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LINDA GRIFFITH

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From the northern U.S. and Canada,
consult your map for a direct way
through Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick
then connect with Route 1 South toward Mars Hill,
OR enter the U.S. at Woodstock/Houlton
and head North toward Blaine on Route 1 from there.

BUS

Greyhound will get you to Mars Hill and often
on a discount special. Check their website
for pricing then call (800-229-9424) or e-mail them
for routing from your point of departure.
Pick-up & drop-off service is available from the bus stop.

FLY

The less expensive airfares are to Bangor and Portland,
where you will need to rent a car and drive
the rest of the way (2-3 hours from Bangor,
4-5 hours from Portland)

[Philadelphia photographer Virginia Bergey
gave us this hot tip for guests flying to Bangor
from the Philadelphia region:
It costs $100. less to fly from the
Allentown-Bethlehem airport than from
Philadelphia International.]

OR...fly right into Presque Isle (via Boston)
where you can either rent a car and drive twenty minutes
on Route 1 South to Blaine, or request
pick-up and drop off service.

Just one of the many airline info and booking services
you might check is www.bookairlinetickets.com.

DRIVE

Driver and passenger fatalities
due to moose crossings in Northern Maine
are a serious problem. You must drive
very carefully at night since moose eyes do not reflect
light and their bodies are above the area you are
accustomed to scanning on the road.
Be ESPECIALLY careful when driving through
wetlands with fallen trees. If you hit a moose
and it falls through your windshield,
you will be crushed.

From the eastern U.S.,
enter Maine from New Hampshire on I- 95 North
(There are alternatives for getting
around New York City via the Tappan Zee Bridge
and Boston traffic via I-495.
If you need help choosing a route
please don't hesitate to ask)
When you reach Portland, exit onto I-295
and continue north to Augusta
where I-295 will merge with I-95 again.
Continue north to Exit 302 in Houlton.
At the end of the exit ramp in Houlton
turn left onto Route 1 and go about 30 miles North
toward Blaine/Mars Hill to the intersection of
Route 1 and Robinson Road (aka Old Houlton Road)
(Landmark: SCOVIL BUILDING SUPPLY
on the left side of Route 1)
Directions from there will be sent
with booking confirmation.



ALONG THE WAY: By taking I-295 at Portland, you will be able to take Exit 7 / Franklin St. turn right, and visit the working waterfront at the end of Franklin. The Standard Baking Company on Commercial St. makes some of the best bread on the planet. (Be sure to try the fougasse!) If you've had a long drive, spending a night in the city (lots of ambiance and pets ok at The Inn at St. John) will not be wasted. There are many wonderful restaurants and cultural events (The offerings of Acorn Productions at the St. Lawrence Arts & Community Center are among my [highly biased] favorites. They frequently offer new and edgy work [like my plays during the Maine Short Play Festival, an excellent showcase for the work of Maine playwrights]).

Continuing North on I-295, you will be able to exit at Freeport and visit L.L.Bean any time of day or night-- it is always open. Beware: the town can be overrun with tourists visiting the many other outlet stores and and is easily jammed with traffic.

A little further North, you can elect to exit I-295 at Brunswick and take Route 1 North all the way up the Maine coast (a two day diversion, at least) then continue on Route 1 North to Blaine. The Maine coast is, of course, world famous for it's seafaring charm and art-blessed towns. Acadia National Park is gorgeous-- drive the loop road (seasonal) if you have time. Where Route 1 meets the Canadian border at Lubec, you can make your way to Campobello Island and the summer "cottage" of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt.

Don't worry if you don't have time for the coastal route-- there is a beautiful inland ride ahead of you! In Augusta I-295 will merge back onto I-95 and take you further North toward Bangor where it is STRONGLY suggested that you stop at EXIT 187 Hogan Road and get a full tank of gas before heading into the wilderness. If you are hungry, turn left at the end of the Hogan Road exit ramp and drive to what seems like the end of Hogan Road where you will see China Wall Restaurant (930 Stillwater Avenue) in a strip shopping center to your left. They make the BEST vegetarian hot and sour soup I've ever had. Some Maine folks going to Florida for the winter have had it mailed to them!

