Any Snow in Portland Area??? (Naples, Fryeburg: rental, restaurants, shops)

[maja]

We are flying into Portland tomorrow. I have checked the weather and there does not appear to be much snow in the forecast other than some snow showers. Is there snow on the ground right now? Enough to take my daughters out for a little snowshoe/ski fun? They are also interested in making snowmen/angels, and I'm hoping to not disappoint them as snow is such a rarity to them! Any other suggestions on fun things to see/do and great, kid-friendly restaurants are also always welcome! We will be in town for one week . Thanks.

[K-Luv]

We had a dusting, then got hit with 13 inches in one evening. Then it was another light dusting a few days later. Some of it is still around but not enough to ski on or even snow shoe. You could scrape enough up to build a snowman, though. Drive about an hour inland and you will have all the snow that you want.

[maja]

Originally Posted by K-Luv

We had a dusting, then got hit with 13 inches in one evening. Then it was another light dusting a few days later. Some of it is still around but not enough to ski on or even snow shoe. You could scrape enough up to build a snowman, though. Drive about an hour inland and you will have all the snow that you want.

Thanks for the info. Any place "inland" you would recommend? And how are the roads for driving? Rental company wouldn't guarantee AWD/4WD. Thanks again.

[lrfox]

45 minutes to an hour straight on route 302 will get you to the Naples/ Bridgeton area. It's very pretty and they've got plenty of snow. Naples has the lake, Bridgeton has the quintessential New England village feel along with a ski area (Shawnee Peak). 1/2 hour further north (get off 302 in Bridgeton and take 37 to 35 to 5... it's well marked and relatively easy to do) will get you to Bethel, an stunning mountain village. try to drive through during daylight to take in the scenery. I particularly love driving by Bear Pond and the village of Waterford.

You can also continue onto route 302 through Bridgeton and Fryeburg and head just across the state border to North Conway, New Hampshire... Well worth the drive. Stunning views of Mt. Washington and the White Mountains, great little shops and restaurants in town, ice skating, scenic classic train rides, outlet stores, and ski areas (Cranmore is in town and provides a pretty backdrop, Black Mtn, Attitash and Wildcat are all close by). Like Bethel, this is about a 1.5 hour drive and well worth it. Either is a good idea for a day trip while in Portland.

Maine (and New Hampshire) takes good care of the primary roads... 302, 37, 35, and 5 are all primary roads in Maine (as is 302 in NH). Unless you choose to drive while it's snowing (and snowing hard... flurries won't bother you), the roads should be in good condition for any type of vehicle. 302 is particularly well cared for as it's one of the busier roads in Maine. I really wouldn't worry about the condition of the roads unless it's snowing hard while you're driving, or if it has been rainy all day and temperatures drop below freezing at night... ice can be a problem then.

I'm sure others have inland suggestions as well, but these are mine. A quick google search should turn up any extra info on them you may want to look at.

Enjoy your trip!

[maja]

Originally Posted by lrfox

45 minutes to an hour straight on route 302 will get you to the Naples/ Bridgeton area. It's very pretty and they've got plenty of snow. Naples has the lake, Bridgeton has the quintessential New England village feel along with a ski area (Shawnee Peak). 1/2 hour further north (get off 302 in Bridgeton and take 37 to 35 to 5... it's well marked and relatively easy to do) will get you to Bethel, an stunning mountain village. try to drive through during daylight to take in the scenery. I particularly love driving by Bear Pond and the village of Waterford.

You can also continue onto route 302 through Bridgeton and Fryeburg and head just across the state border to North Conway, New Hampshire... Well worth the drive. Stunning views of Mt. Washington and the White Mountains, great little shops and restaurants in town, ice skating, scenic classic train rides, outlet stores, and ski areas (Cranmore is in town and provides a pretty backdrop, Black Mtn, Attitash and Wildcat are all close by). Like Bethel, this is about a 1.5 hour drive and well worth it. Either is a good idea for a day trip while in Portland.

Maine (and New Hampshire) takes good care of the primary roads... 302, 37, 35, and 5 are all primary roads in Maine (as is 302 in NH). Unless you choose to drive while it's snowing (and snowing hard... flurries won't bother you), the roads should be in good condition for any type of vehicle. 302 is particularly well cared for as it's one of the busier roads in Maine. I really wouldn't worry about the condition of the roads unless it's snowing hard while you're driving, or if it has been rainy all day and temperatures drop below freezing at night... ice can be a problem then.

I'm sure others have inland suggestions as well, but these are mine. A quick google search should turn up any extra info on them you may want to look at.

Enjoy your trip!

Thanks Irfox. Are these destinations at higer elevations? Is that why they have all the snow? BTW, is the skiing there, downhill or crosscountry or both? Thanks again.

[lrfox]

^These destinations are at a higher elevation ( all three are either in the foothills or the mountains) anywhere up to 2,000 feet above sea level as the constant elevation (Mt. Washington is 6,288ft above sea level at the summit-- highest point in the North East) which does play into the snow factor a bit, but much of it has to do with the ocean water creating a bit more mild of a climate and reducing the amount of snowfall in coastal locations like Portland. Portland got nearly as much snow as many inland locations, but it melted where as more stayed in place in the mountains and further inland.

The N. Conway area offers both downhill and cross country as does Bethel. Many (if not most) downhill resorts (all the ones I mentioned in my first post are primarily downhill resorts) have cross country trails too... Wildcat (downhill skiing) has Great Glenn Trails (X Country) right accross the street. Both are worth looking into. I'm not so sure about Bridgeton, but I think places there offer cross country too (I know for sure Shawnee peak is a downhill ski area and a great one for families). In fact, I'm pretty positive there are places for Cross Country in Bridgeton... I just don't know specific names. North Conway is tops in the cross country category (and probably the downhill one as well, though Sunday River near Bethel is great too) with Great Glenn Trails and other cross country destinations too.

some links on areas for you:
Bethel:
Sunday River ski area (both donwhill and x-country): http://www.sundayriver.com/
Town info: http://www.bethelmaine.com/

North Conway NH:
Town Info: http://www.northconwaynh.com/
cranmore ski area: http://www.cranmore.com/winter/
Great Glenn Trails X-Country(check out the "snowcoach" section for a REAL unique experience... a winter ride to the summit of Mt. Washinton): http://www.greatglentrails.com/
Attitash Ski area: www.attitash.com
Wildcat Ski Area: http://www.skiwildcat.com/

Bridgeton/Naples:
Maine Lakes Region Chamber (serving both towns): http://mainelakeschamber.com/
Shawnee Peak ski area: http://www.shawneepeak.com/

I'm sure you can get more info, but that should be a start.