggestion is a good one, but by mid-summer the Magalloway fishes better than the Rapid. Both hold trophy brook trout--a 3 pound fish won't raise any eyebrows, and 4+ pounds is possible. Good landlocked fishing in both, too. The landlocked salmon fishing holds up later than the brook trout.

The Sporting Heritage Museum is a great spot. For a little different experience, try the Wilhelm Reich museum. Reich was an odd duck with a dirty mind, but also fairly famous in the history of psychology.
http://www.wilhelmreichmuseum.org/
 
If you like duck , you cant not stop there ... http://www.ducktrapbay.com/ Camden lot of decoy from me and much much more ... take a look on the web cam ..

And if you going , tell you know me and say hello to Joyce ..
 
Forget to tell , it not only duck decoy , but all type of wildlife .. and fish carving too ..
 
Try Stonington or Deere Isle on the coast. My wife and I rented a cabin in Stonington for a few days, had a great time catching strippers out of a canoe. The steamers and mussels were out of this world.
They are right about Rangeley on Rt 4 and 16 the moose are all over, have your camera ready. In the mid 80s we would go to Eustis (off of Rt 16) to a restaurant named Trails End, had the best Prime Rib.
Also Rangeley Inn, has good Prime Rib. Really nice area, enjoy...
 
On any logging road around Rangely get up early to be driving at dusk as the sun comes up. I'd wager you will see at least a dozen moose.
 
I'll just say one thing-you are going to have a great time. I have been to many of the area's mentioned that are in the vicinity of Rangely, and some of the ones on the coast. Lot's to do, lot's to see, you won't get bored.
 
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