Maine offers a variety of canoe and kayak races throughout the year, with several notable events scheduled for 2025.
Paddling in a spring Maine river race is as much about the journey as the competition. It’s a chance to challenge yourself. To embrace the raw beauty of nature, and connect with the Maine river in a way that few other experiences can offer. It’s tough, exhilarating, and unforgettable. Maine canoe kayak river races are a rite of spring. A chance to celebrate one more outdoor waterfront tradition.
Paddle, Drift, Gawk. Witness Small Town Maine. What It Is Really Like Living Here. Canoes Can Have Motors… But Not In A Maine River Race.
Families, individuals, folks you work with and old childhood classmates connect at a Maine race venue.
Year after year it becomes a fraternity, sorority ritual for many. Do you get out on the open water for the thrill of paddling down a Maine river?
Connect with others that have the same healthy river paddling habit. The Maine canoe, kayak and paddle boards don’t just get used in a spring race and then put away to gather dust.
Here are some of the key Maine canoe kayak river races, along with their locations, dates, and registration details:
St. George River Race Date: Traditionally held on the last weekend in March. The 2025 date is yet to be announced. Location: Searsmont, Maine. The race starts at the St. George Bridge in Searsmont Village. Registration: Typically opens on February 1st each year. For updates and registration, visit the Waldo County YMCA website.
Passagassawakeag River Race Date: Traditionally held on the first weekend in April. The 2025 date is yet to be announced. Location: Belfast, Maine. The race course typically runs along the Passagassawakeag River. Registration: Details will be available on the Waldo County YMCA website as the date approaches.
Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race Date: Saturday, April 19, 2025. Location: Bangor to Kenduskeag, Maine. This is a 16.5-mile race starting in downtown Bangor and ending in the town of Kenduskeag. Registration: Registration details will be available in early 2025. For more information, visit the official race website.
Aroostook River Spring Runoff Canoe & Kayak Race Date: Sunday, May 4, 2025. Location: Caribou, Maine. The 6.2-mile race starts at the Lower Lyndon Street Boat Launch by Caribou Stream and ends at Forbes Pit, 1100 Fort Fairfield Road. Registration: Race day registration is from 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM at the starting point. Fees are $10 per paddler aged 19 and over, and $5 for paddlers 18 and younger. Online registration is available through the Caribou Parks and Recreation Department’s portal.
Sheepscot River Race Date: The 2025 date is yet to be announced. Location: Newcastle to Wiscasset, Maine. This is a 6-mile canoe and kayak race starting in Newcastle at the Route 1 Rest Area Bridge and finishing at the Wiscasset Waterfront. Registration: Registration opens on race day at 11:00 AM at the Newcastle Rest Area. The fee is $20 per person, with discounts for kids under 17 and adults over 70. For more details, visit the organizer’s website.
Cathance River Flatwater Race Date: Traditionally held in September. The 2025 date is yet to be announced. Location: Bowdoinham, Maine. The race begins at the Bowdoinham Kayak/Canoe Launch. Registration: Registration typically begins at 2:00 PM on race day, with the race starting at 3:30 PM. For more information, contact the event organizer.
Regarding the number of spring canoe river races, Maine typically hosts several. The events include the St. George River Race, Passagassawakeag River Race, Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race, and Aroostook River Spring Runoff Canoe & Kayak Race, among others.
The exact number can vary each year based on scheduling and conditions.
In terms of difficulty, the Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race is often considered more challenging due to its length (16.5 miles) and sections of whitewater, including the notable Six Mile Falls.
In contrast, races like the Sheepscot River Race are shorter (6 miles) and feature more flat water sections. It makes them more accessible for beginner paddlers.
The amount of winter snow significantly impacts Maine river conditions during spring races.
Last year, Maine winter weather was mild and low on the snow amounts. This year has started out with a repeat snow less Maine winter but lots of rain. A heavy snow pack leads to higher spring runoff, resulting in increased river volume and faster currents.
More water, higher levels can make races more challenging and exciting.
Conversely, a lack of winter snow reduces runoff, leading to lower water levels, slower currents. Potentially exposing obstacles like rocks and sandbars, which can affect race dynamics and safety.
Or contact the organizers of each race as the event dates approach.
Maine, Somehow Water Is Always In The Background, foreground, All Around. Part Of The Outdoor Fun In Maine Is Water.Grab A Partner To Canoe River Race In Maine. Kayaks, Paddle Boards Welcome Too!
Historical Perspective on Canoes in Maine
Before the development of roadways, railways, and recreational trails, Maine’s rivers served as vital transportation routes for its early inhabitants, including Native Americans and European settlers.
Canoes, particularly those crafted from birch bark, were essential for navigating the state’s interconnected waterways.
These vessels were not only lightweight and portable but also well-suited for Maine’s rugged terrain. Allowing people to traverse vast distances for trade, communication, and resource gathering.
Rivers like the Penobscot, Kennebec, Androscoggin, and St. John served as the primary “highways” for early Mainers. Connecting settlements and enabling the transport of goods such as furs, timber, and agricultural produce.
Major Rivers Hosting Canoe and Kayak Races in Maine
Penobscot River
Kenduskeag Stream (a tributary of the Penobscot River)
The Oldest, Newest, and Most Popular River Races in Maine
Oldest Race:
The Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race, first held in 1967, is the oldest continuously running canoe race in Maine. This iconic event attracts paddlers from across the country and is a hallmark of springtime in Maine.
