July 8-11, Old Home Days, Harrison, Maine, FMI: www.harrisonmaine.org

July 9-11, Norway Summer Art Festival and Sidewalk Art Fest, Main Street, FMI: 207.739.6161 or www.norwayartsfestival.org

July 9-26, Thursday, Friday and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 5 p.m. Oklahoma! Schoolhouse Theater and Arts Center, Route 114, Sebago Lake Village, FMI: 207.642.3743 or www.schoolhousearts.org

July 10, 7 p.m. Music on the Hill Concert Series: “A Night on Broadway,” Windham Hill UCC Church, FMI: 207.892.7420

July 10, 8 p.m. Jonathan Edwards, a benefit for Mountain Top Music Center, Stone Mountain Arts Center, 695 Dug Way Road, Brownfield, FMI: 866.227.6523 or www.stonemountainarts.com

July 10-11, 8 p.m. Wonder on the World, Professional Ensemble, The Theater Project, Brunswick, tickets $18, Tickets and info: 207.729.8584 or www.theaterproject.com

July 11, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Artisans and Craftsmen Show, Narramissic, The historic Peabody-Fitch Farm, Ingalls Road, South Bridgton, FMI: 207.647.3699 or www.bridgtonhistory.org

July 11, 8 p.m. Brent McCoy in Clown at Work, Celebration Barn, 190 Stock Farm Road, South Paris, tickets: $14-adults, $12-seniors, $8 students and kids, FMI: 207.743.8452 or www.celebrationbarn.com

July 12, 11 a.m. -5 p.m. Historic Home and Garden Tour, joint project of The Rufus Porter Museum and the Bridgton Historical Society, $25/person, begins at Bridgton Town Hall on North High Street, FMI: 207.647.2828

July 12-13, 15th Annual North Atlantic Blues Festival, Harbor Park, Rockland, FMI: 207.593.1189 or www.northatlanticbluesfestival.com

July 13, 8 p.m. Camp Encore/Coda concert, full orchestral program by professional musicians and selected students to benefit Lakes Environmental Association (LEA has been protecting the lakes of western Maine since 1970), at Deertrees Theatre and Cultural Arts Center, 156 Deertrees Road, Harrison, FMI: 207.583.6747 or www.deertreestheatre.org

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For a leisurely way to view Long Lake and Brandy Pond lakefront properties, why not take a ride on the Songo River Queen II, which docks on the Causeway in Naples.

Relive a bygone era and travel from Long Lake in Naples to the Songo River, home of the historic Songo Lock. The Songo River Queen is a modern day replica of the grand riverboats that traveled the Mississippi River in the 1800s. True to tradition, her only means of propulsion is the authentic stern paddlewheel.

Built by Frank Gerrish in 1982, she operates on Long Lake and Brandy Pond. Daily cruises occur in July and August. Chartered trips are available from Mother’s Day through Halloween.One of my favorite rides on the Songo River Queen is the relaxing two and a half hour tour down the Songo River to the Songo Lock. The river is full of twists and turns. Passing through Sebago Lake State Park, we sometimes see wildlife.

And the lock is a real treat. Constructed in 1830, it is the only remaining lock of the Cumberland-Oxford Canal and it connects Sebago Lake to Brandy Pond and Long Lake. About 100 canal boats used to make the three day journey from Portland Harbor to Harrison, Maine. Originally there were 27 locks between Long Lake and the Atlantic Ocean. Today, only the Songo Lock remains.

Beginning about May 1st each year, the lock is in use and hand-operated. It feels like you are being lifted by magic as the water level raises the boat five feet. It takes about 15 minutes to pass through the lock, while the operator closes the gates on the upstream end and opens the lower ones.

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Maine lakefront real estate buyers are finding out what area hikers have known for a long time - you can see a lot of great lakefront real estate (and other nice vistas) from the higher reaches of Pleasant Mountain.

At 2006 feet, Pleasant Mountain, the tallest mountain in western Maine, overlooks Moose Pond, Beaver Pond, Long Pond and more. Trails include Bald Peak in Bridgton, The Ledges and Southwest Ridge Trail in Denmark and the Fire Wardens Trail in Fryeburg.

Thanks to the work of Loon Echo Land Trust, the trails are well-marked. Trail maps are available at kiosks.

What many people don’t realize when they get to the top of Pleasant Mountain and enjoy the views, is that in 1845 Caleb Warren constructed a crude shelter on Green Pinnacle, the peak where the defunct fire tower stands.

