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Copyrighted photo courtesy Debra Conklin
Winter in Maine - Not So Bleak
By Debra Conklin
Published: November 06, 2005
WINTER looms and a shiver of dread travels down my spine. High
heating bills, slippery roads and a bone-chilling cold that settles deep
within me, refusing to loosen its grip until the month of May, fills my
brain. I silently plead to make it go away, but I know it won't
and I reluctantly accept my fate and torch up the wood stove, preparing
myself to go into semi-hibernation for the next nine months.
Although I would dearly love to crawl under the down comforter, on my
bed, and just sleep away the long, desolate days of winter, I have a
six-year old and sleeping isn't high on his agenda. So, over the
years despite my dislike of the cold, I have learned to find some
semblance of enjoyment, for his sake, during the lengthy winter months.
But, there are times when my imagination well completely dries up and
then it's time to break out the big guns. The ones where you have pay
for your entertainment.
Not being ski enthusiasts, but still having a fondness for downhill
speed, we particularly enjoy the thrill of racing down a large
snow-covered hill or mountain on an over-inflated inner-tube or hard
plastic sled. One of our all-time favorite places to enjoy this
sport though, is right on our very own ice-covered, snow-packed,
downhill, driveway. Though the driveway doesn't bode well for my
non-four wheel drive minivan, it is particularly nice when my son is
going to be late meeting the bus at the end of the drive. That's
when I yell to him, "Grab the sled and you'll make it on time!" He
usually does.
But for those of you not familiar with my place of
residence, I've come across
some wonderful places to sled, places I have every intention of taking
my family to, when snow covers the hills.
The Camden Snow Bowl in Camden
is a great place to spend the day. The
Toboggan Nationals are held
there, which is fun to watch, and we might even rent
our
own toboggans and fly down the chutes. It looks like
sliding down a waterslide in a water park, but in actuality it's
a
lot faster and a lot scarier. They also have two lanes of tubing hills,
a
skating rink and of course, skiing. There's even a cafeteria to fuel
yourself back up, after sliding down a time or two. I'm sure a day spent
at
the Camden Snow Bowl will be a good time for my family.
Another place to enjoy tubing is Mt.
Abram
in Greenwood. Mt. Abram is billed as Maine's biggest tubing park
and the price is low enough so that the entire family can spend the day.
Besides just sledding or tubing, the park also offers snowboarding,
cross-country skiing and downhill skiing. They also offer child
care, a lounge, rentals, as well as a cafeteria. This is
definitely going on my list of things to do with the kids during winter
vacation. Of course, there are many other
Maine ski resorts from which to choose, so check them out to find
the right one for you.
I also know that there are times during the winter months when
outdoor
activities are not going to happen. The frigid air or deep snowfalls will
make
an indoor activity the only choice. In that case, one of our
all-time favorite things - both as a learning experience and as a fun
thing to do - is to explore museums in
Maine. As history lovers, my family and I have personally had the
fortune
to tour a few of Maine's museums and I've listed a few of our favorites,
but
there are literally hundreds to discover just by searching
Maine Archives and
Museums.
A museum that is close to home for us is the
Cole Land Transportation Museum in Bangor.
It's filled with thousands of exhibits depicting Maine's land
transportation pioneers and how they bravely cleared and shaped the land. You'll step
into
a time warp when you cross the threshold of a 1800's post office,
meticulously set up and displayed or board a passenger locomotive. The
exhibit of military uniforms, weapons, vehicles and their significance
is
especially moving and important.
Another museum not to miss while in Bangor is the
Maine Discovery
Museum.
Though not rich in historical facts, it is a learning experience for
young
minds and a great place for parents to spend a good time with their
children. With seven interactive exhibits on three floors, the Discovery
Museum is one of the biggest children's museums in the area. Some of the
exhibits include an awesome sound studio to sing along and record
favorite
songs with your child and a gyroscope where the kids can learn about
astronomy, acceleration and robotics (hubby loved this one). Children
can
even climb to the top of a two story tree house (our little guy loved this
one)
or dance around a room with changing lights and backgrounds which will
distort your body image into funky shapes and movements (I loved this
one).
As a family place to go for a day, this museum truly is made for a
family
outing.
For art lovers, the
Farnsworth Museum in Rockland is a definite must. The
museum houses a permanent collection of Maine artists as well as
nationally
acclaimed ones. The exposure my daughter received from the many
different
forms and mediums of original artwork set her artistic mind to whirling.
After spending time walking the exquisite galleries of this museum and
viewing the work of some of the area's greatest artists, she went home
to
create her own masterpieces. Even though her work doesn't grace the
walls
of the Farnsworth Museum, they do add a touch of elegance and culture to
my
walls.
The Maine State Museum is where all Mainers, as well as persons who
simply
love our great state, should definitely spend a day. Located in our
state's
Capitol of Augusta, it's the place to learn about the history of
Maine,
from the Indians to the first European explorers. You'll learn about
Maine
industries, factories, shipping and farming and how the woods and sea
are an integral part of Maine history. Although it wasn't the most exciting place
for my six-year old (he enjoyed running up and down the stairs and
getting
lost in the maze of hallways, much more than looking at the exhibits) it
is
an important history lesson for everyone who lives in or loves the state
of
Maine.
There's no avoiding the inevitable upcoming stretch of the
white-covered,
cold snap coming our way, but if we're in it for the long haul, there's
no
shortage of things to do if we just let our imagination well fill up.
_____
Copyright 2005. Debra Conklin lives in the country with her
family and has been published in various magazines and newspapers.
Her first book of poetry and essays, This Ain't Shakespeare ... But It Sure Is Real