Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hill
. Here, a former military radar installation has been converted into
medium-security prison.
In downtown
Dover-Foxcroft
watch signs carefully. You need to take a
relatively sharp left at the second traffic light. If you follows the signs at
the second light and take Route 153, it leads straight to
Peaks-Kenny
State Park
.
Next you will follow the Piscataquis River to
Guilford
. Keep an eye out
for the
Low's Covered Bridge
(see page 418).
At the Guilford Industries Mill in Guilford take a left, cross the river and
take the first hard right. No more tricky turns as you head through
Abbott, Monson and Shirley on a straight north run to
Greenville
.
Greenville is a winter recreation Mecca as well as great place to catch a
float plane to deep backcountry. There are miles of paper company dirt
roads to explore on a mountain bike and the fishing in Moosehead Lake
itself is steadily improving.
Route 201, Fairfield to Jackman
85 miles, 2ΒΌ hours, one way
Highlights:
Often in Maine there is only one choice when it comes to de-
ciding how to get somewhere and Route 201 is one of those roads. It's a
pleasant route too.
Route:
From Interstate 95 in
Fairfield
(Exit 36) the road winds steadily
north paralleling the Kennebec River. Open fields and hardwood forests
characterize the 14 miles to
Skowhegan
.
Watch route signs carefully to keep from being diverted onto 201A. Cross
the river and loop through town in a one-way traffic pattern. Go right af-
ter crossing the bridge, then get in the left lane for a left turn. As you
come around 180 degrees, get into the right lane to make a right back
onto 201 and to return heading north.
North of Skowhegan Route 201 traverses some pretty wild country. Here,
Route 201 is called
The Arnold Trail
. It parallels the route taken by Col.
Benedict Arnold during the revolution when, prior to his treason, he lead
a force up the Kennebec and through the woods to attack Quebec. The tri-
als and deprivations suffered as the men endured early snows, poor
equipment and little food was profiled in Maine author Kenneth Roberts'
novel Arundel. In the village of Solon, Col. Arnold was forced to portage
around a tall falls with sharp rocks. A dam with abandoned railroad
bridge atop now occupies the site.
The next village of any consequence is
Bingham
. Be sure to stop in at
Thompson's Restaurant
for some of their famous gingerbread, ru-
mored to be the best in the world.
