Vacationland awaits

Remember a few years back, right after Hurricane Katrina, when gas jumped from around $2.30 to more than $3 a gallon? We all watched, horrified, outraged and utterly disgusted that such a thing could occur. It can’t get any worse than this. Anything higher is inconceivable.

How we long for those halcyon days. In July 2008, people would run over each other to be first in line for $3 a gallon. It’s that bad.

And as prices climb ever higher and wallets grow ever lighter, plans for a big summer vacation are stymied. Who wants to drive to Pennsylvania to visit Aunt Edna when it costs 60 bucks to fill up the tank? You can’t really afford that big lobster feed on the coast this year when winter heating bills loom large on the horizon.

Take it easy, weary traveler. You don’t have to resign yourself to a summer of swatting mosquitoes while sitting on your back porch. There’s plenty to do right here in our fair state, and it’s all within reasonable driving distance. Better yet, it’s all cheap. Some of it’s even free.

Take a look at these 10 options for summer fun in Maine. Try some of them out. They don’t call it Vacationland for nothing.

Fields Pond, Holden

Here you’ll find 192 acres of pristine waters, forests and fields, and it’s a stone’s throw from the hustle and bustle of Bangor. You could spend a whole day at Fields Pond Audubon Center canoeing and hiking in the summer or snowshoeing in winter. In any season, there’s lots of wildlife to spot. The L. Robert Rolde Nature Center offers workshops on everything from native bird species to nature poetry. Fields Pond is open from dawn to dusk every day all year. The Nature Center is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sundays. To get there, take a left off Parkway South in Brewer onto Elm Street, which becomes Wiswell Road. Fields Pond Road will be on your right. For information, call 989-2591.

Contradances

Be a part of a tradition that stretches back to the 17th century, and try your hand (or feet, as it were) at contradancing. The contradance has enjoyed an extended revival for 60 years, especially in New England. Typically, a dance is preceded by a lesson for beginners. There’s often a potluck, and admission to dances generally runs from $6 to $8. Regular contradances are held in Orono (fall through spring at the Keith Anderson Community Center), Belfast (monthly at the American Legion Hall, www.belfastflyingshoes.org), Blue Hill (at the Blue Hill Town Hall) and in Bangor (at Unitarian Universalist Church).

Pick your own produce

It doesn’t get any more fresh than pick-your-own, whether it’s berries or otherwise. Start your season off with the legendary Tate’s Strawberry Farm in East Corinth (off Route 43 on Hudson Road; 285-7944), move on to raspberries at Raven’s Berry Farm in Freedom (127 Raven Road; 382-6329) and blueberries at Hog Bay Blueberries in Franklin (north on Route 200 from Route 1 in Sullivan, 207 Hog Bay Road; 565-3584; July 25-Sept. 14), and then finish up the year with Maine-ly Apples in Dixmont (off Route 7; 234-2043; open Sept. 10-Oct. 15) or with pumpkins and a hayride at Treworgy Family Orchards in Levant (off Route 222; 884-8354; open through October). Although you’ve missed strawberries this year, you can put them on your June calendar for next year.

Music series

Maine’s small theaters and public spaces are always holding some kind of musical event with local and regional talent, usually in an acoustic or stripped-down setting. A short list of some of the most active concert series includes the Last Friday Coffeehouse at Hammond Hall in Winter Harbor, the DADGAD Coffeehouse at Keith Anderson Community Center in Orono, the Eastport Arts Center, the coffeehouse at the East Sangerville Grange, and events at Camden Public Library, Blue Hill Public Library and Bangor Public Library. The Bangor Band plays regularly, there’s free music Thursday evenings in the summer in downtown Bangor and Belfast, and there’s always the American Folk Festival on the Bangor Waterfront. Prices can range from free to $10. Check organizations for schedules and events.

Friday Art Walks

Many of Maine’s coastal communities boast a wide array of art galleries. In some places, these galleries have banded together to offer a chance to see all the different art in one fell swoop with a Friday Art Walk in which you follow a map around and visit each spot in the walk. They’re free, food and music often are available in addition to art, and it’s a great way to meet people and see what’s going on in Maine’s vibrant visual arts scene. Active art walks are held in Deer Isle-Stonington, Belfast, Rockland and Portland.

Maine Wildlife Park, Gray

You could hang out in the woods somewhere and hope to spot a moose. Or you could go to the Maine Wildlife Park and be guaranteed to see moose, squirrel, owls, raccoons and coyotes. Formerly a game farm, the facility was transformed into a public educational resource about Maine wildlife in 1992. In addition to common creatures such as deer and wild turkey, the Maine Wildlife Park has on its premises a mountain lion, black bears and lynx. It’s an excellent alternative to a zoo. Take Exit 63 off the turnpike, turn left onto Route 115, then take a right onto Route 26A. Drive for 3.5 miles, and the park is on your right. Admission is $4 for kids, $6 for adults. For information, call 657-4977.

Fort Knox, Penobscot Narrows Observatory, Bucksport

The great thing about this enormous 19th century fortress is that it’s not only an important part of the history of the Penobscot River, it’s also a fantastic place to spend a sunny afternoon. When you’re done exploring the tunnels, courtyards and creepy prison cells, Fort Knox is an ideal spot for kite-flying, capture-the-flag, hide-and-seek, or a squirt gun fight. There’s also the recently opened Penobscot Narrows Observatory within the beautiful new bridge connecting Prospect and Verona Island. For $5 (children $3), you can zoom up 420 feet for a dizzying bird’s-eye view of the lower Penobscot River. Admission to Fort Knox is $3 for adults, $1 for children.

Desert of Maine, Freeport

If you’re from Maine, you probably went to the Desert of Maine at some point during your childhood. No, it’s not actually a desert; it’s a deposit of glacial silt left over from the last ice age. But when the temperature creeps up into the 90s during the summer, you’ll be hard-pressed not to think you’re in the middle of the Sahara. There are guided tours, hiking trails, an arts and crafts area for kids, and a museum in addition to the acres of dunes. Take Exit 20 off I-295, turn west and drive for two miles, but since I-295 southbound is under construction for the rest of the summer, it’s best to take Route 1 until you turn right onto Desert Road. Admission to this natural anomaly is $5.25 to $8.75, and it’s open through Oct. 15.

Gulf Hagas

Gulf Hagas has been called the Grand Canyon of Maine, and hikers novice and experienced speak of it reverently, as if it were a remote pass in the Himalayas. In reality, it’s a spectacularly beautiful, moderately difficult hike in an out-of-the-way corner of Piscataquis County that doesn’t get all that many visitors despite its legendary status. Waterfalls, a 4-mile-long gorge and some of the most stunning vistas in the whole state await the intrepid traveler. Be warned: You must cross a very fast and very cold river, and there are a couple spots where you’ll be hiking up steep inclines. It’s well worth the journey. There’s a $6 fee for a day pass to the road to get there, but those under 15 and over 70 get in for free. For information and directions, visit www.northmainewoods.org.

Public suppers

They’re everywhere – held by churches, Grange halls, high schools, fire departments, Kiwanis Clubs, Lions Clubs, Rotary Clubs, snowmobile clubs. Somewhere in Maine, there’s a public supper going on tonight. Turkey, ham, chicken potpie, barbecue chicken, roast beef, fried fish, or that most New England of delicacies: baked beans and hot dogs. Topped off with a gigantic slice of pie or apple crisp or strawberry shortcake. Rarely do you pay more than $7, and you get more food than you could ever eat in one sitting. Just drive around on a Saturday evening, and you’ll find one.

eburnham@bangordailynews.net

990-8270