Andover, Maine

Whenever I tell someone about my camp, people say "Andover, Massachusetts?", and I tell them, no, Andover, Maine! Andover is a quaint little town nestled in rolling green mountains near the Appalachian trail. It is also known for having an amazing local ski shop called Akers Ski, which sells all your needs for cross country skiing. A few weeks back, Abby and I met up with my mother to have an end of the summer bonfire. Kicking back and enjoying a nice local beer, a roaring fire, and great family is truly awesome.

Andover is a great place to go if you are looking to do anything remotely related to the outdoors. You can cross country ski, snowshoe, hike, mountain bike, snowmobile, and cliff jump in a variety of places around the town. This past summer Abby and I invited our families to come check out the area. A great spot to go is situated right along the Appalachian trail, which we have now affectionately called 'the pools'. This spring fed stream offers amazing views, gorgeous waterfalls, and in some spots, deep shimmering pools.

Approaching the falls

Jumping into one of the many pools on the Appalachian trail

Action Shot

Top of the falls

Bottom of the falls

I cannot mention Andover without mentioning my favorite spot of them all: Devil's Den. Devil's Den is located about 6-7 miles on South Arm Road just outside of town. This spot offers a great view of a small canyon, from which it received its name. Another amazing feature of this spot is a small river running through an adjacent canyon that is deep enough to cliff jump from. Just a disclaimer, if you have never done cliff jumping before, please do not do it here. There are plenty of rocks to hurt yourself on and help is pretty far away. But if you are experienced or see someone jumping, just ask them the best spots to jump! There is a five footer, a twenty footer and a thirty footer that you can jump off. The water is deep enough even in the summer. So if you are looking for a thrill check out this spot, but remember to play it safe!


I must say Abby caught the photography bug when we were last up. At one point she was using my camera from a moving car as we were driving along on a dirt road. Below are some photos from our last trip. 

Old Shed

Little Stream

Dirt road at sunset

Sunset and willows

Ellis River

Old signage

Old gas station

If you are looking for a good place to go for a drive, check out Andover. There is a very beautiful bed and breakfast downtown and campsites available in South Arm. Driving through the town in the fall is truly spectacular.  

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!