Shortly North of Bangor, you'll leave behind life as you've known it. For the next two and a half hours, you will be making your way through the Maine wilderness where the air becomes pure, the water clean, the birch trees glorious in their groves and the possibilities for finding one's soul in the peace of the natural world increasing by the mile. There are two stops you might consider making along the way: at the Medway/Millinocket Exit 244, there is an Irving gas station with a luncheonette inside. The raspberry pie there (homemade by Ericka Lakeman) is to die for. Further North, from May until October, there is a scenic overlook of Mount Katahdin that cannot be accessed from the South side, so if it's clear be sure to pull off and take a look while Northbound. Often the peaks are snow-covered well into early summer and the overlook affords a lovely view of the wilderness (but not nearly as spectacular as the view from Mars Hill at Magic Pond!).

When you exit I-95 in Houlton at mile 302, you'll have a chance to pick-up some food and any other necessities you might have forgotten. Just after you turn left to go North on Route 1 from the exit ramp, there is a Wal-Mart on the left with a large grocery store just behind it. (I heard that: "WAL-MART!!?? I THOUGHT THIS WAS THE WILDERNESS!!" Heh, heh-- just you wait and see. Yes, there are stores in Houlton and a SUPER Wal-Mart, even, in Presque Isle 14 miles north of Magic Pond, as well as a Lowes and a mall BUT....when you take the highly recommended hike up Mars Hill Mountain, you will see how civilization along Route 1 looks like a movie set-- an utter facade trying to conceal the untamed North Woods far as you can see in every direction.) While you are in Houlton, you might as well pick up a pound of Houlton butter-- it is famous for being the butter preferred by Martha Stewart. (You're on vacation, remember? What's a pound of saturated fat here and there.....) When you resume the northern drive on Route 1, you'll have the option of having organic potatoes ready for pick-up from Wood Prairie Farm in Bridgewater (visit their site, call ahead and have your order ready for pick up, following the map on their site from Route 1 to the farm. OR, skip that for now, get yourself settled at Magic Pond and take the short drive back at a more leisurely pace later in the week).


AIM FOR BLAINE! Zip: 04734
(Nearest town on most maps is Mars Hill)

Following is a travel guide for those arriving by car, as well as basic information about getting here by bus or plane (in which case seriously consider renting a car. While not absolutely necessary, it will open up the opportunity to take scenic day trips. If you fly into Portland and rent a car, the entire coastline diversion described below becomes possible if you have time! For sure, flying into Portland or Bangor is much cheaper than flying into nearby Presque Isle (via Boston), so what you would save on airfare you can apply to the car rental.)

Driving time for a run I know well (if done with a heavy foot and two fifteen minute stops) is about 11-12 hours from Philadelphia; about 20 hours from Cleveland. From Portland it is 4-5 hours; from Bangor 2.5 hours.

BE SURE TO BRING PROPER DOCUMENTATION IF YOU PLAN TO ENTER CANADA! The border crossing to New Brunswick is five minutes from Magic Pond and most guests enjoy visiting our friendly neighbors under the maple leaves! Pets must have written documentation, as well, so please take time to read the State Department information related to crossings and don't fool around with the border patrol or you could find yourself stranded outside the country! Car searches are common, so plan on declaring anything you buy. Meat has been an issue--and may not be permitted into the US, not even a hamburger. Taxes are high in Canada but can be recovered by US citizens through filing a form-- you're on your own there, I have never done it and don't know how. Even with the taxes, however, if the dollar is strong, shopping can be a little more economical than here.

OTHER THINGS TO PACK: binoculars, Biteblocker insect repellent June-September; high quality thermal socks, gloves, hat, scarf and wind-tight winter coat December-March; spring and fall guests should plan to dress in layers for easy add-on or removal as the day and night temperatures swing. July can get downright hot (95°+) and humid for a couple of days, but it doesn't last.