Side Trips

Old Orchard Beach -- About 12 miles south of Portland is the unrepentantly honky-tonkish beach town of Old Orchard Beach, a venerable Victorian-era resort famed for its amusement park, pier, and long, sandy beach. Be sure to spend time and money on the stomach-churning rides at the beachside amusement park of Palace Playland (tel. 207/934-2001), and then walk on the 7-mile-long beach past the mid-rise condos that sprouted in the 1980s.

The beach is broad and open at low tide; at high tide, space to place your towel is at a premium. In the evenings, teens and young adults dominate the town, spilling out of video arcades and cruising the main strip. Do as the locals do for dinner: Buy hot dogs, pizza, and cotton candy, saving your change for the arcades.

Old Orchard is just off Route 1 south of Portland; leave the turnpike at Exit 5 and follow I-195 and the signs to the beach. Don't expect to be alone here: Parking is tight, and traffic can be horrendous during peak summer months.

Sebago Lake & Douglas Hill -- Maine's second-largest lake is also its most popular. Ringed with summer homes of varying vintages, many dating from the early part of the last century, Sebago Lake attracts thousands of vacationers to its cool, deep waters.

You can take a tour of the outlying lakes and the ancient canal system between Sebago and Long lakes on the Songo River Queen II, a faux-steamship paddle-wheeler berthed in the town of Naples (tel. 207/693-6861); or just lie in the sun along the sandy beach at Sebago Lake State Park (tel. 207/693-6613) on the lake's north shore (the park is off Rte. 302; look for signs between Raymond and South Casco). The park has shady picnic areas, a campground, a snack bar, and lifeguards on the beach (entrance fee in summer is $3.50 adults, $1 children 5-11; off season it's $1.50 donation adults and free for children under 12). It can be uncomfortably crowded on sunny summer weekends; it's best on weekdays. Bring food for barbecuing. The park's campground has its own beach and is at a distance from the day-use area, so it is less congested during good weather. It books up early in the season, but you might luck into a cancellation.

Off Route 107 south of Sebago (the town, not the lake), is Douglas Hill, whose summit is capped with a 16-foot stone tower. Owned by the Nature Conservancy, the property is open to the public; the summit is reached via an easy 1/4-mile trail from the parking area. Look for wild berries in late summer.

Sabbathday Lake Shaker Community -- Route 26 from Portland to Norway is a speedy state highway that passes through new housing developments as it heads toward hilly farmland and pine forests. At one point, the road pinches through a cluster of historic buildings that stand beneath towering shade trees. That's the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Community (tel. 207/926-4597; www.shaker.lib.me.us), the last active Shaker community in the nation. The half-dozen or so Shakers living here embrace traditional Shaker beliefs and maintain a communal, pastoral way of life. The bulk of the community's income comes from the sale of herbs, grown here since 1799.

Tours are offered daily from Memorial Day to Columbus Day, except Sundays (visitors are invited to attend Sun services). Docents lead tours of the grounds and several buildings, including a 1794 meetinghouse. Exhibits showcase the famed furniture handcrafted by Shakers, including antiques made by Shakers at other U.S. communes. You'll learn about the Shaker ideology, with its emphasis on simplicity, industry, and celibacy. After your tour, browse the gift shop for Shaker herbs and teas. Tours last 1 hour ($6.50 adults, $2 children 6-12). In July and August, beginning in 2004, the community will offer an optional extended tour, lasting 2 hours ($8 adults, $2.75 children). The community is open to the public daily except Sunday from Memorial Day to Columbus Day from 10am to 4:30pm. The last tour is at 3:30pm.

The Shaker village is about 45 minutes from Portland. Head north on Route 26 (Washington Ave. in Portland). The village is 8 miles from Exit 11 (Gray) of the Maine Turnpike.