Explore the stops along the way
There is a lot to do when you are in Maine’s Kennebec Valley—rafting, breweries, events, and hiking. But there are also some pretty unique places to go and things to see that will make your vacation a chef’s kiss. Just like the Ladies Delight Lighthouse (shown above), Maine’s only inland lighthouse is set on Cobbosseecontee Lake.
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South Solon Meeting House
Constructed in 1842 as a place for religious and community activities, venture inside the white clap board building and find yourself enveloped by floor-to-ceiling frescoes painted by contemporary artists from the nearby Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. Artists were given only the following guidance: “There shall be no limitation of subject matter; however, bearing in mind the religious character of the building, which has been non-sectarian from its inception, it’s suggested that the New and Old Testaments offer rich and suitable subject matter. This material should be interpreted in imaginative terms, allowing complete freedom to develop symbols, associations, or legends.”
Ticonic Footbridge
Located next to Head of Falls, and more popularly known as the Two Cent Bridge or the Two Penny Bridge, this suspension bridge spans the Kennebec River between Waterville and the town of Winslow. It is one of the oldest surviving wire-cable steel suspension bridges. It is also considered the last known extant toll footbridge in the country.
A walk across the bridge and back provides expansive views up and down the river to the Ticonic Falls, train trestle, Head of Falls, Two Cent Bridge Park in Winslow, and the restored historic buildings of Downtown Waterville.
The Harold Alfond Little Fenway Park
About a 20-minute drive west of Waterville, on the western edge of McGrath Pond and the spectacular grounds of Camp Tracy, sits the perfect and perfectly excellent 2/3 scale officially licensed replica of historic Fenway Park. Opened in September 2006 by the Alfond Youth Center to honor the Maine shoe magnate Harold Alfond, the park is an homage to the sport and team he loved so dearly. Joining Alfond on opening day at the park were Cal Ripken, Jr., the governor of Maine, John Baldacci. In the years since the park opened, hundreds of innings of baseball have been played on what has become known as Harold Alfond’s “Field of Dreams.”
Giant Roadside Rooster
For over half a century, a massive leghorn rooster has been greeting visitors who pass by the private Monmouth residence on Cobbossee Road, where he stands guard. Aside from his monumental proportions, he is a normal-looking rooster. He’s white with a big red cocks comb, like a bigger version of “Looney Tunes” classic big-mouthed know-it-all character Foghorn Leghorn. From what we have heard, the giant rooster is still there today.
L.C. Bates Museum
The L.C. Bates Museum, located on the campus of Good Will-Hinckley in Fairfield, is an early 20th-century museum full of unique cabinets of curiosities and Maine wildlife dioramas. Explore exhibits of art, Maine Native American baskets, minerals, and Maine history and archaeology, and experience Maine’s natural beauty firsthand on our forest walking trails. The National Endowment for the Humanities recently featured the L.C. Bates Museum in its 50 States of Preservation project. The museum offers Family Discovery Activities, such as nature activity kits and scavenger hunts, Fern Walk and Butterfly Garden, Arboretum, and Gift Shop.
South China Sign Post
At the intersection of Old Windsor Road and Legion Memorial Drive in South China, set close to the southern end of the long (and very fishable) China Lake, and just off SR202, you will find a signpost pointing you toward several international destinations. But they all seem closer than they should. One is even just a few miles away instead of halfway around the world.
Moxie Falls
Considered one of Maine’s highest waterfalls, Moxie boasts a single vertical drop of nearly 90 feet. An easy round-trip trail, amounting to just under one mile, brings visitors to this scenic destination with wooden stairs and boardwalks providing access over the rugged terrain surrounding the falls, including several wooden observation platforms for views of Moxie Stream’s plunges. Because of the ease of this hike/walk, it is an extremely popular destination, especially on hot summer days.
Hussey's General Store
The largest independent general store in Maine, Hussey’s has served customers since Harland Hussey opened his grocery business in October 1923. Today, the store is home to over 30,000 square feet of groceries, sporting goods, clothing, formal gowns, hardware, and appliances. The store’s charm is the three floors packed with everything one needs. No seriously. Spices, trapping supplies, children’s toys, used books, swimsuits, rain boots, interior home paint department, jerky, Needhams…we could go on and on, and still not list it all.
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