Return of the locals Mainers can flock back to state’s popular spots as tourists fly south

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Labor Day has passed, and traffic has taken on a markedly southern flow, as many tourists flood back across the Kittery Bridge and Maine is returned to its residents. Although there’ll still be leaf peepers in the weeks ahead, there will be less poking along behind RVs, less unfathomable lane changes and turns, less use of the words “quaint” and “precious.”

Best of all, the state’s wonders, both natural and man-made, will again be accessible to Mainers, who wisely know enough to avoid certain tourist-crammed pockets during the summer. What follows are some things to enjoy during the short time left before the snow flies.

Back to Bar Harbor

The tourists have scurried home, scattering dollars all the way, and Bar Harbor natives again can enjoy amenities such as legal parking spaces and left-hand turns. So take a deep breath, look around, and spend a golden September day playing on Mount Desert Island.

Rise to catch the sunrise at about 6 a.m. from the summit of Cadillac Mountain. Midsummer, a morning of peaceful reflection can be wrecked by the sound of snap-happy tourists capturing the moment. But bring a blanket and a thermos of hot coffee this time of year, and you can stake out a secluded spot to start your day watching wispy gray fog rise over the Porcupine Islands.

Then, head into town for breakfast at Jordan’s, home of all things blueberry, and eat a stack of blueberry pancakes – they’re famous for a reason.

Spend an afternoon hiking Acadia National Park’s cliff-side trails – popular routes that have been closed through most of the summer to protect fledgling birds. The Precipice offers thrill-seekers sheer granite cliffs and iron rails. Valley Cove trail is a moderate wooded hike along Somes Sound. Jordan Cliffs, which runs parallel to Jordan Pond, is halfway between, with some exposed cliffs and steep approaches heading toward Penobscot Mountain. All three will offer views of the park’s newly brilliant foliage.

A quick stop at the downtown ice cream shop, Ben and Bill’s, will give you a chance to sample seasonal flavors such as pumpkin or rum-raisin without standing in the perpetual summer line.

Finally, spend your evening at Reel Pizza Cinerama, a unique movie theater full of squishy couches and armchairs that feels like your family’s den – but offers surround-sound and gourmet pizza. Tickets are only $5 per show, but limited seating makes the cozy community theater more appealing after the summer rush. So put your feet up and enjoy a “Zorba the Greek” (spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, black and Greek olives and feta) and a local microbrew while you take in an art film or a second-run summer blockbuster.

Shows begin at 6 and 8:30 p.m., and coming attractions are as follows; Sept. 4-6, “Himalaya”; Sept. 7-10, “Sexy Beast”; Sept. 11-13, “The Closet”; Sept 14-17, “Rush Hour 2”; Sept. 18-20: “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.”

– By Misty Edgecomb

The midcoast revealed

. Bayview Street in Camden – This pretty little street, which veers south along the harbor, away from Route 1, is still bustling after Labor Day, but a stroll along its sidewalks is at least less of a contact sport this time of year. Bayview Street boasts of some of Camden’s nicer shops and galleries – Bayview Street Gallery, which features an excellent collection of Maine landscape paintings and prints; Gleason Fine Art; and Once A Tree, a store that offers an amazing array of wood-born wonders. There are also plenty of fine and fun restaurants at which one can quaff an ale or sample a chowder.

For those who like to stretch their legs, continue on to where the commercial district gives way to beautiful inns, and then to some of Camden’s fine waterfront homes. If you walk as far as the cemetery, you can make a right and return to the village on Chestnut Street.

. Mount Battie in Camden Hills State Park, on Route 1 just north of Camden. A walk up the paved road to the top of Mount Battie is safer after Labor Day, as there are fewer vehicle to dodge. On a brisk late summer-early fall day, the hike is less taxing than in the heat of summer, and the views at the top of the village of Camden and Penobscot Bay are even clearer in the cool, dry air. Of course, it’s OK to drive up to the top, where there is plenty of room to wander around on the rocky bluff.

