Maine Primitive Skills School

Can’t decide to head for the water or the forest? Bicentennial Nature Park (10 minutes’ drive) might be the answer. Backed by woodland hiking trails, it’s also a wild swimming hotspot with a lakeside dock, picnic spots, and water slides. If you want to chill on a sandy beach, head for Androscoggin Lake (40 minutes), where you can also rent kayaks and maybe – just maybe – you might get to spot elusive ospreys. Ramp up the culture stakes with a musical night out at Waterville Opera House or whizz in to see the cracking art collection in Colby College Museum (both 25 minutes). Augusta (10 minutes) has its fair share of attractions too, from the colonial architecture of the Old Post Office and Courthouse to the rare trees and flowers at Viles Arboretum, as well as plenty of microbreweries to tempt you in when you’ve had enough of sightseeing. While you’re out and about, the historians among you can brush up on your military knowledge on tours of the garrison at 18th-century Old Fort Western (10 minutes) or Fort Halifax State Historic Site (20 minutes).