December 17, 2011 is National Maple Syrup Day

Date: December 14, 2011

Maple syrup is a distinctly North American product. Maine is 2nd in the nation in the production of maple syrup and Maine’s Somerset County – part of the Kennebec and Moose River Valley region –  produces more maple syrup than any other county in the country.
Native Americans were the first to harvest and boil the sap of the maple tree into a thick syrup during the 1600s. Tapping a maple tree does no permanent damage to the tree and only 10 percent of the sap that is produced in a year is actually collected. Many maple trees have been tapped for 150 years or more!
Did you know that it takes 30-50 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup? Maple syrup can also be further boiled down to produce maple cream, maple sugar, and maple sugar candy.
Real Maine Maple Syrup makes a great holiday gift. Many producers will even ship it for you. I recently met a gentleman at a shop in Skowhegan who sent his kids syrup one Christmas and hasn't been able to miss a year or his kids complain. So grab some pancakes and celebrate National Maple Syrup Day with a hearty dose of pure Maine Maple Syrup.
To learn more or to find a producer visit mainemapleproducers.com

Here comes Santa Claus!

Date: November 25, 2011

With Thanksgiving now behind us things are really starting to get jolly in the Kennebec and Moose River Valley. In towns big and small shops are bustling, lights are twinkling in the trees, and the excitement can be seen on every child's face because they know Santa will soon be arriving. In some towns sooner than others.

What follows is just a brief list of occasions to catch a glimpse of the big guy in the red suit:

Waterville

Parade of Lights - November 25, 2011, 6:00 p.m., Main Street, Downtown
The 6th Annual Parade of Lights will be held on Friday, November 25, at 6pm beginning at the north end of Main Street in Downtown Waterville and ending at Castonguay Square with the lighting of the giant spruce and Santa's arrival at Kringleville.

Kringleville - November 25 - December 22, 2011, Castonguay Square
One of Downtown's oldest traditions. Parents, bring your children to visit Santa at his Waterville home, Kringleville in Castonguay Square. Visit www.kringleville.com for more information, including Santa's schedule, photos from past years and more!

Belgrade Lakes

Christmas Stroll - 1st Saturday in December
An evening of holiday magic. Hundreds of luminaries line the street in Belgrade Lakes Village. Horse drawn wagon rides with carolers, hot cider and refreshments at area shops, visit with Santa and enjoy a warm hearty meal at one of the Village restaurants.

Skowhegan

Holiday Stroll Downtown - December 2, 3 & 4
This annual tradition includes the Holiday Parade, Friday at 7pm and a chance for the kiddies to have Breakfast with Santa, Saturday morning from 8 to 10. Throughout the weekend there will be opportunities for shopping, dining, taking in some holiday music..the spirit of the season certainly will be in full force in downtown Skowhegan.

Hallowell

Christmas in Old Hallowell - December 3 - 14
Even a brief stroll through this charming riverfront town will get you in the holiday mood.

Jackman

Congregational Church Annual Craft Fair - Moose River Congregational Church, December 3-4, Sat 9am to 2pm and Sun 10am to 2pm
They come from all over for this craft fair, so don't be late! Raffle, "Saturday Luncheon", Food Sale, Handmade Ornaments...Rada Knives, Silent Auction, White Elephant Table, & Gifts!

Winthrop

27th Annual Holiday Parade - Saturday, December 3, Begins 3:30 p.m. (Storm date: Sunday, December 4.)
The 27th Annual Holiday Parade and community-wide celebration will take place in Downtown Winthrop. The parade route begins at the top of Main Street (near Route 202) and continues on Main Street to Downtown Winthrop. For more detailed information, please go to www.winthropchamber.org, call 207-377-8020.

Was the first Thanksgiving in Maine?

Date: November 16, 2011

As I grew up, it was a tradition to make the trek from Connecticut up to Maine for Thanksgiving. For my family, that can trace it's roots back to the second boast after the Mayflower along the Carver line, this is the big annual holiday. Christmas is great, Santa and all that, but Thanksgiving was the day any family who could came together in Maine.

For me Maine, Pilgrims and turkey all went together. Massachusetts could keep their rock. So when I recently came across information pointing to the fact the real "First Thanksgiving" was here in Maine I was not surprised.

Most of us learned in school that the Pilgrim’s Thanksgiving feast of 1612 at Plymouth Plantation in Massachusetts was the first. But Maine’s first recorded Thanksgiving celebration predates the Pilgrim’s holiday by a half-decade. OK, so at that time Maine was part of Massachusetts, but that is purely a technicality.