In 1850, Joseph Sargent purchased Warren’s twenty acres and converted the building to a bowling alley. He also built a 2-story hotel, which opened on June 25, 1850. Visitors were met at Plummer’s Landing on Long Lake where they’d arrived via steam boat. They were taken by carriage to the base of the mountain and could either climb or ride up.

Sargent’s hotel was destroyed by fire in 1860. Caleb Warren regained the land and in 1872 he sold it to Charles Gibbs, who built a hotel for 20 guests. The grand opening was on July 4, 1873. Carter’s Band of Boston performed and over 300 guests attended.

In 1881 the hotel closed, but was reopened in 1901 as the Pleasant Mountain Hotel Company, Inc. The completely renovated hotel included a telephone. Due to high costs and vandalism, the hotel closed in 1904. John Pike of East Fryeburg purchased the buildings in 1908. After tearing them down, he used the lumber for construction on his farm.The 48-foot fire tower was erected by the Maine Forestry Commission in 1920 and was manned until 1992.

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Located along Routes 35, 37 and 118, the three villages of Waterford, Maine are nestled in the rolling hills of western Maine.

There are several pretty bodies of water in Waterford - Papoose, McWain, Bear, Duck and Little Moose Ponds to name the prominent ponds. In addition, also find Crooked River, Mud Pond fen and Keoka Lake. All provide plenty of water-related recreation in Waterford.

After swimming and sunning all day, you might relax on a park bench in the village green at Waterford Flat. Look one way and see the home of Artemus Ward, pen name of Waterford native Charles F. Brown, who was a mentor of Mark Twain. Turn the other way and gaze upon the beautiful Lake House Bed and Breakfast, a well-appointed place to stay with a wonderful dining room that’s open to the public.Just steps down the road toward the Keoka Lake beach, step into the quaint Waterford Library, designed by John Calvin Stevens and his son, John Howard Stevens.

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After you’ve finished searching for that perfect vacation home on Little Sebago Lake, Sabbathday Lake, Range Pond, or Crystal Lake, why not check out the wildlife at Maine Wildlife Park on Rte. 26 in Gray, Maine. The park, run by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, is home to more than 25 species of Maine wildlife.

At the park you might see the following mammals in their natural habitat: black bears, coyotes, fishers, gray foxes, bobcats, raccoons, skunks, and white-tailed deer. Most of the animals at Maine Wildlife Park are there because they were injured, orphaned or had become human dependant. They are no longer able to survive on their own in the wild.

Guided tours are available by calling 207-657-4977, or you walk around on your own. A visitor center, nature store, Maine Wardens Service Museum and Dry Mills Fish Hatchery, where thousands of brook trout are raised annually, are among the offerings at Maine Wildlife Park. Bring your lunch as a large picnic area awaits your visit.

If you’d like to see what current lakefront properties are for sale in Gray, Maine just click below:

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Otisfield, Maine is one of those out-of-the-way places, bordering Norway, Oxford, Poland, Casco, Naples and Harrison. The town encompasses 40 square miles of land and 4.3 square miles of water - and its boundary is 34 miles in length.

G. Howard Dyer, a great storyteller who loves to share his adventures, has lived on and off in Otisfield, Maine over the years. In 1946, aware that state law required “perambulation of the town boundaries”, Howard conducted his first complete walk around the boundary of the town, all 34 miles of it. Fifty-six years later, in 2002, he knew that no one had walked the boundary in a long time. So, at 95 years of age, he decided to do it again.

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A road racing friend of mine writes:

The “4 on the 4th” Road Race in Bridgton is a traditional way for our family to celebrate Independence Day.

First thing in the morning we come together to run or cheer on the runners at the annual race. I don’t normally like to run in crowds, but it’s fun to see so many people involved - from runners to volunteers, who work the registration tables, sing the Star Spangled Banner, provide water stops, keep traffic at a standstill, collect chips at the finish line and offer massages.

And 90% of the proceeds benefit the Bridgton Public Library, while the other ten percent benefit other local charitable projects.

After the race, we all gather to put the finishing touches on our float, which often wins a prize. The crowds that line the streets of our small town for this parade are amazing - and eager for the candy we toss.

Of course, the parade, sponsored by the Bridgton Lions Club, is quintessential Maine. It features floats created by families, organizations and businesses, Kora Shriners of South Central Maine, Bridgton Community Band, horses, color guards, vintage cars, twirling ballerinas, jugglers, clowns, Scout troops, and fire trucks from throughout the Lakes Region.