Newest Race:
The Cathance River Flatwater Race in Bowdoinham is one of the newer additions to Maine’s canoe and kayak racing calendar, emphasizing a more relaxed paddling experience with scenic views.
Most Popular Race:
The Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race is also the most popular race in Maine. Known for its 16.5-mile course featuring a mix of flatwater and challenging whitewater sections, it draws hundreds of participants and thousands of spectators annually.
How Early Rivers Shaped Racing Culture
Maine’s historical reliance on rivers as primary transportation routes has evolved into a strong paddling culture. With recreational and competitive canoeing and kayaking becoming popular Maine pastimes.
Early Races Are Cold River Runs With More Water, Greater Speeds, Trickier Currents.
Many races take place on rivers that once played a critical role in the state’s economic and cultural development. Maine’s combination of history, natural beauty, and challenging waterways ensures that its canoe and kayak races remain deeply rooted in the state’s identity.
Nothing cures cabin fever in Maine better than paddling for all you are worth to come out on the top of the field of river racers.
Spring Means High Fast Water, Canoe Races.
Or to just clear out the cobwebs being cooped up parked by a Maine cabin wood stove. Young and old alike team up for the chance to compete, complete and maybe win a t-shirt.
Been On Your Feet All Day? Er I Mean Through Maine River Rapids, Twists And Turns? River Race Paddlers, 2 Paddle Boards In The Meduxnekeag River Race.
The cost of purchasing a canoe in Maine varies based on factors such as the canoe’s material, brand, condition (new or used), and specific features. Here’s a general overview to guide you:
New Canoes:
Plastic Canoes: Typically range from $800 to over $2,000, depending on size and brand.
Composite Canoes (e.g., Kevlar, Fiberglass): Often start around $2,500 and can exceed $6,000, reflecting their lightweight and high-performance characteristics.
Two Rivers Canoe & Tackle: Based in Sherman, Maine, they offer the “Maine Freighter,” a custom-built canoe known for its quality and durability. For specific pricing, it’s recommended to contact them directly.
Saco River Canoe & Kayak: Located in the Mount Washington Valley area, they sell gently used kayaks and canoes at affordable prices. For current inventory and pricing, reaching out to them is advisable.
When considering a Maine canoe purchase, it’s essential to assess your specific needs. Such as intended use (recreational, whitewater, or expedition), desired durability, weight preferences, and budget.
Visiting local retailers or outfitters in Maine can provide hands-on experience and personalized advice to help you make an informed decision.
Grab A Paddle, Load Up The Canoe, Launch The Kayak! Spring High Water Time Is Here!
Paddling hard in a spring Maine river race is a mix of adrenaline, connection to nature, and sheer physical effort. It’s an experience that pushes you physically and mentally while immersing you in the beauty and unpredictability of Maine’s rivers. What does a Maine river canoe kayak paddler experience from the waterway run around the state?
The Build-Up: Anticipation and Energy
Spring in Maine: The rivers are swollen with snow melt, running fast and cold. The air is crisp, and the landscape is a patchwork of lingering frost and emerging greenery.
Pre-Race Jitters: Standing at the starting line, surrounded by other paddlers, you feel the buzz of excitement. Everyone is checking gear, strategizing, and trying to stay warm.
The Start: Pure Adrenaline
When the Maine canoe race begins, it’s chaos in the best way. Paddles splash, competitors shout, and the Maine river seems alive, surging forward as if it’s part of the race.
The water grabs your canoe or kayak, demanding quick reactions. Your heart pounds—not just from effort but from the thrill of it all.
The Physical Challenge: Pushing Hard
Paddling Against Resistance:
Each stroke cuts through icy Maine river water, your muscles burning as you fight the current, your competitors, and sometimes the wind.
Rapids and Obstacles:
Maine’s spring rivers are unpredictable, with rapids, rocks, and sometimes low-hanging branches that require skill and focus. A lot like unpredictable forces in life right?
Cold Water Reminder:
The cold splash of the Maine river keeps you sharp. It’s invigorating but a reminder of how serious the conditions are. Better bungie cord the cooler and any loose items just in case we capsize.
The Mental Battle: Grit and Strategy
Finding Your Rhythm:
After the initial burst of energy, you settle into a paddling rhythm. Your breathing aligns with your strokes, and your mind shifts into a zone. Maine, the way life should be.
Strategic Decisions:
Do you paddle harder to gain ground or pace yourself to save energy for the end? Reading the river current becomes critical—choosing the fastest line, avoiding obstacles, and adjusting to currents.
Moments of Doubt:
When your arms ache, and it feels like everyone is pulling ahead, it takes mental grit to keep going down a Maine river.
The Connection: Nature and Camaraderie
Wild Beauty:
The riverbanks are alive with the first signs of spring—birch trees budding, birds calling, and the smell of damp earth. Even as you push hard, you can’t help but notice the beauty around you.
Shared Experience:
Whether it’s a glance exchanged with a competitor or a friendly laugh at a near-capsize, there’s camaraderie in the shared effort.
The Finish: Exhaustion and Triumph
Final Push:
As you near the finish line, you dig deep, every ounce of strength going into those last strokes.
Relief and Joy:
Crossing the line is pure satisfaction. Your body aches, but it’s worth it for the sense of accomplishment.
Post-Race Vibe:
Onshore, there’s a mix of laughter, shared stories, and warm drinks to chase away the chill. You feel part of a community that understands the unique thrill of river racing.