In 1605, English explorer George Weymouth returned to Plymouth Harbor in England after having spent a summer exploring Maine’s coast. Weymouth brought with him five Native Americans and tales of abundant fish, fur-bearing animals and land “fit for any nation to inhabit.” James Rosier, Weymouth’s chronicler, wrote of the voyage of Weymouth’s ship Archangel at “the maine”—“we digged a plot of ground, wherein, amongst some garden seeds, we sowed peaze and barley, which in sixteen days grew eight inches above the ground; and so continued growing every day halfe an inch, although this was but the crust of the ground and much inferior to the mould we afterward found in the maine.”

Reports of Weymouth’s voyage excited English businessmen. In 1606, King James I divided a region between what is now Cape Fear, North Carolina, and Canso, Nova Scotia, between two companies organized for colonization. Members of one company lived in or about London and became known as the London Company. Members of the second company lived in the vicinity of Plymouth and so were known as the Plymouth Company. The prime mover of the Plymouth Company was Sir John Popham, Lord Chief Justice of England.

The London Company sailed to the New World and settled in Jamestown, Virginia. The Plymouth Company settled at Popham Beach at the mouth of the Kennebec River. The Plymouth Company arrived in “the maine” in August of 1607 aboard two ships, Gift of God and Mary and John. Shelters were built for about 45 settlers, as were a storehouse, a church and a fort. A map recently discovered shows plans for 18 structures that were to be built at the site, but most of those plans were never to be realized.

In the winter of 1608, the storehouse burned. That winter, the Popham settlement’s president, George Popham, nephew of Sir John Popham, died of unknown causes. Raleigh Gilbert--a relative of the maritime adventurer, Sir Walter Raleigh (or Ralegh)--succeeded Popham. The following spring, a ship bringing supplies to the Popham settlement also brought Gilbert news that his brother, John, had died in England leaving him a vast fortune. Gilbert returned to England in September of 1608, bringing with him the remainder of the settlers.

The settlement at Popham Beach lasted only 13 months, but historians Gould and Hatch document that the settlers having safely arrived from England, built their shelters and prepared for the coming winter, held a celebration of Thanksgiving in the fall of 1607, a full five years before Pilgrim’s first Thanksgiving.

Those settlers are some of the many who moved up the Kennebec towards what is now Augusta and beyond. Thus the roots of the very first recorded celebration of Thanksgiving in the new world are part of the tree that has become the Kennebec and Moose River Valley Region.

Throughout our area families will gather to celebrate the holiday with the traditional turkey, stuffing, squash, turnips, potatoes, peas, cranberry sauce and all finished up with pie of many, many kinds. Many families still have mincemeat made with real venison. For those who are not lucky enough to have family to join, there are still many opportunities to enjoy this tradition at Inns, Restaurants and Harvest Suppers around the region.

I know when my family sits down, talk will turn to deer hunting, snow mobiling and where is the best place to look for this year's Christmas tree. Because there is no better way to work off some of that great dinner than a walk in the woods. But be sure to wear your blaze orange, because that venison comes from somewhere for next year's pie. And if you are a Black Friday fan, shopping abounds in Augusta and surrounds.

I Left My Heart in Skowhegan

Date: October 31, 2011

Last week I found myself with a few hours to kill in downtown Skowhegan. By then end of a couple hours I was trying to decide when I could come back and see even more of this quaint and surprisingly engaging town.

My first stop was just down stairs from the offices of Main Street Skowhegan at the Bankery. This bank turned bakery and coffee shop was a foodies dream. I of course started with a hot cup of coffee, that decision was easy, then wandered back and forth across the display cases ruminating on the merits of this pastry or that muffin. The selection of freshly baked treats was outstanding. French pastries stuffed with cream, whoopie pies, cookies, scones, quiche, pies and of course fresh baked bread. I finally settled on a Native Blueberry and Rhubarb muffin that did not disappoint. They seemed to sell alot of what appeared to be a giant creme puff with chocolate drizzled over it. Skowhegan is not suffering for lack of a Starbucks with a local place like The Bankery on their Main Street.

Right next door is Skowhegan Fleuriste, a florist and gift shop with a top notch selection. You can also rent your tuxedo there and see the custom cake department of The Bankery at work. My eye was caught by a bouquet of orange and pink tulips, it is rare one finds out of season flowers that look this good outside of the big city flower markets.

