MINI Maple Sunday - March 25

[twalling]

I want to announce that I will put together a tour to the maple sugar houses of Maine. The syrup producers go together each year and host "open shacks" throughout the state to demonstrate the entire process of making maple syrup - from tapping the trees to "boiling-off" the sap to bottling the finished product. Best of all, many of the syrup makers have free samples of all kinds of maple products available to try (yum, yum)! Most have syrup over ice cream, and many have more exotic things like maple candy, maple popcorn, maple milk, and lots of other "ya gotta try this" stuff.

I've been working on the route and I think we have an entertaining day ahead of us! We'll gather at a syrup operation called "Jillson's Farm" which is just off of the Maine Turnpike (I-95) at the Sabbattus exit (Exit 86). If you want to start on a full stomach, they have a small-ish restaurant where they will be serving pancakes that morning. Plan to get here at about 10:00 (or earlier if the weather is good) as I want to have the group leave Jillson's no later than 11:00. We have planned a tour of "boonies Maine" that is about 120 miles of driving from start to the end point. We will stop at a place called "Norlands" which is a "Living History" farm that is operated the way it was in about 1840. From there we'll motor up to Farmington to see another syrup operation that does its boiling-down with an older wood-fired evaporator. Then we'll go to a modern (oil burning) sugar shack in Anson before heading to Augusta to our last syrup producer in Ft. Western - the oldest wooden fort in the U.S. After that, you can join us for BBQ just across the river (Riverside BBQ and Grill), or you can head for home.

I don't expect anyone to reply to this yet, but keep your eyes on this post as the weeks go by and I'll keep adding details as I know them. Just keep March 25th clear on your calendars for now. Here's a chance to see part of Maine that only the locals know about!

[blalor]

It's on my calendar! Looking forward to it!

[bljppi]

Sounds like fun! Hopefully winter will be over (assuming it ever gets here).
Hope to have my new mini in hand so we can come with two mini's.
Maybe we can get a continant from southern maine and NH to caravan up.
Zoom
Brad

[rfinprc]

Sounds fun. How 'bout a swing through Waterville so we can buzz Colby and wave at my daughter?

[AntiqueCarNut]

Antique & Mrs. CarNut are in...

[Sheenabea]

Sounds like fun! I'm in!

[DOT191]

Sounds like Fun. If weather is good we would like to Join in. We live in Manchester NH.

Douglas & Oksana

2003 MC: PW/B; CVT, DSC, Premium PKG, Fog Lamps, After Mkt Rear Spoiler & After Mkt Center & Door Armrests.

[BWROOFCHEX]

the chex are definately interested, we have family in farmingdale, maybe we'll make a visit out of it

[bjl]

This sounds great! It'd be a great birthday run (my b-day is the 26th). I'm interested if the weather is good.

[chesney]

you know I'm in...weather permitting

[ravioliworld]

This is way the heck out there from CT, but it sounds like fun. Will be very tempting weather permitting. Well, okay, it'll also depend on the depth of my temporary insanity that weekend.

[MisterMINI]

If I'm around on that date then I'm in.

[MINILuego]

As long as Brad and Ben don't lead the contingent from Southern ME and NH into a speed trap then Luego is in!

[twalling]

Don't worry... most of the places we'll be going to don't have a police department. I have picked the end-point - Augusta. There's an old wooden fort called Ft. Western (the oldest wooden fort in the U.S.) where re-enactors make maple syrup the way they did in colonial times. We'll visit that and then cross the Kennebeck River for some BBQ at a great little restaurant on Water St.

Now, all I have to do is figure out a few more places to see and visit!

[BWROOFCHEX]

what restaraunt? I lived there for a few years