Dressed For Fun, The Outdoor Application. Not Being A Clotheshorse. Or Out To Impress. Just Warm, Cool, Dry, Comfortable.
Why It’s Worth It
Paddling in a spring Maine river race is as much about the journey as the competition. It’s a chance to challenge yourself. To embrace the raw beauty of nature, and connect with the river in a way that few other experiences can offer. It’s tough, exhilarating, and unforgettable. Thanks for following our Me In Maine blog posts.
Maine small towns are proud of their unique area of the state. Tourism in Maine accounts for about 6.4% percent of the state’s economy. I know, that low a figure surprised me too. Or made me think we could bump it up to way more Maine tourists traveling across the big green bridge.
All this space, no crime, no traffic. Plenty of eye candy. But still the tourism dollar numbers are impressive. Tourists pump over 8.6 billion dollars a year into the local Maine economy. One out of seven Maine jobs are tourism related. Maine tourism creates 151,000 plus employment opportunities to bring home the bacon.
Welcome To Maine. How About A Super Sized Ice Cream Cone Treat?
The towns in Maine most memorable are the ones where the entire population wears an ambassador hat.
Putting on a genuine smile. Greeting the day with a healthy attitude of wanting to be helpful. Rolling out the red carpet welcome mat means putting yourself in the shoes of a tourist.
Really friendly, warm and helpful is something any new to your area visitor never forgets.
Returning trips to the small Maine town happen with frequency when the folks you bump into on vacation go all out to be the best tour guides.
The Maine folks you meet from the hospitality industry in the local lodging and dining sector have to provide first class service.
Can’t be hit or miss or depending on which way the wind happens to be blowing casual. Sincere, empathetic, sensitive to help the brand new tourist visitor have a quality stay in Maine.
Like any vacation, a brand new to your area traveler wants to explore, sample the local home grown food, to tap into the recreation. Maybe to just be left alone and veg. And usually to rest up from the very hectic week before they tidy up all the business affairs. For the pack the pack and ready or not here I go.
Take the vacation in Maine.
Life will not end if you take a break to unplug, recharge and change the scenery and routine you practice day and night on the hamster wheel right?
Maine, The Way Life Should Be. One Big State, Lots Of Special Hidden Areas To Discover.
You and I travel for the memories, the sights in a different setting. To try out the new culture that is not the same old same old.
Change of pace and to shake up the drill to shake off the cobwebs. To see how the rest of the World lives and what they do for downtime fun. Family vacations for couples on a budget with young children are taught travel is part of life.
Maine vacations.
Great exercise too if you like to walk, hike, bike, climb, paddle, sail or whatever mode of transportation.
But how to do a Maine vacation cheaply requires discipline and a strict budget.
And asking for help from the local Maine population that live in this section of Vacationland to guide your spending and to learn what there is to do for fun.
Saving your everyday spending dollars frugally frees up the money. The green stuff earmarked for a Maine vacation.
Feed back to the Maine hospitality service providers is critical. To learn what your customers liked on vacation and what was missing only helps shape better future stays for small Maine town travelers.
Plus your travel taps into lots of other service providers. You want to hear what they are doing right or wrong so you can adjust the dials for better performance. According to Maine government officials, state annual tourism visits show a 10 percent increase.
Nightly lodging stays in Maine are up 18 percent.
The Crown Jewels And Europe Jewel Treasures.
What do people want to do for fun, what do they consider entertainment?
Go to a local museum? Farmers markets, paddling a kayak on a bottle smooth Maine lake? To hike the trails up Baxter State park or ride a bike on miles of roads spanned by classic stone bridges around Acadia? To admire the four season space not crowded with wall to wall tourists? Maine is different than Disney Land or Cony Island, Las Vegas, most other places.
Why not own your Maine vacation property spot and possible rent it out to others with a careful background check and healthy deposits taken?
Sitting around an open fire at a Maine waterfront setting.
Enjoying a hot or cold beverage on an open porch watching Maine wildlife. Too slow paced and not action packed enough for you? Maine’s unspoiled four season setting make it low or no cost which only enhances a stay in Vacationland. Try paddling through the river rapids on the Penobscot, Dead, Kennebec Rivers for some adventure.
Camp Fires In Maine. The Circle Of Chairs For Outdoor Group Therapy.
What’s the weather forecast and being ready to pivot to a plan “B” and “C” if needed.
Not jamming so much into the Maine vacation schedule so whoever you are sharing it with does not revolt. grumble or worse mutiny.
Vacationing 101… everyone does it differently but a little help from local Mainers to suggest what should be on the itinerary is helpful.
Making it worth the money and time spent to vacation in Maine hinges on the people you meet along the way.
Vacationing In Maine. Returning To The Same Favorable Haunts Or Somewhere New?
When I was Houlton Maine Chamber of Commerce president, marketing the town for tourism was huge.
Thinking like a brand new traveler wandering into town. What would he or she need besides a warm feeling that they were welcome? How to help the new to your area tourists not waste their short time and hard earned dollars in your Maine home town? Showcasing what there is to do for fun wherever you live in Maine is huge.
So much on the list may not be your personal favorite but what do the vacation audience members want to achieve from this vacation getaway stay?
See sunrises, sunsets like no other. Meet a Maine moose, see a bald eagle, strap on a bib to eat a steamed lobster. Sample a whoopie pie or slice of blueberry filled anything. Pick up souvenirs with Maine splashed across them.
Waterfront Maine Vacations Are The Most Memorable!
How to get a Maine tourist to stick around for a stretch of days and to return for more?
