Mud Season in Waterville
The best place to visit at the worst time of year?
The squelch of boots sinking shin deep in mud made me dip my eyes down briefly—just to ensure the water didn’t seep over the top of my shoes— before staring ahead again at the trail which had been completely overtaken by the swollen lake.
“Hmmmm, it’s looking pretty soggy up here,” I called out to Christine. “I’m not sure it is worth continuing…”
“Yeah, I’m good to call it here,” I heard shouted back from around the corner behind me. I wasn’t surprised she was happy to return to the car—it was 34ºF, the wind was howling, and the precipitation kept vacillating back and forth between snow, sleet, and rain. A truly nasty day to be outside.
One member of our party was less pleased to turn back however—Kiwi tugged at her leash, tail wagging happily as she stood almost belly deep in the icy water. “C’mon girl,” I called with a gentle tug of the leash, “We’ll try to get you out longer later today if this rain clears.”
The three of us piled back into the Subaru like drowned rats retreating from a biblical flood—where do you even put your rain jacket in the car when it is dripping puddles of water? I opted to leave mine on to dry from the inside out, while Christine tossed hers into the trunk. The windows were instantly so fogged, we had to wait a minute with the defrost on full-bore before heading out.
I turned to her laughing as she wrang out her gloves, “I guess hiking at Lake George Regional Park in the middle of mud-season wasn’t the best idea!”
Luckily, this mistake aside, we had a wonderful time in the Waterville region, and we have a whole host of ideas to explore in the area this mud-season or beyond:
Waterville is an aptly named town—not just when it’s spitting down freezing rain. Built at the confluence of two major tributaries—the Sebasticook River and Messalonskee Stream—with the Kennebec River, it is one of Maine’s historic powerhouse mill towns. Today, mills still dot the river, but no longer drive the economy. Like many former mill towns, Waterville suffered from stagnation and a hollowing out in the past century, but has seen a real urban renewal in recent years, and the region (we’re including the nearby towns of Fairfield, Winslow, and Skowhegan in this area) now boasts a plethora of food, drink, and cultural spots that are great to visit at any time of year.
Culture:
Colby College Museum of Art
As a rival Bates College grad, it is hard for me to praise Colby (😉), but the art museum is certainly praise worthy! This huge (38,000 sq ft of exhibition space!) museum offers free admission, and features a collection of American art to rival many big city art museums. If you want to see a Winslow Homer, Georgia O’Keeffe, or Jackson Pollack piece in a rural corner of America—here’s the museum to do so. Some exhibits are more static, while others rotate regularly. On this visit we were greeted by a neat exhibit, Historias Radicales (Radical Histories), a collection of chicanx protest posters, which certainly resonated with the current era.
If you’re looking for even more museum, they’ve now opened a second space on Main St. in Waterville’s downtown with changing exhibits tailored for the Waterville community.
Maine Grains
This jailhouse-turned gristmill is more than an industrial hub. Once a town that bustled with paper and woolen mills, Skowhegan was lacking an identity. This mill aimed to bring jobs back to the region, while also reconnecting the community with its agricultural roots, milling organic and heritage grains from Maine, and it has succeeded—over ten million pounds of Maine grown grains have been milled in the first decade. Today, Skowhegan is nationally recognized in the rural food scene, hosting events like the Kneading Conference which brings many of the country’s top bakers, millers, grain growers, and brewers to the town. To explore the mill, you can book tours on their website.
If you’re looking to taste some of this grain in use, visit the Miller’s Table Cafe & Bakery, highlighted below.
Ticonic (Two Penny) Bridge
One of the few outdoor locales highlighted on this list, the Ticonic Bridge spans the Kennebec River in downtown Waterville. It is worth popping across it rain or shine, getting views of the river, the old mills, and the town behind you. Not to mention, the bridge itself is a unique cultural centerpiece—it is the last remaining toll footbridge in the United States, and one of the oldest iron cable suspension bridges in the world. Originally built in 1901 to offer a shortcut for mill workers headed across the river to Winslow for 1 cent per passage, it was washed away in a storm later that year. The bridge was then rebuilt in 1903, sturdier and higher over the water, with a 2 cent admission to cover the new build. That is the bridge that remains today. If you’re interested in history, it is worth poking up the riverwalk and reading all the signage around the park—there’s lots of information about Waterville’s indigenous history, settlement, milling, and more.