A stroll down Main Street took me past numerous small shops: children's gifts, appliances, a local hardware store, handmade baseball bats, art gallery, jewelers and a variety store aptly named Variety Drug. Not a big box or chain store in sight. A great place to stroll before heading over to the Old Mill Pub for some great food and local music on a Thursday or Saturday evening.

My afternoon turned out to be the best of surprises, and I will definitely be back again soon. If you want to find out more about the hidden gem up the Kennebec River visit www.mainstreetskowhegan.org.

Check out our region in the November issue of DownEast Magazine

Date: October 24, 2011

Recently while waiting in line at the grocery store a picture of Martha Stewart walking some cows caught my eye. As if starring on the cover of her own magazines almost monthly isn't enough there she was on the front of the November issue of DownEast - the Magazine of Maine. I started to flip through the magazine as it seemed as though I wasn't going to have my turn at the register any time soon. On my way to the article that had originally caused me to pick up the publication, I was stopped in my tracks by a picture of a country road flanked by orange and gold trees and a headline that read "One More Drive". Presented are Five Fabulous Late Fall Drives.

OK, we have some great drives on our site that weave throughout the Kennebec and Moose River Valleys, and I was curious if any of them were featured here. There were only a few paragraphs about Gardiner and along the Kennebec at the end of one drive and I was quite disheartened by this to think the editors of such a great magazine had missed some of the most beautiful driving loops in the state. In the North Woods drive they mentioned a little about Moxie Falls, Attean Pond and Route 201 but then directed drivers back to Bangor.

As I stood there, really not comprehending how such an injustice to our great region could have taken place, my dismay turned to joy in the turn of one more page. There it was. On page 20T, "Down By The Lakes", an excerpt from John Gibson's Maine's Most Scenic Roads: 25 Routes Off the Beaten Path. Here were 4 pages eloquently describing a drive starting and ending in Augusta looping up and around the Belgrade Lakes. Including two small diversions to a couple lakes not right on the loop.This 56.5 mile drive is perfect for an afternoon and right now the foliage is beautiful.

So pick up your copy of DownEast today, and skip Martha's Maine and come explore our part of Maine. There is always something new around every corner.

Thinking of Snow and Snowmobiling

Date: October 14, 2011

If wishes were horses then beggars would ride. Well if all this rain we have been experiencing lately were snow then snowmobilers would be riding for sure.

It won't be long before it actually is snow coming down in the northern parts of our region. So now is a great time to start planning your next snowmobiling trip. Some of the most pristine winter landscapes in Maine can be found right in the Kennebec and Moose River Valley area. And one of the best ways to experience it is to climb aboard a snowmobile and ride to your hearts content. With an amazing trail system – miles of interconnected, groomed and marked trails maintained by local and regional snowmobile clubs – ride along streams and rivers choked with ice, across wide open fields, and over vast expanses of frozen lakes and ponds.

From the Jackman, down to the Forks and Caratunk and throughout most of the KV region you will enjoy the world class snowmobile riding and snowmobile-friendly towns that have made Maine famous. So here are just a few tips to help you plan a memorable visit this winter.

There are plenty of dealerships across the state who would be happy to sell you a sled. Registered sled rental operators also offer snowmobiles and equipment, and most also offer operator and safety instruction, and some even offer guided touring. Check out the list of registered rental operations on the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife web site for a rental in the area where you wish to ride.

A variety of lodging styles are available to suit every budget. Stay in a local Bed and Breakfast or curl up by the fire at one of Maine's cozy Inns. Rent a rustic cabin with some friends or stay at a motel featuring hot tubs, lounges and restaurants.  Or if you really want to go like the Mainers do stay at one of a growing community of snowmobiling resorts, where meals, lodging, rentals and guide service are all available in one location.

After a full day on the trails you are sure to have a healthy appetite so grab some fast food, dine at an upscale eatery or visit the local family fare restaurant. Maybe try a local snowmobile club public supper where the food is good and plentiful. Check out the business directory on our website or mesnow.com for additional resources.

Why are there life long groups of friends who come back year after year to the same trails. Because they know the secret you will discover when you visit the Kennebec and Moose River area. Amazing snow conditions. Breathtaking scenery. Friendly, welcoming people. Endless trails. Visit once and you will be back, again and again.

Hope to see you on the trails.