`Exploring Maine’ reveals travel secrets of Pine Tree State

EXPLORING MAINE ON COUNTRY ROADS AND BYWAYS, by Michael Uhl, Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 262 pages, illustrated, softcover, $15.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

— Robert Frost, “The Road Not Taken”

Each year about this time the calls begin.

Out-of-state friends, recalling the many subtle treasures of Maine set back off the road a piece from the much-advertised ones, express their longing to return again to our splendid vacationland.

Those of us who live here year-round know many of these spots so well — the best little candy shops, the restaurants that serve the tangiest clam chowder, the bakeries that produce that delightful homemade loaf of bread.

Maine is many things to many people, and its treasures are locked away sometimes, lying ready for discovery for those who will take Frost’s less traveled path.

And the rewards are never disappointing.

In his latest travelogue, “Exploring Maine on Country Roads and Byways,” author Michael Uhl takes the reader exploring with him from Fort Kent to Kittery, and it is a reading journey well worth taking.

Uhl devides Maine into its three principal geographic areas: coast, rural interior and wilderness. Whenever possible, he avoids the most heavily traveled “arterial roads” — such as Route 1 or I-95. And the subsequent journey is one that weaves its way across our state in a wonderful trip that offers destinations and activities that are not found in most travel guides.

Uhl’s purpose here, then, is to leave the reader with more to discover on his next trip than was previously described in each episode of driving. The author points out that true Maine travel must be done with that fact in mind: there will always be another treasure to explore in this vast land of treasures.

Always budget-conscious and forever pinching pennies, the author seeks accommodations that do not strap him so financially that he cannot make the periodic stops along the way that make discovering Maine so splendid.

I found myself reading Uhl’s account like a child exploring a strange new land. I envied Uhl throughout his narrative for taking the time to dig up his great finds and lore of a land I have inhabited for 40 years. His is a journey of exploration and discovery, where we natives often settle for a spot or two we know best and routinely return there annually, never cognizant of what might lie just around the bend.

A sampling of Uhl may give the reader here an idea of how the author approaches each step of his journey.

It is not unusual for this man to spend hours at a time appreciating the splendor of a trip itself. Uhl has his favorites, but there is one road in our state, Route 32 to Waldoboro, that he “would freeze in amber” as the embodiment of his ideal of the Maine aesthetic.

“The variety of houses — and, by extension, the individual domestic fantasies each reflects — is, for me, spellbinding, and I never tire of driving the full length of Route 32 to savor the experience.”

Uhl seeks the pleasures we too often pass by — the antique book shops, the diners set off the road, carriage houses, art shops, nature trails, and the like. For a man with time on his hands, Maine is a boundless land of inexpensive diversions.

One of the unique features of “Exploring Maine” is its in-depth look in each chapter of where the journeyman can acquire information for his travels for the discovery of lodgings, campgrounds, shops, restaurants, museums and special attractions of each area. Uhl spells each one out in intricate detail.

But it should be noted that Uhl has an artist’s eye as well. He is a true romantic, never overlooking an opportunity to merely take in a visual feast, a sunset, a slice of Maine. And perhaps that is the highlight of his journey for readers — viewing through the author’s eyes so many splendors that otherwise drift by our windows unnoticed, with too much attention placed on the final destination.

Take the time to explore Maine with Michael Uhl. You won’t be disappointed with the trip.

Ron Brown is a free-lance writer who resides in Bangor.