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Every year, summer seems to slip by too fast. And every year, this still somehow manages to surprise us.
Summer isn’t over yet. But July is, and that almost seems less possible than aliens being real.
Where did the time go? Perhaps it washed away with all of the rain in June, or maybe the days melted together during the recent record heat. Either way, here we are heading into another August.
The good news is that there is still plenty left to do, both in a long list of upcoming events and long-standing adventures around the state.
True to form, BDN reporter Emily Burnham has put together another helpful list of things to do in Maine before summer is gone again — along with some simple but important advice.
“Wear sunblock, be nice, stay safe and have fun,” Burnham suggested. Hard to argue there.
She has also offered a wide range of possible activities for the rest of summer: Hunt for ghosts at Fort Knox on Aug. 19. Snap up some red hot dogs in Dexter on Aug. 12 at the Maine Red Hot Dog Festival. Buoy your familiarity with Maine’s maritime history at Belfast’s annual Harbor Fest from Aug. 18-20. Spend some of your hard earned cheddar at the Maine Cheese Festival in Pittsfield on Sept. 10.
Find some popcorn and head to the Camden International Film Festival from Sept. 14-17. Tune in to more than 30 bands playing at Thresher’s Brewing in Searsmont during the Aug. 4-5 ARME Boot Camp. Reel in a good time at the Fort Kent International Muskie Derby from Aug. 11-13. Celebrate Acadian culture and history at the 45th annual Acadian Festival in Madawaska from Aug. 10-15. Follow the mermaid song to Eastport for Mermaid Weekend Aug. 4-6, or set sail to the Eastport Pirate Festival Sept. 8-10.
In addition to these and other upcoming events, Maine also sports a host of timeless adventure opportunities — so timeless that we tend to recommend some of them each year.
The Bigelow Preserve in Franklin County has more than 36,000 acres of public land, seven summits and a host of hiking trails. At the other end of the state, West Quoddy Head Lighthouse in Lubec provides an opportunity to watch the sunrise at the easternmost point in the continental U.S.
The Aroostook Valley Country Club straddles the border between the U.S. and Canada. The pro shop and parking lot are in Fort Fairfield, and the course and clubhouse are in Canada. An errant shot on several holes can cross the international boundary. It’s a unique chance to be bad — or good — at golf in two countries.
Mackworth Island in Falmouth is home to the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, housed on Percival Baxter’s old family estate. The island also features a roughly mile-and-a-half loop trail that has great views of Casco Bay.
Some call Gulf Hagas, near Brownville, “the Grand Canyon of the East.” That may be a slight overstatement, but the winding hike along the river gorge is, well, gorgeous.
These are just a few examples. Maine summer may be seemingly short on time, but there is no shortage of adventures to be had, festivals to enjoy, food to sample, memories to make or friends to share them all with. So, Climb Katahdin. Take a sunset stroll down your street. Swim in Moosehead Lake. Run through the sprinkler. Brave the line at Red’s (any of the Red’s). Have a Moxie. And whatever you do, have a ball. Enjoy the rest of this Maine summer while it’s still here.