Children’s Discovery Museum of Central Maine
Once located in Augusta, this museum moved to Waterville during the pandemic. The exhibits are aimed at children, encouraging play, sparking curiosity, and inviting discovery. The four exhibits— the Forest, the Mill, the City, and the River—all reference the world around Waterville, while sparking different types of play. They are open most weeks Wednesday-Sunday, and also offer other programming like summer camps and activities during school breaks, so it is worth checking their schedule for more.
Waterville Creates
Founded in 2014, Waterville creates is actually a coalition of three former arts non-profit groups: Common Street Arts, Maine Film Center, and Waterville Opera House. Under the Waterville Creates umbrella they run programming like theatre and comedy shows at the Opera House, independent film showings and the 10-day Maine International Film Festival at the Maine Film Center, and a clay studio and collaboration with the Colby Museum of art in their downtown Ticonic Gallery & Studios. There are multiple events scheduled each week, and there’s no shortage of artistic inspiration, regardless of your interests!
Food:
Purple Cow House of Pancakes
A quintessential diner-esque breakfast joint that’s been serving Fairfield for decades, you can expect breakfast classics like homemade corned-beef hash, omelettes, and pancakes bigger than your face—all served by a folksy and friendly wait staff. It is definitely a homey local’s hub—it was packed on a Tuesday morning, and the waitress knew many of the regulars’ orders. My only complaint—they don’t serve real maple syrup (hey, I’d happily pay extra for the good stuff!). Otherwise, its a must-try.
Front & Main
This locally-sourced restaurant focusing on American cuisine was surprisingly good. Located in the lobby of the Lockwood Hotel, it punches above most hotel-restaurants with a really unique menu, delicious farm-to-table food, and a great atmosphere with huge glass panes looking out at Main Street. I only wish we were visiting in the season where we could take advantage of their ample outdoor patio seating options!
Jewel of India
After nearly a decade in business, this Indian restaurant is due an interior design makeover—something they’re planning to do in the next year or two according to our server. The food however is top notch—the flavors are magnificent, and it’s worth taking their advice and exploring away from the standard chicken Tikka Masala to other dishes. Personally, as a lover of spice, I wish the dishes came hotter as standard, but the base heat level is tailored to a central Maine palate—I’ll be ordering mine extra spicy next time I go!
Cushnoc Cantina
The new northern outpost of Augusta’s Cushnoc Brewery, the cantina (as the name suggests) serves up Mexican style fair with a bit of a twist. The “nachos” come on tater tots rather than chips, and in addition to more traditional tacos they have Mexican salads and rice bowls that are a real treat. In addition to their own selection of craft brews, they’ve got tequilas and mezcals if that’s your type of thing (margaritas anyone?).
Miller’s Table Cafe & Bakery
Located adjacent to the Maine Grains gristmill, this bakery bakes fresh bread, pizzas, and pastries with the in-house flours. The sourdough breads are world-class, and although I haven’t tried the pizzas, they look superb as well. It is the perfect spot to grab a tea, a bowl of soup, and a grilled cheese to warm your bones after getting chilled to the bone in this season’s lousy weather.
Drink:
Borderlands Coffee
This specialty coffee shop located on Maine Street, right by the Waterville Creates center, serves up top quality espresso, lattes, and tea. Any city visit needs at least one great coffee shop stop, right?
Bigelow Brewing Co
Sometimes even indoor locations can’t withstand the wrath of mud-season, as we discovered trying to visit Bigelow Brewing in the freezing rain—they had closed that day due to unsafe driving. So, unfortunately on this occasion I didn’t get to sample their brews or homemade pizzas, but I’ve imagine you’ll be luckier on your next visit! This community focused brewery has been making locally-sourced craft brews for 12 years on their rural property while hosting live music outdoors when the sun comes out—a must visit spot in the area!
Stay:
Lockwood Hotel
It is somewhat unusual to find a brand new boutique hotel in small-town Maine, but it fits in well with the revitalized downtown. The rooms were spacious and comfortable, the lobby bar and restaurant delicious, and the location can’t be beat! I also appreciate the thoughtful use of materials architecturally—interior wood is sourced from Maine Heritage Timber, which salvages logs from the Penobscot River.