The day ends with a family barbeque at our camp on Moose Pond - hot dogs and burgers, potato salad, and strawberry shortcake are always on the menu, but we’ll get creative too. We’ll swim, play a friendly game of wiffle ball, and sit around the campfire toasting marshmallows for s’mores. Finally, we’ll retire to the screened-in porch overlooking the water and watch fireworks go off up and down the lake.

It doesn’t get much more All-American than that. Fireworks, band concerts, parades, cookouts, road races, Independence Day - it’s all happening in the Sebago Lakes Region of Maine. Come and enjoy Independence Day at a vacation home on any of the lakes or ponds in western Maine where our motto is “the way life should be.”

The race, certified by the USATF, begins at Food City at 8 a.m., with registration at Bridgton Memorial School from 6 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. Information about the race is available at www.fouronthefourth.com. You can register on line at www.comfortsignups.com.

If you’re interested in seeing what lakefront properties are for sale on Moose Pond, click below:

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Gems come in many shapes and sizes as you’ll discover while searching for a lakefront property in the lakes region of western Maine. Burnt Meadow Pond, the Saco River and Brownfield Bog are gems in Brownfield, Maine.

Though located only a few miles south of Fryeburg on Route 160, Brownfield feels like it’s a million miles away. Mountains, forest and the Saco River are the dominate features in this town that has been rebuilt since the forest fires of 1947.

Burnt Meadow Pond is a perfect place for swimming and fishing. It supports both cold and warm water fish.If it’s a gentle canoe trip you seek, the Saco River has many put in/take out locations. Canoe rentals are available at Woodland Acres Campground in Brownfield (207) 935-2529, Saco River Canoe & Kayak in Fryeburg (888-772-6573 or (207) 935-2369 and Saco Bound in Center Conway, New Hampshire (603) 447-2177.

The Brownfield Bog Wildlife Management Area provides over 5,700 acres of wetland habitat. Use a canoe or kayak to explore the bog; a limited trail system exists. Bring a picnic and enjoy the nesting waterfowl, deer, beaver, muskrats or turtles. If you are lucky, you might even spot a moose.

In the winter, explore the bog by snowshoes or cross-country skis.

If you’d like to take a look at the lakefront property currently available in Brownfield, click the box:

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Located 18 miles northwest of Portland and two hours from Boston is the small liberal arts school called St. Joseph’s College of Maine. St. Joe’s, as we Mainers fondly refer to it, is situated on 350 acres with magnificent lakefrontage on beautiful Sebago Lake in Standish.

Not only is the setting unique, but the food served in the dining hall is, as well.

Bon Appetit is the food service vendor for St. Joseph’s College. Their company motto is “Services for a Sustainable Future.” Stuart Leckie, general manager of the school’s restaurant, has made it the mission of the dining hall to serve local, homegrown food.

In the spirit of Barbara Kingsolver’s book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle in which she describes how her family was changed by making a conscious effort to eat food produced locally, St. Joe’s is attempting to do the same. Leckie tries to order most ingredients from within 150 miles of the campus. He’s also strives to purchase free-range eggs and chickens that have been feed grain which is antibiotic and hormone-free.

Milk comes from Smiling Hill Farm located just a few miles away. He purchases produce from local growers. And now, thanks to the Pearson Town Farming Project located on college property, students and community volunteers will grow fresh produce including zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, beets and salad greens. Greenhouses will extend this growing project into the winter months.In the true spirit of this Catholic college, some of the produce will be donated to Catherine’s Cupboard Food Pantry in Standish.

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Ever thought of flying to the Sebago Lakes Region? Oh, I don’t mean flying into Portland, Maine, though that is doable. I mean getting a closer look at the lakes and mountains of western Maine by flying into Eastern Slope Regional Airport in Fryeburg.

Eastern Slope Regional Airport is the outside world’s connection to the Lakes Region and Mount Washington Valley. Though this 550-acre airport is tucked away, Eastern Slope Regional Airport is easy to access since it’s less than three miles southeast of Fryeburg and just off Route 113 and near Lovewell Pond.

Local residents and businesses own the forty airplanes housed there. People fly into and out of the airport for a multitude of reasons. Seventy-five percent of the traffic occurs during the summer months when chartered jets bring kids to the many children’s camps in our region. People also fly via jet to ski, hike, bike, canoe, commute to vacation homes, stay in area accommodations, attend the Fryeburg Fair, bring their children to Fryeburg Academy and even just to go out to dinner. Aerial sightseeing, chartered trips, flight training and pilot certification, plus aircraft maintenance are some of the services provided.

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