To share their enjoyment with their inner circle of friends to expand on the local Maine tourism traffic to your zip code. Regional tourism and helping tourist travelers “build” an itinerary that includes more than just your corner of Maine is how state tourism dollars increase.
I just got back from a vacation to London England and Edinburgh Scotland.
Touring Edinburgh Castle In Scotland. Lots Of History. Not So Many Castles In Maine That Is A Lot Younger Historic State.
Meg, her mom and I learned a lot and got lots of exercise. How each tourism stop markets itself observed. Online and after you get there. Do you get a sense that the tour operator, restaurant, lodge owner has hospitality training?
Tower Bridge London England Toured On Recent Europe Vacation.
Is the individual providing the service you need? Or on their phone more than spending time with the “how can I help you?”. Meg and I did a lot of planning online and sorted through a lot of marketing, reviews, eyeball the media available. Again, what to do for fun is not the same list of responses for everyone polled.
Maine vacations are hard to beat and this is where our heart is.
The trip to cross the pond flying Delta to London England and Virgin Airlines back to the Logan Airport in Boston MA was different too.
Not because of jet lag or lack of hydration or sleep. Did it by the book. But like the flight experience, the dining, train travel, the museums, historical and scenery experience were not the same either. Like a movie or book you remember for days after you finish it. There is a reason why and all of us harvest different take aways looking back on any vacation.
Delta Airlines Over, Virgin Airlines Back “Across The Pond” On Vacation.
Our bus tour guide to Sterling Castle Paul gave us the history lesson on Wallace, Mary Queen of Scots, Robert the Bruce, Kelpies, Nessie the monster folklore.
Train Travel On Vacation in Scotland.
In between hearing Scottish local historic information about the clans, Paul was awesome. All the information served up from a Scotsman while driving the bus along the highland country sides dotted with sheep. There was music. Fill from Paul’s playlist shared with our group added to the local Scottish immersion.
The Chieftains, Proclaimers, Annie Lennox, Simple Minds and other artists on the small bus ride with the panoramic windows made it memorable. We were not in Kansas or Maine or stateside anymore.
Ran into one fellow wearing a kilt who we asked are you cold? He smiled and quickly retorted “it’s not cold, this is Scotland”. Overall the weather was a lot warmer than everyone in London and Edinburgh remembers just like here in the Maine.
Edinburgh Castle View In Edinburgh Scotland.
This trip made me really think about the new to Maine traveler and all the maps, GPS tools available to guide them.
And in my small town in Northern Maine, how to beef up the technology to create a digital guide to help travelers more completely.
The reviews on places to stay, the Maine attractions, where to eat, etc are all well and good. There are lots of happy, crabby and in between remarks and tourism propaganda to sort through building your Maine vacation experience. But what are your expectations and are they reasonable for the time and money available?
Everyone who lives, works and plays in Maine wears a tourism fire in my belly hat. Or should.
Touring Edinburgh Castle In Scotland. Lots Of History. Not So Many Castles In Maine That Is A Lot Younger Historic State. It’s Good To Explore In Travel.Scottish Bag Pipe Shop. Lots Of Bag Pipe Music Heard As You Climb The Hills, Down The Dales In Edinburgh Scotland.
I am proud of where I live and want to share why.
That is a big part of what the Me In Maine blog is all about right? To help shape vacations in Maine for others looking for rest, relaxation, entertainment, culinary delight. And to save them money in the process to help assure the Maine vacation is the best it can be.
All the locals pitch in and because we are not over crowded or withdrawn, the travel to Maine is a lot more relaxed for everyone involved.
Low population and less online to glean and study forces small town Maine vacations to be kept simple.
Need A Mineral Rich Healthy Bath? The Romans Built This Bath England Communal “Hot Tub”.
Instead of a commercialized Disney Land of expensive vacation package options to slide, scroll and display on your device, rural Maine if naturally different.
Less four color glassy tri-fold tourism paperwork to eyeball. The approach to peddling Maine tourism has to be creative. Limited resources and careful spending is the Maine frugal way.
Maine Lake Ice Fishing, Frozen Lakes Needed.
In Maine, there are a handful of cities and over 450 small communities.
Well oiled Chamber of Commerce resources are not always so plentiful online. To use in connecting the dots and reading between the lines to shape up your planned Maine vacation.
Time For Fish & Chips In London England.
But ask a local Mainer who is helpful and more than willing to suggest vacation options for your day and weekend ahead. Don’t just rely on skimpy online reviews and limited blog posts, videos, websites to tell the Maine vacation story.
Taken any interesting trips or are you over due for some R&R?
Houlton Maine, Last Place To Experience Totality, The Total Solar Eclipse 2024!
Reach out and here for questions about anything Maine.
Please consider you are personally invited and on the VIP invite list for a solar eclipse visit or whenever you can take the trek to Maine. Would love to meet any of your blog post followers and here for questions or tips in getting around, where to go, what the options are!
This total eclipse in Houlton Maine is the last stop for totality in the USA. Maine tourism, something that goes not happen again in my lifetime. No better spot to experience the total solar eclipse than in Houlton Maine, Aroostook County!
The points of interest, things to do in Maine when something like a coronovirus happens.
