When we got back to the car after a couple hours of snowshoeing around Androscoggin Riverlands State Park, we both seemed quite shocked on how well things went. You see, it was the first time Adeline was in the hiking backpack and we never thought to do a dry run, nor did we have a backup plan if she hated it. All things we did way back when, with Eloise. This time we just took off and the “what ifs” didn’t creep into our minds until after the fact. Probably for the better because we just assumed she’d be fine and she was. Plus it was still the middle of winter and even though it happened to be a beautiful day, it was still in the middle of winter. She actually appeared to be thrilled for the first half of it and then went into sleepy cruise control on the loop back.

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We got an early start with Eloise but that was by our own choosing. The kids that follow are a different ballgame. Something we didn’t realize about having another child is that there aren’t these new stages and experiences that you prepare for like with your first born. You’re already knee deep in sh*t (parenting) and you just increased your party size by 1. Like a band that is already out on tour and adds a new member along the way. So without any real thought or planning we came home from the hospital and just continued on with life like the 3 days before we had walked in. Just a lot busier of course and operating on a lot less sleep. 

Eloise was in the hiking backpack at 6 months and she grew to love it over the years and so did we. Adeline was a spring chicken so she wasn’t old enough this past summer and fall so this just happened to be the first time she went for a spin. Being 9 months old and rocking a sturdy neck, we just figured she’d be fine and she was. Maybe what helped was seeing her sister riding high in the secondhand Kelty toddler pack we recently scored.

Androscoggin Riverlands State Park is a mouth full to say out loud and just a guess but probably why “state park” is often left off when the park is referenced. We started this mission to help guide other parents and people to, through and around Maine’s state parks. We made the decision a while back to focus on visiting all the places with “state park” in the name because it can get super confusing with all of Maine’s public lands, historical sites, preserves, etc. For example, we have been to Mackworth Island several times and technically it appears to be an official state park, but it’s not listed on every state park list on the state’s website so we’ve left it off our list. Then there’s the family campground at Baxter State Park, which is operated completely separately from all the other state park family campgrounds. Androscoggin Riverlands State Park wasn’t even on our original list because so many different resources left it off the state park list while others included it. So since nothing about this blog is official, that is how we officially came up with our decision to include it in our mission.  

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“More than half of Maine’s population lives within an hour drive of this park.” That is accessible right there! Think of it like a gym, it doesn’t matter how nice it is, it has to be convenient as well and that proximity anytime in Maine is rare. Speaking of convenience, even in the winter time, the parking lot was plowed for visitors. This is also quite rare this time of the year and even though it was close to the main road, it felt like an added amenity. There appears to be two main parking areas with one at the north end and one at the south end of the park (map). We chose the north end because we wanted to hike a nice loop that morning and stay mostly on designated hiking trails. It’s a massive state park (5th largest) and even has 12 miles of waterfront property. We bet you can probably guess the name of the river. The water views were frozen on this morning as we walked along Homestead Trail but we could see people xc skiing on top and they all seemed to be enjoying themselves just fine during “off-season.” The coldest we felt was at the lookout so after a sweaty short rest in the wind, plenty of snacks and an interesting toddler pee break, we hiked back via Porcupine Trial. It was a slow moving 3 miles or so that morning but it just felt good for the soul. The trails were rolling and probably would have been graded as intermediate but in the winter, with snowshoes and kids on your back, it was a hellava workout. 

What probably felt the best about this day visit was finding our new normal. Our wolfpack had grown and this was how it was going to be for all our adventures, moving forward. Certainly new territory for a trio that has been on the run together for a while. It is a massive park and we had it almost completely to ourselves on a picture perfect day for mid-February in Maine. This made it all even more special so of course it distorts our normal grading system. How could you not give this particular day a 10! We aren’t quite sure if the park deserves a 10 especially since we were only able to scratch the surface of what it has to offer. Just to give you an example, there are picnic tables on little islands that you can canoe out to! So we’ll slap 8 Rubies on it and call it good. There’s a good chance you are one of the 650,000 people who live within 60 minutes, so we suggest a visit or two. 

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All 4 of us were spent and it was getting to be late for a lunch stop. The kid’s naps were also overdue but we had planned to stop at a place called Nezinscot Farm. When we do day trips, the goal is to always check out a local spot for some grub or a drink or both. Now this place is a 10. It’s impossible to explain everything under their roof but it all tastes and looks good. We ate like we climbed Katahdin…pulled chicken, meatballs, yogurt, bread, cinnamon rolls, etc. Local, fresh and made from scratch! We drive through Turner quite a bit throughout the year; this will be a mandatory stopover from now on. And the icing on the cake? We didn’t have to pick up the mess on the floor leftover from the girls because there were animals everywhere and the dog sleeping at our feet was more than happy to take care of their droppings.

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