Baxter Brewing Company

Let me be abrupt and upfront with everyone who reads this blog: Abby and I love beer. If you know us, then you know we like to try as many beers as we possibly can. I remember back in late 2010 and early 2011, I heard about a new beer company starting up in Lewiston. Baxter Brewing bought a part of the old Bates Mill Complex, rebuilt it, and started up a brewery. Some of you may be asking, what makes Baxter so special? It all comes down to one word: cans! Cans block sunlight from entering and ruining the great taste of beer. Their cans are airtight, so the flavors never weaken from sun exposure. Plus, they are very portable for outdoors activities, and more eco-friendly, as people are more likely to recycle aluminum.

Currently, Baxter has five beers: Pamola Extra Pale Ale, Stowaway IPA, Amber Road, Celsius (their summer ale), and Autumn Hay Ride. Recently, they announced a sixth beer, which will be a winter stout called Phantom Punch. Abby and I both agree that the Stowaway IPA is their best beer. Don't get me wrong; all of the other ales are great, but they just cannot beat the India Pale Ale. The beer is quite bitter, coming in at 69 IBU, or international bitter units. The beer starts off crisp with hints of citrus, followed by a hint of fruit at the end.

Recently, Baxter Brewing announced that they will be expanding beginning early next year because they cannot keep up with demand. They also have opened a tap room where you can go in grab a beer and a soft pretzel. Many people will overlook this great brewery because it is not located in Portland. Hop in your car (see what I did there?) and check out Baxter Brewing Company. They give amazing tours and at the end they will let you sample each one of their beers. At times, you can be a test subject for any future flavors they may have.

So all in all, go check out Baxter Brewing in Lewiston. It is a great young brewery, making great beers and offering a fun tour for all you beer fans!

Cheers!

L/A River Walk

The Lewiston/Auburn river walk may not seem like your first destination in the area. But trust us when we say, rethink where you go first. The river walk is located behind Gritty's Brewpub and snakes along the bank of the Androscoggin River. It crosses the old Maine Central Railroad Bridge into Lewiston, and to fine establishments such as Fishbones and DaVinci's. A family could easily finish the riverwalk in under an hour. But check out the playground before crossing the bridge or bring a soccer ball to one of the parks.

If you start your walk near Gritty's, be prepared to see a few dozen ducks milling about around the bank of the river as you can see below.  As you progress further along the trail you can see remnants of the canal system used by many of the old mills in Lewiston. The trail perfectly blends together nature elements and art deco architecture from the turn of the century.

Ducks

A few more ducks

My favorite feature of the trail is the old Maine Central Railroad trestle that has been converted into a walking path. Although the railroad is gone now, it is a reminder for future generations that Lewiston/Auburn was once a rail hub of Central and Western Maine. Throughout the trail you will see sprinklings of railroad history. So be sure to check it out if you are a history buff!

Former railroad trestle

Last night, Abby and I took a walk at dusk and boy, was it worth it. The last vestiages of fall foliage were charming and in some cases still vibrant. We stopped on the railroad bridge and Abby took some lovely shots of the sunset and one of me because she was sneaky.

The L/A river walk is used quite a bit by locals, primarily as a site for exercising, crossing between the two cities, or just for the nice change of scenery and a break from everyday life. But as you can see from our pictures, it's a great spot for visitors to view the two cities from afar while also enjoying the outdoors. So don't forget about this hidden gem for your next visit!

Lewiston/Auburn Week

A year ago, the Maine Adventurers packed their belongings up into the back of a Uhaul, leaving small college-town life behind for the big city: L/A!

Well, ok, not that L/A, but rather the twin cities of Lewiston/Auburn, ME. It's hard to believe that it has already been a year, and yet already we have a few regular haunts that we would like to share with all of you.

While the area definitely has its fair share of problems, there are a number of local restaurants and businesses that are worth a visit. That's why, in honor of our one-year moving anniversary, we are loading up our website with reviews of places to go in Lewiston and Auburn. 

As always, thanks for reading, and we hope that you will enjoy Lewiston/Auburn week with the Maine Adventurers!