We are lucky to live in Maine where maintaining personal space is easy. Six feet from others and preparing to increase the distance if needed is not so hard. Neighbors, what neighbors? When you live on a dead end road, when you do not see the next house. It’s like yours and also out of sight, surrounded by field acreage and mixed woods. Staying safely spaced is not thought about until a virus hits. And you consider what it would be like dealing with precaution measures if you did not live in rural Maine. If instead it was a high rise apartment buildings with shared heating and air exchange system. Or one of 300 other carbon copy houses cookie cut out of a subdivision with a neat sounding name.
We all have the same don’t touch your face, clean surfaces, turn your cough and smother it in your elbow procedures to follow in Maine.
No matter where we are on planet Earth. It’s all about doing your part. Buying time in the race for multiple vaccines to stop it in it’s virus tracks. And at the same time belt tighten to weather it out like a Maine winter storm with too much snow and how low does she go temperatures. Reelin’ and dealin’ with economic problems is nothing new living in Maine. Adjusting to up, down, sideways road curves in life’s bumpy pot hole riddled road.
The Map, The Numbers, The Coronovirus Covid-19 Statistics For The World.
Our gratitude to live in small rural Maine does not make us less vigilante to do our part to avoid the spread or contracting the covid-19 virus.
Sure your heighten awareness about how virus germs are spread is vital information. You teach the same laboratory biology science lesson to your kids for real World application from the texbook. More in your head thinking about grabbing door knobs, shopping cart handles and using your elbow to touch. Or nodding, waving not shaking hands habit adopted in greetings. No more kissing both cheeks in an embrace like lots of cultures. All that gets an overhaul living in small town Maine as we avoid unnecessary travel. Sporting events took a major hit. So did dance classes, anything putting you or your child in a large group or losing the ability to stay less than six feet distant.
But being away from lots of population sheer number concentration helps us Mainers.
School Education, Sporting Events, Dance Classes Put On Hold In Maine. Everything Moved Back To Home Base To Batten Down The Hatches And Hunker Down.
Not dealing with hording fist fighters for toilet paper, foodstuffs at shopping centers still causes us to stop and reflect though.
To really think when you have families in those urban areas, how it must be. Just how their day to day changes more drastically. What they have for a set of worries is food for thought. And to consider elderly, those with medical conditions to get them help. To reach out and let them know the community cares for those with age out of kindness and for perspective. Much can be learned in the repeated past cycles we hear about helping older, seasoned community members. You doing your part? You in that group receding or blue hair segment now or hope to live long enough to make it to the Golden Years?
Just getting around, avoiding mass transit and being jumpy every time your hear a sneeze or cough.
We can walk not have to ride mass transit in most small town Maine locations. Ask someone shut in if you can get them what they need and check in. In all of our lives, none of us really knows how the coronovirus will affect us yet. My real job is listings, selling property listings will take it into consideration. I did a regular installment Maine real estate market report post on another blogging channel this weekend. Pointing out how the numbers look, with the disclaimer these healthy real estate market figures do not reflect the coronovirus news event effect. Being a realist, not an alarmist and knowing it takes patience to learn that part of the coronovirus aftermath.
Take A Break From Close Contact Sports, All Those Spectators In The Stands Or Huddled Together At ME School Fields.
Practical approaches to difficult life situations is what Mainers are taught and see put into action daily.
We will do more than survive and make a sport, a survival game out of it. When it snows an inch or two and a metropolitan area stops dead in its tracks. We think “amateurs”. But it is really lack of the right equipment, no flake experience, too many dang people. That’s the problem in population centers handling any crisis man made or from Mother Nature. David and Goliath different atmosphere to work with to avoid panic and get the best results. Smaller is better in mobilization or house arrest voluntary shut down protocol compliance. We are prepared for this kind of challenge and together will find the best way to get through it like other struggles.
It will take another month and more to pass and further time to study the coronovirus numbers based on real time, not water cooler predictions. To weigh in on how it affects real estate, transportation, tourism, health care, small mom and pop businesses in Maine.
But Mainers are tough, resilient and used to hardship and adversity. All increases our faith and the gung ho, fire in our belly passion to make the most of whatever life affords you. We head to our private places to unplug and refresh without sharing them with wall to wall tourists. We will be just fine staying at home. We are the lucky ones who live in Maine. Don’t have to travel long distances to access all she offers for fresh air, clean water, pure and natural surroundings.
What To Do, Being Responsible And Pro-active With Cornovirus COVID 19
You and I will do our part to prevent the spread and rein in our travel circles to thwart the coronovirus attack on our way of life.
The local haunts will suffer but understand your absence and why. Staying close to home to keep the fires going, making our life more confined and disciplined is nothing new. When the economy is not robust, if spending money is tight or non-existent, we quickly find ways to amuse and entertain. You can not help but think of Maine’s Amish settlements. How without lots of modern day conveniences, they don’t bother any one and get along just fine.
The kids are respectful, reading books and pitching in around the farms or whatever Amish enterprise. The stay at home out of school will not be wasted.
Everything you learn in life is not on the teacher’s shoulders. Time for kids to learn how to change car oil or a flat tire. To deep clean the house along with other members. To be kind, helpful and pick up more than just what they create for a mess or only the area they call their bedroom. Learning about economizing, conserving preparing for the long haul and seeing how local communities tackle the problem brings it all home. Kids will face challenges in life and the set backs and their reaction to them shows what you are made up inside.