. The Vinalhaven ferry – For about what it would cost to see a movie with a bucket of popcorn, the Vinalhaven ferry – departing from Rockland – offers the best way to see Penobscot Bay for those without boats or kayaks. In the height of summer, booking a vehicle on the ferry requires a reservation made about a month in advance. To avoid the reservation hassle – which can still be daunting even after Labor Day – simply go aboard as a passenger.

The best seats are up top. The trip takes about an hour, and it is spectacular, passing the Rockland Breakwater Light, the Owls Head Light, then weaving between Vinalhaven and some smaller, wooded islands rimmed with pink granite. You may get lucky and see seals on the rocky islands, or porpoises riding the ferry wake.

If you have time, walk off and hike into town – it will take about 15 minutes – and then on to the Lane Preserve. Just be sure to wear a watch and make it back to the ferry dock in time for the boat home. Or, just stay aboard and return to Rockland.

– By Tom Groening

Greater Greenville

. Currier’s Flying Service, Greenville – A neat adventure can be found on Pritham Avenue. Roger Currier gives his customers scenic flights in vintage airplanes over some of the most beautiful terrain in Maine.

A seasoned pilot, Currier offers scenic flights that range in price from $30 to $65 depending on the length of the trip, in either of two, 1948 Cessna 195s or a seven-passenger 1954 Dehavilland Beaver.

Currier has a two-passenger minimum on trips and can take up to seven passengers at a time. A favorite trip of many of his customers is a jaunt to Mount Katahdin and back. He is quick to point out and identify wild game on the ground and points of interests on the skyline. In the fall, foliage trips are offered.

It is best to call Currier before leaving from home for a scenic airplane ride to determine whether the weather is suitable for flying. Currier said that while the weather might be nice in another part of the state, it could be quite different in Greenville.

For more information on these flights, call Currier at 695-2778.

. Pittston Farm, nearest to Rockwood – This private working farm offers visitors a hearty meal in a historical surrounding and solitude among the wildlife.

Located 20 miles out on the 20 Mile Road from Rockwood, Pittston Farm, now listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, is open year-round with the exception of mud season. To travel on the 20 Mile Road, visitors, with exception of those under 15 and over 70 years of age, must pay the North Maine Woods a toll.

Owners Ken and Mary Twitchell have a herd of Percheron and Belgian horses and 15 llamas and the latest addition to the farm are nine Norwegian Fjords, which are small draft horses. Occasionally, Ken will hitch up the horses to a wagon and take visitors on a ride or a bride to the Potato House Chapel for a ceremony. The chapel was formerly a potato house that was renovated inside. Visiting clergy conduct Sunday services through October.

Famous for their all-you-can-eat buffets, Pittston Farm can seat up to 65 people per sitting. Most of the vegetables served are grown by the Twitchells on their property or in their greenhouse. In addition to the meals, the property has seven carriage houses and rooms in the lodge for overnight lodging.

Meals are served from 7 to 10 a.m.; 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and 5 to 6:30 p.m. Reservations are encouraged by calling 280-0000.

. Casey’s Spencer Bay Camps, Stevens Point, Moosehead Lake – Owned and operated by Verdell and Sarah LaCasce, the camps have spectacular views of Big and Little Spencer mountains, Squaw Mountain and Kineo, and fishing opportunities in Moosehead Lake.

The couple operate nine camps and a lodge along with a campground that offers 70 sites on the lake. The lodge was built in the early 1900s by a former governor of Connecticut as a summer residence. For more information, call 695-2801.

– By Diana Bowley

Down East

. Roque Bluffs State Park, Roque Bluffs – Located about six miles off Route 1 on Schoppee Point Road, this 274-acre park has a pebble beach on the ocean and a freshwater pond, providing both fresh and saltwater swimming for the adventurous. Its dramatic cliffs offer spectacular views and for early risers, dramatic sunrises.

There is a $1 admission fee to the site, which has picnic areas with tables, grills, changing areas with toilets, and a children’s playground. Its operating season runs through Sept. 30. For more information, call 255-3475.