The struggles and change of routine work around the house helps polish and improve to make kids adaptable for more puzzles presented to them in life. Respect for others and their opinions that may differ from their own. Not expecting to always be entertained or the need to make sure everyone around you should know you are pretty bored. Balancing a check book, washing windows, learning how to sew. Being a bit of an entry level carpenter scraping paint, removing and replacing a rotten board for refinishing. Mowing the lawn, shoveling snow. It is not up to others to make your life rosy. If you day, month, year, life does not turn out the way you hoped, don’t blame your parents or teachers and say “it’s not my fault”. Deal with it and look for the best solutions digging in and working hard not falling down and staying there by refusing to take ownership of your role. This virus is all about doing your job to protect yourself and others from its spread.
The coronovirus does put a hold on personal freedoms.
It causes tightened up sanitation measures, working on the areas of your life that fortify and raise your flu resistance. The even more exercise outdoors piled on, staying fully hydrated, curling up with a good book. Or puttering on hobbies is just pouring more coal on the bulk of our activities anyway. Listening to music, making the same soothes the soul and relaxes. Writing, painting, creating art or useful craft items. Cutting, stacking next year’s wood supply always a default to fill the time in a worthwhile way. In Maine, knowing how to entertain and make the most of what you have that is always way more than enough. That spirit will continue virus or not through thick or thin, feast or famine. We need to tackle cancer, heart disease, obesity and other health issues with the same urgency of coronovirus news has caused. If you consider yourself a faithful person, this is your cue to test that conviction or profession with prayer and reflection to fortify from inside out. Help others to do the same and gain strength in the process.
Helping others in the small rural areas, especially the elderly is not so hard or different in Maine, with or without the buzzing coronovirus news reports.
Much of the lend a hand knee jerk is second nature and why we chose to live in Maine rather than some place else on the globe. The local grocery stores opening up an hour early or later to help elderly shoppers make the rounds slowly. Without fear of being in the way, exposed to virus germs they can not afford meet along with power shoppers, etc. Slow it down. Get the seniors what they need one component of how Maine is working around the coronovirus and it’s after effects.
The healthier simple lifestyle not bank rolled by mountains of debt or crazy spending adopted growing up here where money is removed from the equation.
The focus on live and local in small town Maine, not online watching what everyone else is doing and thinking we are missing out on today. Providing plenty of room for adding all pure and natural endeavors in four season Maine. Again, not to brag but so lucky, very grateful and humbled to live in Maine. Farm raising makes you independent, a survivor to make hay while the sun shines and take frugal to a whole new level to stay on the patch of family dirt. Passing it on in as good or hopefully better shape than you received the acreage.
Being self sufficient and resourceful living on less I think just adds to the feeling of gratitude. Easy does it living within your means, aware of others and it is not about you attitude. More local hands on deck to round up quickly. To make a difference, for the connection aid for others in your small home town. It all may allow rural country Mainers to not fully feel the effects of a coronovirus the same way as our struggling city cousins. We are wired simple by choice and that is how our life rocks and rolls in Maine.
Like a harsh winter, poor economy, recovering from a medical operation or accident, we in Maine just adapt and adopt to whatever the occasion warrants.
And using a what we have which is more than enough positive attitude. To rise above and beyond to find something to be happy about in our look back rationalization. We will do more than just get through the coronovirus ramp up and containment. And I bet some in the audience are thinking this rural setting might be just the ticket for them at this stage of life too.
Our Maine local schools are working around the clock with teachers and administrators to learn from home.
For students to keep the education process rolling in new ways. Also to get needed nutrition to students who depend on it when school is in session. Bag back for kids loaded with food goes home with the help of bus drivers delivery them. When school is out in Maine for two weeks and more, providing food along with the reading, writing, arithmetic is critical too. Not everyone has an Internet connection in Maine rural areas or the money to bring it into their homes. How to continue education without Internet or computers at their home takes working together and being creative by local school boards.
No Maine Large Crowds These Days, Coronovirus Means Less Worry But Still Being Vigilante To Protect You, Others. Schools Cancelled, Large Groups Busted Up.
Those in contact with the outside World are hard to corral when they roamed before we all fully understood the seriousness of the coronovirus.
But now we know, the media have thrown so much information good and flawed at us to digest right? When you live on a Maine farm, raise your own food, heat with wood and pretty much stay busy with the agriculture and being your own construction handyman, equipment mechanic, you and your family spends the bulk of your time at home.
So points of interests, things to do in Maine when you thought this blog post was about suggestions to start collecting lighthouse visits. Knowing you want to see a Maine moose, eat a whoopie pie, try a slice of native blueberry pie, put on a bib to eat a boiler lobster or steam clam feed. Slice into a Maine potato to add the butter and maybe a few other ingredients. You come to Maine for the wide open space, friendly but fewer number of people with or without cornovirus new alert background buzz.
Hiking Mt Katahdin, hitting the trails and visits to popular coastal beaches or Maine sporting events, musical events, school activities, church services, etc that may be curtailed for a spell.
Hold that thought on go carts, Santa’s Village and public pools and going out to eat, large crowd music venues, whale watching. Make your World staying close to home or in it until we get a handle on coronovirus containment developments. When things settle down and the coast is clear to move around less restricted in larger travel circles. We take care of our basic needs and enjoy the work involved in just that as a labor of love. Grateful for how good we have it and knowing not everyone does due to where they now live today.
Instead, for now, what you do up to camp in Maine is private and secluded. More one on one or by your lonesome. Small if exposed to any size groups the order of the day. Away from people where you worry less and learn to enjoy your space more. Maybe working the land to grow food you know where it came from and heating with the wood from your own property that’s a renewable resource. Not being an alarmist, but life spent for the summer at an unorganized township in Maine like St Croix Lake camp up in Aroostook County. Like the Lawlors and my cousin Randy and his wife Barb do every year. Happy living off grid in the remote location Maine is famous for and no longer a secret to many doing their online homework.
Waving at the freight train engineer a couple times a week hauling wood forest timber products down the clickity clack tracks.
Who leans out and smiles knowing he is about the only person you see hiding out in the deep, vast North Maine woods St Croix Lake location. Maybe the inland fisheries and wildlife guy or gal with the badge, the sidearm and a pick up or snow sled, maybe a four wheel tools by to say hey. Nature’s wildlife, the sound of weather, a crackling wood fire, a lake lapping out front not just the mournful train whistle approaching the one road siding crossing is what you hear. Who’s turn to deal in our cribbage board game and what did you peg for points from that last hand you lucky buzzard? Get the deck ready and shuffled while I whip up clean and place in the rack to dry these dirty dinner dishes Marguerite.
More Wildlife Than People To Read The Local Small Town Newspaper In Maine.
Surviving on less at another off the beaten path cabin in Harvey siding or laboring on a small Maine farm might be just your new setting. Many bought land in Maine over the years for just that “what if” scenario easier to sleep at night. Without the tossing and turning worry. The property acreage a safety net, an insurance policy if you will to bee line to if life in a population center got a little too crazy. If you lived in a city and all heck broke loose, do you know where you would head following the blue evacuation dots to high tail up to Maine.
Most of the land in Maine bought for cheap vacation recreation, maybe future retirement. Using owner financing terms to fit their budget to buy the Maine land. Now owned free and clear and put to another use than hunting, fishing, snow sledding or hiking for fun. Could you live off the land in Maine, be off grid and live pretty much self sufficiently? Think you have the skill set if put to the test or could rise to the occasion?
We are vocation not just vacation people and can not take enjoy our recreation until caught up on our Maine work load.
In Maine it does not feel like being on house arrest because home is where your heart is. We don’t need retail therapy at the mall or to be social butterflies running the roads. Mainers are content and enjoy their own company. Being alone is not scary but sacred when you need to process events and hear yourself think. Your life is around you and lived in the moment not out of step and some place else. This coronovirus makes you do some serious thinking about the direction your life is heading.
Oh sure, people love Maine for the rocky coastline and maritime history.
I have posted on the expensive tourist traps that is often all the out of state visitor gets to sample. But go up into the belly of interior Maine deeper. Maine is a place to sample the outdoor traditions year round and the paths into those areas are less traveled. You could start over, change it up or retire easily in Maine if the timing is right and you are prepared financially, emotional, spiritually.
The small Maine communities are small but there is nothing larger or stronger than the hearts of the local volunteers.
They doggedly take on much and preserve to pass down these shared Maine family and community traditions. Our rural nature, the vast size of Maine and sparse population insulates us. Some think isolates to a degree. But when is that a good thing? Depends on where you are in life, what you have gone through and how you survived. Ask that very personal question to the person you see in the mirror brushing your teeth looking back each day for the answer.
Small towns, their schools, churches, businesses can mobilize quickly when ordered to stay close to home in Maine.
Waiting For Ice, For The Snow After That Signalling Maine Winter Arrived And Is Leaving A Few Months Later.
It happens every time the economy tanks. We still practice and pass on common sense to the next generation. The hand washing precautions, avoiding large groups protocol, how you meet and greet just means rein it in a little tighter. But we already live independently and not fueled by lots of cash. Are not dependent on others and make an adventure of being house bound or if weather increases and the power goes out. All taken in stride without being shook up or getting light headed with fear. We are all in this together and the individuals part of the solution.
On a small or large scale Maine country farm, the lifestyle includes lots of tasks that keep us pretty busy and out of trouble. Occupied with cutting, processing next year’s home heating wood and maintenance of out buildings, the homestead and tending fields and animals fills much of our daylight hours.
The locals and tourists alike want to be out on the trails that open up the Great North Woods and places like Mt Katahdin at Baxter State Park. Or to bike the fifty miles or more of trails around Acadia National Park in the Bar Harbor, Mount Desert Island area of Maine. To get out on the waterfront for early morning fishing in a boat or wetting the line in waders out in a Maine river or stream. But what’s important during an outbreak of say the cornovirus means first things first to protect yourself, your family, the community that is near and dear.
Farm stands for field to table fresh, museums that showcase the agriculture and lumbering heritage are popular points of interests.
So are home cooked service club suppers that often are fund raisers and silent auctions for some local in need that hit a low point in life. But the best things to do in Maine depend on you combined with the weather in the season at hand. One thing is for certain. No matter what time of year you visit Maine or when are lucky enough to live here full or part time as a native, much of the our time is spent outdoors. The fresh air, not being house bound by four walls and itching to get outside to walk, bike, hike, ski, swim is a strong desire in Maine.
Simple living makes it free and easier in many ways in Maine.
No crowds, no gangs, no crime and space. Lots of wide open space to explore and to return to those favorite places people from Maine and away flock to all their life. Once you discover your own special place to get centered, for exercise and enjoyment, that location is added to the can’t wait to return or continue where you left off.
Living simple in Maine also takes the need for lots of money to keep things humming. Independent, resourceful Mainers know how to do more than just survive. To maintain a quality of life, if it is to be, it is up to me is one skill developed at an early age. Attitude, not being lazy, pitching in to make it better than it was or to maintain something good in a small Maine community. Everyone has a role, all are ambassadors to their own small Maine town and traditions.
So points of interest, things to do in Maine and how all that gets combined with the coronovirus.
This blog post topic did not deliver what you thought it would right? It is not business as usual and we interrupt this blog post programming for a special report. If you are brand new to Maine, never been here before and only had a few days to start collecting experiences what could be the plan Stan? To not waste your time in Maine but also not feel rushed and chasing a major time line to “beat the buffet” do it all. To cover all the bases and more in one hurried visit that sums up Vacationland in a matter of hours or or just a few days. The coronovirus has closed many options for safety sake. Rent a cabin and explore to discover what each facet of the jewel of Maine offers on your own or virtually as you plan for the rear visit. Google “what to do in Maine for fun” and watch the flood of recreational options spill out in your lap.
Kittery & Up To Fort Kent ME Is As Far North As You Can Go. Maine, Tall Wide Rural State. All ME Communities Are Tackling Coronovirus Spread Prevention.
Resources, time is one, money is another that can whittle and shape the list of things to do in Maine on the points of interest list.
Camping is always a default affordable and enjoyable way to spend your time in Maine. With nature surrounding you, the wildlife one by one wandering by your camp site, you never forget the smell of the woods, the sounds of the lake or river you camped near. Food cooked on an open fire. The same one used to talk about the day that was and the one approaching discussing your Maine experiences.
Maine is personal, one on one, more intimate and the connection is stronger because crowds of impersonal people are removed. You learn to entertain yourself and not follow the pack or worry about what everyone else is doing. You seek to carve out what you want to accomplish. What fulfills you is only learned spending time with yourself and away from all those people jammed shoulder to shoulder. Not bumper to bumper in population centers like other parts of the nation. You can grow, learn, relax in Maine. Where I live, work and play there are 11 people per square mile. In New Jersey that number increases to 1000 souls.
One last blog post observation.
Maine Lighthouses Are Part Of The Attraction. They Are Not Going Away As Tourism Is Limited A Tad.
Maine travel gets your one of a kind authentic experiences and wisdom to apply to your life.
Like music that is real, genuine and even with a few imperfections, it has heart. It is not machined or sounds like all the rest of the riffs and lyrics. It is not copied and over dubbed in track stacks sameness. Feeling original, one of a kind, crafted from the heart. The melody, lyrics riding on top in the sandwich all crafted with total conviction. Honest effort poured in the pencil fill notes in the music liner creation discovery.
Maine is like the person providing the hand crafted product or wholesome level of service is testifying about how much joy he or she feels because they chose to live in Maine.
That kind of song or story hits you deeply because it is made from deep inside. The words and notes arranged because the success comes from being in the same mood when put together. Writing, singing and story telling about what you know works best when it is non-fiction and heat felt shared
Small town Maine wrapped in hundreds of thousands of acres of mostly woods because Vacationland is over 90 percent timbered. Stripped of material things that are like medication to pacify the illness symptoms on a short term basis. Replaced with rich authentic one of a kind lasting ingredients. The kind that hit all five senses on firing on all cylinders and making you feel alive in Maine where all this unspoiled space is waiting for you to tap. Unplug and recharge in Maine will clear your head and help your heart.
The principles learned through soap box derby racing cause a lifetime of memories. Learning family fun through gravity racing.
Lots of science involved that a kid can apply and benefit from unlike some textbook exercises to teach the same things. Plenty of luck of the who did the driver get paired up with for racing heats all plays into it.
Mechanics, friendly spirited competitive racing all mixed in with being a good sport. Win or lose and learning how to master lane one and two in the big race for the state of Maine. The one at Derby Hill in Houlton Maine’s Community Park.
Started Young, Soap Box Derby Racing In Maine. A Family Fun Sporting Affair.
Soap Box Derby is a national program that operates on the World famous Derby Downs in Akron Ohio.
The local race is annually held to produce a winner, the “Champ’ to be eligible to compete in the AASBD race against other “Champions”.
A rally program allows allows participants to earn points by racing in events around the region closest to the driver and his or her family. Rally Champions compete in the AASBD against other winners in from around the country.
Stock, super stock, master drivers are part of the car racing division breakdown.
Stock racers are 7-13 and the car they drive takes approximately five hours to assemble from a kit. The racer in their stock cars are approximately 5’3″ tall and 125 pounds. The car with out driver or weight tips the scales at around 61 pounds on the dial.
Super stock racers for derby down hill runs have drivers 9-18, the same assembly time as the stock cars. The size is up to 6′ tall, 160 pounds or less.
Happy? I Guess. Drove Hard To Win, Place In The Top Eight For Maine’s State Soap Box Derby Race In Houlton ME.
The masters division of soap box derby racing is for 10-20 year olds. Up to 6′ and 160 pounds in a lay down design. Shields and tucked inside with only the eyes visible in a masters soap box derby car. The assembly time varies on the skill level and imagination, resources of the Master driver and his or her support racing.
All the cars are sold as kits through the International Soap Box Derby.
The kits for cars include everything with the exception of Z-Glass Racing Wheels and weights.
Love to talk about the Maine soap box derby program and here to use as a resource. 207.532.6573 is the daytime number to call with your questions. Work this week to track down empty cars, find derby drivers to wheel them down the big Derby Hill.
Have had two of my own kids make it to Akron Ohio and helped others make it to the prestigious race out west. Will share how to get a program started, what it involves for manpower and resources needed to pull off a local soap box derby race.
